1. Original text

Confucius said: "When I was ten, I was determined to learn; when I was thirty, I stood up; when I was forty, I was not confused; when I was fifty, I knew the destiny of heaven; when I was sixty, I was attuned to my ears. At the age of seventy, I will follow my heart's desires and not exceed the rules."

2. Translation

Confucius said: "At the age of fifteen, I determined to study in a university; at the age of thirty, I learned etiquette, words and deeds. They are all appropriate; at forty, one can become a knower without confusion; at fifty, one understands the fundamental laws of heaven and physics; at sixty, one can understand everything one has heard; at seventy, one can follow one's will without going beyond the law."

3. Source

Extended information on "The Analects of Confucius: Weizheng" by Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period

Appreciation

Most people's understanding is that as different stages of life should be achieve the ideal state of life. In fact, it should be that at the age of fifteen, one is interested in establishing an academic system; at thirty, he can establish the preliminary prototype of his own academic system; at forty, he can fill in the gaps and complete the academic system. Fifty knows that the nature of his academic system is such that it is difficult to bullfight with others.

Sixty knows that his academic system is nothing more than this. You guys like to talk or not, but Seventy promotes that his academic system should be like this. When faced with doubts and asking for advice, he can explain his academic system as he wants. In this chapter, Confucius recounts his learning and cultivation process. This process is a process in which one’s ideological realm gradually improves with age.

As far as the ideological realm is concerned, the whole process is divided into three stages: the age of fifteen to forty is the stage of learning and understanding; the age of forty to sixty is the stage of settling down, that is, not being influenced by A stage that is influenced by the environment; the age of seventy is a stage where subjective consciousness and the rules of life merge into one. In this stage, moral cultivation has reached a higher level.