📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to the most fundamental and essential thing or principle. 本 (běn) means root or foundation, while 宗 (zōng) means source or main principle. Together they describe the ultimate basis upon which all matters rest.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the 'Tian Dao' (天道) chapter of the Zhuangzi, a foundational Daoist text composed by Zhuang Zhou (庄子) during the Warring States period. The original passage states that one who clearly understands the virtue of Heaven and Earth is called '大本大宗'—possessing the great root and great source—and is thus in harmony with Heaven. The phrase captures the Daoist ideal of grasping the most fundamental principle underlying all existence, standing in contrast to dwelling on superficial details.
💡 Example Usage
做学问当探求大本大宗，不可只拘泥于枝节。
In scholarship one should seek the great root and source, not merely dwell on minor details.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 大本大宗
- Pinyin: dà běn dà zōng
- Literal Translation: great, root, great, source
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4