The Three Character Classic （1）
[PureInsight.org]
Introduction
The Three Character Classic was originally used for home schooling during the Song Dynasty. No one knows exactly who first began compiling this three-character verse text. Some say it was Wang Yinglin from the Song Dynasty. Others think the author was Ou Shizi, who lived during the latter years of the Song Dynasty.
Jing in Chinese means “invariable truth.” In the ancient times, a book called jing (classic) denoted a text of great value. Among all the Chinese classics, The Three Character Classic is the simplest and easiest to read. Its scope covers literature, history, philosophy, astronomy, geography, the ethics of human relations, and elements of morality. Moreover, the content is rich, interesting, and inspiring. The verses are short and simple, all in character triplets, and are thus very suitable for oral reading. When a young student recites The Three Character Classic, he or she is learning social decorum, Chinese language and literature, and historical events. Because of these qualities, The Three Character Classic has always been the first text of choice when starting a child’s formal education.
The Three Character Classic is divided into 44 units with 4 verses (8 phrases) per unit. Each unit contains sections of text, vocabulary, text explanation, discussion questions, story, and writing reflection. For English speakers, each character or term in the text section is accompanied by the Chinese phonetic alphabet (Hanyu pinyin) to assist in pronunciation and is also annotated in the vocabulary section. The verses are then explained in English so that readers can understand their meaning. After that, discussion questions are used to guide learners to think more deeply about the text and consolidate their understanding of the unit theme. In addition to the verses, one or two related stories are presented that introduce the background of a historical event or figure, promote critical thinking, and/or facilitate moral education. The writing reflection section provides some guided questions for students to express their thoughts and opinions in writing.
The Three Character Classic is easy to memorize, and because of the multidimensionality of its educational content, has been widely used since the Song Dynasty. It not only cultivates an understanding of traditional Chinese culture, but also provides students with models for getting along with others and for handling situations they might encounter later in life. We hope that readers can learn the text by heart and treasure this precious cultural legacy.
Unit 1
Text
人(rén) 之(zhī) 初 (chū)，性(xìng) 本(běn) 善(shàn)，
性(xìng) 相(xiāng) 近(jìn)，習(xí) 相(xiāng) 遠(yuǎn)。
苟(gǒu) 不(bú) 教(jiào)，性(xìng) 乃(nǎi) 遷(qiān)，
教(jiào) 之(zhī) 道(dào)，貴(guì) 以(yǐ) 專(zhuān)。
Vocabulary
(1) 之(zhī)：used as a function word to indicate a possessive relationship or a whole that includes the part (denoted by the preceding word)
(2) 初(chū)：beginning, at birth
(3) 性(xìng)：natural disposition
(4) 本(běn)：originally
(5) 善(shàn)：good
(6) 相(xiāng)：comparing
(7) 近(jìn)：close, similar, identical
(8) 習(xí)：learning, interaction with the environment
(9) 遠(yuǎn)：distant, different
(10) 苟(gǒu)：if
(11) 教(jiào)：teaching, instruction
(12) 乃(nǎi)：can
(13) 遷(qiān)：change
(14) 道(dào)：method
(15) 貴(guì)：the most important
(16) 專(zhuān)：focus, concentration
Text Translation
The innate disposition of all human beings is goodness [at birth]. This good nature brings people close to each other when they are young. But as they grow up, learning from society and interacting with their environment, they grow apart and become different from one another. If they do not receive appropriate instruction or guidance, they may deviate from their original good nature. In learning and teaching, focus is the most important, or one’s efforts will not bear fruit.
Discussion Questions
1. What does the term “innate disposition” refer to? Is it the nature human beings possess at birth? Or is it life’s characteristics?
2. What is learning? When do we learn? How do we learn? From what or from whom do we learn? Does it occur only when we study textbooks?
3. Does what we learn after birth always make us better people? Can learning from our surroundings make us worse?
4. How can we maintain our innate goodness?
5. What does it mean to focus? Why is this important? How might lack of focus make us deviate from our innate goodness?
Story
Zhou Chu Slew Three Monsters
A long time ago during the Jin Dynasty in China, in the small village of Yi Xing, there was a young man called Zhou Chu. His parents passed away when he was small. He grew up strong and stout, but because he was not educated and cared for well, he often fought with others and caused trouble in his village. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years, troublesome Zhou Chu grew worse and worse. Like a monster, he was shunned by all the other villagers.
One day while he was strolling down the street, he saw a crowd talking seriously about something. Curious, he moved closer. But the crowd scattered as soon as he approached. Feeling a little annoyed, he grabbed an old man and asked, “What on earth were you talking about?” The old man replied with fear, “The village is being threatened by three monsters. One is the tiger on the South Mountain. The other is the dragon in the Long Bridge River. They killed a lot of people…” Not waiting for the old man to finish his words, Zhou Chu shouted out loud, “Be it a tiger or a dragon, we have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll kill the monsters in no time.” Immediately after he made this vow, he set out to accomplish the task.
Once he got to South Mountain, Zhou Chu searched everywhere up and down the mountain for the tiger. After a long search, he finally found traces of the ferocious animal. But his excitement did not last long—the tiger had been hiding in the shadow of a tree and was leaping at his head with its razor sharp teeth. But before the tiger even had a chance to land on the ground, in the blink of an eye, Zhou Chu had spun around, jumped in the air, and landed on the tiger’s back. With all of his might, Zhou Chu held fast to the tiger’s head and pounded it against a sharp rock until it died. Before Zhou Chu had even caught his breath, he set out for the Long Bridge River. Luckily, he did not have to search long for the wicked dragon. He found the dragon sunning itself on an island in the middle of the river. Zhou Chu quietly swam out to the island, crept up behind the beast, and grabbed its neck in order to choke it. But the dragon was stronger than the tiger and threw Zhou Chu against a tree. Zhou Chu did not let go but howled, “I won’t let go of your neck until you stop breathing!” No matter how it struggled, the dragon could not break Zhou Chu’s grip. After three days and three nights the monster finally died. Exhausted, Zhou Chu fell asleep and did not wake up for two days and two nights.
Word quickly spread throughout the village that Zhou Chu had slain the beasts and died from exhaustion. They celebrated for three days and three nights, and at the end of the celebration all sang gleefully, “The three beasts are dead, the three beasts are dead. Hooray, hooray, hooray!” While the villagers were singing, Zhou Chu returned home. Only then did he realize that the villagers had considered him to be the third monster.
Zhou Chu felt great shame and vowed to turn over a new leaf. He wanted to change and become a decent man. He asked the great teacher Lu Yun to teach him, and thereafter, Zhou Chu devoted his life to learning. He eventually became a high-ranking official and served the people loyally.
Writing Reflection
1. If you were Zhou Chu, how would you feel when you realized that the people in your village all thought of you as a monster?
2.
3. How did Zhou Chu eliminate the third monster within himself?
4.
5. How should you react when others criticize you?
6.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/1/7/41692.html