Introduction
Xun Kuang (Chinese: 荀況; c. 310 – c. 235 BC, alt. c. 314 – c. 217 BC), also widely known as Xunzi(荀子), was a Chinese Confucian philosopher and writer who lived during the Warring States period and contributed to the Hundred Schools of Thought. A book known as the Xunzi is traditionally attributed to him. His works survive in an excellent condition, and were a major influence in forming the official state doctrines of the Han dynasty, but his influence waned during the Tang dynasty relative to that of Mencius.
Xun Kuang, Wikipedia
English Translation:
Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning (I)
Man said: learning cannot be stopped.
Indigo is extracted from bluegrass, but is darker than bluegrass; ice, which is condensed by water, is colder than water. The wood is straight as a straight line; and by making it into a wheel by craft, the wood is bent to the standard of a circle. Even if it dries out again from the wind and sun, the wood won’t straighten up again because it has been processed to make it so. So wood becomes straight when it is worked; a sword becomes sharp when it is sharpened on a sharpening stone; a man studies broadly and examines himself daily, then he becomes wise and acts without fault.
Therefore, if one does not ascend to a high mountain, one does not know how high the sky is; if one does not face a deep stream, one does not know how thick the earth is; if one does not know the legacy of the emperors of the past, one does not know the greatness of learning. Different children are born with the same cry and grow up with different customs, it is education that makes it so. The Book of Songs says, “Don’t always crave comfort. Be respectful of your vocation and love the virtues of integrity. When the gods hear this, they will bless you.” There is no greater spirituality than to be infected with moral inculcation, and there is no greater blessing than to be free from calamity.
I used to ponder all day long, but I didn’t learn as much as I did when I studied for a moment; I used to look far away on my tiptoes, but I didn’t see as much as I did when I climbed to the top. When a man goes up to a high place and waves his hands, though his arms are not lengthened, he can be seen at a distance; when he calls to the wind, though his voice does not become loud, he can be heard clearly at a distance. With the help of a cart and horse, one can reach a thousand miles away, though one does not walk fast on one’s feet; with the help of a boat, one can cross a river, though one is not good at swimming. The qualification of a gentleman is not different from the average person, but the gentleman is good with the help of external objects.
Original Text in Chinese:
《荀子 · 劝学篇》（选段一）
君子曰：学不可以已。青、取之于蓝，而青于蓝；冰、水为之，而寒于水。木直中绳，輮以为轮，其曲中规，虽有槁暴，不复挺者，輮使之然也。故木受绳则直，金就砺则利，君子博学而日参省乎己，则知明而行无过矣。
故不登高山，不知天之高也；不临深溪，不知地之厚也；不闻先王之遗言，不知学问之大也。干、越、夷、貉之子，生而同声，长而异俗，教使之然也。诗曰：“嗟尔君子，无恒安息。靖共尔位，好是正直。神之听之，介尔景福。”神莫大于化道，福莫长于无祸。
吾尝终日而思矣，不如须臾之所学也。吾尝跂而望矣，不如登高之博见也。登高而招，臂非加长也，而见者远；顺风而呼，声非加疾也，而闻者彰。假舆马者，非利足也，而致千里；假舟楫者，非能水也，而绝江河。君子生非异也，善假于物也。
Background Introduction
The Hundred Schools of Thought (Chinese: 諸子百家; pinyin: zhūzǐ bǎijiā) were philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century to 221 B.C. during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China.
An era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China, it was fraught with chaos and bloody battles, but it was also known as the Golden Age of Chinese philosophy because a broad range of thoughts and ideas were developed and discussed freely. This phenomenon has been called the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought (百家爭鳴/百家争鸣; bǎijiā zhēngmíng; pai-chia cheng-ming; “hundred schools contend”). The thoughts and ideas discussed and refined during this period have profoundly influenced lifestyles and social consciousness up to the present day in East Asian countries and the East Asian diaspora around the world. The intellectual society of this era was characterized by itinerant scholars, who were often employed by various state rulers as advisers on the methods of government, war, and diplomacy.
Related Updates | Traditional Chinese Culture
- Extract | Xunzi, Human Nature is Evil《荀子·性恶》(1)
- Extract | Xunzi, Exhortation to Self-cultivation 《荀子·修身》(I)
- Extract | Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning 《荀子·劝学》(III)
- Extract | Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning 《荀子·劝学》(II)
- Why am I posting extracts of ancient China?
Keep Wild and Carry On 
By the way, the reason why I chose this paragraph today was that I saw its extract in a preface of a book about Spectroscopy:
“登高而招，臂非加长也，而见者远；顺风而呼，声非加疾也，而闻者彰。假舆马者，非利足也，而致千里；假舟楫者，非能水也，而绝江河。君子生非异也，善假于物也。”
(“When a man goes up to a high place and waves his hands, though his arms are not lengthened, he can be seen at a distance; when he calls to the wind, though his voice does not become loud, he can be heard clearly at a distance. With the help of a cart and horse, one can reach a thousand miles away, though one does not walk fast on one’s feet; with the help of a boat, one can cross a river, though one is not good at swimming. The qualification of a gentleman is not different from the average person, but the gentleman is good with the help of external objects.”)
It inspires me quite a lot. Even though the book was written by a scientist, he indicated the connection between the guidance in philosophy and specific areas in life. And it might show a significant difference between ancient Chinese and western philosophy, that the former focused more on practical logic in guiding social cultures, which was determined by the historical background, the Warring States period of ancient China.
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