Zhu Xi (1130-1200), a philosopher of the Southern Song Dynasty, occupies a very important position in the history of Chinese thought. Mr. Cai Yuanpei once compared him to Confucius, saying: "Song Zhi has obscure nunnery (Zhu Xi), and Ju Zhou has Confucius." Indeed, Zhu Xizhi was a diligent, exquisite scholar, knowledgeable, rich in writing, and creative, and a thinker with outstanding achievements and far-reaching influence.
The reason why Zhu Xi has achieved such an achievement is entirely due to the set of effective reading methods he summarized. His students Zhang Hong and Qi Xi compiled it into a book called "Zhuzi Reading Method". Later, it was compiled by Cheng Duanli into the "Cheng Family School Reading Year schedule", and was widely circulated and had a far-reaching influence.
A look at the book "Zhu Xi's Reading Method" can be summarized into six aspects. Here's a brief introduction as follows:
First, respect and perseverance
The so-called "jujing" refers to the spirit of single-mindedness and a high degree of concentration. Reading must first do this. Zhu Xi said: "Readers should bury this body in the book, live and lie down, recite it here, and swear to know it thoroughly, and see what is going on outside, and I don't care, but only by being in the book with one heart, it is called good reading." He believes that in order to improve the interest, memory and comprehension of reading, only such concentration can be achieved.
The so-called "perseverance" is to set a goal, or to collect and sort out relevant information in books according to a special problem.
In this regard, Zhu Xi particularly admired Su Shi's approach. Su Shi said: "Teenagers are scholars, and each book is read several times. When entering the sea, there are all department stores, and people's energy cannot be taken at all, but they have what they want. Therefore, I hope that scholars will ask for it every time. If you want to seek the rise and fall of the ancient and the modern, and the role of the sages, but only to ask for this, do not give birth to thoughts. Don't do it again, ask for relics and the like, he imitates this. In this way, reading is problem-centered, has clear goals, is easy to get practical results, and after several times, you can master it skillfully and thoroughly understand the contents of the book.
Second, step by step
The so-called "sequential" is to follow the objective order of the teaching materials, and the subjective ability of the students, and to stipulate the learning curriculum or progress. For example, Zhu Xi believes that to read the "Four Books", you should first read the "University", then read the "Analects", read "Mencius" again, and finally read "Zhongyong". In this way, it is more appropriate. As for ability, he believes that it is necessary to "do what we can, and keep it according to its curriculum", "Do not be greedy for reading, so that your own strength is more than enough... If the bow has five buckets of power, and with four buckets of bows, it can be fully dragged, and his own strength can deceive him. Now the scholar does not think of his own strength to read the book, afraid that he will take care of him. That is to say, reading books must also be done according to one's ability, leaving room for maneuver, not rushing to achieve results, greedy and chewing, otherwise the meaning of reading will be lost.
The so-called "gradual" means that we should not blindly seek speed, but should understand, chew, and explore according to the curriculum, word by word, chapter by chapter. Therefore, Zhu Xi said: "Reading is like a gardener irrigating a garden, and a good one irrigates it with its vegetables and fruits." Irrigation is sufficient, then the mud and water are combined and the material is moist, and it grows naturally. Those who are not good at irrigation are busy and anxious to cure it, carrying a load of water, and pouring the vegetables of the garden, and people see that they are ruling the garden, and the things are not enough. He also used the example of people eating to illustrate that reading should be gradual. He said, "If a person eats only three bowls of rice a day, he must not eat all ten days of rice together." I only watch a few paragraphs a day, and how much effort I do is limited, and I can't go away. ”
To sum up, step-by-step is to demand "to keep what you can, to ask for its teachings, and to ask for its purpose." If you do not know the front, you dare not ask for the future; if you do not understand this, you do not dare to aspire to the other. ”
Third, read the essence
Zhu Xi attaches great importance to reading books and "familiarizing himself with fine thinking." The so-called "familiar reading" means that the book should be recited repeatedly until it is ripe. Therefore, he particularly admired Zhang Zai's request for familiar reading, saying: "Hengqu (Zhang Zairen called "Mr. Hengqu") teaches people to read books must be recited, straight to learn the meaning of the yiyi. He demanded not only that the reading be read and recited, but that it be fully read. He believes that "the number of recitations is sufficient, and if it is not recited, it will be recited." If the number of repetitions is not sufficient, although it has been recited, it will be fully counted. But a hundred times when it is strong fifty times, and two hundred times it is strong a hundred times." Therefore, in order to improve the reading effect, it is necessary to achieve "three to". He said: "Yu Taste says that there are three ways to read: the heart to, the eyes to, and the eyes to. If the mind is not here, the eyes are not careful, and the eyes of the heart are not single-minded, but they only recite in waves, and they must not remember, nor can they remember for a long time. He once described an example of a familiar reader: "When A certain young man was a student, he was good at science at the age of sixteen, and at the age of seventeen he had the insight of today's scholars." Later, Xie Xiandao was very happy with the Analects, but he read it well, and first erased the Meaning of the Zhu Pen. I was familiar with reading it well, and I felt that the Zhu pen was very annoying, and then I wiped it out with an ink pen. And read it well, don't erase it with a green pen. And read the gist of it well, but it was erased with a yellow pen. So far, I have seen that I have gained a lot. It's only one or two sentences, but day and night on this one or two sentences with playfulness, and the chest is sprinkled. ”
Practice has proved that using different color pen circles to outline can enhance memory and deepen understanding, which is undoubtedly an effective auxiliary means for familiar reading and is worth learning.
