Doctrine Of The Mean, Confucius, 500 B.C.
What Heaven has conferred is
called The Nature; an accordance with
this nature is called The Path of duty;
the regulation of this path is called
Instruction.
The path may not be left for an instant.
If it could be left, it would not be the
path. On this account, the superior man
does not wait till he sees things, to be
cautious, nor till he hears things, to
be apprehensive.
There is nothing more visible than what
is secret, and nothing more manifest
than what is minute. Therefore the
superior man is watchful over himself,
when he is alone.
While there are no stirrings of
pleasure, anger, sorrow, or joy, the
mind may be said to be in the state of
Equilibrium. When those feelings have
been stirred, and they act in their due
degree, there ensues what may be called
the state of Harmony. This Equilibrium
is the great root from which grow all
the human actings in the world, and this
Harmony is the universal path which they
all should pursue.
Let the states of equilibrium and
harmony exist in perfection, and a happy
order will prevail throughout heaven and
earth, and all things will be nourished
and flourish.
Chung-ni said, "The superior man
embodies the course of the Mean; the
mean man acts contrary to the course of
the Mean.
"The superior man's embodying the course
of the Mean is because he is a superior
man, and so always maintains the Mean.
The mean man's acting contrary to the
course of the Mean is because he is a
mean man, and has no caution."
The Master said, "Perfect is the virtue
which is according to the Mean! Rare
have they long been among the people,
who could practice it!
The Master said, "I know how it is that
the path of the Mean is not walked
in:-The knowing go beyond it, and the
stupid do not come up to it. I know how
it is that the path of the Mean is not
understood:-The men of talents and
virtue go beyond it, and the worthless
do not come up to it.
"There is no body but eats and drinks.
But they are few who can distinguish
flavors."
The Master said, "Alas! How is the path
of the Mean untrodden!"
The Master said, "There was Shun:-He
indeed was greatly wise! Shun loved to
question others, and to study their
words, though they might be shallow. He
concealed what was bad in them and
displayed what was good. He took hold of
their two extremes, determined the Mean,
and employed it in his government of the
people. It was by this that he was
Shun!"
The Master said "Men all say, 'We are
wise'; but being driven forward and
taken in a net, a trap, or a pitfall,
they know not how to escape. Men all
say, 'We are wise'; but happening to
choose the course of the Mean, they are
not able to keep it for a round month."
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