Xu Shen's Interpretation of "Education" in Shuo Wen Jie Zi in Han Dynasty. "Teacher, what he does from above is effective from below." "Educators, train children to be good." These two sentences tell the true meaning of education.

The previous sentence refers to education in a broader sense, including family education, school education and social education. It means that teachers demonstrate and edify the educated through their own actions, so that they can listen to their words and deeds and become what teachers want to be.

The special significance of this sentence is that it emphasizes the importance of "paying above". Many times, our educators are more accustomed to instilling the truth into students, and they are thirsty, but they don't know what students are watching you do!

The latter sentence pays more attention to family education, saying that the purpose of parents raising their children is to make them become kind people.

Of course, the "adopted son" here is not necessarily limited to family education, but also applies to school education, and so is the cultivation of students by teachers. And "doing good" does not just mean doing good deeds and being a good person, but can be extended to "learning everything and being a man" advocated by Mr. Tao Xingzhi. That is to be a person who pursues and practices "truth, goodness and beauty".

Taken together, Xu Shen revealed a simple truth: parents, teachers and educators should first become a person of truth, goodness and beauty, and then practice all their lives, and guide their children to consciously become people with sound personality, noble character and noble interests with practical actions. This is a successful education.