Doctrine Of The Mean, Confucius, 500 B.C., Part II
The Master said "This was the
manner of Hui:-he made choice of the
Mean, and whenever he got hold of what
was good, he clasped it firmly, as if
wearing it on his breast, and did not
lose it."
The Master said, "The kingdom, its
states, and its families, may be
perfectly ruled; dignities and
emoluments may be declined; naked
weapons may be trampled under the feet;
but the course of the Mean cannot be
attained to."
Tsze-lu asked about energy.
The Master said, "Do you mean the energy
of the South, the energy of the North,
or the energy which you should cultivate
yourself?
"To show forbearance and gentleness in
teaching others; and not to revenge
unreasonable conduct:-this is the energy
of southern regions, and the good man
makes it his study.
"To lie under arms; and meet death
without regret:-this is the energy of
northern regions, and the forceful make
it their study.
"Therefore, the superior man cultivates
a friendly harmony, without being
weak.-How firm is he in his energy! He
stands erect in the middle, without
inclining to either side.-How firm is he
in his energy! When good principles
prevail in the government of his
country, he does not change from what he
was in retirement. How firm is he in his
energy! When bad principles prevail in
the country, he maintains his course to
death without changing.-How firm is he
in his energy!"
The Master said, "To live in obscurity,
and yet practice wonders, in order to be
mentioned with honor in future
ages:-this is what I do not do.
"The good man tries to proceed according
to the right path, but when he has gone
halfway, he abandons it:-I am not able
so to stop.
"The superior man accords with the
course of the Mean. Though he may be all
unknown, unregarded by the world, he
feels no regret.-It is only the sage who
is able for this."
The way which the superior man pursues,
reaches wide and far, and yet is secret.
Common men and women, however ignorant,
may intermeddle with the knowledge of
it; yet in its utmost reaches, there is
that which even the sage does not know.
Common men and women, however much below
the ordinary standard of character, can
carry it into practice; yet in its
utmost reaches, there is that which even
the sage is not able to carry into
practice. Great as heaven and earth are,
men still find some things in them with
which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is
that, were the superior man to speak of
his way in all its greatness, nothing in
the world would be found able to embrace
it, and were he to speak of it in its
minuteness, nothing in the world would
be found able to split it.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The
hawk flies up to heaven; the fishes leap
in the deep." This expresses how this
way is seen above and below.
The way of the superior man may be
found, in its simple elements, in the
intercourse of common men and women; but
in its utmost reaches, it shines
brightly through Heaven and earth.
The Master said "The path is not far
from man. When men try to pursue a
course, which is far from the common
indications of consciousness, this
course cannot be considered The Path.
"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'In
hewing an ax handle, in hewing an ax
handle, the pattern is not far off. We
grasp one ax handle to hew the other;
and yet, if we look askance from the one
to the other, we may consider them as
apart. Therefore, the superior man
governs men, according to their nature,
with what is proper to them, and as soon
as they change what is wrong, he stops.
"When one cultivates to the utmost the
principles of his nature, and exercises
them on the principle of reciprocity, he
is not far from the path. What you do
not like when done to yourself, do not
do to others.
"In the way of the superior man there
are four things, to not one of which
have I as yet attained.-To serve my
father, as I would require my son to
serve me: to this I have not attained;
to serve my prince as I would require my
minister to serve me: to this I have not
attained; to serve my elder brother as I
would require my younger brother to
serve me: to this I have not attained;
to set the example in behaving to a
friend, as I would require him to behave
to me: to this I have not attained.
Earnest in practicing the ordinary
virtues, and careful in speaking about
them, if, in his practice, he has
anything defective, the superior man
dares not but exert himself; and if, in
his words, he has any excess, he dares
not allow himself such license. Thus his
words have respect to his actions, and
his actions have respect to his words;
is it not just an entire sincerity which
marks the superior man?"
The superior man does what is proper to
the station in which he is; he does not
desire to go beyond this.
In a position of wealth and honor, he
does what is proper to a position of
wealth and honor. In a poor and low
position, he does what is proper to a
poor and low position. Situated among
barbarous tribes, he does what is proper
to a situation among barbarous tribes.
In a position of sorrow and difficulty,
he does what is proper to a position of
sorrow and difficulty. The superior man
can find himself in no situation in
which he is not himself.
In a high situation, he does not treat
with contempt his inferiors. In a low
situation, he does not court the favor
of his superiors. He rectifies himself,
and seeks for nothing from others, so
that he has no dissatisfactions. He does
not murmur against Heaven, nor grumble
against men.
Thus it is that the superior man is
quiet and calm, waiting for the
appointments of Heaven, while the mean
man walks in dangerous paths, looking
for lucky occurrences.
The Master said, "In archery we have
something like the way of the superior
man. When the archer misses the center
of the target, he turns round and seeks
for the cause of his failure in
himself."
The way of the superior man may be
compared to what takes place in
traveling, when to go to a distance we
must first traverse the space that is
near, and in ascending a height, when we
must begin from the lower
ground.
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