Chapter 4 To all my brothers, an enlightened teacher and helpful friend, humbly ask for advice

【original】 Dear brothers and sisters: On October 21st, I received a letter from my ninth brother in Changsha, including six pages of diary on the way, and a pack of medicine.On the 22nd, I received a letter from home on the second day of September, and I am pleased to hear it. Since the ninth younger brother left Beijing, Yu has been worrying all day long, fearing that the road will be full of twists and turns, it's hard to guess.And after reading the book, it turned out to be as I expected. After all the hard work, I finally got home. Fortunately, fortunately!Zheng Ban is not enough to rely on, Yu already knew it.Yu Zitang is so good, I am really grateful!When in Changsha, Zeng Weidao and Peng Shanqi.Why?

The letter from the fourth brother is very detailed, and his ambition to be angry and self-motivated is overflowing with questions; but he must find a library to go out, what is the meaning of this?But it is said that the family school is too close to home, and it is easy to stay in the court, it is better to go out to clean your ears.However, if you go out to study with a teacher, there is no much delay. If you go out to study at night, the delay is even more than that in a family school. And if you can work hard and be self-reliant, you can study in the family school, that is, in the wilderness, in the lively place, you can also study, and you can study with a salary.If one cannot be self-reliant, the family school is not suitable for reading, that is, in a pure village or in a fairyland, neither can study.Why choose a place, why choose a time, but ask yourself whether your ambition is true or not.

The sixth younger brother complained a lot about himself, and Yu also deeply believed it; however, he succumbed to the small test and complained frequently, and I snickered that his ambition was small but his worries were not great.The ambition of a gentleman is also to have the amount of things from the people, to have the karma of being a sage inside and a king outside, and then not to be born of his parents. He is worthy of being a perfect man in heaven and earth.Therefore, it is also a worry, it is also a worry that it is not as good as Shun and Zhou Gong, and it is a worry that it is not good to study and not to teach.That's why the obstinate people are worried about it.Barbarians are cunning and worry about Xia, villains are in power, and sages are worried if they are not closed, and ordinary people are not worried about themselves.The so-called sympathy for the destiny and sympathy for the poor is also the worry of this gentleman.Such as the flexion and stretching of the husband, the hunger and fullness of the family, the gains and losses of the world's honor, the reputation of the high and the low, the gentleman certainly has no time to worry about these.The sixth brother succumbed to the small test, claiming to be odd, Yu Qiong laughed that he was not worried.

It is enough for a person not to study, and since he calls himself a scholar, he must be engaged in "University". There are three programs in "University", Mingde Xinmin and the ultimate good, all of which are my own affairs.In the past, I couldn't be considerate of my body when I sold books. I said that these three items have nothing to do with my body, so what's the use of reading?Although he is capable of writing and poetry, he is self-proclaimed as liberal, and he is only a pig-herder who can read and write. Isn't it called a sensible and useful person?The imperial court selects scholars based on art, and it is also said that if they can speak on behalf of the sages, they must be able to understand the principles of the sages and do the deeds of the sages, and they can serve as officials and serve the people, and they can lead everything.If Mingde Xinmin is a separate matter, although you can write and write poems, how can you cultivate yourself and govern others?Guan Muran didn't talk about it, why is it different for the imperial court to use such people as officials and pig herding slaves as officials?

However, since I call myself a scholar, the program of "Great Learning" is all based on the most important things.There are eight kinds of eye-cultivation, self-observation, and its merits are only two, which are called investigation of things and sincerity.Investigating things is a matter of knowing.Sincerity is what we do best.who?That is, the so-called matter of the origin and the end.The body, mind and mind know the family, the country and the world, all things.Everything in the world is everything.Everyday things are things.Those who study the grid, that is, to check the things and poor the reason.If things are done in person, they are things.The reason for this is to determine the principle of province, that is, to investigate things.The brother of the matter goes with him, and the things are also.The reason for this is to determine the principle of province, that is, to investigate things.My heart is my thing.Investigate the reason of its heart, and study the reason of its introspection and self-cultivation, that is, to study things.My body, things also.Investigate the principle of respecting the body, and study the principle of respecting the body by standing up and sitting on the corpse, that is, investigating things.The books I read every day are all things.To observe one's own experience, and to understand the truth, that is, to investigate things.If you know a sentence, you can do it, and this is what you do.The two go hand in hand, the lower learning is here, and the higher education is also here.

My friend Wu Zhuru has a deep skill in studying things, and seeks the reason for everything.Mr. Wo Genfeng is very strict in sincerity and hard work, and has a daily lesson book every day.In a day, a mistake in a thought, a mistake in a matter, a word or a silence, all are written in a book, and the book is all in regular script.In March, one book will be ordered, and since the year of Yiwei, there are thirty copies now.As far as he is cautious and independent, even if he has delusions and occasional movements, he must be cured immediately, and he will write it in books, so every sentence in the books he sells is the vital medicine for him.I will return Mr. Genfeng's daily class and three leaves of banknotes, and show them to my brothers.

