不力行，但学文，长浮华，成何人。
但力行，不学文，任己见，昧理真。
读书法，有三到，心眼口，信皆要。
方读此，勿慕彼，此未终，彼勿起。
宽为限，紧用功，工夫到，滞塞通。
心有疑，随札记，就人问，求确义。
房室清，墙壁净，几案洁，笔砚正。
墨磨偏，心不端，字不敬，心先病。
列典籍，有定处，读看毕，还原处。
虽有急，卷束齐，有缺坏，就补之。
非圣书，屏不视，蔽聪明，坏心志。
勿自暴，勿自弃，圣与贤，可驯致。

语云﹕「生年不满百」，又云﹕「人生如朝露」。我们应以这难得的人身，趁着这有限的命光，及时求知行善，福慧双修。若光是日日为个虚假的「臭皮囊」犯愁，昏头昏脑地为其衣食住行的欲乐而忙，转瞬就过了庸庸碌碌的一生；结果是生前百事无成，身后万古凄凉，岂不惨哉！

It is said, "One rarely lives beyond a century" and "Human lives are ephemeral as morning dew." In the limited time that we have, we should use the difficult-to-come-by human form to pursue knowledge and practice benevolence, cultivating both blessings and wisdom. If we constantly worry about this fabricated "stinking skin bag," buzzing about in a daze for the sake of living comfortably, then our banal life will be over soon enough. The result would be a futile life devoid of accomplishments and a sullen legacy in posterity. Wouldn’t that be miserable!

那么如何是福慧双修呢？进德是谓修褔；进学叫做修慧。进德不是信口说说，要身体力行；进学也非随兴读读，要慎始善终。光学不行，如听人说食，终不能饱；光修不学，又如盲人摸象，总不能得。

Then how do we cultivate both blessings and wisdom? To advance our virtue is to cultivate blessings; to advance our scholarship is to cultivate wisdom. All talk and no action is not to make progress in virtue; we must practice what we say. Reading whenever we please without commitment from beginning to end is not to make progress in scholarship. Erudition without application is as if listening to others talk about food-you don’t ever become full. Implementation without scholarship is as if you are a blind person feeling an elephant--you never quite get it.

怎么叫「听人说食，终不能饱？」因为学的知识不去应用，则学了没用；上材者成个卖嘴皮的痞子，下焉者就成了掉书袋的呆子，都领受不到法喜充满的喜乐，更得不到学以致用的实惠。这岂不是像听人说什么好吃好喝的，就算讲得有满汉全席罢，又怎能真填饱肚子?

What does "One never becomes full listening to conversations about food" mean? Since we don’t apply the knowledge we’ve learned, it’s useless to have had the education. The cunning ones may become articulate con artists; the obtuse ones may become nerds who bury themselves in books, failing to realize the benefits of practicing what they’ve learned. Isn’t this similar to hearing people talk about delectable delicacies? Even if you hear the menu of an entire imperial banquet, can you honestly curb your appetite ?

再说该做的事情没先研究明白，就做得不明白；奋发者会成个不要命的莽汉，保守者就成了死心眼的顽夫，都领受不到心神交会的喜乐，更得不到左右逢源的实惠。这岂不是像瞎子摸大象，摸着腿说像柱子，摸着耳说像风扇，就算摸了百遍千遍罢，又哪里真的得知全貌？所以这两种人，最后是想修福，褔没得到，要修慧，慧也不具足，两头都落空！

Next, on taking action before a thorough understanding of the situation. The zealot turns into a ruthless brute who could care less about his or her life. The conservative becomes a stubborn mule who corners oneself. Neither of them experiences the joy of connecting one’s spirit and the mind; furthermore, they don’t obtain any benefits from practice. Isn’t that like one blind person who reaches for the elephant’s leg and claims that an elephant is like a pole while another blind person who touches the elephant’s ear alleges that an elephant is like a fan? Even if these sightless individuals feel the elephant hundreds and thousands of times, they will hardly know the whole truth. Both the con artists and the nerds wanted to cultivate blessings but failed. They wanted to cultivate wisdom, but failed too. They lost on both ends!

福慧双修，悲智双运的中庸之道，真的是那么难知难守吗？

Is it really that difficult to navigate the middle way of cultivating both blessings and wisdom and operating both compassion and intelligence?

现今世上，学而不愿行的邪痞子越来越多，所以世风浮夸，邪说横行。战国末年，赵括最擅长「纸上谈兵」，可谓纵横天下无敌手，他也沾沾自喜；只有他那身经百战的父亲不看好他。果然赵括一带兵就全军覆没，使赵国提早走向被强秦灭亡的命运。

In today’s world, superficiality and drama are in vogue while the language of wickedness reigns supreme because we’ve got more and more hippies who fail to implement what they’ve learned. During the latter years of the Warring States period, Zhao Gua specialized in "warfare on paper." He was proud of the fact that he was considered the ultimate champion. Zhao’ s father had personally combated in hundreds of battles and was the only person who did not patronize Zhao. As Zhao’s father had expected, Zhao lost all of his battalions when he personally led the troops, dooming the nation Chao to an early death by the strong nation of Qin.

至于学而不能行的书呆子，古来最多，今人也不少；不是精神失常，就是得了社会性自闭症。这两种不知力行、但修空慧的人，绘成了浮世两极图。

As to bookish nerds who can only study but not act, there have been more than plenty since ancient times and not too few in the present day either. These people either go insane or become sociopaths. In short, these categories of individuals who do not practice but only collect impractical knowledge portray the two extremes of our artificial world today.

