The Great Learning
Introduction
• The Great Learning (or “Da Xier”) is the first of
the Three Confucius Classics
• The Great Learning is considered the
foundational teaching of Confucius and it
consists of the main text and supplemental
text, which was written by later Confucius
scholars
• We will be focusing on the main text of The
Great Learning
The Great Learning Text
• “The way of the Great Learning is to enlighten
the illustrious virtue, is to renew the citizens,
is to end at extreme goodness. Knowing the
end enables stability, with stability comes
tranquility, with tranquility comes peace, with
peace comes contemplation, with
contemplation comes understanding. Things
have origins and ends, events have beginnings
and completions. Knowing the sequence is
close to the Tao.”
The Great Learning
• “The way of the Great Learning is to enlighten
the illustrious virtue”
– Great Learning means to learn the way of Heaven
(as Heaven is the greatest)
– The illustrious virtue is another name for our Soul
(our Soul is bright and illustrious and its essence is
empty and with infinite truth)
– Therefore, the opening lines is interpreted as in
order to learn the way of the Heaven, one must
attain enlightenment of the Soul
The Great Learning
• “to renew the citizens”
– Renew can be interpreted as to bring about a new
beginning (or to release the old and embrace the
new)
– Citizens is referring to all people
– Therefore, this section illustrated the great
emphasis Confucius placed on compassion and
the love of all people (and that spirituality is about
everyone and not just ourselves)
The Great Learning
• “to end at Extreme Goodness”
– The end is referring to the ultimate goal
– Extreme Goodness is referring to a state by which
everyone in the world magnifies the goodness
inside and treat each other with compassion, thus
achieving Heaven on Earth
– This phrase is also to emphasize the goal of
spirituality is to promote and glorify universal
virtue of goodness and not to glorify the self/ego
The Great Learning
• “knowing the end enables stability, with
stability comes tranquility”
– Knowing the end goal gives the heart a sense of
purpose and thus the heart no longer wanders
– With a sense of purpose, the heart goes inward
and finds inner tranquility
– This section can also be considered the Confucius’
teaching on meditation and spirituality.
Therefore, knowing the purpose of one’s life is the
beginning of his or her spiritual development
The Great Learning
• “with tranquility comes peace, with peace comes
contemplation”
– Once the heart is at tranquility, then all external
distractions disappears and the person experiences
the Center and is at peace
– Once the person reaches the Center then the
connection with Heaven is once again established and
great intuitive wisdom begins to flow
– This passage reveals Confucius’ spiritual teaching and
the steps by which a student may practice to reach
inner enlightenment
The Great Learning
• “with contemplation, comes understanding.”
– Once the intuitive wisdom begins to flow, then
great spiritual insights can be gained
– Another word for “understanding” in this setting
is “attainment”, therefore this is the attainment of
the state of constant enlightenment
– The end goal of spirituality is the constant
connection with Heaven and thus be able to
receive divine instruction and be an instruction of
creation
The Great Learning
• “Things have origins and ends, events have
beginnings and completions.”
– All things in this world, as well as all events in the
world, go through stages of changes: beginning,
growth, maturity, decline, and death
– All things and events in this world are guided by
the path of change that are cyclic, just like nature:
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
– This path of change is called Tao (the Way)
The Great Learning
• “Knowing the sequence is close to the Tao.”
– When a person can understand the path of
change, then he or she can forecast the changes
as well as assist with the path of changes
– When a person can assist with the path of
changes of things or event in the world, then the
person is truly assisting with creation and thus is a
true divine agent of creation
The Great Learning
• Gist of the Great Learning:
– The goal of learning is to achieve spiritual
enlightenment and connect with Heaven
– The sequence of spiritual enlightenment is: finding
purpose in life, attain stability and tranquility,
reach the center and connect with Heaven, finally
attain the state of constant enlightenment
– Once enlightenment attained, then the person can
assist with creation and be an agent of Heaven
Conclusion
• The Great Learning is the first of three famous
Confucian classics
• The main text is short but harbors a great deal
of wisdom
• It is also the blueprint for Confucius’ spiritual
teaching
• The gist of the teaching is identical to that of
the Taoist and the Buddhist spirituality
Question