Xunzi (c. 313 BC – 238 BC) was one of the representative figures of Confucianism alongside Mencius.
He served as a priest at the Jixia Xuegong in Linzi(present-day Zibo, Shandong Province), the capital of the State of Qi, which is our principal today, and also taught Han Fei and Li Si, two representative figures of the Fa.
Xun Zi's works are beautiful in words and majestic, so Xun Zi and Qu Yuan, who wrote "Leaving sorrows", are called "the ancestors of words".
Here we have compiled a copy of the classic sentences (and explanations) in "Xunzi" for everyone to enjoy and learn.
1.
Gentleman: Learning is not enough. Blue, taken from blue, and blue from blue; ice, water for it, and cold from water. —— "Persuasion"
The gentleman said: Learning cannot be stopped. Indigo, extracted from blue, but bluer than blue; ice, formed by water condensation, but colder than water.
In Xun Zi's view, learning cannot be stopped, and only by persevering every day will we continue to make progress. Just like we can extract cyan from blue.
2.
The rope of wood is straight, the lì is profitable, the gentleman is erudite and the province of Nichisan (xǐng) is self-sufficient, and he knows and acts without fault. —— "Persuasion"
Wood becomes straight when the ink line is crossed, and metal becomes sharp when it is worn on the whetstone. If a gentleman learns extensively and reflects on himself every day, then he will be wise and clear and will act without fault.
Ton is a whetstone, and to be provincial is to reflect and know how to be wise. Every day, use learning to improve yourself, and use introspection to regulate yourself, and you will make more and more progress.
3.
If you do not ascend a high mountain, you do not know the height of the heavens; if you do not come to a deep stream, you do not know the thickness of the earth; you do not hear the last words of the previous kings, and you do not know the greatness of learning. —— "Persuasion"
If you do not ascend a high mountain, you will not know how high the sky is; if you do not face a deep stream, you will not know how thick the ground is; if you have not heard of the legacy of the previous king, you will not know the breadth of learning.
In the face of great learning, we are all so ignorant and small, but if we can aspire to learn, we will one day achieve it.
4.
Gentlemen must choose their hometown, and they must travel to the soldiers, so they must guard against evil and approach Zhongzhengye. —— "Persuasion"
Gentlemen should choose a good environment to live in, and they must be close to people with learned character when traveling, so as to prevent deviations in conduct and maintain integrity.
A very important confucian concept is that we must be close to the wise, so that we can prevent ourselves from evil intentions and continue to make progress towards righteousness.
5.
The soil is formed into mountains, and the wind and rain are prosperous; the water is deep, and the dragon is born. Virtue is accumulated, and the gods are self-satisfied, and the sacred heart is prepared. —— "Persuasion"
When the accumulation of earth and stones becomes a mountain, wind and rain arise; when the water flows become an abyss, a dragon is born; the accumulation of good deeds cultivates noble morality, and thus the heart and deeds of the sages are possessed.
Great causes are accumulated step by step. The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago, followed by now. So let's do it now.
6.
Qiè (qiè) and give up, the decaying wood does not fold; perseverance and perseverance, gold stone can be skeletonized (lòu). —— "Persuasion"
If you stop after a few strokes, then the decaying wood is also carved continuously. If you keep carving, then the gold stone can also be carved successfully.
Both hammer and skeleton are meaning carving. Perseverance comes from here. As long as we concentrate on improving ourselves, we can eventually reach the state of holiness.
7.
Those who have no ambition, those who have no clear light; those who have no hūn ( hūn ) have no great achievements. —— "Persuasion"
Therefore, without a single-minded mind, there will be no clear wisdom; without single-minded dedication, great causes will not be achieved.
Both meditation and mourning refer to dimness, which means concentration and not seeing anything else. Only by wholeheartedly adhering to our ambitions can we achieve our goals.
8.
Those who know themselves do not complain about others, and those who know their destiny do not complain about heaven; those who complain about others are poor, and those who complain about heaven have no aspirations. - "Honor and Disgrace"
The self-aware man does not complain about others, and the man who knows the Destiny does not complain about heaven; the man who complains about others is poor, and the man who complains of heaven has no ambition.
There is never a way to solve a problem, and solving a problem always has to change from yourself.
9.
Words that are good to others are warmer than cloth; words that hurt people are deeper than spears. - "Honor and Disgrace"
Giving people gentle words is as warm as cloth; giving hurtful words is as deeply hurtful as spears.
A good word is warm in three winters, and a bad word hurts people in June. Language has always been a matter of benefit and effort, and if we can speak kindly to others everywhere, we are helping others.
10.
A gentleman is not good at sincerity, and sincerity has nothing else to do. - "Don't Go"
The best way for a gentleman to cultivate his mind is to be sincere. As long as you are sincere, you don't have to do anything else.
Confucianism values sincerity. Many times we are pretending to learn to do things, and as soon as something moves, we immediately turn around. Only by being sincere and unfaithful and doing it with such a spirit can we achieve something.
11.
A gentleman who is ashamed not to cultivate is not ashamed to see a disgrace; shame is not to believe, shame is not to be seen to believe; shame cannot be, shame is not useful. - "The Twelve Sons"
A gentleman is ashamed of his failure to cultivate morality, and he is not ashamed of being insulted by others; he is ashamed of not keeping his word, he is not ashamed of not being trusted; he is ashamed of not having talent, and he is not ashamed of not being appointed.
Morality, credit, and talent are all problems and processes in oneself; being insulted, not being trusted, and not being appointed are things and results for others. So we pay more attention to ourselves, change ourselves more, then the world will be better.
12.
He who is not me, my teacher; who is me, my friend; who slanders me, my thief.
The one who accurately points out my shortcomings is my teacher; the one who properly affirms me is my friend; and the one who flatters me is the one who comes to harm me.
But we all seem to like to listen to good things, rather than listen to criticism. But the words of criticism often make us progress, and the good words will make us proud and degenerate, and we must not be careless.
13.
The troubles of mortals are hidden in one song and dark in Dali. - "Unmasking"
People's problems often lie in a leaf obstruction, and they can't see the overall situation clearly.
14.
The years are not cold, there is no way to know the pines; it is not difficult, there is no way to know the gentleman. —— "Rough Outline"
If the weather is not cold, it is impossible to see the evergreen of the pines; what is done is not difficult, and it is impossible to see the integrity of a gentleman.
Xunzi, as the ancestor of rhetoric, has a fairly high level of writing. The logic is rigorous and the arguments are rigorous. And the golden sentences are frequent. This sentence can be used as a motto to motivate us at all times.
15.
Birth, the beginning of man, death, the end of man, the end of man, the end of good, humanity is complete. Therefore, a gentleman respects the beginning and is cautious in the end, and the beginning is consistent, which is the way of a gentleman, and the text of etiquette and righteousness. - "Treatise on Etiquette"
Life is the beginning of man, death is the end of man, and if both the beginning and the end can be done well, then a person's life will be complete.
So the gentleman's reverence begins, and he finishes it carefully, always the same. This is the truth of a gentleman, and it is also the spirit of etiquette.
Confucianism promotes etiquette, and the core of etiquette is sincerity. If we can carry out sincerity and respect in our daily lives, then naturally we will stand firm, treat others sincerely, and have moderation in everything, and we can almost become a gentleman.
See previous issues:
The Benevolent One Is Not Worried: An Inventory of the Classic Sentences (with Explanations) in the Analects
Haoran Righteousness: An Inventory of the Classic Sentences in Mencius (with Explanations)