" Follow the Rules of the Disciple "

Author: Li Yuxiu (Qing Dynasty) / Compiled by the Writing Group of "Essential Chinese Traditional Culture for Students Series"
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: As the saying goes, "Ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to nurture a person." Nurturing an individual requires long-term, subtle (influence), making early childhood education particularly important. It plays a crucial role in shaping a person's values, establishing their character, and developing their intellect. But what should children read? Many experts recommend reading the classics of Chinese culture. The term "classic" refers to books that contain rich and representative eternal truths, "teaching the eternal principles and practices of life." After being tested by the currents of history, these books have gained even greater timeless value, allowing us to experience the brilliance of our ancestors' wisdom without being constrained by time or space. Although our traditional culture has spanned thousands of years, some of its core cultural essence remains closely tied to the present, such as integrity, self-improvement, self-cultivation, and filial piety. These are the most prominent virtues and characteristics of traditional Chinese culture. Especially in today's society, it is not enough to give children knowledge; we must also teach them how to be good people. In this way, the philosophy of life embedded in ancient culture will play a significant role. Moreover, children have excellent memories, so they should be encouraged to read valuable books during their most receptive years. On one hand, this helps them learn ancient culture, expand their knowledge, and enhance their cultural refinement; on the other hand, it allows them to absorb wisdom. As children grow older and gain more experience, all of this will become an invaluable spiritual wealth that will benefit them throughout their lives. To make our "classics" more accessible to children, we have made efforts in selecting the book list and arranging the content. First, we selected representative book titles that are both the essence of our culture and relatively easy to read, including The Analects, Laozi·Daxue·Zhongyong, The Art of War·36 Stratagems, The Book of Songs, Sources of Ancient Poetry, Three-Character Classic, Mencius, The Book of Documents, A Thousand Character Classic, Juexue Qionglin, Zhuangzi, The Songs of Chu, Rime of the Ancient Chinese, Rules for Students, Hundred Family Surnames, and Proverbial sayings. Second, in terms of content arrangement, we have made the following efforts: The original text is presented in large fonts with Pinyin annotations, making it more eye-catching and easier to read; translations are added to help children grasp the essence of the entire text, making it easier to overcome any difficulties; word and phrase annotations are included to help children understand the specific meanings of words and phrases, as well as gain a basic understanding of ancient literature; illustrations are added to make the text more vivid; and some books also include introductory stories to enhance reading interest. All of these efforts will help young readers better learn ancient culture.