"Preface to Ma Sheng in Dongyang" is a preface written by Song Lian, a writer in the Ming Dynasty. The famous sentence is as follows:

Those who are not good at their profession and have bad virtues are not innate. If they are humble, their heart is not as good as my ears, and it is not the fault of others: This sentence means that if they are not proficient in their studies and their morals are ineffective, it is not because of low talent, but because their intentions are not like mine. It’s just that single-mindedness, where is the fault of others?

Those who have enough happiness in it don’t know that the food and clothing they receive are not as good as others: This sentence means that because they have things in their hearts that make them happy, they don’t feel that the enjoyment of food and clothing is not as good as others. These sentences not only demonstrated Song Lian's literary talent, but also reflected his noble moral character and diligent spirit, which had a profound impact on later generations.

In "Preface to Ma Sheng in Dongyang", the author narrates his personal experience of humbly asking for advice and studying diligently in his early years. By describing his difficulty in borrowing books to seek teachers and the suffering of running around in hunger and cold, he is superior to Tai students. Comparing the conditions, it shows that whether academic achievements can be achieved mainly depends on the individual's subjective efforts, not on the level of talent and conditions. The author uses his own personal experience to encourage young people to cherish a good reading environment and maintain a diligent and diligent academic spirit to concentrate on their studies.