A Vernacular Interpretation of The Book of Rites: The Book of Learning

Book of Rites Volume 18

This paper describes the function, method, purpose and effect of learning, and discusses the principle of teaching as a teacher, which is similar to Taoism learned in university inventions, so it is highly praised by Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, and it is considered that the Book of Rites is the latest except the golden mean and the university.

Reporter: This article is about respecting teachers and respecting morality, which is what scholars must know when they first enter the school. It is more practical than those abstruse theoretical methods mentioned in the university.

Worrying about the constitution and seeking goodness is enough to smell, but not enough to move the public; It is wise and far away, enough to move the public, not enough to turn the people. If a gentleman wants to turn people into customs, he must learn it!

◎ Easy to understand: arousing thoughts and seeking kindness can only achieve minor fame, which is not enough to move the masses. Teaching sages by example and understanding the advantages and disadvantages of people with lofty ideals can move the masses, but it is still not enough to educate them. If a gentleman wants to educate the people and create good customs, he must first start with education.

Jade is not cut, not a tool; People don't learn or know. Is the king of the past, the foundation of the country, and the people put teaching first. "Duiming" said: "Reading begins with learning." That's what it means!

◎ Easy to understand: Although it is jade with beautiful texture, it cannot be a useful vessel without polishing; Although man is known as the spirit of all things, if he refuses to learn, he will not understand the truth of being a man. Therefore, the ancient emperors, building the country and managing the people all regarded education as the most priority and important work. "Shangshu to Famous Articles" said: I always want to learn from beginning to end. That's what it means.

Although there are good dishes, I don't know its purpose; Although there is supreme Tao, learning, I don't know its goodness. Therefore, learning is not enough, and teaching is difficult. If you don't know enough, then you can reverse; Advance despite difficulties, and then strive for self-improvement. So teaching and learning are also beneficial. "Duiming" said: "Learn half." What does this mean?

◎ Easy to understand: Although there are good dishes there, you don't know their delicacy unless you eat them; Although there is the best truth (the best righteousness), you can't know its beauty and value without learning. Therefore, after learning, I know that my knowledge is not enough, and after teaching, I find that my knowledge is out of reach. If you don't know enough, you can reflect and study hard. Knowing that there are difficulties, you can only encourage yourself and work hard. So teaching and learning complement each other. Shangshu said: Teaching others can receive half the learning effect, and teaching and teaching can promote each other. That's what it means.

Ancient teachers have schools, the party has difficulties, the art is orderly, and state-owned learning. Admission the following year, middle-aged exam. One year depends on distinguishing classics, three years on respecting orchestras, five years on learning, and seven years is called small achievement; I have known the class very well for nine years and stood firm and did not object. This is a great achievement. Husband is enough to change the customs, and those who are near will persuade him, and those who are far away will be pregnant. This is also the way of university. Remember: "A moth can do it at the right time." That's what it means.

◎ Easy to understand: In ancient times, there was a school of "private schools", one of which was Yao (500 was a party), the other was Xu (12,500 was a school) and one country was imperial academy. Freshmen enter school every year and take exams every other year. After entering school for one year, read the scripture sentences and make clear your ambition; Three years to investigate whether students respect and concentrate on their studies and are willing to get along with others; Five years to examine whether students are knowledgeable and close to teachers; In seven years, it can be called Cheng Xiao to see if students have unique academic views and their choice of friends. In nine years, you have a good knowledge, you can draw inferences from others, you are not confused when you are in trouble, and you don't violate the teacher's training. It can be called Dacheng. Only in this way can we educate the people and change their customs, and then all the people nearby will be persuaded and all the people from afar will join us. This is the method of university education and the second place. The ancient book says: ants always have to learn to hold mud before they can get bigger. That's what it means.

At the beginning of the university, he sacrificed vegetables to show his respect for Taoism. Elegant and elegant, the official also begins; Admission drum, Sun Ye; The second thing in the early summer is to accept its prestige; If you don't know what to learn, you will travel to your ambition; Watch the time to speak and keep your heart; The young people listened and asked, but they couldn't wait to learn. These seven things are related to teaching. Remember: "Learning to be excellent is to be an official, to be an official first, and to be a scholar first." That's what it means.

