A child said, "I think the sun is close to people when it just rises, and far away at noon."

Another child said, "I think when the sun just rises, it is far away from people, and at noon it is close to people."

A child said, "The sun is as big as an umbrella at the beginning of sunrise, and it is as small as a plate at noon. Isn't that the reason why things look smaller if they are far, and bigger if near?"

Another child said, "It's cool when the sun just comes out. It's as hot as putting your hand into hot water at noon. Isn't that the reason why you feel hot when you are near, and cool when you are far away?"

Confucius could not judge who was right and who was wrong.

The two children laughed and said to Confucius, "Who said you are wise?"

Original Chinese title: 两小儿辩日

Author: Liezi (about 450 B.C. - 375 B.C., the Warring States Period, died at the age of 75), a representative figure of Taoism in the early Warring States period. He is known as Kou, also known as Yu Kou ("Liezi" is the honorific name of later generations). He is a famous Taoist scholar, thinker, philosopher, writer, and educator. His writings have a profound influence on philosophy, aesthetics, literature, science and technology, health preservation, music, and religion of later generations. His philosophy originated from the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and belongs to Laozi and Zhuangzi. He founded the Guixu School of Pre-Qin Philosophy (Leninism). He is an important inheritor of the Taoist school between Laozi and Zhuangzi.

Translator: Jian Xu

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

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The philosopher Zeng said, “I daily examine myself on three points:

whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful;

whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere;

whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.”

— Chapter 4, Book 1, The Analects of Confucius

Zeng is a student of Confucius during his late years and is one of the most esteemed Confucius scholars. The daily three reflections are his famous remarks. Although they sound easy or common sense, it’s easier said than done. I doubt anyone can practice those reflections daily without conscious effort. But if you do, there will be immense benefits.

Whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful.

Humans are social animals. We all play multiple roles in society, and we all transact business for others, for example, employees transacting business for employers, business advisors such as lawyers like me transacting business for clients, and government officers transacting business for the general public.

When you are entrusted with a job or a mission on fair terms, you do it faithfully and loyally. This is the hallmark of successful and trustworthy people. When we hire new people, we try to look for such qualities of doing the job respectfully and faithfully, more than the immediate qualifications or degrees.

Whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere.

It goes without saying that you cannot make true friends if you are not honest and sincere with each other. In today’s increasingly shallow connections in a predominantly “strangers” society, most of the relationships are more transactional in nature. Consequently, it is even more precious to have in-depth and long-lasting friendships. I think I may have no more than 5 such “true” friends with whom I can totally trust, so I ensure I am always sincere with them.

Whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.

Practice makes perfect. For everything we learned, we cannot remember it if we don’t repeat often, and we cannot master it if we don’t put it into practice.

There is a later Confucian scholar called Wang Yangming in the Qing Dynasty (around 1,500 CE). He emphasized that learning is to “apply what you learned to real things, and wonder and ponder”. If you simply memorize the teachings without experiencing them in real life, then you have not mastered and practiced what you have learned.

This echoes another Confucius saying, and my related article on this topic.

The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with constant perseverance and application?”

You have got the concept of daily three reflections, but you will not benefit from it unless you practice it. We, writers, have an advantage here. The easiest and simplest step toward daily reflections would be to keep a journal or diary and write down your thoughts or reflections no matter how basic or common they are. You will benefit immensely over time.

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy

The Master said, “Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.”

— Chapter 3, Book 1, The Analects of Confucius

It is human nature to like someone praising us and dislike someone criticizing us. However, we should differentiate praise from flattery, and distinguish constructive criticism from attack.

There is treacherous flattery. Some people purposefully flatter us to gain favor or interest. If you are intoxicated by such “fine words”, you are in danger of being deceived or even destructed.

There is blind flattery. Some people do not think independently but blindly praise whatever their superior says. If you are complacent with such “find words”, your personal growth can be in danger.

Beware of fine words and insinuating appearances. They are usually signs of hypocrisy.

