1. The way of a university is to be virtuous, to be close to the (new) people, and to strive for perfection. The principle of translation learning in universities is to reveal the bright virtue inherent in human beings, to allow the people to reform the old and create the new, and to achieve the most perfect state.
2. Things have a beginning and an end, and things have an end and a beginning. Knowing the sequence is the shortcut. Everything in the world has roots and branches, and everything in the world has a beginning and an end. Knowing the order and priority of moral cultivation is close to the method of learning.
3. In ancient times, those who wanted to bring clear virtue to the world first governed their country; those who wanted to govern their country, first managed their families; those who wanted to regulate their families, first cultivated their own bodies; those who wanted to cultivate their own bodies , first rectify one's mind; if one wants to rectify one's mind, one must first be sincere in one's intention; if one wants to be sincere in one's intention, one must first gain knowledge; to achieve knowledge is to investigate things. Translation In ancient times, if you want to demonstrate the inherent good qualities of people in the whole society, you must first start with governing the country; if you want to govern the country well, you must first manage and rectify the order of the families of the scholar-bureaucrats; if you want to do a good job in housekeeping, You must first improve your own moral cultivation; if you want to improve your own moral cultivation, you must first correct your mentality so that there are no evil thoughts; if you want to correct your mentality, you must first make your thoughts honest; if you want to make your thoughts honest, you must First reach a certain knowledge reserve; the key to exploring and acquiring knowledge is to investigate the origin of things. (Investigating things, seeking knowledge, sincerity, upright mind, self-cultivation, ordering the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world are the eight items of Confucian learning)
4. After studying things, you will know the truth, and after knowing the truth, you will be sincere. If your intentions are sincere, then your heart will be upright, and if your mind is upright, then your body will be cultivated. After cultivating the body, the family will be in order, the family will be in order, and then the country will be governed, and the country will be governed, and then the world will be peaceful. Translation: Investigate the origin of things and then gain all kinds of knowledge. After gaining knowledge, your thoughts will be honest. If your thoughts are honest, your mentality will be correct. There will be no evil thoughts. If your mentality is correct, your moral character will be improved. After improving your moral character, your housekeeping will naturally be managed well. If the family is well managed, a country can be well governed. If all the vassal states are stable and prosperous, the whole society will be peaceful.
5. It is new every day, new every day, and new every day. Translation: If you can wash away your own dirt every day and become new, then you should clean it like this every day, have a new look every day, maintain it all year round, and never stop, so that you can continue to be renewed day after day.
6. To be a king, stop at benevolence; to be a minister, stop at respect; to be a son, stop at filial piety; to be a father, stop at kindness; to communicate with the people of the country, stop at trust. Translation: When he was a king, he implemented benevolent government; when he was a minister, he was respectful; when he was a son, he was filial; when he was a father, he showed kindness; when interacting with the people of the country, he maintained integrity.
7. There is a gentleman who is as good as discussing with others, as well as studying and polishing. The translation is about a gentle gentleman who strives for perfection in moral cultivation like he is studying bones and elephants or polishing jade.
8. A prosperous house nourishes the body with virtue, a broad mind and a fat body (comfortable and peaceful), so a gentleman must be sincere. Translation: Wealth can decorate a house, making it magnificent, and virtue can cultivate a person's body and mind, making a person noble, broad-minded, and healthy. Therefore, a gentleman must make his thoughts honest.
9. Being absent-minded, turning a blind eye but not seeing, hearing but not hearing, eating without knowing its taste.
If your mentality is not correct, unstable, and your energy is not concentrated, you will turn a blind eye, hear but not hear, and you will not know what the food tastes like when you eat it in your mouth.
10. No one knows the evil of his son, nor the strength of his seedling. Translation: People who dote on their children cannot see their children's shortcomings, and greedy farmers cannot see the growth of their own seedlings.
11. Therefore, a gentleman has himself, and then seeks others; he has no self, and then he does not seek others. Translation Therefore, a virtuous gentleman should do it himself first, and then ask others; he should not do bad things himself, and then blame the people who do bad things.
12. There are people who are virtuous, soil is where there are people, wealth is where there is soil, and usefulness when there is wealth. Translation: Only with moral character can you win the hearts of the people; with the hearts of the people, can you have a land; with a land, can you have wealth; with wealth can you have the expenses of the country.
13. A benevolent person makes a fortune with wealth, while an unkind person makes a fortune with his body. Translation: A virtuous person uses wealth to improve his self-cultivation, while an unkind person spends his life to amass wealth.