500 B.C.E
What Heaven has conferred is called The Nature; an accordance
with this nature is called
The Path of duty; the regulation of this path is called
Instruction.
The path may not be left for an instant. If it could be left,
it would not be the path. On this
account, the superior man does not wait till he sees things, to
be cautious, nor till he hears
things, to be apprehensive.
There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing
more manifest than what is
minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when
he is alone.
While there are no stirrings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, or
joy, the mind may be said to be in
the state of Equilibrium. When those feelings have been stirred,
and they act in their due
degree, there ensues what may be called the state of Harmony.
This Equilibrium is the great
root from which grow all the human actings in the world, and this
Harmony is the universal
path which they all should pursue.
Let the states of equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection,
and a happy order will prevail
throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and
flourish.
Chung-ni said, "The superior man embodies the course of
the Mean; the mean man acts
contrary to the course of the Mean.
"The superior man's embodying the course of the Mean is
because he is a superior man, and
so always maintains the Mean. The mean man's acting contrary to
the course of the Mean is
because he is a mean man, and has no caution."
The Master said, "Perfect is the virtue which is
according to the Mean! Rare have they long
been among the people, who could practice it!
The Master said, "I know how it is that the path of the
Mean is not walked in:-The knowing
go beyond it, and the stupid do not come up to it. I know how it
is that the path of the Mean
is not understood:-The men of talents and virtue go beyond it,
and the worthless do not
come up to it.
"There is no body but eats and drinks. But they are few who can distinguish flavors."
The Master said, "Alas! How is the path of the Mean
untrodden!"
The Master said, "There was Shun:-He indeed was greatly
wise! Shun loved to question
others, and to study their words, though they might be shallow.
He concealed what was bad
in them and displayed what was good. He took hold of their two
extremes, determined the
Mean, and employed it in his government of the people. It was by
this that he was Shun!"
The Master said "Men all say, 'We are wise'; but being
driven forward and taken in a net, a
trap, or a pitfall, they know not how to escape. Men all say, 'We
are wise'; but happening to
choose the course of the Mean, they are not able to keep it for a
round month."
The Master said "This was the manner of Hui:-he made
choice of the Mean, and whenever
he got hold of what was good, he clasped it firmly, as if wearing
it on his breast, and did
not lose it."
The Master said, "The kingdom, its states, and its
families, may be perfectly ruled; dignities
and emoluments may be declined; naked weapons may be trampled
under the feet; but the
course of the Mean cannot be attained to."
Tsze-lu asked about energy.
The Master said, "Do you mean the energy of the South, the
energy of the North, or the
energy which you should cultivate yourself?
"To show forbearance and gentleness in teaching others;
and not to revenge unreasonable
conduct:-this is the energy of southern regions, and the good man
makes it his study.
"To lie under arms; and meet death without regret:-this
is the energy of northern regions,
and the forceful make it their study.
"Therefore, the superior man cultivates a friendly
harmony, without being weak.-How firm
is he in his energy! He stands erect in the middle, without
inclining to either side.-How firm
is he in his energy! When good principles prevail in the
government of his country, he does
not change from what he was in retirement. How firm is he in his
energy! When
bad principles prevail in the country, he maintains his course to
death
without changing.-How firm is he in his energy!"
The Master said, "To live in obscurity, and yet practice
wonders, in order to be mentioned
with honor in future ages:-this is what I do not do.
"The good man tries to proceed according to the right
path, but when he has gone halfway,
he abandons it:-I am not able so to stop.
"The superior man accords with the course of the Mean.
Though he may be all unknown,
unregarded by the world, he feels no regret.-It is only the sage
who is able for this."
The way which the superior man pursues, reaches wide and far, and yet is secret.
Common men and women, however ignorant, may intermeddle with
the knowledge of it;
yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the sage does
not know. Common men
and women, however much below the ordinary standard of character,
can carry it into
practice; yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the
sage is not able to carry into
practice. Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some
things in them with which to be
dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of
his way in all its greatness,
nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were
he to speak of it in its
minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The hawk flies up to
heaven; the fishes leap in the deep."
This expresses how this way is seen above and below.
The way of the superior man may be found, in its simple
elements, in the intercourse of
common men and women; but in its utmost reaches, it shines
brightly through Heaven and
earth.
