禮記·學記礼记·学记

To think carefully and follow the law, to seek out the good and the able: this is enough to win a small reputation, but not enough to move the many. To go to the worthy and draw close to those far away: this is enough to move the many, but not yet enough to transform the people. If a gentleman wishes to transform the people and shape their customs, it must surely be through learning. Jade that is not carved does not become a vessel; a person who does not learn does not know the Way. So the kings of old, in founding states and ruling the people, put teaching and learning first. The Charge to Yue says: "From beginning to end, keep your mind on learning." Is this not what it means?

Though there be fine food, if you do not eat it you will not know its taste. Though there be the highest Way, if you do not learn it you will not know its goodness. So it is only by learning that you know your shortcomings, and only by teaching that you know your difficulties. Knowing your shortcomings, you can turn back and examine yourself; knowing your difficulties, you can strengthen yourself. So it is said: teaching and learning help each other grow. The Charge to Yue says: "Teaching is half of learning." Is this not what it means?

In ancient times, for teaching there was a school in each household, an academy in each district, a college in each region and a university in each state. Students entered every year and were examined every other year. In the first year they were tested on parsing the classics and on the direction of their aims. In the third year, on whether they were serious in their work and happy in company. In the fifth year, on whether they studied widely and were close to their teachers. In the seventh year, on whether they could discuss learning and choose their friends: this was called the lesser completion. In the ninth year, when they understood things by their kinds, reached through to everything, stood firm and did not fall back, this was called the great completion. Only then were they able to transform the people and change their customs, so that those near at hand were won over and those far away were drawn to them. This is the way of the great learning. The record says: "The young ant is always at its work." Is this not what it means?

When the great learning first begins its teaching, people in white deerskin caps make offerings of vegetables, to show reverence for the Way. The first three songs of the Lesser Odes are practised, to set the students on the path of service from the start. On entering, the drum is beaten and the book boxes are opened, so that they approach their work with humility. The thorn and the cane are kept, to hold them in awe. The inspection does not take place until after the great summer sacrifice has been divined, so that their aims have room to grow. Students are watched but not lectured, so that their hearts are kept alert. The young listen and do not ask questions, so that no one skips a stage. These seven are the great principles of teaching. The record says: "In all learning, the official begins with his duties, the scholar with his aims." Is this not what it means?

The teaching of the great learning follows the seasons. There must be regular studies for the lessons, and for the times of rest there must be things to do at home. In learning, if you do not practise the strings, you cannot be at ease with the zither. If you do not practise wide comparisons, you cannot be at ease with the Songs. If you do not learn the various kinds of dress, you cannot be at ease with the rites. If you do not take pleasure in the arts, you cannot enjoy learning. So the gentleman, in his learning, keeps it within him, cultivates it, rests in it and roams in it. Being so, he is at peace in his learning and close to his teacher, enjoys his friends and trusts his Way. And so, even when he leaves his teachers and companions, he does not turn back. The Charge to Yue says: "Be humble, work at it, be prompt at all times, and your cultivation will come." Is this not what it means?

Teachers nowadays drone through their texts and pile on questions, and talk of numbers. They push ahead without caring whether the students are ready, do not lead people by what is true in them, and do not bring out all their abilities. What they give is perverse, and what they ask for is contrary. And so the students come to hide from their learning and resent their teachers, find it bitter and hard and do not see its benefit. Though they finish their course, they soon let it go. That teaching does not succeed: is this not the reason? The method of the great learning is this. To prevent things before they arise is called foresight. To teach at the right moment is called timeliness. Not to go beyond what the student can manage is called proper order. To let students learn from watching one another is called rubbing together. These four are what make teaching flourish. To forbid only after something has arisen is to meet resistance that cannot be overcome. To learn only after the time has passed is to labour with little result. To teach in a jumble without order is to bring confusion without progress. To learn alone without friends is to be narrow and to hear little. Low companions turn you against your teacher; low pleasures make you neglect your learning. These six are what make teaching fail.

Only when a gentleman knows what makes teaching flourish and what makes it fail can he be a teacher of others.

So the gentleman, in teaching, leads and does not drag; encourages and does not press; opens the way and does not take the student to the end of it. Leading without dragging makes for harmony; encouraging without pressing makes things easy; opening the way without going to the end makes the student think. Harmony, ease, and thought: this can be called good teaching. Learners have four faults, and the teacher must know them. In learning, some fail by taking on too much, some by too little, some by finding it too easy, some by stopping. These four come from differences of mind. Only by knowing the mind can one remedy the fault. Teaching means helping the good to grow and remedying the faults. A good singer makes others carry on the song; a good teacher makes others carry on the purpose. His words are brief yet reach far, subtle yet fine, with few examples yet clear: this can be called carrying on the purpose.

When a gentleman knows what is hard and what is easy in coming to learning, and knows what is good and bad in his students, then he can teach in many ways. When he can teach in many ways, he can be a teacher. When he can be a teacher, he can be a leader. When he can be a leader, he can be a ruler. So to be a teacher is to learn to be a ruler, and so a teacher must be chosen with care. The record says: "The three kings and the four dynasties all depended on their teachers." Is this not what it means?

In the way of learning, the hardest thing is to honour the teacher. When the teacher is honoured, the Way is respected; when the Way is respected, the people know to revere learning. So there are two occasions on which a ruler does not treat a subject as a subject: when he acts as the impersonator of the dead at a sacrifice, and when he is the ruler's teacher. By the rites of the great learning, even when instructing the Son of Heaven, the teacher does not face north as a subject would: this is how the teacher is honoured. A good learner makes the teacher's work easy and doubles the result, and then gives the teacher the credit. A poor learner makes the teacher toil and halves the result, and then blames the teacher for it. A good questioner is like someone cutting hard wood: he starts with the easy parts and leaves the knots for later, and in time the knots loosen and fall away of themselves. A poor questioner does the opposite. One who is good at answering questions is like a bell being struck: strike it lightly and it rings lightly; strike it hard and it rings loudly; wait for it to settle, and it gives its full sound. One who is poor at answering does the opposite. These are all ways of advancing in learning.

Learning that only memorises in order to answer questions is not enough to make a teacher. A teacher must listen to what is said. Only when a student cannot frame a question should he be told; and if he is told and still does not understand, it is all right to leave it for a time. The son of a good smith is sure to learn to make fur garments; the son of a good bowmaker is sure to learn to make winnowing baskets. One who first trains a horse does the opposite of the usual, and puts the cart before the horse. A gentleman who looks into these three things can set his heart on learning.

Learners of old compared things and grouped them by kind. The drum belongs to none of the five notes, yet without it the five notes are not in harmony. Water belongs to none of the five colours, yet without it the five colours do not shine. Learning belongs to none of the five offices, yet without it the five offices are not well run. The teacher belongs to none of the five degrees of kinship, yet without a teacher the five degrees are not close. The gentleman says: "Great virtue is not confined to one office; the great Way is not a vessel for one use; great good faith needs no contract; the great seasons are not all the same." One who looks into these four things can set his heart on the root. When the three kings sacrificed to the rivers, they always honoured the Yellow River before the sea: one is the source, the other where it gathers. This is called attending to the root.