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Chapter 1313장

Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) 中庸 · Ascribed to Zisi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 171 Chinese characters · reading time 0.7 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.

子曰：「道不遠人。人之爲道而遠人，不可以爲道。《詩》云，『伐柯伐柯，其則不遠。』執柯以伐柯，睨而視之。猶以爲遠。故君子以人治人，改而止。忠恕違道不遠。施諸己而不願，亦勿施於人。君子之道四，丘未能一焉：所求乎子，以事父，未能也；所求乎臣，以事君，未能也；所求乎弟，以事兄，未能也；所求乎朋友，先施之，未能也。庸德之行，庸言之謹；有所不足，不敢不勉；有餘，不敢盡。言顧行，行顧言。君子胡不慥慥爾。」

Confucius said,

"The way is not far from people. If a man follows the way and keeps far from people, it cannot be called the way.

The Odes say, 'Cutting an axe handle, cutting an axe handle. The pattern for it is not far off.' He holds an axe handle and cuts an axe handle, and though he sees it from the corner of his eye, he still thinks the pattern far away. So the gentleman governs people by what is in people, and when they mend he stops.

Being true and weighing others by oneself are not far from the way. What you would not want done to you, do not do to others.

There are four things in the way of the gentleman, and I am not able in even one. To serve my father as I would ask of a son, I am not able. To serve my ruler as I would ask of a subject, I am not able. To serve my elder brother as I would ask of a younger brother, I am not able. To do first for a friend what I would ask of a friend, I am not able.

He practices everyday virtue and is careful in everyday speech. If anything is lacking, he dares not fail to strive. If anything is left over, he dares not use it up. His words look back at his conduct, and his conduct looks back at his words. How could the gentleman not be earnest and earnest?"

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