From: "A Poetry to Learn from My Nephew" written by Peng Duanshu in the Qing Dynasty.

Excerpts from the original text:

Are things in the world difficult or easy? If you do it, what is difficult will become easy; if you don't do it, what is easy will also be difficult. Is it difficult or easy for people to learn? If you learn it, everything that is difficult will become easy; if you don't learn it, everything that is easy will become difficult.

Interpretation:

Is there a difference between difficult and easy things in the world? As long as you are willing to do it, the difficult things become easy; if you don't do it, the easy things become difficult. Is there a difference between difficult and easy learning for people? As long as you are willing to learn, difficult knowledge becomes easy; if you are not willing to learn, easy knowledge becomes difficult.

Extended information

During the Qianjia and Qianjia periods of the Qing Dynasty, scholars devoted themselves to learning and did not care about reputation. They were rigorous and simple in their scholarship, forming a generation of academic style. So the author wrote this article for his nephews, hoping that they can continue to carry forward this trend. At the same time, he encouraged his nephews to study and study not to be restricted by weak and mediocre talents, but to give full play to their subjective initiative.

The article focuses on the principles of learning, pointing out that a person's natural talent is not a condition that determines academic success. Only through subjective efforts can one achieve something. First, let’s talk about the relationship between difficulty and ease of learning. It is not static, but can be transformed into each other. The condition for transformation lies in people’s subjective efforts.

The relationship between mediocrity and intelligence can also be transformed. For example, Confucius's teachings were passed down by students who were not very talented. Then he told the story of two rich and poor monks on the Sichuan border who wanted to go to the South China Sea. The rich man always wanted to hire a boat but could not do it, while the poor man returned after a year of asceticism. This illustrates the truth that everything in the world is difficult, and where there is a will, things come true. Learn this central proposition.

At the end, it is pointed out that those who rely on their own intelligence and are not scholars will fail, while those who are stupid and mediocre will definitely achieve success if they study diligently. The whole article adopts the writing method of combining virtuality with reality and discussing virtuality based on reality. The two monks are compared with each other, with vivid examples and clear opinions.

Peng Duanshu's main achievement lies in his literature. His poetry, classical prose and literary criticism theory had a great influence at that time. Together with Li Tiaoyuan and Zhang Wentao, he became famous in Shu and was known as the "Three Talents in Shu" in the Qing Dynasty. Peng Duanshu was obsessed with making righteousness (also known as making art) in his early years, and his righteousness-making skills were also superior to those in Shu. After Han Zhuo'an and Dong Xince, he was the only righteousness master who could "consider the purpose of scriptures".

Peng Duanshu paid great attention to the cultivation of talents throughout his life and created many talents. When I was an examiner, I would personally assess those with excellent talents and knowledge, try my best to promote them, and hire them based on their talents without sticking to one pattern. Ji Yun, a famous official in the Qing Dynasty and the chief usurper of the "Sikuquanshu", was supported by Peng Duanshu during the Jie Yuan Dynasty, and later became an authority in the academic circles of the Qing Dynasty.