The three cardinal principles are the purpose, the program, and the guiding ideology; the eight principles are the specific steps to realize the "three cardinal principles", and they are an indivisible whole.

1. The three cardinal principles are to be clear and virtuous, to be close to the people, and to strive for perfection. The eight eyes are to investigate things, to gain knowledge, to be sincere, to have a correct mind, to cultivate oneself, to regulate the family, to govern the country, and to bring peace to the world. The phrase comes from "The Great Learning", which puts forward the "Three Programs" and the "Eight Items", emphasizing that self-cultivation is the prerequisite for governing people, and the purpose of self-cultivation is to order the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. The inner connection of moral cultivation.

2. The so-called three cardinal principles point to being virtuous, being close to the people, and striving for perfection. It is not only the programmatic purpose of "The Great Learning", but also the goal of Confucianism's "establishing religion throughout the world". The so-called eight eyes refer to investigating things, attaining knowledge, sincerity, correct mind, self-cultivation, managing the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. It is not only the prerequisite skills designed to achieve the "Three Cardinal Guides", but also the life learning path shown to us by Confucianism.

3. Looking at the Four Books and Five Classics, we find that all Confucian doctrines are actually developed according to these three cardinal guides and eight objectives. Therefore, grasping the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Eyes is equivalent to grasping the key to the door of Confucianism. Follow this learning ladder step by step, and you will gain access to the profound meaning of Confucian classics.

4. As far as the ladder itself is concerned, it actually includes two major aspects: "internal cultivation" and "external treatment": the first four levels of "investigation, knowledge, sincerity, and righteousness" are the "internal cultivation" "; the next three levels of "regulating the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world" are "external governance". The “cultivation” link in the middle is the hub that connects the two aspects of “internal cultivation” and “external treatment”.

5. It is connected with the previous "internal cultivation" project, which is "benefiting oneself"; it is connected with the later "external governance" project, which is "benefiting the whole world". For more than two thousand years, generations of Chinese intellectuals have laid the course of their lives on this ladder.

6. Therefore, it is essentially not just a series of theoretical learning steps, but a life pursuit path with a strong practical color. It has shaped the personality and psychology of generations of Chinese intellectuals, and it still plays a subtle role in us today.

7. The Three Cardinal Guidelines and Eight Eyes reflect the fundamental thoughts of ancient Chinese Confucianism on human education, affirm the social attributes and cultivation of human beings, and provide guidance for a person's career achievements. This kind of thinking created the glorious thought of later generations of Chinese intellectuals: "If you are successful, you can help the world, and if you are poor, you can be alone."