諺語 · a single proverb
忙中不忘善
What does 忙中不忘善 (máng zhōng bù wàng shàn) mean?
忙中不忘善 (máng zhōng bù wàng shàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "in busyness do not forget goodness." In use it means: Even in the middle of busy activity, do not forget to act with kindness. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "in busyness do not forget goodness."
The reading
The busyness is often the excuse, but the one who has made virtue a habit does not need to remember to practice it in the rush because it has long since stopped being separate from the motion. Kindness that requires conditions to appear is fragile; kindness that persists through the chaos is the real kind.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 忙中不忘善 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 忙中不忘善 (máng zhōng bù wàng shàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 忙中不忘善?
In Mandarin it is máng zhōng bù wàng shàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 忙中不忘善 aloud in Mandarin.