1. You will reap melons if you sow melons, and you will reap beans if you sow beans [zhòng guā dé guā, zhòng dòu dé dòu] Whatever you sow, you will reap. A metaphor for what you did and what results you got.

Source: "Nirvana Sutra": "You will reap melons if you sow melons, and you will reap plums if you sow plums."

Translation: You will reap what you sow.

2. The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants enjoyed the shade [qián rén zāi shù, hòu rén chéng liáng]. It is a metaphor that the predecessors benefited the descendants.

Source: Qing Dynasty Zhai Hao's "Popular Edition·Volume 1·Slang Couplet": "Plant bamboo this year, and eat bamboo shoots next year; the predecessors planted trees, and the descendants will enjoy the shade."

Translation: Plant bamboo this year and eat bamboo shoots next year; predecessors planted saplings so that future generations can enjoy the shade under the grown trees.

3. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It is a metaphor that success in things is gradually accumulated from childhood to adulthood. < /p>

Translation: A big tree that hugs each other grows from tiny seedlings; a nine-story high platform is built from every pile of soil; a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

4. Make further progress? [ bǎi chǐ gān tóu , gèng jìn yī bù ] It is a metaphor for striving for higher achievements after achieving high achievements.

From: Song Dynasty Shi Daoyuan's "Jingde Chuan Leng Lu" Volume 10: The head of a pole cannot move people, although it is not true. The head of a hundred-foot pole must make progress, and the world in the ten directions is the whole body.

Translation: If the cultivation of Taoism reaches the point of reaching the top of a hundred-foot pole and no longer progresses, then, although it is great, it is not innocent. Even if the cultivation reaches the top of a hundred-foot pole, you still cannot relax. Absolutely You cannot be complacent, and you absolutely cannot give up. Only by continuing to work hard and carefully will you make greater progress. Extended information

Idiom allusions:

According to the records of "Wudeng Huiyuan" by Shi Puji of the Song Dynasty, there was an eminent monk named Jing Cen at that time, named Master Zhaoxian. His attainments in Buddhism were extremely high. He is often invited to preach and preach from various places. One day, when he was invited to give a lecture at a Buddhist temple, a monk saluted and asked him to answer questions about the highest realm of Buddhism - the world of the ten directions.

In order to explain what is going on in the world of ten directions, Master Zhaoxian sang a verse on the spot: "A hundred-foot pole will not move people, although it is not true. A hundred-foot pole must make progress, ten "The square world is the whole body."

It means: If the cultivation of Taoism reaches the point where it reaches the point where it reaches the point where it is no longer progressing, then, although it is great, it is not yet pure. At the top, you still cannot relax, you must not be complacent, and you must not give up. Only by continuing to work hard and carefully will you make greater progress.

The story tells us that when we study, we cannot be satisfied with some achievements and stop being complacent. We must know that the ocean of knowledge is endless. Only by persevering in learning can we get closer to the other side of the truth.