“We’ve tackled the first character. Now, what about the second character ‘学’ (xué) in ‘学习’? How should we understand this word? Let’s discuss it, classmates.”
“Reading books, acquiring knowledge.”
“I think, as the ancients said, this ‘学’ should mean self-cultivation.”
“Learning new knowledge.”
“Understanding certain principles and truths.”
“Understood. In other words, a thousand words aren’t as good as one moment of clarity, right? That’s quite interesting.”
“Learning, previewing, reviewing.”
“I believe this ‘学’ is a verb—it means actively learning through practical action.”
“There’s a saying: ‘A noble person worries about the Way, not about poverty.’ I think it should mean learning the Way, understanding principles.”
Just this one phrase—we use it every day, yet we never really think about it deeply. Is it because we’re too familiar with it? For example, if you hold a bird in your hand, playing with it until it’s warm and utterly tame—a bird played into tameness—it loses its ability to fly. So we must place familiar things in an unfamiliar light, re-examine them, reconsider them, and question them anew. Only then will you grasp the weight of this phrase.
So, how exactly? Look it up now in Shuowen Jiezi—what does it say ‘学’ (learning) means?
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