Everyone regardless of ethnicity or religious faith, not just Chinese, can and should profit from studying Di Zi Gui (dizigui). That is because the moral precepts and standards taught in Di Zi Gui are universally applicable and, since they are not based on any particular religious doctrine, are compatible with any religion.

Persons of Chinese descent, however, especially need to and especially should study Di Zi Gui. What is the reason?

It is exactly the same as the reason why we give Chinese parents the following answer when they ask how to ensure that their offspring grow up to be good, smart and capable: learn Di Zi Gui yourselves and have your children learn it.

So what is that reason? It is not only that Di Zi Gui teach one how to be a good person, but aslo that in today's pervasive Westernized culture, Chinese in general and Chinese children in particular are driven daily to be ashamed of their heritage. Chinese children are especially vulnerable since what most people know these days of the Chinese heritage is only a distorted version. If left unarmed with some accurate knowledge of Chinese culture such as that provided by Di Zi Gui, Chinese children will grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. Then they won't have the self esteem or inner strength necessary to become good, smart and capable persons.

The Chinese cultural heritage is more than just kungfu, Chinese food, Chinese dress, or Chinese paintings. Even more important, Chinese culture also includes an intellectual heritage thousands of years old, an intellectual heritage of thought, philosophy, norms and mores, some important aspects of which are quite unique. It is exactly this intellectual part of Chinese culture that is most important to Chinese identity, pride and self-confidence.

Unfortunately, nowadays this intellectual heritage is often quite forgotten. Though the great emphasis on xiao, or being good to one's parents and ancestors, is a unique and fundamental Chinese tradition, nowadays one rarely hears of the word from Chinese young or old. When mentioned, it's often to misconstrue the word as meaning "blind obedience to parents" and then to proceed to criticize it. Other fundamental precepts, such as xin or trustworthiness and honesty, fan ai zhong or widely loving everyone, and the primacy of xing or of conduct, over riches or book study, are often forgotten nowadays as ever having been integral to Chinese culture.

Doubtless, the widespread denigration of traditional China by intellectuals, authors, playwrights and ideologues, mostly Chinese in fact, as having been a dark, evil, cynical, dishonest, "feudal", "oppressive", and "man-eating" society has played a large part in this mass amnesia for the Chinese intellectual heritage.

Di Zi Gui, or "Students' Rules," a primer formerly popular in China, was meant for making young people into proper Chinese gentlemen and thus is a great source for learning about the true face of the Chinese intellectual heritage, of traditional Chinese thought, philosophy, norms and mores.

Studying Di Zi Gui and understanding the thinking in it will enable Chinese persons to synthesize traditional Chinese culture with modern life and help strengthen our sense of identity, cultural roots, pride, and self esteem. Then we will not become discouraged and lose hope, or abuse and give up on ourselves; we will persist in striving to do our best in life.

Studying Di Zi Gui will give Chinese and Chinese children an accurate knowledge of the Chinese intellectual heritage. Armed with this knowledge, they will not grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. They will have the necessary self esteem and inner strength to become upright, kind, smart and capable people.

Indeed, understanding traditional Chinese thought and taking up the Chinese intellectual heritage is of the utmost importance to each Chinese personally. Therefore, Chinese people especially need to, especially should, study Di Zi Gui.

There is in the last few years a small revival of sorts inside China of Di Zi Gui, consisting mainly of teaching it to young children. We are happy if our site should contribute to such a revival, whether inside or outside China. Of course, we think that Di Zi Gui should also be taught to older children, to teenagers in particular, to all Chinese irrespective of age, and indeed to all persons regardless of ethnicity or faith.

A great world event is taking place: the Chinese Cultural Renaissance. The revival of Di Zi Gui is merely part of this great event. We are at the very beginnings of a several-hundred-year long Chinese Cultural Renaissance. Just as in the West's Renaissance, old culture that has been shunned and forgotten will be rediscovered and synthesized with modern life, giving rise to a new and much more advanced culture. Also, just as has happened with the West, the resultant new culture will belong not only to China, but also to the whole world. Ethnic Chinese are just lucky to be closer, because of ancestry, to this rising and the future most advanced culture.

It behooves us all then, Chinese or not, to learn about the Chinese intellectual heritage, and an excellent way to do that is to study Di Zi Gui.

