The meaning of this sentence is that (those rotten Confucians) usually do not do practical things and talk about character and nature all day long. They can only be relieved when a disaster approaches by dying to serve the country. This approach is really unacceptable. Taken.

This sentence comes from Yan Yuan, a Confucian, thinker, educator and founder of the Yan-Li School in the late Ming Dynasty. The original text is as follows:

Confucian scholars from the Song and Yuan Dynasties were accustomed to effeminate attitudes, even Shameful. "Sit back and talk about your heart when nothing happens, and die to repay the king when you are in danger." This is the top grade.

Translation: Confucian scholars since the Song and Yuan Dynasties are like women, which is really shameful. (Those corrupt Confucians) usually do not do practical things and talk about character and nature all day long. They can only use it to die when disaster strikes. The way to escape is to serve the country. It is ridiculous to choose this way to become a top-notch person.

Background: In the late Ming Dynasty, with the demise of the dynasty, there were many Confucian scholars who committed suicide and died for the country. Yan Yuan used this to satirize the corrupt Confucian scholars who believed in Zhu Xi after the Southern Song Dynasty. Yan Yuan strongly criticized the emphasis on literature over the past two thousand years since the Han Dynasty. A solid educational tradition, including metaphysics, Buddhism, Taoism, and Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties.

He advocated practical learning and believed that Confucianism education in the Song Dynasty focused on tranquility and respect. Sitting with a book in hand and eyes closed was like a clay sculpture. In the lecture hall, he focused on explanations, meditation, reading or enlightenment. "The talents cultivated by Confucianism education He is as weak as a woman and has no talent. He pointed out that if students' learning is divorced from real life, even if they read thousands of books, this kind of education will not only harm themselves, but also harm the country.

Extended information:

Yan Yuan, a Confucian, thinker and educator in the late Ming Dynasty, was the founder of the Yan-Li School. His original name was Yi Zhi, and his nickname was Hunran.

< p>Yan Yuan devoted his life to practicing medicine and teaching. He inherited and carried forward Confucius’ educational thoughts, advocating equal emphasis on “learning”, “practical learning”, “practicing” and “application”, that is, moral education, intellectual education, Paying equal attention to the three aspects of physical education, he advocated cultivating talents with both civil and military skills and practical application in the world, and fiercely criticized the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties for their ideas of "devoting themselves to principles and practicing respect" and "sitting in meditation"

Criticized traditional education, especially. Criticism of Neo-Confucianism education in the Song and Ming Dynasties is a distinctive feature of the practical education trend, and Yan Yuan is an important representative of this trend.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Yan Yuan