"Book of Rites" was not a book in the pre-Qin period, but was circulated as a single article. It was not until the time of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty that the ritual scholar Dai Sheng compiled some explanations and related documents from the late Spring and Autumn Period to the early Qin and Han Dynasties into a book, and it became what it is today.
"Book of Rites" can be divided into "Da Dai" and "Little Dai". " The Book of Rites of Da Dai " has eighty-five chapters, while the "Book of Rites of Xiao Dai" has forty-nine chapters. Because "Xiao Dai Li Ji" has been used as the official textbook of ancient classics, it has been widely circulated. "Li" can be understood as social norms, which are confirmed through "records".
This article extracts 26 famous quotes from the book, with translations and comments for the benefit of readers.
Reciprocity. Going back and forth but not coming back is not polite; coming but not going back is also not polite. We advocate coming and going.
It is rude to give a favor to someone but that person does not return the favor;
It is also rude to give a favor to someone but not reciprocate.
comments: Today, we still value the ancient tradition of "reciprocity".
If you love something, you will know its evil; if you hate it, you will know its goodness.
If you like a person, you must know his shortcomings; if you hate a person, you must know his strengths.
comments: Whether you like it or hate it, don’t be paranoid.
Do not speak evil words out of your mouth, and do not reflect back on yourself.
If you don’t say bad words from your own mouth,
others will not say hurtful words to you.
comments: A good word will keep you warm in three winters, but a bad word will make June cold.
Ao cannot grow long, desires cannot be followed, aspirations cannot be fulfilled, and happiness cannot be extreme.
The heart of pride cannot grow;
The heart of desire cannot be indulged;
The upward heart cannot be complacent;
The heart of pleasure must not be excessive.
comments: Pride and complacency are all due to "self" expansion.
If a jade is not polished, it will become useless; if a person does not learn, he will not know.
Jade cannot become a utensil without being carved;
If people do not learn, they cannot know the truth.
comments: The most valuable thing is to be able to learn.
The study of remembering questions is not enough to teach others.
can only rely on memory and recitation to teach others. People like
are not enough to become teachers.
comments: If you can’t understand it, you are not a good teacher.
is heard silently and seen invisible.
knows what parents want to say without hearing them speak;
knows what they want to do without seeing their parents.
comments: "Book of Rites" teaches us how to honor our parents.
Journey to the great road, the world is for the common good.
is implemented in a broad way and is shared by the whole world.
comments: "The Book of Rites" considers the "society of great harmony".
There are three kinds of filial piety: the first is to respect relatives, the second is not to be humiliated, and the second is to be able to support.
Filial piety can be divided into three levels.
The first level of filial piety is that parents can be respected.
The second level of filial piety is not bringing shame to parents.
The third level is being able to support parents well.
comments: Zengzi believes that the greatest filial piety is "respect" for parents.
Great virtues are not official, great principles are not powerful, great faith is not consistent, and great times are inconsistent.
A person with high moral character is not limited to one official position;
The most common law is not limited to one kind of implement;
The most honest person is not bound by a contract;
The four seasons of heaven and earth change without planning. Be punctual.
comments: Once you understand these four items, you can start learning.
A good scholar is a teacher who is lazy but gets twice the result, so he is mediocre; a bad scholar is a teacher who is diligent but gets half the result, so he is blamed.
For those who are good at learning, the teacher's effort will be doubled, and the students will be grateful to the teacher; for those who are not good at learning, the teacher's hard work will be halved, and the students will still blame the teacher.
comments: The "yong" here is "credit".
After learning, you will know your shortcomings; after teaching, you will know your difficulties.
Only after learning can you understand the shortcomings, and
can you understand the confusion only after teaching people.
comments: Teaching and learning reinforce each other.
If you don't develop your skills, you can't enjoy learning.
If you are not interested in skills,
you cannot study happily.
comments: Interest is a good teacher.
The way of learning is difficult for strict teachers.
In the way of learning, respecting teachers is the most difficult thing.
comments: Only by "respecting the teacher" can you "respect the Tao".
The ten years of life are childhood and learning. Twenty is weak, crown. Thirty is strong and has a room. Forty means strong and official. Fifty-year-old Ai, serve in officialdom.
When a person is ten years old, he is called "young" and can study in school.
At the age of twenty, he is called "weak" and can perform the crowning ceremony.
At the age of thirty, he is called "strong" and can marry a wife and start a family.
At the age of forty, he is called "Qiang" and can be appointed as an official.
When he is fifty years old, he is called "Ai" and can take charge of a party.
comments: Things that should be done at each age mentioned in the "Book of Rites".
A person who is good at singing will make others follow his voice; a person who is good at teaching will make others follow his ambition.
A person who is good at singing can make the audience sing along with him;
A person who is good at teaching can make students inherit his ambition.
comments: Being able to "carry on one's ambition" means being good at teaching.
At the beginning of husband’s ritual, food and drink begin.
Etiquette habits,
start with diet.
comments: This sentence comes from Confucius .
A son of good craftsmanship must learn to be a fur coat; a son of a good bow must learn to be a Ji.
The son of an excellent metalsmith will definitely learn to sew fur coats;
The son of an excellent bowsmith will definitely learn to weave dustpan.
comments: By analogy.
The teacher is strict and then the Tao is respected, and the Tao is respected and then the people know and respect the students.
Respecting teachers means attaching importance to the Tao;
Only by attaching importance to the Tao can people learn.
comments: Respecting teachers and teachings lies in the word "respect". It is not the teacher who is "respected", but the principles taught by the teacher.
The teachings and metaphors of a gentleman are: Tao but not limited, strong but not suppressed, open but not reaching.
A gentleman imparts knowledge,
guides without restraining,
encourages without suppressing,
enlightens without exhausting.
comments: Cultivating students' thinking ability is the key to being good at teaching.
If you study alone without friends, you will be lonely and ignorant.
If a person studies hard without making friends,
he will be ignorant and have limited knowledge.
comments: If you want to advance academically quickly, you must use what you have learned to compare with others.
Feelings are moved in the heart, so the form is in the sound.
Feelings are stirring in the heart,
expressing them is sound.
comments: "Yin" comes from "sound" and is the "wen" of "sound".
Don’t be afraid of getting wealth when you are facing it, and don’t be afraid of avoiding difficulties when you are faced with it.
When facing property, don't take what doesn't belong to you;
When facing danger, don't run away casually.
comments: The method of doing things proposed in "Book of Rites".
He is a gentleman who is knowledgeable and strong in knowledge, and who is committed to good deeds without slacking off.
is well-informed and knows how to be humble,
insists on doing good without slacking off.
After doing this, you can be called a gentleman.
comments: Gentle and gentle, then a gentleman.
If a gentleman wants to transform the people into customs, he must learn from it!
If a gentleman wants to educate the people,
he must first start by running a school.
comments: "Book of Rites" believes that the purpose of education is to "turn the people into customs."
If you know your shortcomings, you can reflect on yourself; if you know your difficulties, you can improve yourself.
Only when you know your own shortcomings can you reflect on yourself;
Only when you know your own confusion can you work hard to become stronger.
comments: Only after learning will one know the insufficiency, only after teaching will one know the confusion.
