Bùyào zhǐ kàn zìmiàn, yào tǐhuì qízhōng de wēiyándàyì.
Don't just look at the surface — feel out the deeper meaning within.
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From Liu Xin's Han-dynasty letter to the Grand Academicians (汉·刘歆《移书让太常博士书》): 'once Confucius died, his subtle words were lost (夫子殁而微言绝).' Traditionally, Confucius was said to embed moral judgements in the sparse phrasing of the 《春秋》 — hence 微言大义.
