Chinese Saying – 青出於藍

青出於藍而勝於藍

Pinyin: qīng chū yú lán ér shèng yú lán

Translation: Blue dye extracted from the indigo plant is bluer than the indigo plant.

English equivalent: A disciple who learned well from his master surpasses his master.

Source: On Encouraging Learning from Xunzi《荀子·勸學篇》

Xun Zi (Chinese: 荀子; Pinyin: Xún zi), is a philosophical text authored by Xun Kuang and his disciples. The text consists of 32 chapters with discussions on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy.

Xun Kuang (Chinese: 荀況; Pinyin: Xún Kuàng; c. 313 – c. 238 BC), was a Confucian philosopher who lived during the late Warring States period. Xunzi’s unique philosophy synthesized Daoist and Mohist ideas with earlier Confucian thought. His philosophy later influenced the school of Legalism through his disciples Han Fei (Chinese: 韓非; Pinyin: Hán Fēi; c. 280 – 233 BC) and Li Si (Chinese: 李斯; Pinyin: Lǐ Sī; c. 280 BC – 208 BC).