The Master said "The path is not far from man. When men
try to pursue a course, which is
far from the common indications of consciousness, this course
cannot be considered The
Path.
"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'In hewing an ax
handle, in hewing an ax handle, the
pattern is not far off. We grasp one ax handle to hew the other;
and yet, if we look askance
from the one to the other, we may consider them as apart.
Therefore, the superior man
governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to
them, and as soon as they
change what is wrong, he stops.
"When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his
nature, and exercises them on the
principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. What you
do not like when done to
yourself, do not do to others.
"In the way of the superior man there are four things, to
not one of which have I as yet
attained.-To serve my father, as I would require my son to serve
me: to this I have not
attained; to serve my prince as I would require my minister to
serve me: to this I have not
attained; to serve my elder brother as I would require my younger
brother to serve me: to
this I have not attained; to set the example in behaving to a
friend, as I would require him to
behave to me: to this I have not attained. Earnest in practicing
the ordinary virtues, and
careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has
anything defective, the superior
man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any
excess, he dares not allow
himself such license. Thus his words have respect to his actions,
and his actions have
respect to his words; is it not just an entire sincerity which
marks the superior man?"
The superior man does what is proper to the station in which
he is; he does not desire to go
beyond this.
In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a
position of wealth and honor.
In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and
low position. Situated
among barbarous tribes, he does what is proper to a situation
among barbarous tribes. In a
position of sorrow and difficulty, he does what is proper to a
position of sorrow and
difficulty. The superior man can find himself in no situation in
which he is not himself.
In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his
inferiors. In a low situation, he does
not court the favor of his superiors. He rectifies himself, and
seeks for nothing from others,
so that he has no dissatisfactions. He does not murmur against
Heaven, nor grumble
against men.
Thus it is that the superior man is quiet and calm, waiting
for the appointments of Heaven,
while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky
occurrences.
The Master said, "In archery we have something like the
way of the superior man. When
the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and
seeks for the cause of his
failure in himself."
The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes
place in traveling, when to go
to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and
in ascending a height, when
we must begin from the lower ground.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Happy union with wife
and children is like the music of
lutes and harps. When there is concord among brethren, the
harmony is delightful and
enduring. Thus may you regulate your family, and enjoy the
pleasure of your wife and
children."
The Master said, "In such a state of things, parents have entire complacence!"
The Master said, "How abundantly do spiritual beings
display the powers that belong to
them!
"We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but
do not hear them; yet they enter
into all things, and there is nothing without them.
"They cause all the people in the kingdom to fast and
purify themselves, and array
themselves in their richest dresses, in order to attend at their
sacrifices. Then, like
overflowing water, they seem to be over the heads, and on the
right and left of their
worshippers.
"It is said in the Book of Poetry, 'The approaches of the
spirits, you cannot sunrise; and can
you treat them with indifference?'
"Such is the manifestness of what is minute! Such is the
impossibility of repressing the
outgoings of sincerity!"
The Master said, "How greatly filial was Shun! His virtue
was that of a sage; his dignity was
the throne; his riches were all within the four seas. He offered
his sacrifices in his ancestral
temple, and his descendants preserved the sacrifices to himself.
"Therefore having such great virtue, it could not but be
that he should obtain the throne, that
he should obtain those riches, that he should obtain his fame,
that he should attain to his
long life.
"Thus it is that Heaven, in the production of things, is
sure to be bountiful to them,
according to their qualities. Hence the tree that is flourishing,
it nourishes, while that which
is ready to fall, it overthrows.
"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'The admirable
amiable prince displayed conspicuously his
excelling virtue, adjusting his people, and adjusting his
officers. Therefore, he received from
Heaven his emoluments of dignity. It protected him, assisted him,
decreed him the throne;
sending from Heaven these favors, as it were repeatedly.'
"We may say therefore that he who is greatly virtuous
will be sure to receive the
appointment of Heaven."
The Master said, "It is only King Wan of whom it can be
said that he had no cause for grief!
His father was King Chi, and his son was King Wu. His father laid
the foundations of his
dignity, and his son transmitted it.
