韦编三绝 — “To study diligently and assiduously”

In ancient China, during the Spring and Autumn period, books were primarily made from bamboo. Bamboo was split into thin strips called 'jian' (slips), which were dried over fire and then used for writing. Each bamboo slip had a certain length and width, accommodating only one line of text, typically a few dozen characters or as few as eight or nine. A complete book required many such bamboo slips, which had to be bound together with strong cords or straps to be readable. A book like the 'Yi Jing' (Book of Changes), composed of numerous bamboo slips, was quite heavy.

Confucius dedicated significant effort to reading the entire 'Yi Jing' once, gaining a basic understanding of its content. Soon after, he read it a second time, grasping its fundamental principles. He then proceeded to read it a third time, achieving a thorough comprehension of its spirit and essence.

After this, to further research the book and to explain it to his disciples, he consulted it countless times. Through this repeated reading, the leather straps binding the bamboo slips wore out and broke on several occasions, forcing him to replace them with new ones.

Even after reaching such a profound level of study, Confucius humbly remarked, 'If I were granted a few more years, I would be able to completely master the text and essence of the 'Yi Jing'.' This idiom, 'Wei Bian San Jue,' meaning 'the leather bindings broke three times,' has since been used to describe someone who studies with exceptional diligence and dedication.