The so-called "fine thinking" is to repeatedly search for the meaning of the text, so that the meaning of the book is like a heart. For familiar reading and contemplation, Zhu Xi believes that the two are inseparable, an organic whole, and complement each other. Only if you read it well, you can think well naturally. "This kung fu must be meditated and thought, or those who already know it must think twice, but they have a knowing place, and they cannot arrange it." ”
Zhu Xi's student Huang Gan once described Zhu Xi's scene when he was annotating the Four Books. He wrote: "The intention of the ancestors was in the book "Commentary on the Collection", and foolishness was to see it with his own eyes. Not a word is at peace, not a word is needed, it is easier to meditate, it is easier not to say anything, or one or two days without it, to sit at night or to three or four times, so that the chapter (referring to the chapter "Who destroys the reputation of others to others") is the labor of its change. Sitting on the four drums, the gentleman said, 'This heart is lonely, and it is resting!' 'Go back to bed. The eyes are not crossed, and the re-seeing dispatch of the small official holding the plate to change the number to see the show is to retreat and not sleep. It's not even close. The pain of the heart is so. It can be seen from this that Zhu Xi is a model of familiar reading jingsi.
Fourth, humble mind swimming
Humility encompasses four meanings. The first is an objective attitude, that is, "a book is a book, and things are viewed with things, and you must not first establish your own opinions." That is to say, the reader should interpret the meaning of the book from the position of the author, and should not speculate on the original intention of the ancients according to subjective will. The second is not clinging to one's own opinions. Zhu Xi said: "If you have seen something in reading, it is not necessarily, you must not cling to it, and put it aside, it is better to read the new view since reading, if you cling to it, then this mind will be obscured by this." For example, if there is only a thing on it in a pure field, there must be shelter. "The third is a fair attitude. He believes: "Reading a book is like listening to a lawsuit, the mind first has the meaning of advocating B, and then it only looks for the one who advocates A; the first meaning of advocating A, it will only see that B is not." If you don't say it, you can look at it slowly and slowly, and you can distinguish its curves and straightness. That is to say, when reading a book encounters different interpretations, it should be fair and carefully analyze and compare in order to seek the most appropriate and accurate explanation. The fourth is to accept a plain and concise explanation, and it is not good to be high and strange, and it is chiseled to make a difference. He said: "The words are humble and calm, they have their own meanings, do not look for branches, and pierce holes next to them, so as to disturb the right vein of righteousness."
Fifth, be careful with yourself
Zhu Xi emphatically pointed out that when reading a book, it is necessary to combine the principles in the books with one's own experience or life, and use the principles in the books to guide practice. He said, "When a scholar reads, he must take into account the words of the sages. If I repent of myself, such as going out to see a guest, etc., I must wear it on my own body, and I can really deny myself and return the salute, will the Lord salute forgive me? Piece by piece is so beneficial. "To read is to do things. Where there are right and wrong, there are gains and losses, and those who are good at doing things do not weigh their weight and ears. Reading pays attention to its literary theory, judges its right and wrong, and this is the principle of the matter. ”
Sixth, tighten and exert force
To work hard is to study with a strong and courageous spirit and to persevere to the end. Zhu Xi said: "In order to learn, we must be resolute and decisive, and it is not easy to be leisurely." And if you are angry and forget to eat, happy to forget your worries, what spirit, what bones! He also said: "Reading is like fighting in battle, beating drums, just going forward, there is no difference between death, and mo is more than ever to turn back." He also said: "Learning is like holding up a boat on the water, and you can't slow down." "Reading the text must be like a cool official ruling a prison, straight to the end." "Doing kung fu is similar to going through a well, wearing it to the water, and naturally flowing out of it."
The six aspects mentioned above are Zhu Xi's six reading methods. He used this method to make great achievements in his study. Therefore, he wrote a poem "Guan Shu Even Feeling", which tells that he was happy to read. Poetry:
Half an acre of square pond a jian open,
The sky and clouds lingered together.
Where is the canal as clear as promised?
For there is a source of living water.
Looking at Zhu Xi's six methods of reading, although there are deficiencies such as ignoring social practice and lacking the spirit of questioning and asking difficulties, it has the significance of summarizing experience as a relatively adequate and systematic exposition of ancient scholars on reading. Therefore, there are still very important research, reference and reference values today, which deserve our attention.
(Written on July 21, 2021, changed to April 18, 2022)
About author:Yin Xiumin, a native of Guangrao, Shandong. Retired civil servant. Originally the main focus of talent use management theory research, for the Chinese talent research association member. After that, he wrote essays, essays, miscellaneous feelings, etc. Title of Deputy Editor.
One point number Boshan District Writers Association
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