Zhu Xi, a later Confucian scholar in the South Song dynasty (around 1,200 AD), stated “When Masters speak, they are neither hurried nor calculating.” They are not in a hurry to make their points, they are not calculating for personal gain, and they are patient with the outcome. They think deeply and express their views candidly. If you listen, they are happy. If you don’t, they are patient. This resonates with another saying by Confucius:

Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?

Personally, I think a better way to observe people is to focus on what they do, rather than what they say. I especially like this quote from Andrew Carnegie.

As I grow older I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.

— Andrew Carnegie

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy

However, I am thinking that it might not be a bad idea to keep an "IP diary", a more personal description of my daily work and life as a patent/trademark agent and IP attorney in China. The topic can be career stories, interesting clients, noteworthy cases, takeaways from attending seminars or conferences, and reflections on daily readings in the IP media.

In sum, the IP diary can be a semi-formal (or semi-informal) short journal of the life and work of an IP attorney in China. 

So here is my first attempt. As you can imagine, a productive writer means a diligent reader. I like reading and enjoy gathering old books. Here is an old IP book in China that I found on China's biggest old book online market (the so-called Confucius Old Books website).  

This book was written by Prof. ZHENG Chengsi, the most famous IP scholar in China. It is perhaps the oldest book on patent law in China, published in June 1982. For those familiar with China IP, the first China Patent Law was only drafted in 1984 and came into force in April 1985.  

It is a Chinese translation of the book written by Peter D Rosenberg, entitled "PATENT LAW FUNDAMENTALS". Not sure if anyone on LinkedIn knew him. I believe he must be one of the most influential patent lawyers in the 1970 and 1980s in the USA, so much so that his book got attention in China, and Prof. Zheng chose to translate it for the Chinese audience.  

Although the book was quite old, I find it a real pleasure to read, with the patent law concept explained in such an easy-to-understand and interesting way. I am hoping to write a book review later on. Suffice it to say that it is still a valuable read if anyone wants to get a good grasp of patent law principles, and intends to explain to the general public the operation of patent law in a professional yet interesting way.

First published on LinkedIn on 25 May 2021, by Jian Xu

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• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

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The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?”

“Is it not pleasant to have friends coming from distant quarters?”

“Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?”

— Chapter 1, Book 1, The Analects of Confucius

Although the teaching seems obvious, you will find wisdom beneficial to your life, if you reflect more on it.

We frequently complain because others don’t know or understand us. Here are two typical scenarios and their causes.

Scenario 1: This is so easy or obvious. I know it clearly. How come you don’t know?

We are frustrated because something seeming so obvious to us is not comprehended by others. In my daily work, I frequently have this problem. I sometimes tell junior staff “How come you don’t know this? This is so obvious.” Or sometimes I complain about my clients, “I don’t know how to make them understand. This is so obvious, but they just don’t get it”.

Here, the problem is that I assume other people “should” know because I know. However, each individual is different. The things that are obvious to them may not evident to me either. Make no assumptions about other people, so I won’t have unrealistic expectations.

Scenario 2: I have all the talents and skills. I have done excellent work. How come nobody notices my effort? Why haven’t I got followers?

Another common frustration is that I think I am good at something, or I have the talents/skills for a particular job. How come I have not been selected or hired or noticed by others?

The issue is made more prominent in today’s social media world. We are so fond of getting likes, claps, or followers. These are almost like success itself. So we ignore what are our unique values, and go with the trend. Taking writers in Medium, for example, you almost surely fail to enjoy the process of writing, if you are to check the Stats page three times a day.

Here, the problem is that I am not content with myself and what I am doing. I run to the outer world for recognition. If I don’t get it or don’t get enough, I complain and I lose my inner peace and enjoyment.

The Takeaway Message

• Avoid mere complaints as if you are avoiding poison. It’s OK to feel frustrated from time to time. We are living in the real world, not paradise. However, it is poisonous to our happiness, if we tend to complain about external circumstances or other people just for the sake of complaining.

