It comes from Xun Zi's article "Encouraging Learning".
from: Xun Zi's "Encouraging Learning" in the Warring States Period
Original text:
The jade pot is full of ice, and the calligraphy is full of teacher's soul.
Translation:
The jade kettle contains the teacher's blood, and the red brush writes the teacher's soul.
Extended information:
Creation background:
During the Warring States period, the slavery system further collapsed, the feudal system gradually formed, and history experienced epoch-making changes. Many thinkers expressed their opinions on the social changes at that time from different standpoints and angles, and gradually formed different factions such as Mohism, Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism, which were called "hundred schools of thought" in history.
hundred schools of thought has written many books, publicized his own ideas and criticized others, resulting in a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contend". Xunzi was a representative figure of Confucianism in the late Warring States period. He believes that the existence of nature is independent of human will, but people can use subjective efforts to understand it, adapt to it and use it. In order to reveal the significance of learning the day after tomorrow, he created the article "Encouraging Learning".
In the article, the author sometimes uses the method of contrast to organize two opposite situations together to form a sharp contrast to enhance the persuasiveness of the text. For example, when he stressed that learning must be persistent and single-minded, he not only used some parallel metaphors, but also used many opposite and complementary metaphors. He listed "You can't take ten steps with one leap" and "You can't give up your work with ten steps".
"Perseverance, the rotten wood will not break" and "Perseverance, the stone can be carved"; And the earthworm "without the benefit of his minions and strong bones and muscles" can come and go freely underground, while the crab "with six knees and two claws" can't even dig a small hole for shelter. This shows that the effects of "product" and "non-product" are diametrically opposite. In Xunzi's philosophy, the word "product" is an important point.