所有人即任何民族或宗教信仰的人，而不仅只是华人，都可以、都应该学习《弟子规》，从而得益。这是因为《弟子规》所教导的规范和道德，是放之于四海而皆准的，而这些规范和道德又不是基于某一个宗教的，因而可以跟任何宗教相容。

但是，华人特别需要、特别应该学习《弟子规》。理由是什么呢？

其实，是同一个理由，当我们被华人父母问及怎样才能使孩子又好又聪明能干时，令我们作出这样的回答：你们要自己学习《弟子规》，也要让孩子学习《弟子规》。

那理由是什么呢？理由不但是《弟子规》教导我们怎样做好人，而且是今天普遍西化的社会，每天都使华人，特别是华人孩子，倾向对自己的传统文化感觉羞耻。现在多数人只能看到被歪曲了的中华传统，所以华人孩子们特别容易受害。如果思想没有被一些好像《弟子规》所提供的、对中华文化正确的认识武装起来，华人孩子长大后便会对自己的传统文化、对自己的父母、乃至对自己，感觉羞耻，便没有足够的自尊心和内在力量来做个好的和聪明能干的人。

中华文化传统并不限于功夫、中国菜、中国服饰、或国画。更为重要，中华文化包含了一个几千年长久的思维传统，包罗了思想、哲学、规范、道德等，在很多重要方面都是独特的。正是这中华传统的思维部分，对华人的认同、自豪和自信最为重要。

不幸地，当今人们常常把这个思维传统遗忘。虽然这个思维传统中最独特和最基本的一项原则，是极之重视孝（对父母和祖先好），但是现在老少无异，极少能够从华人口中听到孝这个字。提及起来就很多时只不过是要把孝误解为对父母的盲目服从而给予批评。至于其他传统中华的基本观念，例如信（可靠和诚实）、泛爱众（广泛地爱人）、和行为是比钱财或读书更为重要等观念，都经常被人们忘却，不知道这些观念曾经是中华文化不可缺的组成部分。

贬低传统中国的知识分子、文人、作剧家、理论家等，他们其实多数是华人，广泛地描绘传统中国为黑暗的、邪恶的、鄙视诚信的、伪诈的、封建的、压迫人的、吃人的社会。无疑，导致当今大众遗忘中华思维传统，这些描绘起了重大作用。

《弟子规》即 "学生的规矩"，是当年中国通行的启蒙书本，用于培养年轻人成为正人君子。要认识中华思维传统的真面目，要学习传统中华思想、哲学、规范、道德等等的真面目，这本著作是一部极好的教材。

学习《弟子规》，领会了《弟子规》的思想，华人就会有能力把传统中华文化和现代生活相结合起来，让我们得到自我认同感、文化根源感和自豪感，我们就会得到自尊心。拥有了自尊心，就不会颓丧失望，就不会自暴自弃，就会努力向上。

学习了《弟子规》，华人孩子们就有了对中华文化正确的认识，思想就会被武装起来，不会对自己的传统文化、对自己的父母、乃至对自己，感觉羞耻，就会拥有足够的自尊心和内在力量来做正直善良和聪明能干的人。

的确，认识中华传统思想、继承中华思维文化，是每一个华人的切身大事。所以华人特别需要、特别应该学习《弟子规》。

近年来中国国内《弟子规》有小型的局部复出，主要是教给小儿童。如果本网站能够对这复出作出贡献，我们则非常荣幸。当然，我们认为，《弟子规》也应该教给大一点的儿童、特别是十多岁的少年、不论年龄的所有华人、更不论民族或宗教，给所有的人。

当今世界正在发生一件大事：中华文化复兴。弟子规的复出不过是这件大事的一部分。将长达几百年的中华文化复兴，现在仅刚刚开始。好像西方文化复兴一样，被遗弃和被忘却的旧文化将会被重新发现，将会跟现代社会相结合，产生新的、先进很多的文化。亦好像西方文化复兴一样，新的文化将不仅属于中国，也将会属于全世界。华人很荣幸，因为身为华人而比较接近这个崛起的，将会是最先进的文化。

所以，无论是华人与否，我们都应该认识中华思维传统，而认识中华思维传统的一个极好方法就是学习《弟子规》。