• Don’t assume others will know or understand the same thing because I know. Each individual is different. We should be aware of diversity and differences and don’t set unrealistic expectations of others.

• Be content with yourself. Pleasure comes from within. If you constantly look for external approval or recognition, you lose control over your own happiness and inner peace.

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy

On Tuesday, December 13, my two kids went to the community square to play normally at noon. At three o'clock in the afternoon, my son, the younger child, started to have a fever.  My wife immediately sensed something bad. Our son was probably COVID-19 positive. So she quickly isolated our son and herself in our big bedroom. My son experienced a fever all night. In the evening, I took the older child, my daughter, to sleep. I heard my son crying several times. He felt his legs are painful. No matter how he changed his posture, it always hurt. The whole body has joint pain, which is a typical symptom of COVID-19. I had a deep experience the next day.

On Wednesday, December 14, when I went out for a walk in the morning, I felt a bit sore all over my body. I thought I might get a hit, but I was "not reconciled", because I am supposed to be the most physically strong in my family, and I should have some resistance to the virus and not get infected so easily. At the minimum, I am hoping I would be "symptom-free". So I persisted with the walk.

At lunchtime, I felt my face getting hot, which was obviously a fever. My daughter asked me if I was feeling hot. Maybe she felt it. After a quick meal, I hurried to the small bedroom to lie down. According to my previous experience in dealing with fever, I drank a lot of water, wrapped myself in the quilt tightly, and hoped to sweat to reduce the fever. After more than an hour, I felt that my palms and forehead were somewhat moist, and sweating, and my fever had subsided a bit. At least, I didn't feel it was a high fever.

However, what is more painful is waiting, i.e. the obvious aches and pains in the whole body, joints, and especially legs. No matter what posture I adopted, my legs are always sore. Even if I want to sleep, I can't have a comfortable and fixed position. The whole body aches and pains, which drive the headache. This made it worse for me. When I was young, I often had headaches. I was afraid of it. At that time, I felt that I was really struggling to find a posture, and I was uncomfortable no matter sitting on the bed, lying down, lying flat, or lying upright. The whole afternoon should be the hardest time for my COVID-19 experience.

I was supposed to have a routine meeting with the headquarters in the evening. In the afternoon, I felt that I could not even get out of bed, and I didn't have the strength or energy to turn on the computer, and draft emails in English to explain that I would not attend the meeting. So I sent a WeChat voice message to my Chinese colleague, asked her to convey my apologies on my behalf, and explained some important matters to handle this Thursday and Friday. Then I said I will be offline.

At dinner, my wife took the food to the small bedroom where I rested. There was a chicken leg in the dish, but I couldn't eat it after I took a bite, nor could I eat any of the cooked vegetables. But I know that the more sick and bad appetite you have, the more you should insist on eating. I thought of what I had heard before. At the beginning of the epidemic in Wuhan, a person who was recovering shared his experience. He said that no matter how uncomfortable he was in the hospital, and how he did not feel like eating, he persisted in eating all the food he was given in the hospital so that he could have the strength to survive. I persisted in eating the steamed bun one mouthful at a time, with just some pickles as dishes. Finally, I ate a whole steamed bun.

My wife saw that I had joint pain all over the body as well as a headache, so she went to the pharmacy and queued up to buy compound acetaminophen tablets. After there was food in my stomach, I quickly took two tablets. I ate two more tablets in the morning. This is the only medicine that I took during my Covid-19 journey.

After dinner, I felt better and could walk slowly in the small bedroom. I'm still afraid of the cold and can only stay in the warm small bedroom. At 7 o'clock in the evening, I lay down again. In the first half of the night, I basically tried every posture with three pillows. I lay flat on one pillow. If I felt too sore to lie down further, I would put up two pillows and lie down for a while. If I can't lie down again, I would put up three pillows and lie down for a while. If I can't lie down any longer, I would get up and sit for a while. In the second half of the night, I slept for a while until dawn.

