It is said that Yulgok wanted young people to read 『Gyeokmongyogyeol』 in particular.
This is because it emphasizes from the beginning that the purpose of studying is to become a good person, that is, a great saint.
At the beginning of this book, Yulgok Seonsaeng said, “Those who wish to study for the first time must first decide how to study.
He urges, “You must set a goal to become an adult on your own, and you must not underestimate your own abilities even for a single moment, and you must not back down from that goal or postpone it to something else.”
The 'sage' that Yulgok speaks of is someone who thinks and acts correctly, someone who works for the good of this world, and someone who loves and cares for others first.

This book is a compilation of ten virtues that a person should possess in order to educate future generations, written by Yulgok Yi I, a great scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, who retired from his official post and returned to Haeju, Hwanghae Province, to teach his students.
As the title 『Gyeokmongyogyeol (擊蒙要訣)』 suggests, which means ‘a sure guide to teach and guide those who know nothing,’ it presents 10 virtues that people must learn and become enlightened about in order to live properly in the world, such as first establishing the will to study, discarding old, outdated habits, taking good care of oneself, how to read books, how to serve parents, how to hold funerals, how to perform ancestral rites, how to live at home, how to get along with people, and how to live in society.


This book is a valuable guide to character education that goes beyond the textbook of the Joseon Dynasty and continues to be a valuable guide to character education even today, centuries later. It contains the philosophy of Yulgok, who personally practiced that studying is not simply a matter of pursuing knowledge, but of becoming a good person. It helps modern people, who are sensitive to vested interests in complex lives, realize the true path of a human being.

Anyone who wants to study for the first time must first decide how they will study.
You must set a goal of becoming an adult yourself, and you must not underestimate your own abilities even by a single bit, back away from that goal, or postpone it to something else.
In general, ordinary people are the same as adults in terms of their innate nature.
Although the nature of a person may be clear or cloudy, pure or impure, as he grows up and is influenced by external factors, if he truly knows the truth and puts it into practice, discarding all that he was tainted by before and returning to his original nature, then not even a single bit of wrongness will increase and all good things will be well-equipped.
How could even an ordinary person not set the goal of becoming a saint? Therefore, Mencius, while discussing the inherent excellence of human nature, always cited the examples of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, saying, "Anyone can become like Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun."
How could Mencius deceive us? --- p.17

We should always be motivated and ask, “Human nature is originally excellent, and from ancient times to the present there has been no difference between wisdom and foolishness. Why is it that only the sage has become a sage, and why am I only an ordinary person?”
The difference is that the will is not properly established, so the knowledge is unclear and the actions are not solid.
It is up to me to set my intentions clearly, to know clearly, and to act steadily.
Why should we seek it elsewhere? --- p.23

A person's face and appearance cannot be changed from ugly to pretty, their physical strength cannot be changed from weak to strong, and their body cannot be changed from short to tall.
These are things that are already determined and innate and cannot be changed.
But the hearts and minds of people can change foolishness into wisdom and make ugly things wise.
This is because, although the mind is empty, its actions are subtle and not bound by innate nature.
There is nothing more beautiful in man than wisdom, and nothing more precious than prudence.
Why should one not become wise and intelligent, but rather ruin one's innate nature? --- p.25

For those who have set their mind to something, the most important thing is to study hard.
This is because, at the same time, you have to think and think again about not backing down out of fear of not reaching your goal.
If you are not sincere and earnest in your intentions, and only let the days pass by without any progress, how can you achieve anything when you reach the age of death? --- p.28

Even if a person is determined to study, he cannot boldly advance forward and achieve his learning because his old, outdated habits block him and cause him to fail.
The details of the old, outdated habits are as follows:
If you don't refine your intentions and completely cut them off, you will never have any room to study. --- p.31

Do not see anything that is against manners, do not hear anything that is against manners, do not say anything that is against manners, and do not move in cases that are against manners.
These four things are essential for cleansing the body.
It is difficult for someone who is just beginning to study to discern between what is and is not etiquette, so it is essential to pursue reason to clarify the issue.
If you simply try to practice what you already know, your thoughts on etiquette will soon become more than half correct. --- p.50

Talking too much and thinking too many thoughts are the most damaging to one's mental state.
When you have nothing to do, you should sit quietly and cultivate your mind. When dealing with people, you should choose your words carefully, being concise and careful, and speaking only when appropriate.
If you do that, your words will inevitably be concise, and concise speech will be closer to reason.
If it does not conform to the rules established by the great kings of old, you should not dare to wear it; if it does not conform to the rules taught by the great kings of old, you should not dare to speak it; and if it does not conform to the virtuous actions shown by the great kings of old, you should not dare to act it.
These words should be engraved in our hearts for the rest of our lives. --- p.59

