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Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) 中庸 · Ascribed to Zisi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 103 Chinese characters · reading time 0.4 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.

子路問強。子曰：「南方之強與，北方之強與，抑而強與？寬柔以敎，不報無道，南方之強也。君子居之。衽金革，死而不厭，北方之強也。而強者居之。故君子和而不流；強哉矯。中立而不倚；強哉矯。國有道，不變塞焉；強哉矯。國無道，至死不變；強哉矯。」

Zilu asked about strength. Confucius said,

"The strength of the south? The strength of the north? Or the strength you speak of?

To teach with breadth and gentleness, and not to pay back the man who has no way in him, is the strength of the south, and the gentleman abides in it.

To sleep on weapons and armor, and not to mind dying, is the strength of the north, and the strong man abides in it.

So the gentleman is in harmony and yet does not drift. How strong that firmness is. He stands in the center and does not lean. How strong that firmness is. When the state has the way, he does not change what he held while he was shut out. How strong that firmness is. When the state is without the way, he does not change unto death. How strong that firmness is."

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