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Confucius used flowing water as a metaphor to advise people to cherish time.

"The passing of time is like a man's passing, and he does not give up day and night" is a famous saying of Confucius, which means that time is gone like running water and will never return. From the Analects of Confucius "Zihan".

Confucius said on the river: "The deceased is like a man who never abandons day and night." The transformation of heaven and earth, what goes by passes, what comes continues, without a breath, is the original nature of the Tao. However, nothing can be pointed out and easily seen like a river. Therefore, this hair is used to show others that students are expected to reflect at all times without any interruption. Chengzi said: "This is the body of the Tao. The movement of heaven is endless. When the sun goes by, the moon comes, and when the cold goes, the heat comes. The water flow never stops, and the things are endless. They are all integrated with the Tao, and they move day and night. It is not over yet. "This is how a gentleman should strive to become more pure." He also said: "Since the Han Dynasty, Confucian scholars have not understood this meaning. This is Heaven's virtue. If you have Heaven's virtue, you can talk about the king's way, and the key is to be cautious. "Fool's note: From this point on to the end of the chapter, there are words that encourage people to learn.

The Analects of Confucius "Zihan" records: "The Master said on the river, the deceased is like a man. He does not give up day and night." The word "pass" here, Han Confucian notes, as well as Erya and Shuowen, should all be used. The word "went" can be interpreted in two ways according to the ancient annotations: one is the past and the other is going. According to the past interpretation, the word "pass" means to disappear; according to the interpretation of "go", the word "pass" means to move forward. There are grounds for both, but it is difficult to determine which one is correct. This requires interpretation beyond words. Confucius lamented that time is fleeting and encouraged himself and his students to cherish time and study.