Fang Wei Du Jian

Literal Meaning: prevent the tiniest damages and be alert over the gradual changes

Metaphorical Meaning: A stitch in nine save nine.

In the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), when the Emperor He succeeded the crown, the court was in the control of king’s mother Queen Dou and her brothers. They took charge of the policies and armies and the whole country was in a chaotic situation under their reigns. The relatives of the Dou Family took advantage of their power to bully people. Ordinary people and even some government officials were angry with them but they dared not say or do anything.

One day there happened the solar eclipse, one of the ministers loyal to Emperor He said to the king: “The sun is symbol of the king and the moon represents the ministers. The solar eclipse means that the king’s power is taken by the ministers. You should be careful, My Lord. In the past, the solar eclipse happened for 36 times and 32 kings were killed by their ministers because these ministers have too much power.”

“The occurrence of the solar eclipse is a warning that God gives to us. We should pay attention to it. The stream penetrating the stone all starts with the constant drops. The towering trees grow from the little sapling. People always ignore the tiny things which will cause great trouble in the future. If you can deal with the court affairs by yourself and attach importance to the tiny matters, you can prevent the disaster from happening when it just emerges. Then the country will be in peace for a long time.”