📖 Meaning
To turn toward goodness and stay far from wrongdoing. It describes a moral attitude of actively cultivating virtue while deliberately avoiding sinful or wrongful conduct. The phrase embodies the Confucian ideal of continuous self-improvement in ethical character.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase has no single definitive origin source but draws from classical Confucian moral philosophy. The concept of '迁善' (moving toward goodness) appears in the Book of Changes (易经) and various Confucian texts that emphasize moral cultivation. The combined expression encapsulates the dual Confucian imperative to actively pursue virtue and shun evil, reflecting a core tenet of traditional Chinese ethical thought.
💡 Example Usage
教育的根本目的在于引导人们迁善远罪，成为有道德的人。
The fundamental purpose of education is to guide people toward goodness and away from wrongdoing, helping them become moral individuals.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 迁善远罪
- Pinyin: qiān shàn yuǎn zuì
- Literal Translation: move toward good, distance from crime
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4