ZemiNa

How it works

1. One passage per sheet — first read the classical Chinese original with your eyes.
2. Read the original aloud following the pronunciation guide, then slowly take in the Korean meaning.
3. Read the explanation of one word and the short question, then think of where it touches your life.
4. Copy it by hand on the blank lines, and hold on to the sentence that stays with you today.

When · with whom

Good for those returning to learning, or wanting to shape their words and relationships with care. One sheet a day, alone, is plenty.

The Analects — original, sound, and meaning

• To learn and practice what you learn at fitting times — is that not a joy? / What is something you'd like to learn again these days and make part of yourself?
• When a friend comes visiting from far away, is that not a delight? / Who would you welcome as gladly as a friend come from afar?
• To go unrecognized and not resent it — is that not the mark of a noble person? / What attitude do you want to keep even when others do not recognize you?
• Every day I examine myself three times. / Looking back on today, what part of your heart do you want to examine first?
• Warm up the old and come to know the new, and you are fit to be a teacher. / What old learning of yours needs warming up again?
• Learning without thinking leaves you in the dark; thinking without learning leaves you in danger. / Between learning and thinking, which do you need more these days?
• To acknowledge what you know and what you do not know — that is wisdom. / What should you honestly admit you don't know?
• When you see a worthy person, think how to become their equal. / What is one thing you can learn today from someone you'd like to resemble?
• Virtue is never alone. It always has neighbors. / Even when you feel alone, who is the neighbor still beside you?
• When three of us walk together, one of them is surely my teacher. / Who was the ordinary person who became your teacher today?
• The noble person is in harmony without conforming; the petty person conforms without harmony. / What attitude will you keep so you can get along well without becoming the same?
• What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others. / What is something you wouldn't want done to you, and so shouldn't do to others?
• Making a mistake and not fixing it — that is the real mistake. / What mistake do you know you should fix but have put off?
• An artisan who wants to work well must first sharpen their tools. / What tool do you need to fix first, for the work you want to do well?
• The wise are not perplexed, the humane are not anxious, and the brave are not afraid. / Confusion, worry, or fear — which holds you most right now?
• Only when the cold comes do you see that the pine and the cypress are the last to wither. / What evergreen heart do you want to keep when hard times come?
• What passes on is like this. It never stops, day or night. / Before time that flows day and night, what do you want to hold on to today?
• The young deserve to be held in awe. / In what way should you treat those who come after you with more care?
• The noble person makes demands on themselves; the petty person makes demands on others. / When a problem arises, what will you look for first within yourself?
• When words get the meaning across, that is enough. / What should you trim so that your words truly reach the other person?