This poem in Zhu Xi's "Reflections on Reading" expresses his view and understanding of learning, "Ask where the canal can be so clear, so that there is a source of living water."
First of all, the phrase "Ask the channel where you can get such clarity" means that in the process of exploring knowledge, he found that if you only obtain knowledge from superficial channels, it is difficult to achieve in-depth understanding and clarity. By simply obtaining information from external sources, we can only obtain some fragmentary knowledge and cannot truly understand its inner essence.
The second half of the sentence "Come for the source of living water" reveals his views on learning. He realized that to truly appreciate and understand knowledge, one needs to go back to its source and find the original, naturally flowing source of living water in order to obtain clear, pure and vital knowledge.
This poem inspires us that when we study and think, we should not just stay on the surface, but should think deeply about the essence and root of the problem. Only through in-depth research and tracing back to the source of things can we gain true understanding and insight, making knowledge richer and deeper.
Original text
Impressions from reading books·Part one
Zhu Xi [Song Dynasty]
Half an acre of square pond is open, and the sky is bright and cloudy The shadow lingers.
Ask him how clear he is? Come for living water from a source.
Translation
The half-acre square pond opens like a mirror, with skylight and cloud shadows shining and floating on the water.
Why is the water in the pond so clear? It is because there is an inexhaustible source that continuously delivers living water to it.
Notes
Fangtang: Also known as Banmu Pond, it is located in the Zheng Yizhai Hall (later Nanxi Academy) in the south of Youxi City, Fujian Province. Zhu Xi's father, Zhu Song, had a good relationship with Zheng, so there is a poem in "Die Lian Hua· Drunken Stay in Zheng's Villa" that goes: "At dawn, the square pond opens up. The catkins are falling like flying, and they are willing to welcome the spring breeze."
< p>Jian: One theory is that it is a large bronze basin used to hold water or ice in ancient times. Mirror; some scholars believe that mirror. The finger is like a mirror (mirror) that can illuminate people."Sky light" sentence: It means that the light of the sky and the shadow of the clouds are reflected in the pond water, constantly changing, just like people wandering.
Wandering: moving back and forth.
For: because.
Qu: It, the third person pronoun, here refers to the water of Fangtang.
Nade: How could it be?
That: What does it mean?
Clear as Xu: So clear.
For example: like this, like this.
Qing: clear.
Source of living water: It is a metaphor that knowledge is constantly updated and developed, and thus accumulated. Only by constantly learning, applying and exploring in life can we keep ourselves advanced and energetic, just like the source of water. .
Appreciation
This is a famous poem that uses scenery as a metaphor. The whole poem uses Fangtang as a metaphor to vividly express a subtle and indescribable feeling of reading. The pond is not a pool of stagnant water, but constantly filled with living water, so it is like a mirror, crystal clear, reflecting the sky and cloud shadows. This situation is quite similar to the situation when the same person solves the problem in reading, gains new knowledge and gains a lot, and improves his understanding. The flow of spiritual energy, clear thinking, fresh and lively spirit and contentment expressed in this poem are exactly the author's personal reading experience as a great scholar. Although the feeling expressed in the poem is only for reading, it has profound meaning and rich connotation, and can be widely understood. Especially the two sentences "Ask the canal how clear it is, because there is living water from the source." The reason why the water is clear is because there is continuous injection of living water from the source. It implies that if people want to have a clear mind, they must study hard and add new knowledge from time to time. Therefore, people often use it as a metaphor to continuously learn new knowledge in order to reach a new realm. People also use these two poems to praise a person's knowledge or artistic achievements, which has its own profound origin. Readers can also get inspiration from this poem. Only when the mind is always active, with an open and broad mind, accepts all kinds of different ideas and fresh knowledge, and is broadly tolerant can we continue to have new ideas and new ideas. These two lines of poetry have been condensed into the commonly used idiom "source of living water", which is used to metaphor the source and driving force of the development of things.
This is a very artistic and philosophical poem.
When people appreciate calligraphy works, they often have a spirited artistic feeling. Poems use symbolic techniques to transform this inner feeling into concrete images that can be felt and depicted, allowing readers to appreciate the mystery on their own. The so-called "living water from the source" should refer to the inexhaustible artistic inspiration in the writer's heart.
The meaning of the poem is very profound. The source of living water is used to metaphorically describe the rich inspiration of calligraphy art, which is the real inexhaustible source of calligraphy art works. It illustrates the author's unique reading experience, which is in line with the characteristics of calligraphy art creation. , also reflects the essence of general artistic creation. ?
Creative background
In 1196 AD (the second year of Qingyuan), in order to avoid the disaster of the powerful minister Han Zhouzhou, Zhu Xi and his disciples Huang Qian, Cai Chen, and Huang Zhong came to Fushan, a new city (today's Lichuan Lectures are held at Wuyi Hall next to Shuanglin Temple in Zhushan Village, Ping Township, County Headquarters. During this period, he traveled between Nancheng and Nanfeng. At the invitation of Li Yuanji and Deng Yueli in Nancheng, he wrote an article "Inscriptions of the Jinshi in Jianchang Army", in which he sincerely praised the numerous talents in Jianchang. At the invitation of brothers Wu Lun and Wu Chang of Toadwo Village, Shangtang, Nancheng County, he went to the village to give lectures. He wrote "Rongmuxuan" for the Wu family hall, "Book Building" for the reading pavilion, and the society founded by the Wu brothers. Cang wrote "Records of Shecang" and "Two Reflections on Reading Books" in the village.
About the author
Zhu Xi (September 15, 1130-April 23, 1200), line 52, nicknamed Fu Lang, nicknamed Ji Yan, character Yuan Hui, The first name is Zhonghui, the nickname is Huian, and later he is called Hui Weng. He is also known as Mr. Ziyang, Mr. Kaoting, Cangzhou sick old man, Yungu old man, and Niweng. Posthumous title Wen, also known as Zhu Wengong. Han nationality, ancestral home is Wuyuan County, Huizhou Prefecture, Jiangnan East Road, Southern Song Dynasty (now Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province), and was born in Youxi, Nanjian Prefecture (now Sanming City, Fujian). A famous Neo-Confucian, thinker, philosopher, educator, poet, and representative of the Fujian School in the Southern Song Dynasty, known as Zhu Zi in the world, he was the most outstanding master in promoting Confucianism since Confucius and Mencius.