而另一方面，光行而不愿求新知，处处倚老卖老的老顽固比比皆是，成了社会进步的绊脚石；相反的，不学无术，却自以为行侠仗义，动辄挥刀拔枪的鲁莽汉也时时可见，犹如社会治安的炸弹。这两种瞎力行的人，也在社会造成两极效应。为什么产生这两极？只因他们自专自是：鲁莽的，任他见；顽固的，任己见。任他见叫做无知障；任己见则是知识障﹕都是把真理迷昧不明了，总言迷障！

On the other hand, stubborn old mules who only work, pull rank and never desire updated knowledge become the ball and chain of social progress. In contrast, brutes who refuse to learn yet wield a weapon and proclaim themselves heroes are also everywhere. These two types of action-takers, time bombs that threaten societal peace, blindly exercise their strength and demonstrate two radical reactions in our society. Why do we have these two extreme responses? It is because these individuals are domineering and self-righteous. The boorish ones may follow others’ ideas while the obstinate ones only follow their own views. Those who follow others’ ideas are obstructed by ignorance; those who follow their own ideas are obstructed by knowledge. Both types are obscured from and confused about truth. In short, delusion envelops these individuals!

子路曾问孔子﹕「可不可以不管传统，直接依据心意行事？」孔子说﹕「不行！以前东方有个夷人，他很仰慕华夏文明的礼法。他女儿死了丈夫，他就依据寡妇不再婚之礼，教女儿不许再嫁，却私下给女儿养了个男人；这说是未改嫁，实则已违贞洁的真谛。南方苍梧有个蛮人，娶了美妇，却让给其兄；这看来好似兄弟相让，实则不合礼让之意义。所以说，若弃置传统，任凭心意行事，就会像这两个例子，做出似是而非之事，就悔之不及了！」

Zi Lu once asked Confucius, "Could you ignore tradition and just follow the call of your heart?" Confucius answered, "No! In the past a tribal native east of China really admired the rites of China. When his son-in-law died, he taught his daughter to not remarry according to the rule that widows should not remarry. However, he clandestinely allowed his daughter to be with a man. Although the woman didn’t remarry, she had already violated the principle of chastity in reality. A tribe member of Cang Wu in southern China married a beautiful wife but conceded her to his elder brother. Outwardly these brothers appear to confer generously, but in actuality, they failed to abide by the true meaning of giving. That’s why I believe that if you abandon traditions and do as you please, you may do what seems correct, only to find out too late that your actions were wrong, as illustrated by my two examples."

孔子教学生，最强调存仁以固其本质，学礼以表其文采：文质彬彬，然后君子。所以对本质淳厚，却不好礼文的子路，他譬喻说﹕「用南山之竹做出来的箭，虽是又直又美；若再用金属做个尖尖的箭头，用羽毛装饰箭尾，射起来就更快更远！」鼓励他力行之余，更要学文。而对文采斐然，翩翩公子的子贡，孔子则嘉许他已经明白「绘事后素」的道理，鼓励他要在美好本质的基础上用功。

In teaching his students, Confucius strongly emphasized humaneness as the foundation of one’s character, the study of rites to demonstrate one’ s erudition-a scholar and a gentleman. Confucius counseled the basically wholesome Zi Lu who disliked propriety and culture, with an analogy. " An arrow made with the bamboo of Southern Mountain may be straight and beautiful, however, if one mounts a sharp metallic arrowhead and append feathers to the tail of the arrow, then the arrow will shoot even faster and farther!" He encouraged Zi Lu to study more rather than spend all his time working. Conversely, to the cultured and debonair scholar, Zi Gong, Confucius commended him on his understanding of the idea, "to devise a plan then follow suit," encouraging Zi Gong to work on the fundamentals of quality character.

这都是说明为人求学的次第，首要重敦品励德，次要读书习文。《朱子治家格言》上说﹕「子孙虽愚，经书不可不读。」因为书是前人智慧的结晶，读其书就等于吸收前人的经验，可以少走几步错路。

All these explain the sequence of character and education. One must first develop morals and integrity before studying academically. Mr. Chu’s Aphorisms on Managing a Household said, "Even if your children and grandchildren are stupid, they must read." Since people before us have compiled their wisdom for us in books, we are essentially absorbing their experiences by reading their books; thus we can avoid some wrong turns on the road.

本性虽愚而肯读书者，读久也能明理；资质本佳又善读书者，则更如虎添翼。读书可以变化人的气质，心地干净纯正的人，才能把书读通；读通了书的，一定思想超远，气度旷达。反之，读书习文则恰恰成了助长他劣苗的恶缘。《菜根谭》上说得很好﹕「心地干净，方可读书学古。不然，见一善行，窃以济私；阅一善言，假以覆短。是又藉寇兵而齑盗粮矣。」这是说﹕心地龌龊邪逆，读书不但无法变化其气质，反让他假借书中的典故以伪善，巧取书中的道理来饰非。就好比把武器交给强盗，把粮食借给贼寇，都是非常危险的。

Those who aren’t so bright by nature will understand many principles if they are willing to learn. Those with promising aptitudes and study well are like tigers with wings. Reading can change people’s persona. Only those with a pure and unadulterated mind can penetrate their subject of study. Once they have comprehended their studies, they will surely be visionary and embody both depth and breadth in their thinking. In opposition are individuals who use their education to help others breed errant sprouts. The Discourses on Vegetable Roots put it well, "One can only study and learn about antiquity with a clean mind ground. Otherwise, one will see a good deed and seize that credit for oneself; one will hear compliments and attempt to disguise one’s weaknesses. In other words, they borrow bandits to steal grain." Therefore, if one’s mind is filthy and vicious, then not only will scholarship fail to alter one’s persona, but one will actually borrow morals out of stories to feign decency and cleverly pilfer principles out of books to mend misdeeds. This is comparable to handing muggers some weapons or lending food to thieves-danger looms at-large.