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

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