开发儿童智慧　提倡儿童读经（万佛城1998年中英文报道完整版）,卡城之窗微信公众号文章

按：2015年3月15日和16日，时隔17年后王财贵先生再访万佛城，获赠十七年前的万佛城刊物《金刚菩提海》第340期（1998年9月），其中有当年8月份王老师在万佛城讲座的报道。现在网路上的版本非全本，感谢杨纯如女士，将其中最后三段录入为文字。

开发儿童智慧　提倡儿童读经（1998年）

Exploring Children’sStorehouse of Wisdom—Promoting the Recitation of Classics

信愿文及英译 Written and translated by Xin Yuan

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/340/vbs340p044.htm

八月三日，台湾「儿童读经」教育的发起人，台北国立师范大学的王财贵教授应邀来到万佛圣城。七点半晚课之后，王教授就在佛殿为大家做了「读经与背经」的专题演讲。

王教授指出，所谓「经」就是有价值的书，每个民族都有其历史上共认的「经书」，比如中国的四书五经，印度的吠陀和佛典，西方的圣经都是。在与各民族文化交流的过程中，我们的古人表现出良好的气度与广大的心胸。例如，中国古人看到来自西域和尚有智慧，有道德，就虚心向他们学习。没有妄自菲薄自己的文化，而是努力将异域的文化加以吸收融合。就佛教而言，我们不仅吸收继承了印度的大乘佛法，而且还创立了自己的宗派。中国文化的主流也由儒道两家演进为儒释道三家。相形之下，许多近代中国人在面对西方文化的冲击时，其反应是很偏激的。他们认为要「西化」就必须打倒「传统」；东西两种文化水火不相容，不能并存。

在这样的思想领导下，民国元年元月十九日，中华民国政府的教育部长下令「小学堂读经科一律废止。」同年五月，又下令「废止师范、中、小学读经科。」从此儿童启蒙时不再读经。白话文的提倡，也渐渐地使中国人丧失了读古文经典的能力，更不用提了解其中的思想了，至此我们民族文化的承传出现了很大的断层。

另一方面，台湾的教育理论因袭美国过甚，其教学方法乃依儿童理解力的发展过程为依据，其重要的一个观念是：「不应教儿童所不能理解的内容。」

这种理论完全忽视了对记忆力的开发。其实从出生到十三岁是人一生中记忆力发展的最重要阶段。举例而言，诺贝尔物理学奖得主杨振宁博士，小时候就在父亲的督促下背会了「孟子」。其中的许多精神思想，如「万物皆备于我」，对他以后的发展，影响甚巨。

近人胡适之的白话文写得很好，实则得力于他深厚的古文基础。他从四岁开始读古文；五、六岁背四书五经；十一读「资治通鉴」；十三岁就读「左传」了。如果儿童在此黄金阶段不能接触、记忆有价值的东西，并让其在心中扎下根，那么宝贵的光阴就浪费掉了，而许多精神文化上没有价值的东西也会流入，占据他们的心灵。儿童记忆力强，理解力弱。提倡「读经」，可谓扬长避短。让他们记住有用的东西，一时虽不能理解，但将来长大渐懂人事后，即可由脑中拿出来活用。

「儿童读经」，既可以使我国数千年的文化传统得以延续，也可以有效地对治现代教育模式所产生出的诸多弊端，从道德到科学不一而足。「儿童读经」的具体做法又是非常简单的。老师或家长只要选择出「有价值的书」，然后导引儿童反复多念，至会背诵为止。

次日八月四日，应听众的要求，风趣健谈的王教授，再就同一题目，主持座谈会。本来的安排只是到中午为止，可因为听众有许多问题，所以临时又加了下午一场。这样王教授的行程就塞得满满的。有人关心地问他：「王教授，您搭今天半夜的飞机；从昨天晚上一来就没停过，您吃得消吗？」他说：「只要是有助于读经事业的，我累点都无所谓！」王教授有志让读经成为自五四运动以来一场最大的文化运动。为此理想，他投人了自己的热忱与心血，于个人的付出他是在所不计的。

下午的座谈会，与会者更多，好几个圣城的小孩也去聆听他「说法」。上午的侧重点在于一些基本文化的概念与承传；下午则落实到一些具体的推广方法。对于在读经运动中容易碰到的问题，王教授一一加以释疑解难。与会者还兴致勃勃地观摩参与了王教授的读经教学示范。

王教授主张背经，这与上人多次开示的背经法门有不少相通之处。修行人背经，可以少打妄想，训练定力，乃至净化身心，开启智慧。上人说：“学习的方法是要天天把你已经能背得出的经文，重新温习一次。不要贪多贪快；天天温习，才会熟能生巧，巧能生灵。千万不要舍近求远，向外驰求，这样只是在皮毛上打转，而不能深入经藏，不会开智慧。······读书方法要有三到：眼到、口到、心到。你的眼睛、心、口都应专心一致于书本上；又有三上：路上、枕上、厕上，在这三上正好背经。你们谁用这种方法，就能把经背得很熟。各位可以试一试！”

