Illuminating Chinese Classics

In this episode, the author of the Three Character Classic (三字经) points a finger of blame at parents and teachers when a child doesn’t get a good education. And we hear a story about a robber with some memorable last words for his mother as he faced the gallows.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

In our previous episodes about the Three Character Classic (三字经) we’ve talked about the importance of getting a good education. In this episode, we turn our attention to what can happen if we ignore those lessons and try to coast through life relying on our natural born talent.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

In this episode on the Three Character Classic (三字经) we continue on the theme of the importance of education. And we illustrate the book’s message with a story about an unfortunate official named Bian He (卞和) from the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋时代) in around 771 to 476 B.C.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

One of the main takeaway messages from the teachings of Confucius (孔子) is that it’s important to respect your elders. This is a theme that’s touched on repeatedly in the Three Character Classic (三字经). In this episode, we talk about the importance of learning from family and friends when you’re young so you grow up to be a well-rounded person.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

As Beijing pluges into winter and temperatures plumet, your hosts for the Three Character Classic (三字经) huddle together in their chilly studio to recount the story of nine-year-old Huang Xiang (黄香), who lay in his father’s bed to warm it up in winter before returning to his own. It’s another one of the tales that's told to Chinese children to drill into them the importance of filial piety.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

In this episode of the Three Character Classic (三字经) we follow on from our previous two episodes, about the importance of listening to teachers and of filial respect for parents, with one about being nice to your elder brother. (You might be picking up a theme…) In our story, we learn about Kong Rong (孔融), a Qing Dynasty official whose kindness towards his older brother was so great that it ended up in the history books.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

The first part of the Three Character Classic (三字经) talked about the value of devoting your time to learning to valuable things (贵以专). It’s at this point that we move into the second part of the book, which tells you what some of those valuable things are and where you should start.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

In this episode on the Three Character Classic (三字经), it’s time to talk about maths. But don’t worry: Because this is a children’s book it’s easy to understand, much to the relief of your hosts, who aren’t especially strong in this subject.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

In this episode on the Three Character Classic (三字经), we turn to the stars, as our story takes its first look at the natural world. We’ll talk about the three lights in the sky: the sun (日), moon (月), and stars (星). And we’ll discuss the relationship between heaven (天) and earth (地), and mankind (人), who lives in-between the two.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.

After the slight detour in the last episode, our discussion on the Three Character Classic (三字经) returns to the main theme of the second part of the book: the arrangement of the natural world. As temperatures plunge across northern China, your hosts say goodbye to autumn (秋) and hello to winter (冬) as they discuss the neverending cycle of the seasons, and look ahead longingly to the return of spring (春) and summer (夏). And we round out the episode with a friendly disagreement about the teaching methods of Confucius.

The三字经 was written by the Song Dynasty (宋朝) scholar Wang Yinglin (王应麟). This 1,134 character text was one of the first textbooks used by students, and provided lessons on education, morality and ethics, science, literature, and history.