Chapter 45 Section 7 Lu's Father and Son Tutoring

Lu Kun, a famous scholar in the Ming Dynasty, and his father, Lu Desheng, were both very influential educators, especially in the aspect of tutoring, father and son inherited and made great achievements. Lu Desheng, named Jinxi, was born in Ningling, Henan.He did not enter an official career all his life, but took teaching as his career. In his long-term teaching practice, he explored a set of teaching methods that are very beneficial to children's easy learning and easy remembering.In the Ming Dynasty, eight-part essays were used to select scholars. Most of what students learned were adult Confucian classics and rigid stereotyped essays. The profound scriptures were difficult to learn and understand, and difficult to memorize and consolidate.When Lu Desheng educated his students and his son, he paid great attention to starting from children's nature and the psychological characteristics of memorizing knowledge, and compiled the profound scriptures and principles into simple nursery rhymes that are easy to remember and recite, and named it "Little Children's Talk".He said: "Children have knowledge and can speak, and they enjoy it when they sing songs. They learn from each other and pass them down from generation to generation. They don't know what to do... The husband is cultivated properly. When he has knowledge, it is the right time to cultivate. Those who use slang are harmless, why are they used to it? I am not ashamed of being shallow, but it is an important task to establish myself. The harmonious voice is as slang as it is, so that children can hear it easily and understand it. It is called "Little Children's Talk". It is a cheering play. While laughing, there is no other way than the study of morality, rationale, and mind and body. Once a child learns it, it can be spread to all children; if he learns it in childhood, he can learn it for life." He paid attention to the role of popular language education, and compiled his "Xiaoeryu" As a teaching material for family education, he educates his children to conduct themselves in the world.

The language of "Xiaoeryu" is indeed very simple and popular, but it tells a lot of principles of life and affairs.For example: "All words and actions must be peaceful, and all mistakes are just for panic." This is to teach people to be calm and calm in dealing with things.Another example: "You don't need to cover up your own mistakes. If you can't cover them up, it will add another shortcoming." This is to teach people to recognize their mistakes and admit their mistakes, not to cover up their mistakes. "When talking to people, look at their facial expressions. If you don't agree with each other, you don't have to force it." If you are willing to learn, you will be ashamed to sell firewood; if you are not good at learning, you will be praised as an old man of Shangshuge." "Heaven has made great achievements, and I can't help but claim it." Popular language such as the above, with concise words and clear reasons, is naturally easy for children Reciting is easy to remember, and children can benefit from it when they learn it.

While educating his son with "Xiaoeryu", Lu Desheng compiled "Nvxiaoeryu".Similarly, we also strive to make the language popular so that it is easy for the daughter to hear and understand.In terms of content, "Nv Xiaoer Yu" emphasizes the women's virtues advocated by Confucianism, and the purpose is to ask daughters to become good wives and mothers and filial daughters in the future.In the Qing Dynasty, Chen Hongmou gave "Nv Xiaoer Yu" a high evaluation, saying that it was "vigilant and revealing, and there is no word that is unreasonable, and no word is unreasonable. This one."

Through Lu Desheng's practical application in family education, his children have benefited greatly.For example, after his son Lu Kun was promoted as a Jinshi during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, he became an official of the Ministry of Punishment. Lu Kun (AD 1536-1613), courtesy name Shujian and nickname Xinwu, benefited from his father's education and believed that "Xiaoeryu" was a rare children's book carefully compiled by his father, so he often talked with his father about the benefits of "Xiaoeryu". Chinese language, and cherish it as a family heirloom.Once, Lu Kun talked about this book with his elderly father again, and asked his old father's opinion to publish it so that more people can share this excellent family education.The father agreed and asked his son to add to the content.Therefore, after the engraving, Lu Kun wrote "Continued Xiaoeryu" in accordance with the style of "Xiaoeryu".

"Continued Xiaoeryu" is divided into three parts: "Four Words", "Six Words" and "Miscellaneous Words", which are independent chapters.However, in terms of content, Lu Kun has added a lot, which makes the readership wider, not only suitable for children to recite, but also suitable for educating adults.Lu Kun said: "Children have their own childhood, that is, the remaining words may be of great benefit to the future. The first fear is that children will only think words, and people will only think children's words." Therefore, "Continued Xiaoeryu" is based on popular In fact, the weight of "literature" has been appropriately increased, which is more suitable for both refined and popular tastes, and is more suitable for teaching.

Most of the sentences in "Continued Xiaoeryu" have the characteristics of aphorisms.For example: "You should be merciful in your heart, convenient in your affairs, cruel and mean, and cause people to hate you." , feel ashamed afterward." "Admiration for honor and shame for poverty, lack of aspirations, amazement, and lack of knowledge." , the scale must be large." "A meal is a kindness, a thousand pieces of gold is an enmity, the extreme is joy, and the love is sorrow." "The thoughts are deep, the words are stable, the difficulties are alone, and the voice is calm." "God doesn't want houses, Wearing a lot of clothes in the Shinto way is better than painting Buddha, it is better to help some poor people." "Pleasure is never good, and heart-warming is not life-poor. Everyone is ruined in peace and prosperity." "Humility has never caused disaster, patience There is no way to attract disaster in silence, to accumulate deep and hidden weapons, to show off ordinary talents lightly." "Fear of kindness first gains and then loses, and fear of fear first relaxes and then tightens." "Stop making enemies with everyone, and stop making public judgments against enemies." "Lan Fang Don’t tire of valleys, gentlemen don’t cultivate for fame.” Although the above words are simple, they have profound meaning. People of different ages can always learn from them as long as they can seriously understand their own life experiences.

Like "Xiaoeryu", "Xiaoeryu" was only used as a family education book for Lu Shi at the beginning, and it has been widely circulated in the society for a long time, becoming a widely circulated folk book.