1. "Xunzi Encouraging Learning" (excerpt):
The gentleman said: Learning cannot be stopped.
Green, derived from blue, and green from blue; ice, derived from water, and cold from water. The wood is straight and the rope is in the middle. It is shaped like a wheel and its curve is regular. Although there is violence, those who no longer stand up are the ones who make it happen. Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight, if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial. If a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know clearly and act without mistakes.
It is not as good as me to learn what I have learned in just a moment if I think about it all day long; it is not as good as to gain insights from climbing high if I am standing on my knees and looking at it. When you climb high and make moves, your arms are not lengthened, but the sight is far away; when you call along the wind, the sound is not faster, but the sound is louder. A fake horse can travel thousands of miles without benefiting from its feet; a fake boat can run a thousand miles without benefiting from the water. A gentleman's life is not different, he is good at things and fake things.
When accumulated soil becomes a mountain, wind and rain will flourish; when water accumulates, a puddle will emerge, and dragons will emerge; when good deeds are accumulated, virtue will be achieved, and the gods will be content with themselves, and the holy heart will be prepared. Therefore, if you do not accumulate steps, you cannot reach a thousand miles; if you do not accumulate small streams, you cannot reach a river or sea. A horse can't take ten steps with one leap; a horse can ride ten times without giving up its merits. If you persevere, the rotten wood will not be broken; if you persevere, the metal and stone can be carved. Earthworms don't have sharp claws and teeth, nor strong muscles and bones. They eat earth and drink from the underworld. They have the same intention. A crab with six knees and two pincers is not a snake and eel that has nothing to rely on in its cave, so it means it is impatient.
2. "Xiaoyaoyou"
There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty, and its name is Kun. The Kun was so big that it was unknown how many thousands of miles away it was; when it turned into a bird, its name was Peng. I don't know how many thousands of miles the Peng has on its back; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging down from the sky. It is a bird, and the sea will migrate to Nanming. The one in Nanming is Tianchi. Those who are "Qixie" are also those who are ambitious and strange. "Xie" says: "The Peng migrates to Nanming. The water hits it for three thousand miles, and it surges upward for ninety thousand miles. It goes to breathe in six months." Wild horses are also dust, and living things breathe. Phase blow also. The sky is blue, is it righteous or evil? Is it so far away that it is extremely evil? It looks down upon it, and if so, that’s it. Moreover, if the accumulation of water is not thick, it will not be able to carry a large boat. Cover the cup of water on the col hall, and the boat will be made of mustard, and the cup will be glued. The water is shallow and the boat is big. If the accumulation of wind is not thick, its large wings will be weak. Therefore, for ninety thousand miles, the wind is blowing down, and then it is today's Peifeng; it carries the blue sky on its back, and it is Mo Zhiyaolan, and then it is today's general Tunan. Xiaoxue and Xuejiu laughed and said: "I will rise and fly, grab the elm and Fang, and stop. The time will not come, and I will only control the ground. How can I go south for ninety thousand miles?" Those who are suitable for the wilderness, three meals. On the contrary, the abdomen is still clear; if it is suitable for a hundred miles, it will be used to grind grain; if it is suitable for a thousand miles, it will gather grain in three months. Who knows about the two insects!
Little knowledge is not as good as big knowledge, and small years are not as good as big ones. Xi Yi knows this? The bacteria in the morning don't know Hui Shuo, and the crickets don't know the spring and autumn. This is the young year. There are Ming Ling people in the south of Chu, who consider five hundred years old as spring and five hundred years old as autumn. In ancient times, there were Dachun people who considered eight thousand years old as spring and eight thousand years old as autumn. This is also the great year. But Peng Zunai has heard about it for a long time now, and everyone is so sad! Tang Zhi also asked about the thorns: To the north of Qiongfa, there is a place called Minghai, which is called Tianchi. There is Yuyan, which is thousands of miles across, but no one knows how to cultivate it. His name is Kun. There is a bird, its name is Peng, its back is like Mount Tai, and its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. It holds a sheep's horn and flies up ninety thousand miles away. He scolded Yi and laughed and said: "He is making fun of Shi Shi? I leap up, but only a few feet down, soaring among the basils. I am also flying here, and he is making fun of Shi Shi?" This is the debate between small and big. .
My old husband knows that he can serve as an official, his behavior can be compared with that of a village, his virtue can be matched with that of a king, and he can conquer a country. This is how he sees himself. But Song Rongzi still laughed at it. And it is enough to praise him in the world without admonishing him, to criticize him in the world without discouraging him, to distinguish between internal and external, to argue about honor and disgrace. He is alive in this world, but it is impossible to count him. Although, there are still no trees. Fuliezi walked against the wind, calm and kind, and then turned around after five days. He has brought blessings to those who have not yet been counted. Although this is unnecessary, there is still something to be expected. If you take advantage of the righteousness of heaven and earth and guard against the debate of the six qi, and you want to swim infinitely, how can you treat him badly? Therefore, it is said: A perfect person has no self, a god has no merit, and a saint has no name.