Later, my wife said that I appeared a little "lax" or "out"  that afternoon. This half-day is really the worst during my illness with Covid-19.

On Thursday, December 15, I still felt a little uncomfortable in the morning, but I felt much more refreshed after breakfast. At that point, I basically passed the peak of COVID-19's discomfort. I was lucky. During the COVID-19 period, I really felt bad for most of one day, and then I started to recover. At noon that day, we let our parents rest in two small bedrooms because they also had COVID-19 symptoms and were getting worse. At night, my wife also felt uncomfortable. I was able to sleep in the living room alone with my two children. At this time, the whole family is basically all infected, so it is not useful to isolate anymore. The living room is a little cold, I feel a little heavy overnight. Otherwise, I may recover faster.

My overall feeling is that COVID-19 (Omicron) is definitely heavier than the flu. Thinking of the pain on Wednesday afternoon, I definitely don't want to live it again. It is important to pay attention to physical exercise and improve your resistance. It is also important for those infected with COVID-19 to adjust their emotions. Instead of complaining, lamenting, or rebounding, try to fully accept the pain and say to yourself, "Yes, OK", or even "Thank you! ". Be grateful for your body to help you handle this pain. Be grateful for the Greater Life, which may plant deep meanings by giving you the Covid experience. Finally, family ties are the most important. No matter what ailments or disasters are, it is your family that can really help you. Now, there is a lack of medical care and medicine all over China, it is still up to family members to help each other. Therefore, please treat your family members and friends gently. These closest relationships are your greatest backers.

- 27 December 2022 by Jian Xu

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy

The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?”

“Is it not pleasant to have friends coming from distant quarters?”

“Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?”

— Chapter 1, Book 1, The Analects of Confucius

This is the first sentence of the Confucian Analects. It is so well-known that it has almost become a cliché. The problem with cliché, however, is that people don’t bother to analyze it anymore. We all “know”, or do we?

What’s worse is that many young Chinese become resentful of Confucius’ teachings, in most part because of the cliché. Those “famous” sayings are probably all they know about Confucius, and they think Confucius is just preaching high moral principles. They think Confucius is an erudite, obsolete, and even unsocial scholar somewhere in a university, teaching high principles or loft concepts, yet he seldom practiced the teachings in the real world.

It cannot be far from the truth. Anyone who takes the time to read the Analects even once will know that Confucius is not an erudite scholar or unsocial bookworm, but an action-oriented person. He never wanted his students to learn for the sake of learning, but expect people to think deeply and take action.

So this article is to reflect on the first sentence of The Analects, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?” It is about the importance of studying for the purpose of taking action.

Governing the whole country with half of the Analects

The whole purpose of studying is to put what we have learned into action to improve our life. We don’t know if we truly learned anything new or useful until we put it into practice. There is a famous anecdote in China that illustrates this point well.

About 1,000 years after Confucius, there was a famous Prime Minister named ZHAO Pu (according to Chinese name tradition, surname coming first) in the newly founded Song Dynasty. He had a famous saying.

“I governed the whole country by reading half of the Confucian Analects.”

The Emporer was impressed and asked him why.

“Why did you read only half of the Analects?”

“Your Majesty, it was because I have a busy job running your new country.”

“And how can you manage the country if you only have half knowledge of the Analects? I can easily find thousands of officers who can recite the whole Analects word-by-word.”

“Your Majesty, although I only got time to read half of the Analects, I put everything I learned into action, and I find it to be good enough. ”

Although this anecdote is susceptible to inflating the all-powerful mystery of the Confucian Analects, it does convey the point of this article well. It is not what you have studied that matters. It is putting what you have studied into action that really matters.

Beware of reading for the sake of reading

Many people on Medium are writers, and as writers, we enjoy reading and we read a lot. I am susceptible to this problem of reading for the sake of reading. I have devoted a significant amount of my free time to visit bookstores offline or online, purchase lots of books on diverse subjects, and reading as much as I can. This is OK, but somehow I mistakenly perceive myself to be knowledgeable or superior, because I feel I know a lot by reading a lot.