◎ Easy to understand: At the beginning of the university, students all wore dresses and offered sacrifices to sages and teachers with apple algae dishes to show their respect for teachers. First, practice three poems by Luming Literature, Mu Si and Huang Huangzhe Hua in Xiao Ya to encourage students to learn how to handle official business. Beating gongs and drums to gather students and officially open books (schoolbags), hoping that students will study modestly and cautiously; Xia and Chu (pointers) are used to guard against and spur students, and they have the effect of diarrhea; Before the implementation of the Summer Festival, the Emperor and the princes were not in a hurry to visit the school, in order to give students enough time to develop their ambitions. Teachers often observe students, but don't talk easily, and only when the appropriate time is given to guide them can they be spontaneous (Analects of Confucius: if you don't get angry, you will be angry); As for young students, they only attend classes and can't ask questions indiscriminately, because learning should be carried out in order of progress. These seven principles are very important in teaching. The ancient book says: whoever learns to be an official and lead the people must learn to be in charge first, and those who learn to be learned must learn to be determined first. That's what it means. (Ambition is intentional, ambitious, guided by ambition and guided by heart. )

Teaching in a university also means having a proper career when teaching and having a home when retiring. Learn, don't learn to hold strings, and can't play strings; If you don't learn bo yi, you can't learn poetry; You can't be polite if you don't learn miscellaneous clothes; If you are not interested in art, you can't study happily; Therefore, a gentleman is interested in learning, hiding, practicing, resting and doing. A husband is natural, so he learns and teaches, and enjoys his friends and believes in his way. So although it is auxiliary from the teacher, it is not the other way around. "Saving Life" said: "Respect Sun Wu's sensitivity, and learn from it." That's what it means.

◎ Easy to understand: University teaching is about methods, which are taught in chronological order. For example, spring and autumn teaches rites and music, and winter and summer teaches poetry and books. They all have normal subjects, and students also have designated research courses after class and during holidays. (The Song Dynasty punctuated that sentence and changed it to: "Teaching in a university is also necessary. When you teach, you must have a suitable career. When you retire, you must live in school. Sentence reading is slightly different. ) There must be a way to learn. If you don't learn the tune of "Fuck, Roar" and have no skillful fingering, you can't play the piano well or the harp well. If you don't know about birds, animals and plants, if you learn metaphor at the right time, you can't make a good poem. If you don't learn to sweep the floor, etiquette is not appropriate. If you are not interested in skills such as six arts, you are not interested in learning. Therefore, in learning, a gentleman should hide it in his heart and show it outside. No matter when he has a rest or plays, he will never forget it. Only in this way can he be content with his studies and get close to his teachers. Get along well with your classmates and believe what you have learned. Although I can leave my classmates and teachers like this, I will not betray my morality. " The Book of History says: Respect, humility and unremitting efforts will succeed in practice. That's what it means.

Nowadays, teachers are moaning that their minds are full of information and words, and then regardless of their own safety, people can't help but be sincere and teach people not to do their best and try their best to pray for Buddha. However, it is difficult to learn from others, but I don't know its benefits. Although I finished my career, I will go soon and teach it without punishment. This is why!

◎ Easy to understand: Today's teachers, although reading in their mouths, do not understand in their hearts. They deliberately find some difficult questions to ask students, and talk about boring names and things, which makes people unable to understand; But it requires more teaching, regardless of whether students understand or not. And there is no sincerity to teach people, and there is no measure of students' level and learning ability; Students' teaching is anti-rational, and so is their learning. As a result, students are increasingly disgusted with learning and teachers; Learning is difficult, but I don't understand the happiness and benefits of learning. Although I barely finished the course, I soon forgot all about it. This is the reason why education cannot succeed.

The law of college students is forbidden to be called in before it is made. What can be called a time is called a grandson, and it is called a mo. These four things are also well taught.

◎ Easy to understand: The method of teaching people in universities is to restrain the prohibition with polite education before all evil thoughts occur. This is the meaning of preparation and prevention (Goodall said that nip in the bud can also be achieved). It is timely to teach students if they can. Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, not crossing the progress and not exceeding the ability, is called step by step. Let students observe each other and learn from each other. This is called learning from each other. These four teaching methods are the reasons for the prosperity of education.

