Analects 19.6 · Zi Zhang
“Learn broadly and hold firmly to your purpose; inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand. Humaneness lies within this.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
博學而篤志 切問而近思 仁在其中矣 (bó xué ér dǔ zhì, qiè wèn ér jìn sī, rén zài qí zhōng yǐ) means “Learn broadly and hold firmly to your purpose; inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand. Humaneness lies within this.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 6.
博學而篤志 切問而近思 仁在其中矣
- Pinyin
- bó xué ér dǔ zhì, qiè wèn ér jìn sī, rén zài qí zhōng yǐ
- Translation
- Learn broadly and hold firmly to your purpose; inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand. Humaneness lies within this.
- Source
- Analects, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 6
What does this passage mean?
These are Zixia's words in the Zi Zhang chapter. 博學 means learning broadly, 篤志 establishing one's purpose firmly and sincerely, 切問 asking questions with urgency, and 近思 reflecting from what is near at hand. The passage says that if we practice these four things, humaneness naturally resides within them. Zhu Xi valued this teaching so highly that he titled one of his works Reflections on Things at Hand (近思錄).
How can we apply it today?
Learn broadly without losing your purpose; ask urgent questions, but begin your reflection with what lies close at hand. This is the essence of a modern method of learning. Explore widely across the ocean of information without losing your own direction, ask what genuinely matters to you, and apply it first not to grand abstractions but to daily life. 'Reflecting on what is near' means striving to connect theoretical knowledge with actual living. Character begins to grow only when learning is no longer separate from life.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do I feel that my learning is connected with my life?
- ·What have I asked with genuine urgency recently?
- ·Do I have a habit of beginning reflection with what is near at hand?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 博 | bó | broad | 12 | 十 (ten) |
| 學 | xué | learn | 16 | 子 (child) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 篤 | dǔ | sincere | 16 | 竹 (bamboo) |
| 志 | zhì | intention | 7 | 心 (heart) |
| 切 | qiè | cut; earnest | 4 | 刀 (knife) |
| 問 | wèn | ask | 11 | 口 (mouth) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 近 | jìn | near | 8 | 辵 (walk) |
| 思 | sī | think | 9 | 心 (heart) |
| 仁 | rén | benevolent | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 在 | zài | exist | 6 | 土 (earth) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 中 | zhōng | middle | 4 | 丨 (line) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Learn broadly and hold firmly to your…” mean?
博學而篤志 切問而近思 仁在其中矣 (bó xué ér dǔ zhì, qiè wèn ér jìn sī, rén zài qí zhōng yǐ) means “Learn broadly and hold firmly to your purpose; inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand. Humaneness lies within this.” It comes from the Analects, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 6.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 19.6: Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 6.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Learn broadly without losing your purpose; ask urgent questions, but begin your reflection with what lies close at hand.This is the essence of a modern method of learning.