He was able to utilise tools and resources
outside of his body effectively to help himself.(善假於物)
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States
periods in China were extremely chaotic, yet they also represented a golden age
for Chinese philosophy.
Many famous thinkers lived during this
period, offering their own solutions to social and personal problems.
Some believed in using moral education to
stabilise society, while others emphasised the need for clear laws to build a better
society.
(Xun Kuang) was one of these famous
thinkers. He lived from around 313 to 238 BC and was later respectfully known
as (Xunzi) or (Xun Qing).
A short passage from his writings can be
summarised as follows:
'I often think all day, but the gains are
far less than what I gain from studying the books of wise men in a short time.'
I once tried to see further by standing on
tiptoe on flat ground, but the effect was far less than when I stood on a high
platform.
I raised my hands from a high platform to
greet a friend in the distance. My arms didn't grow longer, yet my friend,
standing far away, could see my raised hands.
I stood upwind and shouted loudly to a
friend in the distance. My voice didn't get any louder, but my friend could
hear me.
You don't need strong legs; as long as you
have a carriage and a horse, you can easily reach faraway places.
You don't need to be a good swimmer; as
long as you have a boat and oars, you can easily cross large rivers.
So why can a person of excellent character
and humility achieve what others cannot? I believe the most important reason is
that they can effectively utilise tools and resources outside their own body to
help themselves.
This idiom translates directly as: They can
utilise tools and resources outside their own body to help themselves.
Dear friend, what inspired you or what
thoughts did you have after hearing this story?
Do you excel at utilising the resources
around you? Have you ever tried to find ways to make your life more efficient?
I
hope this story gives you some new insights.
善假於物(He was able to utilise tools and
resources outside of his body effectively to help himself.)
中國的春秋時代與戰國世代是一個極度混亂的年代，但那段間同時也是中國思想上的黃金時代。
有許多著名的思想家生活在那個年代，這些思想家針對當時的社會問題與人生問題提出了各自認為最好的解決的辦法和思想。
有些思想家認為要用道德教育來讓社會更安定，有些思想家強調要用明確的法律來建構一個更好的社會。
(荀況)就是這些著名的思想家之一，他生活的時代大約是西元前313年到西元前238年，後代人們尊稱他為(荀卿)。
在他的著作中有一小段話的大意如下。
我經常整天思考，但所獲得的收益遠遠比不上我用很短的時間去研讀那些智慧人所寫的書。
我曾經在一個平地上踮起腳想要看得更遠，但其看得更遠的效果與遠遠比不上我站在一個高台上之後所得到的效果。
我在一個高台上舉起我的雙手向遠方的朋友打招呼，我的手臂沒有變得更長但是那個站在很遠的地方的朋友卻可以看到我舉起的雙手。
我站在上風處大聲呼喊遠方的朋友，我的聲音沒有變得更大聲但是那個站在很遠的地方的朋友卻可以聽到我發出的聲音。
一個人不用有很強壯的雙腿，只要他有一輛馬車與一匹馬，他就可以輕鬆地到達很遠很遠的地方。
一個人不用很擅長游泳，只要他有一艘船車與一對船槳，他就可以輕鬆地渡過很大很大的河流。
為何一個品德卓越且謙虛的人可以達到別人都無法達成的成就呢?
我認為其最重要的原因就是因為他能夠很有效地藉助身體之外的工具或資源來幫助自己。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是他能夠很有效地藉助身體之外的工具或資源來幫助自己。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你是一個擅長利用身邊的資源的人嗎?你是否曾經想辦法讓自己的生活變得更有效率呢?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為荀子-勸學
https://ctext.org/xunzi/quan-xue/zh