Daxue (The Great Learning) 大學 · Ascribed to Zengzi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 123 Chinese characters · reading time 0.5 min
Daxue (The Great Learning) A piece of fewer than two thousand characters, and one of the most committed to memory in all East Asia. It opens with "making bright virtue bright, being close to the people, and coming to rest in the utmost good," and threads eight steps on a single line, from measuring things and extending knowing to the full all the way to bringing all under heaven to a level — the investigation of things, the extension of knowing, making the intent true, making the mind upright, cultivating the person, setting the household in order, governing the state, and bringing peace to all under heaven.
About the middle, "being careful when alone" comes twice, and the last chapter is given over wholly to wealth and to men. The saying that when wealth is gathered the people scatter and when wealth is scattered the people gather, and Meng Xianzi's word that one would sooner have a minister who steals than a minister who gathers in, are both here.
Making one's intent true means not deceiving oneself. It is like hating a foul smell, like loving a lovely sight. This is called being content in oneself. So the gentleman is always careful when he is alone.
The small man, living at leisure, does what is not good, and there is nothing he will not go on to do. Only after he sees a gentleman does he furtively cover up what is not good in him and put forward what is good. But others look at him as though they saw his lungs and his liver. What use is it then? This is what is meant by saying that what is true within takes shape without. So the gentleman is always careful when he is alone.
Zengzi said, "Ten eyes look upon him, ten hands point at him. How stern it is."
Wealth makes a house shine and virtue makes a person shine. When the mind is broad, the body is at ease. So the gentleman always makes his intent true.