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Chapter 11장

Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) 中庸 · Ascribed to Zisi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 119 Chinese characters · reading time 0.5 min

Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) It begins: "What Heaven decrees is called the nature. Following the nature is called the way. Cultivating the way is called teaching." Of the Four Books it is the one that reaches furthest. The first half gathers the words of Confucius to say why the mean is so hard — all under heaven can be governed evenly, rank and pay can be declined, a bare blade can be trodden on, and still the mean cannot be done. The second half turns on truth alone, saying that truth is the way of Heaven and making oneself true is the way of man, and it goes at last to standing third beside Heaven and earth. The saying "where another is able in one try, I make it a hundred; where another is able in ten, I make it a thousand" comes from here too.

天命之謂性；率性之謂道；修道之謂敎。道也者，不可須臾離也；可離，非道也。是故君子戒愼乎其所不睹，恐懼乎其所不聞。莫見乎隱，莫顯乎微。故君子愼其獨也。喜怒哀樂之未發，謂之中。發而皆中節，謂之和。中也者，天下之大本也。和也者，天下之達道也。致中和，天地位焉，萬物育焉。

What Heaven decrees is called the nature. Following the nature is called the way. Cultivating the way is called teaching.

The way is something that cannot be left for a moment. What can be left is not the way. So the gentleman is careful where he is not seen and fearful where he is not heard.

Nothing shows itself more than what is hidden. Nothing is plainer than what is small. So the gentleman is watchful when he is alone.

Joy and anger, grief and delight, before they arise, are called the center (中). When they arise and all fit their measure, that is called harmony (和). The center is the great root of all under heaven. Harmony is the way that runs through all under heaven. When the center and harmony are reached, heaven and earth take their places and the ten thousand things grow.

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