Learn and then seasonally practice it—not indeed pleasant?

To speak of learning (xue 學)ᵃ is to speak of emulation. Human nature, of each and all, is good, and yet its awakening has an order. Those who become aware later must necessarily emulate the actions of those who became aware earlier. Only then may one know goodness and return to their beginnings [original nature].

Practice (xi 習) is a bird repeatedly flying. The ceaselessness of learning is like the repeated flight of birds. Pleasant (yue 說) means enjoyable thoughts. When learned and then also continually practiced, what is learned matures and within the heartmindᵇ is an enjoyable pleasure. Then one’s progress naturally cannot cease.

– Zhu Xi 朱熹

學之為言效也。人性皆善，而覺有先後，後覺者必效先覺之所為，乃可以明善而復其初也。習，鳥數飛也。 學之不已，如鳥數飛也。說，喜意也。 既學而又時時習之，則所學者熟，而中心喜說，其進自不能已矣。

Practice (xi 習) is habituation. Time and again, contemplatively following a continuous thread, one becomes thoroughly immersed and harmoniously integrated with it. Then it is pleasurable. 

– Cheng Yi 程颐

習，重習也。時復思繹，浹洽於中，則說也。

As learners, we intend to carry it out (xing 行, in conduct). When we regularly practice it, then what has been learned resides within ourself. Hence pleasure.

– Cheng Brothers 程子

學者，將以行之也。時習之，則所學者在我，故說。

Seasonal practice (shixi 時習) means there is not a season in which one does not practice. To sit like a corpse, that is sitting season in practice; to stand as if sacrificing,¹ that is standing season in practice.

– Xie Liangzuo 謝良佐²

時習者，無時而不習。坐如尸，坐時習也；立1如齊，立時習也。

Have friends from far away places come—not indeed happiness?

Friend (peng 朋) means two of the same kind. When from faraway places they come, we can become acquainted with those who are near [in character].

– Zhu Xi 朱熹

朋，同類也。自遠方來，則近者可知。

By means of goodness to reach others, those who trust and follow will be many. Due to this [shared] happiness is possible.

– Cheng Yi 程颐

以善及人，而信從者眾，故可樂。

Pleasure (yue 說) is located in the heartmind. Happiness (le 樂)ᶜ primarily manifests outwardly.

– Cheng Brothers 程子

說在心，樂主發散在外。

Not known by others, and yet not angered—not indeed a noble man?

“Noble man” (junzi 君子)ᵈ is a term for those who have attained virtue.

– Zhu Xi 朱熹

君子，成德之名。

Learning exists within oneself. Whether it is known or not exists within others. Why would there be anger?

– Yin Tun 尹焞³

學在己，知不知在人，何慍之有。

Although happy to reach out to others, should they not recognize this he is not troubled. This is indeed what is called the “noble man.”

– Cheng Yi 程颐

雖樂於及人，不見是而無悶，乃所謂君子。

In my humble opinion, to reach out to others and feel happiness is smooth and easy. To be unknown and yet feel no resentment is difficult and challenging. Hence only those who have attained virtue are capable of it. The means by which one attains this virtue, at least as summarized from this verse, are correct learning, mature practice, and deep pleasure [from immersion in this learning and practice], although it does not end here alone.

– Zhu Xi 朱熹

愚謂及人而樂者順而易，不知而不慍者逆而難，故惟成德者能之。然德之所以成，亦曰學之正、習之熟、說之深，而不已焉耳。

° ° °

Happiness (le 樂) follows pleasure (yue 說). Only later is it attained. And without [shared] happiness, one is insufficient to be called a noble man (junzi 君子).⁴

– Cheng Brothers 程子

樂由說而後得，非樂不足以語君子。

Definitions from Zhu Xi

Xue 學 means to emulate. Xi 習 is a bird repeatedly flying [the character includes 羽 “feather”]. Yue 說 is a synonym of yue 悅 and means enjoyable thoughts. Peng 朋 means of the same kind. Yun 慍 means to harbor resentment. Junzi 君子 is a term for those who have attained virtue.

學之為言效也。習，鳥數飛也。說、悅同。說，喜意也。朋，同類也。慍，含怒意。君子，成德之名。

Footnotes

ᵃ Xue 學 (“learning”) is like learning to be a human in civilization, not just facts and figures. This social learning is through emulation of others who have attained the way.

ᵇ Xin 心 (“heartmind”) is a concept in which both the heart and the mind, and also the will, are one.

ᶜ Yue 說 (“pleasure”) and le 樂 (“happiness”) differ in a way not expressed in English. The former is just happiness by oneself, whereas the latter is happiness shared with others. Happiness is the external manifestation of pleasure, which shoots out and circulates in society.

ᵈ Junzi 君子 (“noble man”) is literally “son of a noble,” but through Kongzi’s use here came to mean “noble in character.”

¹ Quotes the Book of Rites 禮記: “If a man be sitting, let him do so as a personator of the deceased; if he be standing, let him do so reverently, as in sacrificing.” [Qu Li I, 4, tr. Legge]

² Xie Liangzuo 謝良佐 (1050–1103) was a Neo-Confucian scholar and disciple of the Cheng brothers. As noted by scholar Wing-Tsit Chan, he “came very close to Buddhism.”

³ Yin Tun 尹焞 (1070-1142) was a Neo-Confucian scholar and disciple of Cheng Yi, respected for his steadfast principles even in the face of governmental pressure.

⁴ Final verse-level summary comments are separated from the preceding line-level comments by a “○” mark in the source text. Thus this is a concluding remark by Chengzi which links together the three phrases in a sequence of development: pleasure derived from learning, happiness shared with others, and the eventual attainment of the noble man.

In all verses in this volume, what comes earlier in the verse speaks to self-cultivation, and what comes later to kin, friends, and teachers. – Zhu Xi 朱熹 , Yulei 20:1:1:2

For more info, see the Collected Conversations of Master Zhu on this verse.