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Chapter 2020장

Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) 中庸 · Ascribed to Zisi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 268 Chinese characters · reading time 1.1 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.

哀公問政。子曰：「文武之政，布在方策。其人存，則其政舉；其人亡，則其政息。人道敏政，地道敏樹。夫政也者，蒲盧也。故爲政在人。取人以身。脩身以道。脩道以仁。仁者，人也，親親爲大。義者，宜也，尊賢爲大。親親之殺，尊賢之等，禮所生也。在下位，不獲乎上，民不可得而治矣。故君子，不可以不脩身。思脩身，不可以不事親。思事親，不可以不知人。思知人，不可以不知天。天下之達道五，所以行之者三，曰：君臣也、父子也、夫婦也、昆弟也、朋友之交也。五者，天下之達道也。知、仁、勇三者，天下之達德也。所以行之者一也。或生而知之；或學而知之；或困而知之：及其知之，一也。或安而行之；或利而行之；或勉強而行之：及其成功，一也。」

Duke Ai asked about government. Confucius said,

"The government of King Wen and King Wu is spread out on tablets of wood and bamboo. Where such men are, that government rises. Where such men are gone, that government ceases.

The way of man is quick in government, and the way of earth is quick in trees. Government is a thing like the rush and the reed.

So the doing of government lies in men. Men are gained through one's own person. The person is cultivated through the way. The way is cultivated through benevolence.

Benevolence is being human, and being close to kin is the greatest part of it. Rightness is what is fitting, and honoring the worthy is the greatest part of it. From the degrees of closeness to kin and the ranks of honoring the worthy, the rites are born.

If a man in a low place does not gain those above, the people cannot be governed.

So the gentleman cannot fail to cultivate his person. Thinking to cultivate his person, he cannot fail to serve his parents. Thinking to serve his parents, he cannot fail to know people. Thinking to know people, he cannot fail to know heaven.

There are five ways that run through all under heaven, and three by which they are carried out. Ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, and the meeting of friends. These five are the ways that run through all under heaven. Knowing, benevolence, and courage. These three are the virtues that run through all under heaven, and what carries them out is one.

Some know it from birth, some know it by learning, some know it through hardship. When it comes to the knowing, it is one. Some do it in peace, some do it for gain, some do it by forcing themselves. When it comes to the work being done, it is one."

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