Xunzi, the author of "Encouragement to Learning"? Pre-Qin dynasty

The gentleman said: Learning is no longer enough.

Green, derived from blue, and green from blue; ice, derived from water, and cold from water. The wood is straight and the rope is in the middle. It is shaped like a wheel and its curve is regular. Although there is violence, those who no longer stand up are the ones who make it happen. Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight; if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial; if a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know how to act without making mistakes.

I spend the whole day thinking about it, which is not as good as what I learned in a moment; I stoop and look at it, but it is not as good as climbing up and gaining insights. When you climb high and make moves, your arms are not lengthened, but the sight is far away; when you call along the wind, the sound is not faster, but the sound is louder. A fake horse can travel thousands of miles without benefiting from its feet; a fake boat can run a thousand miles without benefiting from the water. A gentleman's life is not different, he is good at things and fake things.

There is a bird in the south, called the Mongolian dove. It uses its feathers as a nest, braiding its hair and tying it with reeds. When the wind blows, the eggs break and the eggs die. The nest is not endless, but it is tied to it. There is a tree in the west, called Shegan, with a stem four inches long. It grows on a high mountain, near the abyss of hundreds of feet. The fluffy hemp grows upright without support; the white sand grows black in the nirvana. The root of the orchid locust tree is Zhi, and as it gradually becomes damper, gentlemen will not approach it and common people will not accept it. Its quality is not unattractive, but it is so gradually. Therefore, when a gentleman lives, he must choose a hometown, and when traveling, he must choose scholars. Therefore, he must guard against evil and stay close to the right.

Vernacular interpretation:

A gentleman says: Learning can never stop.

Indigo is extracted from indigo, but it is greener than indigo; ice is condensed from water, but it is colder than water. The wood is straight and conforms to the ink line, but (extraction with fire) makes it bend into a wheel, (then) the curvature of the wood (then) conforms to (roundness) the general standard of a compass, even if it is dried by wind and sun , (the wood) will no longer be straight, and extraction with fire makes it so. Therefore, wood becomes straight when compared with the ink line, and a metal sword becomes sharp when it is ground on a whetstone. A gentleman learns extensively and examines and reflects on himself every day, then he will be wise and reasonable and his actions are faultless. .

Therefore, if you don’t climb the mountains, you don’t know how high the sky is; if you don’t face the deep streams, you don’t know how thick the earth is; if you don’t understand the teachings of the previous emperors, you don’t know the breadth of knowledge. The children of Qian, Yue, Yi and Raccoon all cry the same when they are born, but their customs and habits are different when they grow up. This is due to education. "The Book of Songs" says: "You, a gentleman, don't always be greedy for ease. Treat your duties respectfully and love upright virtues. When the gods hear all this, they will bestow you with great blessings and auspiciousness." There is no better spiritual cultivation than being influenced by morality. The infection is greater, and the blessing is no longer lasting than the absence of disaster.

I used to think hard all day long, (but) it was not as good as the knowledge (gain) gained in a moment; I once stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance, (but) it was not as good as climbing to a high place. wide. When you reach a high place and wave, your arms are not lengthened, but people in the distance can see it; when you shout along the wind, your voice is not louder, but the listeners can hear you clearly. People who use cars and horses are not good at walking, but they can reach thousands of miles away; people who use boats and boats are not good at swimming, but they can cross the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. The qualifications and temperament of a gentleman are no different from those of ordinary people. He is just good at using external things.

There is a bird in the south named "Mengjiu". It makes a nest with feathers and braids it with hair. It ties the nest to the spikes of young reeds. When the wind blows, the spikes break. The bird's nest fell and all the eggs were smashed. It’s not that the nest wasn’t made properly, it’s that it shouldn’t be tied to the reeds. The grass grown in the West is called "Shegan". It is only four inches high. It grows on high mountains, but it can overlook hundreds of miles away. It is not that grass can grow tall, but because it grows on the top of mountains.

The fluffy grass grows in the hemp field and can stand upright without support. When the white sand is mixed into the black soil, it will no longer turn white. The root of the orchid locust tree is called fragrant mugwort. Once it is immersed in the smelly water, it will become white again. If a gentleman doesn't come near, a servant won't wear it. It's not that the moxa itself doesn't smell good, but that it smells bad after being soaked in it. Therefore, a gentleman should choose a good environment to live in, and choose moral people to make friends, so that he can guard against subtle changes and maintain his moderation and integrity.

1. Gentleman: refers to a learned and cultivated person.

2. Learning can’t stop: learning can’t stop.

3. Indigo is obtained from indigo. Cyan, indigo, a dye. Blue, polygonum indigo. Polygonum (liǎo) blue: an annual herb with reddish-purple stems, oblong leaves, dark blue when dry. The flowers are light red, spike-like, with achenes, dark brown.

The leaves contain blue juice, which can be used as blue dye.

4. Greener than blue: darker than polygonum indigo.

5. Middle rope: (wood) conforms to the straightened ink line. Woodworkers use straightened ink lines to achieve straightness.

6. 輮为 Wheel: 輮: through "burning", using fire to bend the wood (a kind of handicraft).

7. Compass: Compass, a tool for measuring circles.

8. Even if it is exposed to wind and sun, it will dry up. Yes, it passes "you". Haggard, withered. Bao, same as "exposure", sun-drying. Violent, withered.

9. Straight: straight. Extended information

Creative background:

During the Warring States Period, the slavery system further collapsed, the feudal system gradually formed, and history experienced epoch-making changes. Many thinkers expressed their own opinions on the social changes at that time from different standpoints and perspectives, and gradually formed different sects such as Mohism, Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism, which were historically known as "the Hundred Schools of Thought".

A hundred schools of thought wrote books one after another, promoted their own ideas and criticized others, resulting in a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contending". Xunzi was a representative figure of Confucianism in the late Warring States Period. He believes that the existence of nature is not dependent on human will, but people can use subjective efforts to understand it, adapt to it, and use it. In order to reveal the importance of acquired learning, he wrote the article "Encouragement to Learning", which encouraged people to change bad thoughts and behaviors through learning, revitalize etiquette and justice, create laws and regulations, and practice the way of a gentleman wholeheartedly.