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居庙堂之高则忧其民

居廟堂之高則憂其民
jūmiàotángzhīgāozéyōuqímín
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 when occupying the height of the imperial court, worry for the people
  2. 2 (fig.) the duty of a high official is to fret for those below, not to enjoy the view
  3. 3 (lit.) dwell temple-hall's height, then worry his people

Examples

范仲淹教导后人居庙堂之高则忧其民，当官要想着百姓。
Fàn Zhòngyān jiàodǎo hòurén jū miàotáng zhī gāo zé yōu qí mín, dāng guān yào xiǎngzhe bǎixìng.
Fan Zhongyan taught that 'in the height of the court, worry for the people' — officials must think of the common folk.
他身为市长，始终记得居庙堂之高则忧其民。
Tā shēn wéi shìzhǎng, shǐzhōng jìde jū miàotáng zhī gāo zé yōu qí mín.
As mayor, he never forgot 'in the height of the court, one must worry for the people.'

Tips

history
From 范仲淹《岳阳楼记》(Fan Zhongyan, Record of Yueyang Tower, 1046, Northern Song). Full passage: 居庙堂之高，则忧其民；处江湖之远，则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧。然则何时而乐耶？其必曰'先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐' (When high in the imperial court, I worry for the people; when far on the rivers and lakes, I worry for the ruler. Advancing, I worry; withdrawing, I worry. When then can I be happy? I must say: be first in the empire's worries, last in its joys). One of the defining statements of Confucian official ethics.
usage
庙堂 literally 'ancestral hall' — here a metonym for the imperial court. Always paired with 处江湖之远则忧其君 (out in the rivers-and-lakes, worry for the ruler). The whole passage culminates in 先忧后乐 (first to worry, last to rejoice).

Stroke Order

居 jū
庙 miào
堂 táng
之 zhī
高 gāo
则 zé
忧 yōu
其 qí
民 mín