From the first day of the tenth month, Yu also followed Gen Feng's example, writing every thought and event in a book, so as to control his eyesight and curative effect, and he also wrote regular script.From Feng Shutang and Yu Tong's diaries, there are also daily lesson books.Shutang is extremely humble, loves me like a brother, respects me like a teacher, and will surely achieve something in the future.I have always had the disadvantage of not being perseverant, and since I started writing the daily lesson book, I can guarantee permanence throughout my life.Gai Ming is a teacher and helpful friend, he is firmly clamped, he can advance but not retreat.I wanted to copy the textbook for the rest of the day and give it to my younger brother to read. Because Mr. Jinghai came today and wanted to take him back, it was too late.There is a discount in November, so you must copy a few leaves and pay back.

Yu's beneficial friends are like the ser (亻jian) of Wogen Peak③, which makes people respect him.Wu Zhu is like the essence of Dou Lanquan, he must seek the truth in every word and deed.Wu Zixu and Shao Huixi talked about the scriptures, thinking deeply and discerning.He Zizhen's Tanzi, its subtleties, are all consistent, and his Tan poetry is especially in line with it.Zizhen likes my poems very much, so I have written eighteen poems since October, and I will copy Erye back and read them with my brothers.Feng Shutang and Chen Daiyun's determination is not fulfilled, and he is also a good friend.Mr. Jinghai, although I haven't tried to ask for karma, my heart has been taught by me.

Every time I write a book with my younger brothers, I don't realize the length of his words, and I think my younger brothers may be bored and ugly.However, if you brothers have long-term faith with me, I am really happy, as if you have obtained a treasure, everyone has his own temperament. Since the beginning of October, Yu has been keeping a diary class together, thinking about his mistakes and wanting to reform; thinking about the rift with Xiaoshan in the past, it was really angry and unkind, so he wanted to come to the door to apologize.It happened that Xiaoshan came to pay her respects on the ninth day of the lunar new year, and went to Xiaoshan's house for a long talk in the middle of the night.On the thirteenth, I teamed up with Daiyun and invited Xiaoshan to dinner. Since then, the laughter has remained the same as before, and the previous gap has been closed.This is roughly the case recently, please read again.Guofan hand tools. (October 26, 22nd year of Daoguang)

【Note】 ① Negative salary: Carrying firewood. According to legend, Zhu Maichen in the Han Dynasty was still studying hard while carrying firewood.Shepherd hog: herding pigs.It is said that pigs were herded on one side of Han Palace in Han Dynasty.At the same time, I was listening to the scriptures. ②Zhiqi: At this time, it refers to bad luck and unfavorable things. ③ between the two: open-minded. ④ Fu Qi: Fu and, fit. ⑤ Zhi: The gift held when visiting the teacher. 【Translation】 Dear brothers and sisters: On October 21st, I received a letter from my ninth brother in Changsha, which contained six pages of the diary on the road and a packet of medicine.On the 22nd, I received a letter from home on the 2nd day of September, and I was pleased to learn everything and comforted myself.

