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風行草偃. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
風行草偃, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
風行草偃 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
風行草偃 you have here. The definition of the word
風行草偃 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
風行草偃, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》):
季康子問政於孔子曰：「如殺無道，以就有道，何如？」孔子對曰：「子爲政，焉用殺？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德，風；小人之德，草；草上之風，必偃。」
季康子问政于孔子曰：「如杀无道，以就有道，何如？」孔子对曰：「子为政，焉用杀？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德，风；小人之德，草；草上之风，必偃。」 - From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Jìkāngzǐ wèn zhèng yú kǒngzǐ yuē: “Rú shā wúdào, yǐ jiù yǒu dào, hérú?” Kǒngzǐ duì yuē: “Zǐ wèizhèng, yān yòng shā? Zǐ yù shàn, ér mín shàn yǐ. Jūnzǐ zhī dé, fēng; xiǎorén zhī dé, cǎo; cǎo shàng zhī fēng, bì yǎn.”
- Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?" Confucius replied, "Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors, is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it."
Pronunciation
Idiom
風行草偃
- to civilize the masses with one's virtuous conduct