If it is sent and then banned, it will be overwhelming; If you study outside your time, you will work hard and it will be difficult to achieve anything; Miscellaneous giving without grandchildren, bad and chaotic without repair; Studying alone without friends is ignorant; Yan Peng rebelled against his teacher, and Yan Bi abandoned school. These six things are all taught and abandoned.

◎ Easy to understand: evil thoughts have occurred, and then banned, because wrong thoughts are difficult to pull out and education is difficult to do. Go to school after an appropriate study period. Although you study hard, you can hardly achieve anything. Learn a little from the East, learn a little from the West, and don't follow the schedule, just confused and disorganized. Without students to discuss and ponder together, they will be lonely and have little knowledge. Making improper friends will lead to violating teachers' classes, bad habits and neglecting their studies. These six items are the reasons for the failure of education.

A gentleman knows both teaching and being taught, and then he can be a teacher. Therefore, the gentleman's teaching metaphor is also, Tao is modest, strong and restrained, and open. Tao leads to harmony, strength leads to yi, opening leads to thinking, and yi is a good metaphor.

◎ Easy to understand: A gentleman can become a teacher only after knowing the reasons for the prosperity of education and the reasons for the decline of education. Therefore, the education of gentlemen is good at understanding metaphors, making people understand the truth, only guiding and not forcing others to obey; Treat students strictly, but do not inhibit their personality development; Enlighten, but don't tell the whole story. Only guide, not force, and let learners approach. The teacher is strict but not repressive, allowing students to play freely and develop fully. Only inspire them without telling them all, and let the students think for themselves (so as not to hinder their ability to think independently). It makes people close, can think automatically and is good at metaphor.

Scholars have four mistakes, and teachers must know them. People learn too much, or lose too little, or lose too easily, or stop. These four hearts are different. Knowing his heart can save his loss, while teaching him can save his loss by growing well.

◎ Easy to understand: There are four kinds of mistakes that learners are prone to make, which teachers must know. When people study, they either have insatiable problems, or have too little (knowing one thing is enough), or think it is too easy, neglect and don't study hard, or set limits for themselves and don't strive for progress. These four kinds of psychology are different, so we must understand them first, and then we can save these defects. The purpose of education is to cultivate and increase advantages to save mistakes.

A good singer makes people follow his voice; A good teacher will make people follow their ambitions. His words are also true, but they are subtle and difficult to compare, which can be described as following the crowd.

◎ Easy to understand: A good singer can make people indulge in singing and linger, and a good teacher can make people inherit his ambition and make unremitting efforts. Although the teaching language is short, it is approachable, implicit and appropriate, with few metaphors and easy to understand, which can be regarded as inspiring.

A gentleman knows the difficulty of learning, knows its beauty and evil, and then can be metaphorical; It can be a metaphor, then it can be a teacher; Can be a teacher, and then can be long; Can grow, and then can be king. Therefore, teachers are also teachers, so learning is also a gentleman. Therefore, you should not be careless when choosing a teacher. Remember: "Three kings and four generations are only teachers." This is almost.

◎ Easy to understand: A gentleman knows the order of difficulty in learning and can understand the differences of personal characteristics before teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. Can be widely understood, and then have the ability to be a teacher; To be a teacher, you can be an official; Only when you are an official can you be a leader. So being a good teacher is the beginning of learning to be a leader. Therefore, teachers should not be chosen carelessly. The ancient book says: The Three Kings (called Huang San by Emperor Fuxi Shennong) and the Four Generations (Yinzhou, Yu Xia) were very cautious in choosing teachers. That's what it means.

For a strict teacher, any learning method is difficult. Teacher Yan respected the Tao, and the Tao respected the people and respected learning. Therefore, the place where you are not a minister is the second: when you are a corpse, you are a minister, and when you are a teacher, you are a minister. Although the gift of a college student is written about the son of heaven, there is no north, so it respects the teacher.

