7.4 There are teachers everywhere
子曰、三人行、必有我師焉、擇其善者而從之、其不善者而改之。
The Master said, ‘When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.’
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Discussion:
Last week there was a question about where or whom to learn from. Confucius said, look around, whenever there are three or more people, there is a teacher and we can learn. How? If we observe good in people, we learn to be it. If we observe bad in people, we help to correct it. As no one is the same, there is always something to learn! This is line with the prior teaching on the Superior Man, where one seeks to bring the good out of people, and dissolve the bad. This is beneficial to both the individual, and the collective, i.e. a win-win situation.
Of course, this is speaking from the dualistic and separated paradigm. From a nondualistic and united paradigm, the world is observe as a manifestation of one’s perception, i.e. from one’s own self. In such state, this teaching stills applied: All can be seen as teachers, and that one can manifest the good and dissolve the negative of all. This requires wisdom to see, compassion to embrace, and devotion to carry out.
7.4 三人行、必有我師焉
子曰、三人行、必有我師焉、擇其善者而從之、其不善者而改之。
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讨论：
上周有同学问应在哪里和向谁学习。孔子说，留意四周，只要有三个或更多的人，就可以找到老师学习。怎样学？ 当看到优秀的，我们可以学习它。当看到不好的，我们可以帮助纠正它。 人没有一个是相同的，所以我们总有值得学习的地方！这是符合我们之前所讨论的君子，把好的发展出来，把不好的化掉。 这对个人和整体，是都是有利的，双赢的。
当然，这是从二元对立的模式去演绎（有我你里外分别）。从一元的角度去看，世界是从自我中体现的。 在这种状态下，没有你我内外之分（万法由心），所有人和事都可以被看作是教师，并可以体现出良好和化解负面的。这需要智慧去看，慈悲去容，和奉献的精神去行。
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