上人并指示圣城的小学生要背会《三字经》、《弟子规》。培德中学、育良小学的老师们，对背经很早就已有亲身的经验，因此对王教授的话深有同感。更有不少家长深深地意识到子女在海外学习中文的不利条件，因此时时留意有关的信息。王教授的来访，无疑使大家获得了一个交流、请教的机会。王教授认为万佛圣城的育良小学培德中学能自编课程，具备推广读经的得天独厚的条件。只要老师们持之以恒，加以努力，一定会见成效。在这次来访问的鼓舞下，现在圣城的不少学童已对诵经、背经得到更多的鼓励，有的老师们还准备开学后为美国学生试行此法哩。

王教授的来访也在圣城掀起了正视，并探讨如何复兴中华传统文化的高潮。对于中国传统道德的价值，我们可以从宣公上人以下的话语中来体悟。他说：“现在我要用‘孝、悌、忠、信、礼、义、廉、耻’这八德，来周游列国，用这帖灵丹，来救全世界，全人类年轻人的灵魂、生命和本性。”而“八德”要在中国，乃至全世界提倡、推广，所谓“文以载道”；“载道”的文字是至关重要的。因此“儿童读经”教育的开展，其意义也是不可限量的。

On August 3, upon our invitation, ProfessorCaigui Wang from National Taiwan Normal University at Taipei, who is thesponsor of the "Children's Recitation of Classics Movement," came tothe City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to give a lecture. After the evening ceremonyconcluded at 7:30 pm, he gave a lecture entitled "Reciting and MemorizingClassics" in the Buddha Hall.

Professor Wang defined classics as valuablebooks. In the history of every ethnic group, there are some widely acceptedclassics. For example, China has the Four Books and Five Classics, India hasthe Vedic and Buddhist scriptures, and the Western world has the Bible. In theprocess of cultural exchange with other nations, our Chinese forefathersdemonstrated excellent manners and very open minds. For instance, observingthat the monks from India were endowed with lofty virtue and wisdom, theysincerely learned Buddhism from them. They did not forget or belittle their ownculture, but tried to absorb and integrate other cultures. With Buddhism, forexample, the Chinese have not only succeeded in transmitting Mahayana Buddhism,but have also created our own schools of Buddhism. Confucianism and Taoism,which had originally been the two mainstream Chinese cultures, evolved into thethree: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. In contrast with ancient times,facing the challenge of modern Western culture, many Chinese have gone toextremes. They believed that since Oriental and Western cultures areincompatible, in order to westernize our country, we must renounce Orientalculture.

Under such a guideline, on January 19 in thefirst year of the Republic of China (1912), the Minister of the EducationDepartment issued an order to abolish the "classics recitationcurriculum" in all elementary schools. In May of the same year, anotherorder was issued to abolish the "classics recitation curriculum" inall elementary, middle, and normal schools. From then on, young children were nolonger taught to read the classics. Meanwhile, with the promotion of colloquialChinese, Chinese people gradually lost the ability to read the classics, muchless understand the ideas in them. As a result, there has been a gap in thetransmission of Chinese culture.

Being too rigid in following Americaneducational theories, the Taiwanese teach children according to the developmentof their faculty of understanding. One important concept is not teachingchildren what they are unable to understand. This theory totally ignores theexploration of children's faculty of memory. Actually the golden period for thedevelopment of the memory is from birth to thirteen years of age. For example,the Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. C. N. Yang memorized the whole text of Mencius inhis youth under the guidance of his father. In his later career, Dr. Yang benefittedenormously from many of the ideas in that book, such as the idea that"everything is complete within oneself."

In modern times, Dr. Shizhi Hu had a goodcommand of writing in colloquial Chinese because of his deep learning inclassical Chinese. He began to learn classical Chinese at the age of four,memorized the Four Books and Five Classics at between ages five and six, readZizhitongjian [a political history of China] at eleven and Zuozhuan [commentaryon theSpring and Autumn Annals] at thirteen.

If children are not given valuable literature tomemorize in their golden early years so that it can become deeply ingrained intheir minds, then that precious time will have been wasted, and their mindswill be occupied by other material of little spiritual or cultural value. Youngchildren have strong retention power but are still weak in understanding.That's why reciting classics is appropriate for them. Once they have memorizedsomething useful, although they may not understand it immediately, as they growolder and understand more, they will be able to retrieve it and apply it intheir lives.

"Children's recitation of classics"not only serves to perpetuate the Chinese culture with its history of severalthousand years, but also cures many weaknesses of modern education, from moraleducation to the sciences. The practical method of teaching children to reciteclassics is very simple. Teachers or parents just need to select some valuablebooks, then have the children recite them over and over until they havememorized them.

On the next day, August 4, at the request of theaudience, Professor Wang, a witty and eloquent speaker, held an informaldiscussion on the same topic. Although the discussion was supposed to endbefore lunch time, the audience still had so many questions that anotherdiscussion session was scheduled in the afternoon. His schedule was certainlypacked. Someone inquired in concern, "You are taking the midnight flighttonight, and we've kept you busy ever since you arrived last night. Can you takeit?" He said, "As long as what I do helps promote the recitation ofclassics, it doesn't matter if I get tired or not." Professor Wang hopesto make "recitation of classics" the largest cultural movement afterthe May Fourth Movement. In order to realize this goal, he has devoted hisenthusiasm and energy without regard for his personal well-being.

