Idioms and examples of traditional Chinese virtues

Those who love their relatives dare not be evil to others; those who honor their relatives dare not be slow to others. Meaning: If you love your own old man, you dare not treat other people's old men badly; if you honor and love your own old man, you dare not slow down other people's old men. From the Book of Filial Piety. The Chapter of the Son of Heaven. Those who do not learn from their teachers are gradually abolishing their studies. Meaning: Not learning from a teacher is tantamount to gradually giving up the pursuit of learning. From "Lü Hengzhou Wenji (Collected Writings of Lü Hengzhou), and the Book of Invitation to Learn Spring and Autumn with Clan Brother Gaogao". If the country is to be revitalized, the teacher must be honored and the master must be valued. Meaning: If a country wants to be revitalized, it must respect the teachers and attach importance to the masters who pass on their expertise. From "Gouzi". Ancient scholars must have teachers. Meaning: In ancient times, those who studied must be taught by teachers. From Han Yu's Han Changli Jie - Teachers' Sayings. To learn quickly is to respect the teacher. Meaning: The first thing to learn quickly is to respect the teacher. From "The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Clans" (各氏春秋-劝学). A gentleman honors his teacher, but is close to his friends. Meaning: A man of high moral character respects his teachers and treats his friends kindly. From "Xunzi - Cultivating One's Virtue". When a gentleman learns, he must call his teacher his teacher, and when he listens to him, he must do his best to be bright. Meaning: When a man of high moral character studies and explains the truth, he will always refer to what his teacher has taught him, and endeavor to carry it forward. From "Lü Shi Chun Qiu", Volume 4, "Honoring the Teacher". Respecting education and counseling learning is the basis for building a nation; promoting virtue and educating talents is the first thing to do for the government. Meaning: Emphasizing education is the foundation of building a nation, and cultivating talents is the first task of governing a nation. From "Zhu Shunshui Collection - Advising Xing". A person cannot be without a teacher. Meaning: One cannot learn without the guidance of a teacher. From "The Discourse of Qianfu - Praising Learning" by Wang Fu (王符). On: close to. If a person is not born to know, how can he be free from confusion? If one is confused and does not learn from a teacher, he will not be able to solve his confusion. Meaning: Man is not born with knowledge, how can he not have difficult questions? If you don't ask your teacher for advice when you have a question, you will not understand what is going on in the end. From Han Yu's "The Teacher's Commentary" (师說), by Han Yu (韓愈). If a man wishes his children and grandchildren to be wise and does not respect his teacher, it is as if he wishes to nourish his body but loses his clothes and food. Meaning: People who wish their children and grandchildren to be virtuous but do not know to value the role of their teachers are like trying to take care of their own bodies. This is like trying to take care of one's body without wearing clothes or eating. From (Qing Dynasty) Wang Zhuo's The Sayings of the Present World, Volume I. Ji: hope. 敬：重视；人即使有性质美而心辨知，必將求贤师而事之，择良友而友之。 Meaning: Even if a person has a good nature and is intelligent, he must learn from his teachers and choose noble friends to help each other. From "Xunzi - Sexual Evil". Discernment: Wisdom. If you want to be good, ask the three old men. Meaning: To get things done well, ask experienced older people for advice. See (Ming) Tang Hai's The Wolf of Zhongshan, third outing. Teacher to question, friend to fold doubts. Teacher and friend are also the capital of learning. Meaning: Worshiping a teacher to answer doubts and making friends to analyze them are very helpful to learning. From (Qing Dynasty) Li Xing's The Collection of Western Macrocomposts - Ice Words Supplement. Teachers and friends are very dear to each other, and ancient learning should be self-reflexive. Meaning: Teachers and friends should respect each other and be intimate with each other, and one should reflect on oneself when examining ancient cultures. From "Farewell to Su Shaoxu in Lake Learning" by Liu Chao (Song). If the teacher is strict, then the way will be honored; if the way is honored, then the people will respect learning. Meaning: Teachers are honored, then knowledge has a higher status, and the people can pay attention to learning. From Han Ying's Han Yan Wai Chu (韩词外传). The teacher is the model of the people. Meaning: A teacher is a model for people to follow. From (Han) Yang Xiong's "Dharma Words - Learning and Doing". Teacher! Teacher! The order of Tong Zi is also. Meaning: Teacher, teacher, teacher, is the life of a child. It is better to devote oneself to learning than to make efforts to find a good teacher. From Yang Xiong's "Dharma Words - Learning and Doing" (法言-学行). When the teacher's way is established, there will be many good people. Meaning: If the culture of respecting teachers is formed, there will be more people with good behaviors. From "Hai Rui Jie - Preface to Gift to Chen Yuanshan Ren Gu Tian Si Xun" (The Collection of Hai Rui). If three people walk together, there must be a teacher for me. Choose those who are good and follow them, and correct those who are not good. Meaning: When three people walk on the same road, there must be someone among them who can be my teacher. I will choose their good points to learn from them, and correct their bad points as my own reference. From "Analects of Confucius - Shui而". If a good student learns from his teacher, he will be able to multiply his work by his own efforts, and he will thus be mediocre; if a bad student learns from his teacher, he will be hardworking, but his work will be half-hearted, and he will thus be resentful. Meaning: A person who is good at learning can get twice the result without much effort from his teacher, and thanks his teacher for his work; a person who is not good at learning is not checking himself but blaming his teacher for his half-assed work, even though his teacher has taught him diligently. From "The Records of Rites - The Records of Learning". Yi: contentment; ease. 庸：功劳.