"The Three Character Classic: An Interpretation" by Mentor Zhao

Starting in 2010, Mentor Zhao began the process of translating and annotating the "Three-Character Classic," a Chinese primer for children, adding the Chinese character "经" (classic) to the title. His first book, "The Three Character Classic: An Interpretation" was published in the spring of 2013. Mentor Zhao has always adhered that If one can understand and interpret every sentence, and have a consistent understanding of the classics and historical texts. He carefully selects historical anecdotes related to the original text and presents them in plain language, aiming to increase readers' interest in and understanding of Chinese culture.

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Origin of "Interpretation of the Three-Character Classic"

When Mentor Zhao was very young, while he was bedridden due to illness, his mother brought him a set of illustrated "Three-Character Classic" books with pinyin annotations. Although he couldn't understand much of the content at that time, it left a deep impression on him. It wasn't until a few years ago, by chance, that Mentor Zhao revisited the book and realized its true value. No wonder the ancients referred to it as the "Outlines and details of the Comprehensive Mirror" as it indeed lives up to its reputation. Before that, like many others, Mentor Zhao had always thought that the "Three-Character Classic" was merely a children's saying, with its most famous line being "At the beginning, people's nature is inherently good."

In fact, the ancients held it in high regard, stating, "If every character in the 'Three-Character Classic' is understood, one will have a comprehensive understanding of various schools of thought, history, classics, poetry, and books of ancient times." It is evident that this book was not just a children's book but a foundational text for Chinese culture as a whole.

If the "Three-Character Classic" is considered an enlightening text, it serves as an introduction to the entire field of "Traditional Chinese Culture," rather than being solely for children. For most Chinese people today, the enlightenment of Traditional Chinese Culture is only just beginning. This is why Mentor Zhao felt compelled to present a complete and modern interpretation of the "Three-Character Classic."

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Unique Interpretation Approach

The book follows a unique structure created by Mentor Zhao, which includes Main Body, Annotation, Exegesis, Source of allusion, Extensions, Historical References and Index. The philosophical explanations, expansions, and historical allusions are derived from ancient texts, exploring the cultural significance behind each three-character phrase. The index allows readers to trace the authentic sources of each allusion. In the process of translating and annotating the entire book, no particular school of thought is emphasized, and no contemporary value judgments are imposed on the thoughts of the ancients. Instead, space is left for readers to freely contemplate and imagine.

The book contains a total of 92 classic allusions. Mentor Zhao painstakingly searched for the authentic sources of each allusion, delving into vast libraries and collections. Even seemingly simple allusions are translated directly from the original texts, with no forced interpretations, preserving the authenticity of historical records.

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The Rigorous and Persistent Process of Writing

It takes ten years to grow a tree, and a hundred years to cultivate a person. From an early age, it has been Mentor Zhao’s aspiration to pass down the tremendous Traditional Chinese Culture from generation to generation. Self-cultivation and education have been his lifelong pursuits. Starting in 2010, Mentor Zhao engaged in intensive writing, taking over a year to complete the manuscript. During this time, a few strands of white hair appeared on his temples. In an era and social environment like today's, it is truly remarkable to have a teacher who silently works on cultural endeavors that may have been forgotten by many, deeply touching those who witness his dedication.

"The Three Character Classic: An Interpretation" strives to trace back to the original source, provide a plain yet profound translation, and offer meticulous annotations. It underwent more than ten revisions before reaching its final form. The diligent academic rigor impressed even the editors at the publishing house, who eagerly made reservations for Mentor Zhao’s next book.

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Praise from Respected Figures

The venerable 93-year-old Mentor Zhizheng, who possesses extensive life experiences and profound spiritual cultivation, highly praised Mentor Zhao's "The Three Character Classic: An Interpretation" upon his first reading. Mentor Zhizheng joyfully remarked, "From ancient times to the present, there hasn't been such a good book. We appreciate it very much, so we specially requested it. We will need more in the future, a significant amount. We want to start from the beginning. We truly feel ashamed. What were those things we used to study? The Three-Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Thousand Character Classic, Dragon Tracing the Shadows, the Four Books, and Five Classics. The lecture on university education that we just heard was excellent. This is the highest realm of our spiritual cultivation. It is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Culture that Buddhists and modern people urgently need to supplement."

Today, many people in China hold biases against Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, believing that Confucianism is inferior and Buddhism is superior. Mentor Zhizheng, however, sees beyond these biases and reveals the cultural value of the underestimated "Three-Character Classic" with a single statement. The venerable monk has purchased 200 copies of the book for the monastery's study, expressing the intention to make further bulk purchases in the future, thus establishing a connection with the public.

Venerable Rongling, the abbot of Guanyin Temple on Hong Kong's Lantau Island, Venerable Kuan Yu, the abbot of Maitreya Inner Temple in Xizhi, Taiwan, and Venerable Juepei, the Secretary-General of the International Buddhist Light Association, as well as Venerable Manyi, the President of the Buddha Light Mountain Merit Society, have all highly praised the book.