39 lectures onlineThree Character Classic

The Three Character Classic (Sanzijing), 1,200 characters in 101 groups, read in 39 weekly lectures following Yikonglu's Father's Lecture Notes. Each lecture gives the Chinese text, a scan of the base edition, Wang Xiang's Sanzijing xungu (1831 Japanese reprint), with every group framed on the page, a recording of the text and a draft English translation.

Part 1 · Teaching (lectures 1–3)

1. 1The right way to teachnot yet coveredAt birth, people are good by nature. By nature they are close to one a…
2. 2The father's faultnot yet coveredTo raise a child without teaching is the father's fault. To teach with…
3. 3Uncarved jadenot yet coveredJade that is not carved does not become a vessel. People who do not le…

Part 2 · Serving parents (lectures 4–4)

1. 4A warmed bed and a pear given upnot yet coveredHuang Xiang, at nine, warmed his father's bed. Devotion to parents is …

Part 3 · Knowing numbers (lectures 5–11)

1. 5One to tennot yet coveredOne to ten, ten to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand, a thousand to t…
2. 6Four seasons, four directionsnot yet coveredSpring and summer, autumn and winter: these four seasons turn without …
3. 7Five Phases, Five Constantsnot yet coveredWater and fire, wood, metal and earth: these Five Phases are rooted in…
4. 8Six grains, six animalsnot yet coveredRice and sorghum, beans, wheat, broomcorn millet and foxtail millet: t…
5. 9Seven feelings, five coloursnot yet coveredJoy and anger, sorrow and fear, love, hate and desire: these seven fee…
6. 10Eight sounds, four tonesnot yet coveredGourd, clay and hide, wood, stone and metal, silk and bamboo: these ar…
7. 11Nine generations, ten dutiesnot yet coveredGreat-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, grandfather, father and on…

Part 4 · Reading (lectures 12–17)

1. 12Teaching beginnersnot yet coveredWhoever teaches beginners must take care: explain the words in detail,…
2. 13The Four Booksnot yet coveredThe Analects has twenty books, in which the disciples recorded the Mas…
3. 14The Six Classicsnot yet coveredOnce the Classic of Filial Piety is understood and the Four Books are …
4. 15The Documents and the Ritesnot yet coveredThere are canons and counsels, instructions and announcements, oaths a…
5. 16The Odes and the Spring and Autumnnot yet coveredThe Airs of the States, the Greater and Lesser Elegantiae and the Hymn…
6. 17The philosophersnot yet coveredOnce the Classics are clear, go on to the philosophers: pick out their…

Part 5 · Knowing history (lectures 18–29)

1. 18Drawing a timelinenot yet coveredLay a large sheet of paper sideways and draw one long line from left t…
2. 19Three Sovereigns, Two Emperorsnot yet coveredWith Classics and philosophers mastered, read the histories: trace the…
3. 20Xia, Shang and Zhounot yet coveredXia had Yu, Shang had Tang, Zhou had Wen and Wu: these are called the …
4. 21From the Spring and Autumn to Qinnot yet coveredWhen Zhou moved its capital east, the king's authority collapsed. Men …
5. 22The two Hannot yet coveredGaozu rose and founded the house of Han. Under Emperor Ping, Wang Mang…
6. 23Three Kingdoms to the Northern and Southern Dynastiesnot yet coveredWei, Shu and Wu fought over the Han throne. They are called the Three …
7. 24Sui and Tangnot yet coveredThen came Sui, which made the land one. It did not last past its secon…
8. 25From the Five Dynasties to Songnot yet coveredLiang, Tang and Jin, and then Han and Zhou: these are called the Five …
9. 26Liao, Jin and Yuannot yet coveredLiao and Jin both called their rulers emperors. Yuan destroyed Jin and…
10. 27Mingnot yet coveredTaizu arose and named his state the Great Ming. His reign was called H…
11. 28Qing and the Republicnot yet coveredShunzhi of the Qing took the capital. Ten reigns later, Xuantong gave …
12. 29What history is fornot yet coveredThe Twenty-two Histories all are here, recording order and disorder so…

Part 6 · Setting one's aim (lectures 30–39)

1. 30Even Confucius learnednot yet coveredLong ago Confucius took Xiang Tuo as a teacher. The sages of old still…
2. 31Learning without booksnot yet coveredOne copied texts onto woven rushes, another shaved bamboo strips to wr…
3. 32Learning in povertynot yet coveredOne read by a bag of fireflies, another by the light off the snow. Tho…
4. 33Learning late in lifenot yet coveredSu Laoquan was twenty-seven when he first resolved to study and set hi…
5. 34Learning while youngnot yet coveredYing was eight when he could recite poems; Mi was seven when he could …
6. 35Girls learn toonot yet coveredCai Wenji could tell the notes of the zither; Xie Daoyun could chant a…
7. 36Whoever strives can do the samenot yet coveredLiu Yan of Tang, at just seven, was chosen as a child prodigy and made…
8. 37The dog keeps watch, the silkworm spinsnot yet coveredThe dog keeps watch at night, the rooster announces the dawn. If you d…
9. 38Learn when young, act when grownnot yet coveredLearn when young, act when grown: above, serve your ruler; below, do g…
10. 39Take heednot yet coveredDiligence brings results; play brings no profit. Take heed, and put yo…