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Chapter 3232장

Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) 中庸 · Ascribed to Zisi · A text carried in the Book of Rites · 1 passages · 165 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.

唯天下至聖，爲能聰、明、睿、知、足以有臨也；寬、裕、溫、柔、足以有容也；發、強、剛、毅、足以有執也；齊、庄、中、正、足以有敬也；文、理、密、察、足以有別也。溥博，淵泉，而時出之。溥博如天；淵泉如淵。見而民莫不敬；言而民莫不信；行而民莫不說。是以聲名洋溢乎中國，施及蠻貊。舟車所至，人力所通，天之所覆，地之所載，日月所照，霜露所隊：凡有血氣者莫不尊親。故曰：「配天」。

Only the utmost sage under heaven can be quick of ear, clear of eye, deep and knowing, enough to stand over others. Broad, ample, warm and soft, enough to hold others. Stirring, strong, firm and steadfast, enough to keep his grip. Even, grave, centered and upright, enough to be reverent. Patterned, orderly, close and searching, enough to tell things apart.

Wide and broad, a deep spring, he brings it forth in its season. Wide and broad like heaven, a deep spring like a pool. He appears, and there is no one among the people who does not revere him. He speaks, and there is no one among the people who does not trust him. He acts, and there is no one among the people who does not rejoice.

So his sound and his name overflow through the central lands and reach even the lands of the border tribes. Wherever boat and cart come, wherever the strength of man goes through, whatever heaven covers, whatever earth carries, whatever the sun and the moon light, wherever frost and dew fall, there is nothing with blood and breath that does not honor him and hold him close. So it is said, "He matches heaven."

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