"Reading thousands of books" means talking more and reading more, and "taking the Wan Li Road" means traveling more, which are two essential aspects of knowledge. If you want to know, you should first "read thousands of books", that is, learn extensively the knowledge of predecessors, especially the theories of sages. This is essentially an indirect knowledge obtained through extensive reading, and it is a process of studying hard behind closed doors. When Confucius was young, he studied very hard. The Analects of Confucius said: "In a city with ten rooms, there must be people who are loyal and trustworthy, so it is better to learn like a hill." When Mencius was young, he was full of reading, day and night, so he learned classics such as Poetry, Book, Rite, Book of Changes and Spring and Autumn Annals. It is reasonable to start with "extensive reading", because it is absolutely not enough and unnecessary to discover and experience one by one with limited personal energy. It is wise to put the existing knowledge and theory into your chest through extensive reading.

There are three steps to reading a lot of books: from reading to learning, knowing the details of various knowledge or theories can be "explained in detail", which is the first step. Then, through careful reading and thinking, you can grasp the essence and essence of a lot of knowledge or a theory, that is, from "detailed explanation" to expressing the essence and meaning of knowledge and theory in simple language, just like Confucius did it in one sentence after reading the Book of Songs. Grasping the essence of knowledge, we can know whether it is good or bad after investigation and comparison, and then "choose the good and follow it" in the process of learning, studying yearbook and commenting on predecessors' theories, so that we can have our own thoughts and opinions and have our own opinions. This is the complete meaning of "reading thousands of books" and the first aspect of the whole knowledge-seeking activity.

However, the ancients believed that reading alone was not enough. "If you don't look at what you hear, it's absurd" and "If you don't look at what you hear". Therefore, after extensive reading, you enter the second step of seeking knowledge, which is to travel around and see for yourself. This is called "study tour". Studying abroad has long been a tradition. Confucius traveled around the world; Mencius also traveled around the world after studying hard behind closed doors for many years and became a famous traveler at that time. "Dozens of cars behind, hundreds of followers"; After studying hard for ten years, Sima Qian took up his luggage and traveled all over the world, but he was reluctant to return. The advantages of "learning" are as follows: first, you can see for yourself and increase your knowledge, that is, you know more; Second, the "knowledge" gained from books can be verified through travel; Third, we can examine the changes of things and their causes through personal experience, that is, Confucius said, "I will go my own way and watch the changes"; Fourth, you can apply your knowledge and theory to "travel" during your trip. Confucius, Laozi and Mencius had the experience of lobbying other countries. In order to show their political ambitions, they tried their best to persuade the monarch to use their own political and ethical theories. "Study tour" can not only acquire new knowledge, but also verify the indirect knowledge learned. In addition, I also have the opportunity to implement my own opinions and theories in real life. No wonder the ancients wanted to "take the road of Wan Li".

First, "read thousands of books" to gain a thorough knowledge, then "take the Wan Li Road" to experience and practice, and then the knowledge level will leap to a higher level. The mode of "Reading thousands of books and Walking Wan Li Road" was originally adopted by ancient philosophers. Because of its rationality, it has been gradually accepted by people and has become the basic mode for scholars to seek knowledge in past dynasties.