The following are excerpts extracted and translated from chapter 19 of the Collected Conversations of Master Zhu, where he provides his students with tips on how to study the Discourses (or “Analects”). These insights remain relevant for students today.
19:1 For a little work the Discourses and Mengzi yield relatively many results; for much work the Six Classics yield relatively few results.
語孟工夫少，得效多；六經工夫多，得效少。
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19:2 For the study of the Discourses and Mengzi, a two or three year work plan is required.
語孟用三二年工夫看。
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19:3 My “Discourses with Collected Commentaries” (論語集注) has now been revised. After wholly comprehending and thoroughly mastering the Great Learning, please proceed to study it. The Discourses and Mengzi, taken collectively, are like the hearty sustenance within the Great Learning. Their sequence, depth, and texture, offers different insights. However, if you do not take the Great Learning as your own framework, ultimately this is not easy to see, wouldn’t you agree?
某論語集注已改，公讀令大學十分熟了，卻取去看。論語孟子都是大學中肉菜，先後淺深，參差互見。若不把大學做箇匡殼子，卒亦未易看得。
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19.4 The Discourses consist of daily fragmented inquiries. Like the vast sea is water, a spoonful is also this same water. What is said in a thousand words, or in ten thousand words, are all one principle. It must be penetrated and obtained, then when extrapolated elsewhere, the rationale (daoli 透得, principles of the Way) becomes clear.
論語是每日零碎問。譬如大海也是水，一勺也是水。所說千言萬語，皆是一理。須是透得，則推之其它，道理皆通。
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19:5 The Discourses primarily discuss humanity; the Doctrine of the Mean primarily discusses wisdom.
論語只說仁，中庸只說智。
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19:8 Kongzi taught people [in a manner] scattered and fragmentary, speaking now and then, combining and recombining, [eventually] conjoining completely into one great variate matter.
夫子教人，零零星星，說來說去，合來合去，合成一箇大物事。
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19:10 The Kong School’s method of teaching was very broad. It involved understanding a bit today, then a bit more the next day. Over time, this would naturally lead to a thorough understanding.
孔門教人甚寬，今日理會些子，明日又理會些子，久則自貫通。
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19:12-13 Kongzi tended toward a practical approach, focusing on hands-on efforts with his students. He taught people starting from an intermediate level, enabling them to immediately begin practicing. Over time, they would naturally come to understand the higher principles of the Way, a process referred to as “learning what is below to reach what is above.”
孔子則就切實做工夫處教人。孔子教人只從中間起，使人便做工夫去，久則自能知向上底道理，所謂「下學上達」也。
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19:14 The book of Discourses does not discuss the heart and mind (xin 心). It only speaks of concrete matters. This can be summed up as speaking only about matters with a basis in fact.
論語不說心，只說實事。節錄作：「只就事實上說。」