釋鑑稽古略續集 1.27

1.27

Xinwei, the eighth year of Zhiyuan; the seventh year of Xianchun of the Song: In the eleventh month, the dynastic name Great Yuan was first established, taking the meaning of the Qian-yuan from the Book of Changes. The Mongolian schools were first founded, following the petition of Grand Protector Liu Bingzhong. Xu Heng was appointed as an academician. Heng would often say, "When there is no doubt in a text, reading it until doubt arises, and when there is doubt, being able to resolve it until there is no doubt—only then is there achievement." When Heng taught others, he would always build on what they understood, opening up what was obscured to guide them into goodness, timing their activity and rest, loosening and tightening them, being cautious of their sprouts and taking precautions against them, so that day by day and month by month they were steeped in it, undergoing transformation without knowing it, and renewing daily and flourishing monthly without being aware of their conversion. He also held that for scholars, managing livelihood was the foremost task, and further said, "A gentleman should make a living through agriculture and sericulture."