Chapter 12 Chapter 7: Instructing and reading Liu Boxong and others——Your guide is important

In order to disseminate and promote his philosophical thoughts, Wang Yangming gave lectures at the age of thirty-four until his death at the age of fifty-seven, never breaking away from educational activities.Some teaching theories he put forward are not without enlightening significance for future generations. In this article and "Teaching Testament" and other articles, Wang Yangming put forward some positive opinions on children's education. In the thirteenth year of Zhengde (1518), after the turmoil in Jiangxi was put down, Wang Yangming won the class.This article is a proclamation issued before leaving to inform the elders and folks in the counties in southern Jiangxi to establish a society.Liu Boxong, his life is unknown.

The ancient teachers taught human relations.The practice of reciting chapters in later generations began, but the teaching of the former kings died.Today, when teaching young children, the only thing that should be filial piety, loyalty, propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame is the only thing to do.The way of cultivation and self-cultivation is to induce them to sing poems to express their will; to guide them to practice rituals to suppress their dignity;Nowadays people often regard singing poems and practicing rituals as irrelevant affairs, these are all vulgar and vulgar views, how can we understand the meaning of the ancients' teaching!

Mostly, the affection of a child is happy to play but afraid of restraint, just like the first sprout of grass and trees, if it is comfortable, it will grow well, and if it is disturbed, it will wither.Teaching young children today will make them tend to be inspired, and if they are happy in the heart, they will be able to advance themselves.For example, when it rains in spring and the wind blows, the flowers and trees will germinate and grow, and the natural days will grow and change.If the frost peels off, the business will be sluggish and the sun will wither.Therefore, those who sing poetry not only express their will, but also vent their jumping numbers and howling in swimming songs, and announce their melancholy and stagnation in syllables.Those who practice etiquette are not only austere for their majesty, but also move around and bow to shake their blood vessels, bow and bend and stretch to tighten their muscles and bones.Readers of satire not only open up their perception, but also keep their minds in mind by submerging and repeating, and proclaim their aspirations by modulating satire.All of these are to guide their will, adjust their temperament, subdue their stinginess, and silently dissolve their stubbornness.Days make it gradually become more rites and righteousness without suffering, and enter into harmony without knowing the reason.

If the teachings of modern times are immature, the only thing to do is to read sentences and imitate them every day, and reprimand them, but they don’t know how to guide them with courtesy;He regards the school as a prison and refuses to enter, regards the teachers as enemies and does not want to see him, hides and hides to allow him to play, sets up deceit and disguises to indulge his stubbornness, steals vulgarity, and becomes obscene.It is to drive them away from evil and seek their goodness.How can I get it? The reason why I teach, its meaning is in this.I am afraid that the time and customs will not be noticed, and it will be regarded as roundabout, and I will also go, so I am here to tell you.All of you teach and read, and their work should reflect my intentions, and they will always be taught; don't change and abolish their Shengmo because of the common sayings of the time, so as to achieve the merits of "enlightenment to nourish righteousness".Read it!Read it!

Education in ancient times taught human ethics and morality.After the trend of reciting poems and chapters rose in later generations, the enlightenment of the Three Kings era disappeared.In educating children now, only filial piety, fraternity, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame should be the specialization.As for the specific method of cultivation, appropriate poetry should be used to stimulate their ambition and interest; guide them to learn etiquette to make their appearance majestic; teach them to read to develop their intelligence.But people nowadays often think that learning poetry and etiquette is not the top priority. This is all vulgar and contemptible knowledge. How can they understand the original intention of the ancients to promote education?

Generally speaking, children's taste is to love to play and fear restraint, just like grass and trees that just start to sprout, let it grow comfortably, it will develop rapidly, so that its branches and leaves will flourish; if you destroy and suppress it, it will soon wither.Now when educating children, we must make them happy and happy, and their progress will become involuntary and natural.It's like spring wind and rain, nourishing flowers and trees, all the flowers and trees will sprout and develop, and they will naturally change with each passing day; but if it is covered with ice and snow, flowers and leaves will fall, the natural vitality will no longer be, and it will wither day by day.Therefore, those who guide children through appropriate poetry forms can not only arouse their ambitions and interests, but also vent their jumping and noisy tendencies in singing and poetry, and at the same time express their depression and depression in rhythm. unhappy.Guiding them to learn etiquette can not only make their appearance majestic, but also enable them to activate their blood and strengthen their muscles and bones during bowing and bowing.Teaching them to read can not only develop their intelligence, but also enable them to maintain their original minds in repeated thinking and carry forward their ambitions in cadenced recitations.All of these are to adapt to their nature, guide their aspirations, adjust their temperament, and eliminate their meanness and stupidity through subtle changes.In this way, they gradually conform to the etiquette but do not feel uncomfortable, and their temperament has reached Zhongzheng and peace without knowing it.This is the original intention of the ancestors to establish education.

Like teaching enlightenment children now, I just blindly urge them to read their homework every day, only strictly control their actions but don’t know how to guide them with etiquette, only know how to ask them to be smart but don’t know how to cultivate their kindness. prisoner.They regard the school as a prison and do not want to go in, regard the teacher as a robber and an enemy and do not want to see it, so they sneak around, hide and play, steal and play tricks, cunningly and recklessly , become vulgar and vulgar, increasingly depraved.This is driving them to do evil but asking them to do good. The two will only conflict, how can it work?

My educational philosophy is here.I am worried that people in the world will not understand and think that I am pedantic, and besides, I am about to leave, so I give special warnings.You teachers, you must understand my intentions, always abide by them, and don’t change or abolish my rules because of secular remarks. All of these may have the effect of "encouraging righteousness".Remember remember! Wang Yangming attaches great importance to children's education. This is Mr. Yangming's incisive exposition that education should follow the nature of children. The concept of "children's center" is strikingly similar.It can be seen that Mr. Yangming is extraordinary and outstanding.