《 DISCOURSES 1.6 》
YOUNG SONS 《弟子》
YOUNG SONS
《弟子》
Young sons inside the home should be affectionate and obedient,
outside they should be respectful to elders,
conscientious and truthful,
broadly loving all people,
and close with the benevolent.
As for activities, when there is spare strength,
then use it to study the arts.– Kongzi 孔子
弟子入則孝，
出則弟，
謹而信，
汎愛眾，
而親仁。
行有餘力，
則以學文。
Young sons inside the home should be affectionate and obedient, outside they should be respectful to elders, conscientious and truthful, broadly loving all people, and close with the benevolent. As for activities, when there is spare strength, then use it to study the arts.– Kongzi 孔子
弟子入則孝， 出則弟， 謹而信， 汎愛眾， 而親仁。 行有餘力， 則以學文。
[currently under review]
Young sons inside the home should be affectionate and obedient, outside they should be respectful to elders, conscientious and truthful, broadly loving all people, and close with the benevolent. As for activities, when there is spare strength, then use it to study the arts.
It is the duty of a youth, when strength there is to spare, to then study the arts.¹ To not attend to his duties, and to put first the arts, does not serve one’s own learning.
– Cheng Brothers 程子
為弟子之職，力有餘則學文，不修其職而先文，非為己之學也。
Virtuous conduct (dexing 德行) is the root. Literature and arts are the branches. Investigating its root and branches, knowing which is earlier and later, one can by means of this enter into virtue.
–Yin Tun 尹焞
德行，本也。文藝，末也。窮其本末，知所先後，可以入德矣。
Hong Xingzu² said, “If he does not have spare time and yet studies the arts, then the arts overshadow his character; if he has spare time and yet does not study the arts, then the character prevails but remains rough.”
I humbly say that if one is strong in conduct but does not study the arts, then they do not have a means by which to check against the proven and established methods of the sages, and grasp the correct workings of affairs and principles. Also, that which they conduct might come out of personal and selfish ideas, not merely being lost in unrefinement.
– Zhu Xi 朱熹
未有餘力而學文，則文滅其質；有餘力而不學文，則質勝而野。」愚謂力行而不學文，則無以考聖賢之成法，識事理之當然，而所行或出於私意，非但失之於野而已。
Translated text: Discourses with Collected Commentaries, Qing Dynasty imperial library edition, pg3: chapter 1, verse 6.