Analects 8.13 · Tai Bo
“Hold firmly to faith, love learning, and defend the good Way even unto death.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
篤信好學 守死善道 (dǔ xìn hào xué, shǒu sǐ shàn dào) means “Hold firmly to faith, love learning, and defend the good Way even unto death.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 13.
篤信好學 守死善道
- Pinyin
- dǔ xìn hào xué, shǒu sǐ shàn dào
- Translation
- Hold firmly to faith, love learning, and defend the good Way even unto death.
- Source
- Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 13
What does this passage mean?
This passage from the Tai Bo chapter shows Confucius's unwavering commitment to learning and the Way. 篤信 means believing with deep sincerity, 好學 loving learning, 守死 holding fast even unto death, and 善道 perfecting or upholding the good Way. It expresses absolute devotion to learning and conviction. Confucius demands a willingness to give even one's life for the Way. This is not religious martyrdom, but a declaration of the learned person's sense of mission.
How can we apply it today?
In an age short on conviction, believing something deeply and defending it with one's life may sound extreme. Yet the passage does not advocate blind faith. It speaks of conviction reached through profound scholarly inquiry: exploring one's field deeply enough to discover truth, then refusing to bend that truth under any pressure. A scholar's conscience, a journalist's vocation, or an artist's philosophy can be a modern expression of 'holding fast unto death and perfecting the Way.'
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do I have a conviction worth defending with my life?
- ·What, if anything, do I deeply believe in and study?
- ·Has external pressure ever shaken my convictions?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 篤 | dǔ | firm; deeply sincere | 16 | 竹 (bamboo) |
| 信 | xìn | trust | 9 | 人 (person) |
| 好 | hào | delight in | 6 | 女 (woman) |
| 學 | xué | learn | 16 | 子 (child) |
| 守 | shǒu | keep | 6 | 宀 (roof) |
| 死 | sǐ | die | 6 | 歹 (death) |
| 善 | shàn | good | 12 | 口 (mouth) |
| 道 | dào | the Way; road | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Hold firmly to faith, love learning, and…” mean?
篤信好學 守死善道 (dǔ xìn hào xué, shǒu sǐ shàn dào) means “Hold firmly to faith, love learning, and defend the good Way even unto death.” It comes from the Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 13.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 8.13: Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 13.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In an age short on conviction, believing something deeply and defending it with one's life may sound extreme.Yet the passage does not advocate blind faith.