Even more people attended the afternoon session,including many children. In the morning session, Professor Wang had focused onsome fundamental concepts of culture and its transmission. In the afternoon, hespoke more on the concrete steps of teaching the recitation of classics. Heanswered questions one by one. Using the audience as a class, he gave ademonstration so that everyone could get the feel of reciting classics.

Professor Wang's emphasis on memorizing classicsis reminiscent of the Venerable Master Hua's repeated instructions to memorizeSutras. Through memorizing Sutras, cultivators can reduce their randomthoughts, increase their concentration, purify their bodies and minds, andunfold their wisdom. The Venerable Master said, "The approach is to dailyreview the Sutra text you have memorized. Don't be greedy to memorize quicklyor to memorize a lot. Review daily, and skill will arise from your familiarizationwith texts. From skill, efficaciousness results. Take care not to discard whatis near you and seek something far away. If you get caught up in superficialities,you will not be able to deeply enter the treasury of Sutras and unfold yourwisdom... In studying, there are three aspects: eyes, mouth, and mind. Youshould use your eyes, mouth, and mind and concentrate all of them on the text.There are also three places: on the road, on the pillow, and in the bathroom.These three places are perfect for memorizing Sutras. Whoever uses this methodwill be able to memorize Sutras very well. You all can give it a try."

The Venerable Master instructed that elementaryschool students at CTTB should memorize the Three Character Classic and theRules for Being a Student. Many teachers in Developing Virtue Secondary andInstilling Goodness Elementary Schools have had firsthand experience inteaching children to memorize classics, so they strongly share Professor Wang'sfeelings in many respects. Realizing the difficulties of teaching Chinese inthis country, many Chinese parents pay close attention to any information onthe topic. No doubt, the visit of Professor Wang provided them with anopportunity to learn and exchange ideas. Since teachers in Developing Virtueand Instilling Goodness Schools can design their own textbooks, Professor Wangbelieves this is an excellent place to spread the idea of reciting classics. Ifteachers work on it persistently, good results can certainly be expected. As aresult of this visit, many of the children here are more excited than everabout reciting and memorizing classics. Some teachers even want to use thisapproach to teach American students next semester.

Prof. Wang's visit also marks a high point inthe study of how to revive traditional Chinese culture. The true value of ourculture can be appreciated in the following quote of the Venerable Master:"Now I want to travel among all the nations with these Eight Virtues offiliality, fraternity, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness,incorruptibility, and a sense of shame, using this elixir to save the souls,lives, and inherent natures of all young people throughout the world." Inorder to spread the Eight Virtues in China and all over the world, literaturethat conveys the Tao Way is extremely important. Therefore, there is limitlesssignificance in teaching children to read classics.

Professor Wang’s emphasis repeated on memorizingclassics is reminiscent of the Venerable Master Hua’s repeated instructions tomemorize Sutras.Through memorizing Sutras,cultivators can reduce their randomthoughts,increase their concentration,purify their bodies and minds,an unfoldtheir wisdom.The Venerable Master said,”the approach is to daily review theSutra text you have memorized.Don’t be greedy to memorize quickly or tomemorize a lot.Review daily,and skill will arise from your familiarization withtexts.” From skill,efficaciousness results.Take care not to discard what isnear you and seek something far away.If you get caught up insuperficialities,you will not be able to deeply enter the treasury of Sutrasand unfold your wisdom...In studying,there are else places are perfect formemorizing Sutras. Whoever uses this method will be able to memorize Sutrasvery well.You all can give it a try.”

The Venerable Master instructed that elementaryschool students at CTTB should memorize the Three Character Classic and theRules for Being a Student.Many teachers in Developing Virtue Secondary andInstilling Goodness Elementary Schools have had firsthand experience inteaching children to memorize classics,so they strongly share Professor Wang’sfeelings in many respects.Realizing the difficulties of teaching Chinese inthis country,many Chinese parents pay close attention to any information on thetopic.No doubt,the visit of Professor Wang provided them with an opportunity tolearn and exchange ideas.Since teachers in Developing Virtue and InstillingGoodness Schools can design their own textbooks,Professor Wang believes this isan excellent place to spread the idea of reciting classics.If teachers work onit persistently,good results can certainly be expected.As a result of thisvisit,many of the children here are more excited than ever about reciting andmemorizing classics.Some teachers even want to use this approach to teachAmerican students next semester.

Prof. Wang’s visit also marks a high point inthe study of how to revive traditional Chinese culture.The true value of ourculture can be appreciated in the following quote of the Venerable Master:”NowI want to travel among all the nations with these Eight Virtues of filiality,fraternity,loyalty,trustworthiness,propriety,righteousness,incorruptibility,anda sense of shame,using this elixir to save the souls,lives,and inherent naturesof all young people throughout the world.”In order to spread the Eight Virtuesin China and all over the world,literature that conveys the Tao is extremelyimportant.Therefore,there is limitless significance in teaching children toread classics.