When something happens, you have to deal with it according to reason.
When reading a book, you must sincerely pursue reason.
Except for these two things, the rest of the time you should sit quietly, collect and discipline your mind, be still and free from distracting thoughts, and be awake and free from foolish mistakes.
This is what it means to be a person who is upright in heart through respect. --- p.65

We must establish our foundation by conducting ourselves with respect, pursue the principles to illuminate excellent things, and strive to put these things into practice.
These three things are things you have to do throughout your life.
There should be nothing crooked or disrespectful in what you think.
These two phrases alone will be enough to last you a lifetime.
It should be written down and hung on the wall so that it is never forgotten. --- p.69

A person who studies should always keep the mindset mentioned above in mind and not let his mind be distracted by other things or things.
And only after one has pursued the principle and discovered the excellent path will the path one should take become clear before him, and his studies will progress.
Therefore, in order to enter the right path, you must first pursue reason, and in order to pursue reason, you must first read books.
Because the traces of the efforts of adults and wise people, as well as the good and bad deeds that we should emulate and be wary of, are all written in the book. --- p.75

Anyone who reads a book should always sit upright with both hands together and respectfully hold the book.
You must unify your mind, gather your thoughts, think deeply, and examine thoroughly [examining deeply means reading a book well and thinking deeply]. You must thoroughly understand the meaning, but you must also find a way to put it into practice for each passage.
If I only read with my mouth, but do not properly understand it in my heart and do not put it into practice with my body, then the book will be the book and I will be myself. What good is it? --- p.77

Whenever you read a book, you must read it thoroughly so that you understand its meaning and purpose without any doubts before moving on to another book.
Don't be greedy about reading many books, strive to gain a lot, and rush to read a lot of different things. --- p.97

Among all the things in the world, there is nothing more precious than my body, because it was given to me by my parents.
If someone were to send someone something valuable right now, the feeling of gratitude would be perceived as deep or shallow depending on how much or how expensive the item was.
My parents gave me a body, and no amount of money in the world could ever replace it. --- p.104

You can only be said to be filial to your parents if you never forget them for a single moment in your daily life.
Those who spend their days carelessly behaving, speaking carelessly, and playing pranks are all forgetting their parents.
Time is like flowing water, and we cannot live long while caring for our parents.
Therefore, those who have become children must do their best with all their heart and soul, as if they are afraid of not being enough. --- p.119

In family life, one must be careful to observe etiquette while leading one's wife, children, and other household members.
You must assign them positions and give them tasks to do, but you must also urge them to do everything well.
In the household, one must properly manage the amount of wealth and expenditure, calculate income and expenditure, and spend money on food and clothing for the people above and below, as well as on good and bad things, in accordance with the household's financial situation.
All things should be treated equally and regulated, but the standard should be the same for everyone.
We should save on unnecessary expenses and avoid extravagance and luxury.
Always be prepared for the unexpected by leaving yourself a little bit of room to maneuver. --- p.169

Since both my older brother and younger brother received bodies from our parents, they are one body with me, so we should consider them and I to be in the same relationship without any discrimination.
Things like food and clothing should be enjoyed together, regardless of whether they are present or not.
If the older brother is hungry while the younger brother is well fed, or if the younger brother is cold while the older brother is warm, it is like having a limb or part of the body that is sick while another part is healthy. How can one side of the body and mind be at peace? Today, all the people whose older brothers and younger brothers do not love each other do so because they do not love their parents.
If you love your parents, how could you not love your own children? If your older or younger siblings misbehave, you should diligently and sincerely inform them of their misconduct, so they gradually understand and appreciate the truth. You should not suddenly become angry and scold them, ruining the harmonious relationship. --- p. 172

Scholars today may appear polite on the outside, but few are truly sincere on the inside.
In the bedroom between couples, many people lose their proper dignified demeanor by following their own lusts.
Therefore, there are very few couples who do not behave rudely towards each other and who properly respect each other.
Wouldn't it be incredibly difficult to cultivate oneself and rectify one's household while acting in this way? The husband must be gentle yet righteous in his treatment, and the wife must be submissive yet upright in her support.
Only when a couple does not lose courtesy and respect can they manage household affairs well.
If you were previously friendly with each other and then suddenly try to respect each other overnight, it will be difficult to do so properly.
You must be vigilant with your wife and tell her that you will definitely get rid of your old habits, and gradually move towards following the rules.
If my wife discovers that my words and actions are consistently correct, she will gradually come to trust me and follow me obediently. --- p.175