It seems that I understand how the economy is running in the real world because I have read a few books on economic principles. It appears that I deem myself a good writer because I have read some books on writing skills. So I read untiringly from one subject to the next, having a false perception that I know because I read. In fact, all I have are shallow, untested, and easy-to-forget information. I have never internalized my reading into true knowledge by taking action.

Going forward, I would rather read less but act more.

The action-oriented study can never be easier in the modern world

So how can you take action after you read? It cannot be easier in the modern world. What’s the secret? Sharing it!

Sharing what you have learned on social media is the easiest and quickest action you can take. So I have made it a rule, or a habit, that I immediately share what I read or learned on social media, with my own comment.

The act of sharing is physical, and it immediately transforms your passive reading into an actionable study. Furthermore, it is important to leave a comment on what you share. It is OK even if your comment is very short or simply a paraphrase of what you share. By thinking of a comment, you are digesting what you have read and you are creating something new. This is truly studying for the purpose of taking action. Take baby steps, and gradually form the habit of practicing what you have learned.

To rephrase what Confucius has said, “Is it not pleasant to study and then take action?”

~ END ~

Original text in Chinese:

子曰：“学而时习之，不亦说乎？有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？”

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• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy

At the end of the Peach Blossom Forest is the source of the stream. The fisherman found a hill with a small hole in it. There was a faint light in the hole. The fisherman got off the boat and walked in through the hole. At first, it was very narrow and could only accommodate one person. He walked forward for dozens of steps and the hole suddenly became open and bright. The land in front of the fisherman is flat and wide, the houses are arranged neatly, and there are fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, bamboo, and other plants. The paths in the fields extend in all directions, and the sounds of chickens chirping and dogs barking come and go. People come and go to work in the fields. The clothes worn by men and women look almost from a foreign land. The elderly and children are happy and enjoy themselves.

The people here were very surprised to see the fisherman and asked him where he came from. The fishermen all answered in detail. The people here invited him to their home and served him wine and chickens. Other people in the village heard of such a person had come, so they all came to inquire about the news. They themselves said that their ancestors came to this isolated place with their wives and children to escape the war in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Since then, no one has gone out, so they have cut off all contact with people outside. The villagers asked the fisherman what the world is like now. They didn't even know that there was a Han Dynasty (206 BC - 226 AD), let alone the Wei and Jin dynasties. The fisherman told all the things he knew one by one, and the villagers felt sorry. The rest of them invited the fisherman to their home, and all of them gave him their delicious food and wine. After staying for a few days, the fisherman said goodbye to the villagers. The villagers told him, "The situation here is not worth talking to people outside."

When the fisherman came out, he found his boat and went back along the way he had come, making marks everywhere. When he arrived at Wuling, the county town, he went to see the governor and told him about his experience. The governor immediately sent personnel to follow him, looking for the mark made by the fisherman, but he got lost. Later, he could not find the way to the Peach Blossom Valley.

Liu Ziji, a noble scholar in Nanyang, heard the news and planned happily to go to the Peach Blossom Valley. But it didn't happen, and soon he died of illness. Later, no one visited the Peach Blossom Valley anymore.

~ End ~

Original Chinese title: 桃花源记

Author: Tao Yuanming (about 365-427 AD)

From the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the beginning of Liu Song Dynasty, he was an outstanding poet, lyricist and essayist. It is known as the "Father of Reclusive Poets" and the originator of the pastoral poetry school. He is the first literary giant in Jiangxi. He is the first pastoral poet in China, known as the "Master of Ancient and Modern Reclusive Poets", and has the treatise "Collection of Tao Yuanming".

Translator: Jian Xu

You can view a complete list of my articles here:

• Jian Xu on China Classics - WorkFlowy

• Jian Xu’s China Diary - WorkFlowy