《菜根谭》是明代还初道人洪应明所著的一部论述修养、人生、处世、出世的语录体文集。它将儒释道三家之精髓熔于一炉，使儒家中庸之道、佛教出世思想与道家无为思想融会贯通。它似语录，却拥有语录所没有的趣味；它似随笔，却拥有随笔所不及的整饬。《菜根谭》文辞优美，对仗工整，含义深远，耐人寻味，是一部有益于人们陶冶情操、磨炼意志、奋发向上的通俗读物。毛泽东曾说过："嚼得菜根者，百事可做"。《菜根谭》更与《围炉夜话》《小窗幽记》并称为"处世三大奇书"，它以众多富含哲理的名言警句教给世人出世入世之法则及为人处世之道，引人入胜，发人深思。

(The Roots of Wisdom is a quotation collection expounding accomplishment, life, way of dealing with the world and way of renouncing the world, written by Hong Yingming (Huanchu Daoren) of the Ming Dynasty. It integrates essences of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and puts the golden mean, the thought of renouncing the world and the thought of non-interference all together. It surpasses quotation in interest, and overpasses informal essay in orderliness. With graceful words, favorable antithesis, far-reaching significance and affordability for thought, it is a popular literature good for taste cultivating, will tempering and progress. Mao Zedong once said: "One comprehending The Roots of Wisdom can do everything." Furthermore, The Roots of Wisdom is included in the "3 masterpieces for dealing with the world" together with The Lunar Night Talk and Speculations in Solitude at Tiny Window. It teaches people how to renounce, go into and deal with the world with numerous philosophical wisdom words. It is attractive with much food for thought.)