Among the people who lived in hiding in the past, there were those who made a living by weaving straw sandals, those who made a living by gathering firewood or catching fish, and those who made a living by weeding with a stick.
These people were able to live comfortably doing such things because becoming rich and successful did not move their hearts.
If one were to weigh the pros and cons, and to weigh the rich and the poor, how could this not be detrimental to one's mental discipline? Those who study must despise wealth and advancement, and must cultivate a mind to preserve poverty and humility. --- p.186

If the household is poor and shabby, many people will inevitably suffer because of poverty and shabby living conditions and lose the integrity they should keep.
Those who are studying should pay attention to this point.
An old saying goes, “A person in need should look at what he doesn’t do, and a poor person should look at what he doesn’t have.”
Confucius said, “When times get tough, small people act rashly.”
If poverty and hardship prevent you from practicing righteousness, what's the use of studying? When rejecting or accepting, receiving or giving, whatever it is, you must carefully consider whether it is righteous or unrighteous. If it is righteous, accept it; if it is unrighteous, reject it.
It is something that should not be neglected even by a hair's breadth. --- p.189

In general, when interacting with people, you should try to be gentle and respectful.
If he is twice as old as you, you must serve him as if he were your father.
If he is 10 years older than you, you should treat him like an older brother.
Even if someone is five years older than you, you should still show a certain level of respect.
The worst thing you can do is to be overly confident in your own learning, to boast of your own strength, and to look down on others. --- p.197

When making friends, you must choose someone who likes to study, likes good things, is upright, strict, honest, and sincere.
While living with them, I must humbly accept their rules and precautions and eliminate my shortcomings.
If someone is lazy, likes to play, and is dishonest and shows off without any principles, you should not associate with them. --- p.198

The same sounds resonate with each other, and the same energy seeks each other out.
If I set my mind to studying, I will surely find a scholar who studies, and the scholars who study will surely find me.
If a person says he studies, but his house is full of filthy people and he spends his days noisily, it must be because studying is not what he enjoys. --- p.201

If there is anyone who slanders and criticizes me, he or she must turn back and reflect on himself or herself.
If I have done something that really deserves to be criticized, I should not hesitate to immediately reproach myself and scold myself in my heart to correct my mistake.
Even if my faults are very small, they can still be increased and added to, so even if his words were excessive, there is a true basis for me to be criticized, so I should completely erase my previous mistakes and not leave even the smallest trace.
If I am fundamentally innocent and he is making up lies, then he is nothing but a delusional person.
How can one judge truth from falsehood with a delusional person? --- p.205

In general, when you have the opportunity to meet teachers and adults, you should ask questions to clarify the meaning of things that are difficult to understand and clarify what you are studying.
When meeting the elders of your village, you must be careful and polite, do not speak carelessly, and answer truthfully and respectfully when asked questions.
When hanging out with friends, you should speak and discuss things in the right way, but only about the correct meaning of the text.
The vulgar and dirty talk of the world, the good and bad of politics, the good and bad of the local magistrate, and the words that others are wrong or evil should never be spoken. --- p.209

We must always be gentle, polite, loving, and caring, showing kindness to others and having the heart to help them succeed in their work and possessions.
Things like harming others or damaging things or things should not be allowed to remain in the corner of your heart, not even for a moment.
Ordinary people try to benefit themselves, so they inevitably end up harming others, things, or objects.
Therefore, a person who studies must first cut off the mind that pursues gain before he can learn the true meaning. --- p.212

In the past, scholars never tried to become government officials.
When a scholar has achieved something, the person above him immediately steps in and uses him.
Holding office is for others, not for oneself.
The world today is not like that, and people are selected based on the past.
Even if one possesses knowledge that penetrates the principles of heaven and conducts far superior to others, without the past, there is no way to advance to the position of practicing the right way.
Therefore, when a father teaches his son and an older brother helps his younger brother, there is no other talent than the past.
This is why scholars have developed a habit of trying to obtain official positions in a shabby way.
So, most scholars today have no choice but to prepare for the civil service examination due to their parents' wishes and the desire to serve their families. However, even so, they must cultivate their skills and wait for the right time.
Whether things go well or not, we should leave it to fate. We should not become greedy, rush, and lose our own will by becoming absorbed in the task. --- p.217

When people have not yet attained officialdom, they are only eager to attain it, and once they have attained it, they are afraid of losing it.
There are many people who get so caught up in such things that they lose their true heart.
How could one not fear? Those in high positions should prioritize practicing the right path. If they are unable to do so, they should immediately resign from their positions.
If one's family is poor and cannot afford to give up a government post, one must decline a government post within the government and take a government post outside the government. One must decline a high position and take a low position, so as to avoid being destitute and starving.
Even if you hold an official position, you must be clean, diligent, and fulfill your public duties.
You shouldn't just sit around and do nothing while neglecting your duties.

--- p.226