Businessmen's ethics

 　　A merchant who profits at the expense of others is a cunning merchant; a merchant who benefits himself but not others is a petty merchant; a merchant who benefits both himself and others is a great merchant; a merchant who benefits both himself and others is a philanthropist.

　　A great merchant's business is like a sage's governance—it requires mastery of principles and strategies. The principles are the laws, and the strategies are the tactics. A merchant's character can also be cultivated.

　　Basic precepts: A merchant cannot be despicable or shameless, shallow or vulgar, cannot disregard the laws, cannot be indecisive or lack courage, cannot be lazy, cannot follow the crowd, cannot do things without certainty, cannot be fickle, cannot lack integrity, cannot lack a sense of time, cannot be

　　extravagant or wasteful, cannot be frivolous or extravagant, cannot be irritable or fickle, cannot be argumentative or quarrelsome, cannot act impulsively, cannot be greedy or demand credit, cannot be unprepared, cannot be uncertain, cannot be unable to distinguish between good and bad, and cannot be unable to differentiate between loyalty and treachery, good and evil.

　　Businessmen should avoid the following habits that lead to poverty: neglecting their duties, lack of focus, haphazard business practices, extravagance, a slovenly lifestyle, appearing unreliable, laziness in utilizing available resources, squandering wealth for vanity and social climbing, disregarding the principle of "harmony brings wealth," engaging in petty squabbles and lawsuits, accumulating debt and negative interest payments, living on borrowed money, having a spouse or children of questionable character ruin their lives, falling into scams due to poor choice of friends, and indulging in gambling, womanizing, drugs, and alcoholism, leading to a life of poverty. Be a little smarter every day, but always refrain from doing anything that harms yourself.

　　Good virtues for wealth accumulation: Diligence and thrift mean sustainable development. Sustainable development requires cherishing what you have, working hard on the right path, being honest and upright, maintaining a good reputation, working diligently day and night with a focused mind on your career, managing household affairs and valuing your family, preventing fires and theft, and avoiding illegal business. Teaching your entire family to work together towards wealth, ensuring your spouse and children are virtuous and talented, having family precepts and education, passing on good character, and doing good deeds.

　　The most important aspects of making money are principle and strategy. Principle refers to the correct direction, and strategy refers to the correct approach. Principle can transform a wicked person into a virtuous one, but a person without principle, even if they become rich overnight, will not have a good end. Do not measure a person's value by the amount of money they possess, but by the depth or shallowness of their principles and strategies.