◎ Easy to understand: respecting teachers is the most difficult thing to do in learning. Teachers are respected, so knowledge of truth will be respected. When truth and knowledge are respected, people will respect knowledge and study hard. Therefore, there are two situations in which the monarch does not treat officials with the attitude of treating subordinates: one is when the official is a "corpse" during the sacrifice, and the other is when the official is the teacher of the monarch. University etiquette, when teaching the son of heaven, the teacher's position is not facing north, just to show respect for the teacher and the Tao.

Good scholars, learn from others, get twice the result with half the effort, so they are mediocre; Poor scholars and diligent teachers get twice the result with half the effort, so they complain a lot. Those who are good at asking questions, such as attacking wood, are easy at first, and then their programs are talked for a long time. People who are not good at asking questions are the opposite. Be kind to questioners, such as ringing the bell, ringing the small one, ringing the big one, being calm, etc., and then make good use of it; People who are not good at answering questions are the opposite. This is the way to learn.

◎ Easy to understand: For those who are good at learning, the teacher is very relaxed, but the educational effect is half the effort, and students attribute the credit to the teacher's good teaching; For those who don't study well, the teacher teaches very hard, but the effect is only half, and the students blame the teacher instead. A person who is good at asking questions is like cutting hard wood, starting from a soft place where it is easy to start and slowly expanding to a hard program. After a long time, the wood naturally decomposes and falls off; People who are not good at asking questions use the opposite method. A person who is good at answering questions is like ringing a bell. If you tap, you will respond quietly. If you hit by gravity, the response will be great. You must ring the bell calmly, and then the bell will ring melodiously for a long time. People who are not good at answering questions are just the opposite. These are all ways to enhance your knowledge.

Learning backrest problems is not enough to be a teacher. It must also listen to language. Force can't ask, then speak; I don't know what I said, but I can give up.

◎ Easy to understand: People without experience and original ideas are not qualified to be teachers. Students must ask questions before answering; When students have problems in their hearts and are unable to express themselves, teachers will enlighten them; The teacher enlightened, but the students still didn't understand. Although it is ok to give up guidance for a while and wait for the future.

A son who is good at smelting must learn to be a prostitute; The son of a good bow must learn to be a basket; On the contrary, the first driver is in front of the horse. Only a gentleman who abides by these three points can have an interest in learning.

◎ Easy to understand: the son of a good craftsman will certainly learn to mend leather clothes (the ancient craftsmanship is similar); Liang Gong's son is sure to make a dustpan. Ponies that just learn to drive are tied to the back of the car in advance, and the car is in front of the horse, so that the horse can follow suit. By observing these three things, a gentleman can establish his ambition to learn.

Ancient literati were uglier than things. Drums are not as good as pentatonic, and pentatonic is not harmonious. Water doesn't deserve five colors, and five colors don't deserve chapters. Learning is not suitable for the five senses, and the five senses are incurable. Teachers don't deserve five clothes, and five clothes don't kiss.

◎ Easy to understand: Ancient scholars can analyze and compare the similarities and differences of things and classify them into one category. For example, the sound of the drum is not equal to any one of the five tones, but without the harmony of the drum, the performance of the five tones is not harmonious. The color of water is not the same as any of the five colors, but the coordination of the five colors cannot be distinct without the harmony of water. As for a scholar, it does not mean any official position in the government. However, any official position has no ability to do things without learning. Another example is the teacher, who is not any kind of human relations, but any kind of relatives. Without the teacher's teaching, he will not understand human relations.

The gentleman said, "Virtue is not an official, the avenue is not a tool, faith is not kept, and the era is irregular." Looking at these four things, you can be interested in this.

◎ Easy to understand: great virtue, not biased; The truth is not limited to one thing; Truly great and valuable honesty is not necessarily based on vows of eternal love; Although the permanent seasons are different, running all the time is the most accurate punctuality. If we can understand these four situations, we can aspire to learn greatness.

The Three Kings offered sacrifices to Chuangu. There is the sea first; Or the source, or the Committee. This is called a service manual.

◎ Easy to understand: Kings in Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties sacrificed to the river first, then to the sea. Rivers are the source of water, and the sea is the destination of rivers. This is called a service book.