Precious Mirror for Enlightening the Mind (明心宝鉴)

Simplified Chinese明心宝鉴
明心寶鑑
RomanizationsMingxin baojian
Ming xin bao jian
Ming-hsin pao-chien
Author(s)Fan Liben
Year1393
Summary

The Mingxin baojian is a seminal Chinese anthology compiled during the early Ming Dynasty, likely by Fan Liben. It serves as a moral guidebook, distilling centuries of Eastern wisdom into a single volume. The text is a collection of aphorisms, poems, and teachings from diverse sources, including Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Beyond China, it gained immense popularity in Korea and Vietnam. Notably, in 1590, it became the first Chinese book translated into a Western language (Spanish), bridging the intellectual gap between the East and West. Its primary goal remains universal: to provide a ‘mirror’ for individuals to reflect upon their character and cultivate a virtuous life.

Translations

1591
Latin
Manuscript
Ruggieri, Michele
1703
Latin
Manuscript
Noël, François
2023
English (EN, ENG), Chinese (ZH, CHI)
Print
Noël, François
1590
Spanish (ES, SPA)
Manuscript
Cobo, Juan