Ever since my ninth brother left the capital, I haven't had a single day without worry, deeply afraid that the road will change a lot;After reading the letter (as I expected, it took a lot of hard work to get there, luck! What luck! Walking with Zheng is not enough to rely on, I knew it a long time ago, Yu Zitang is so good, I am really grateful that I am in Changsha At that time, Peng Shanqi was not mentioned, why? , The letter from the fourth brother is very detailed, and his ambition to strive for self-improvement is revealed in the words and deeds.But you must go out to find a school, what does this mean?However, the family school is too close to home, and it is easy to delay, so it is better to go out quietly.However, there was no delay in going out to study as a teacher.If it is to teach abroad, the delay will be worse than in a private school. And if you can really work hard and be self-reliant, then you can study in the family school, even in the wilderness and lively places, you can also study, you can carry firewood and graze, you can study.If you can't work hard and be self-reliant, then the family school is not suitable for studying, even a clean place, a fairy environment, is not suitable for studying. Why choose a place, why choose a time, just ask yourself: Is the ambition of self-reliance true? The sixth brother complained about his bad luck, and I also took it seriously.But he just failed in a small test, so he complained. I laughed secretly at the size of his ambitions but not the worries in his heart. The ambition of a gentleman has the capacity to plead for the people, he has the virtues of a sage internally, and the heroic achievements of a king outside the world. To live up to my parents and give birth to myself, I am worthy of being a complete person in the world.Therefore, what he was worried about was that he was not as good as Emperor Shun or the Duke of Zhou, and he was worried because his virtues were not refined and his knowledge was not great.Therefore, if the stubborn people are difficult to influence, then worry; if the barbaric barbarian and cunning Xia cannot be conquered, then worry;This is what is usually expressed as lamenting the destiny and sympathizing with the poor of the people. This is the worry of a gentleman.If it is a person's grievance and aggression, a family's hunger and fullness, what the world calls honor and disgrace, gain and loss, high and low, ruin and reputation, the gentleman has no time to worry about these.The sixth brother was wronged by a small test and claimed to be an odd number. I secretly laughed at the size of the thing he was worried about. If someone doesn't study, that's all. As long as he calls himself a scholar, he must be engaged in "University". There are three points in the outline of the university: Mingde, Xinmin, Zhizhishan, all of which are our duties.What is the use of reading if you cannot be considerate of yourself and say these three points have nothing to do with me?Although he can write and compose poems, he is erudite and elegant, and he brags about himself, but he is only a literate shepherd boy, how can he be called a useful person who understands things.The imperial court recruits scholars by making art, which means that he can speak for the sages and sages. He must understand the principles of sages and sages, and perform the behavior of sages.If you think Mingde and Xinmin are foreign affairs, then although you can read and write poems, you don't understand the principles of self-cultivation and governance. What is the difference between using such people as officials in the court and using shepherd boys as officials? Since he claims to be a scholar, it is very clear that the program of "University" is all about his own personal needs. There are eight subjects in "University". It's called Gewu, and one is called sincerity.Investigating things, things to know, sincerity, things to do.What is it?It is the end and the end.Body, mind, exhaustion, knowledge, family, country, and the world are all things, and everything in the world is a thing.Things that are used and made in daily life are all objects.Character is the aspect of paying attention to things and chasing after him, such as serving parents and visiting relatives regularly, is things.The reason why you should visit relatives regularly is to investigate things.To study the reasons why you should follow your elder brother is to investigate things.My heart is a thing.To study the principles of one's own intentions, to extensively study the principles of enlightenment, observation, and cultivation of the mind is to study things.My body is a thing.To study the principle of how to respect the body, and extensively study the principle of respecting the body by standing up and sitting on the corpse, is to study things.The books I read every day are all things.Observing one's own experience and studying its principles is to investigate things, which is a matter of extending knowledge.The sincerity I mean is to do what I know, to be honest and not to deceive.Know one sentence, do one sentence, this is a matter of hard work.The two go hand in hand, the lower school is here, and the upper school is also here. My friend Wu Zhuru is very skilled in studying things, and every thing requires its truth.Mr. Wo Genfeng is very strict in his sincerity, and has daily class booklets every day.During a day, every thought, mistake, word and silence are all written down.The words are all in block letters.I ordered one book every three months, and thirty books have been ordered since the year of Yiwei.Because he is cautious and strict, even if there are delusions and occasional movements, he must overcome them immediately and write them in the book.Therefore, every sentence in the books he reads is good medicine for him. Now he copies three pages of Mr. Gen Feng's daily class and sends them back to his younger brothers. From the first day of October, I followed Gen Feng's example and wrote down every thought and thing in the booklet so that I could overcome it whenever I saw it. I also wrote in block letters.Feng Shutang and I wrote the same diary, and there is also a daily class booklet.Shutang is very humble, loves me like a brother, respects me like a teacher, and will definitely achieve something in the future.I have always had a problem with lack of perseverance. Starting from writing a diary, I can guarantee that I will have perseverance throughout my life.A wise teacher and helpful friend, they held me hostage again and again.Can only advance but not retreat.I wanted to copy my daily lesson book for my younger brothers to read, but Mr. Jing Hai came today and wanted to bring the book back, so there was no time to copy it.There will be a correspondent in November, and they will surely copy a few pages and send them back. My good friend, such as the bright and dignified Wogen Peak, is awe-inspiring.Wu Zhuru and Dou Lanquan's intensive research means that every word is one thing, and seek truth from facts.Wu Zixu and Shao Huixi talked about the scriptures and thought deeply.He Zizhen agrees with me on the subtlety of calligraphy, especially when it comes to poetry.Zizhen likes my poems very much, so I have written eighteen poems since October, and now I have copied two pages and mailed them back for my younger brother to read.Feng Shutang and Chen Daiyun are determined, eager and in a hurry, and they are also good friends.Mr. Jinghai, although I didn't bring a gift to ask for teaching, but I have already learned from him in my heart. Every time I write a letter to you brothers, I don't think it's too long. I think you brothers are bored and don't want to read it.But if my younger brothers send me long letters, I will be really happy, as if I have found a treasure, everyone really has their own personality! From the first day of the first month of October, I kept a diary, and I never forgot that I wanted to reform my past.Recalling that there was a little rift with Xiaoshan in the past, it was really a moment of anger and inhumanity, and I immediately wanted to come to the door to apologize.It just so happened that Xiaoshan came to pay her respects on the ninth day of the lunar new year, and I went to Xiaoshan's house to talk for a long time that night.On the thirteenth, he partnered with Daiyun and invited Xiaoshan to dinner. Since then, the laughter has been the same as before, and the rift has disappeared.The recent things are roughly like this, let me write later, brother Guofan hand tools. (October 26, 22nd year of Daoguang)