"King Wu continued the enterprise of King T'ai, King Chi,
and King Wan. He once buckled
on his armor, and got possession of the kingdom. He did not lose
the distinguished personal
reputation which he had throughout the kingdom. His dignity was
the royal throne. His
riches were the possession of all within the four seas. He
offered his sacrifices in his
ancestral temple, and his descendants maintained the sacrifices
to himself.
"It was in his old age that King Wu received the
appointment to the throne, and the duke of
Chau completed the virtuous course of Wan and Wu. He carried up
the title of king to T'ai
and Chi, and sacrificed to all the former dukes above them with
the royal ceremonies. And
this rule he extended to the princes of the kingdom, the great
officers, the scholars, and the
common people. If the father were a great officer and the son a
scholar, then the burial was
that due to a great officer, and the sacrifice that due to a
scholar. If the father were a
scholar and the son a great officer, then the burial was that due
to a scholar, and the
sacrifice that due to a great officer. The one year's mourning
was made to extend only to
the great officers, but the three years' mourning extended to the
Son of Heaven. In the
mourning for a father or mother, he allowed no difference between
the noble and the mean.
The Master said, "How far-extending was the filial piety of King Wu and the duke of Chau!
"Now filial piety is seen in the skillful carrying out of
the wishes of our forefathers, and the
skillful carrying forward of their undertakings.
"In spring and autumn, they repaired and beautified the
temple halls of their fathers, set forth
their ancestral vessels, displayed their various robes, and
presented the offerings of the
several seasons.
"By means of the ceremonies of the ancestral temple, they
distinguished the royal kindred
according to their order of descent. By ordering the parties
present according to their rank,
they distinguished the more noble and the less. By the
arrangement of the services, they
made a distinction of talents and worth. In the ceremony of
general pledging, the
inferiors presented the cup to their superiors, and thus
something was given the lowest to
do. At the concluding feast, places were given according to the
hair, and thus was made the
distinction of years.
"They occupied the places of their forefathers, practiced
their ceremonies, and performed
their music. They reverenced those whom they honored, and loved
those whom they
regarded with affection. Thus they served the dead as they would
have served them alive;
they served the departed as they would have served them had they
been continued
among them.
"By the ceremonies of the sacrifices to Heaven and Earth
they served God, and by the
ceremonies of the ancestral temple they sacrificed to their
ancestors. He who understands
the ceremonies of the sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, and the
meaning of the several
sacrifices to ancestors, would find the government of a kingdom
as easy as to look into
his palm!"
The Duke Ai asked about government.
The Master said, "The government of Wan and Wu is displayed
in the records,-the tablets of
wood and bamboo. Let there be the men and the government will
flourish; but without the
men, their government decays and ceases.
"With the right men the growth of government is rapid,
just as vegetation is rapid in the
earth; and, moreover, their government might be called an
easily-growing rush.
"Therefore the administration of government lies in
getting proper men. Such men are to be
got by means of the ruler's own character. That character is to
be cultivated by his treading
in the ways of duty. And the treading those ways of duty is to be
cultivated by the
cherishing of benevolence.
"Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity,
and the great exercise of it is in
loving relatives. Righteousness is the accordance of actions with
what is right, and the great
exercise of it is in honoring the worthy. The decreasing measures
of the love due to
relatives, and the steps in the honor due to the worthy, are
produced by the principle
of propriety.
"When those in inferior situations do not possess the
confidence of their superiors, they
cannot retain the government of the people.
"Hence the sovereign may not neglect the cultivation of
his own character. Wishing to
cultivate his character, he may not neglect to serve his parents.
In order to serve his
parents, he may not neglect to acquire knowledge of men. In order
to know men, he may
not dispense with a knowledge of Heaven.
"The duties of universal obligation are five and the
virtues wherewith they are practiced are
three. The duties are those between sovereign and minister,
between father and son,
between husband and wife, between elder brother and younger, and
those belonging to the
intercourse of friends. Those five are the duties of universal
obligation. Knowledge,
magnanimity, and energy, these three, are the virtues universally
binding. And the means by
which they carry the duties into practice is singleness.
"Some are born with the knowledge of those duties; some
know them by study; and some
acquire the knowledge after a painful feeling of their ignorance.
But the knowledge being
possessed, it comes to the same thing. Some practice them with a
natural ease; some from a
desire for their advantages; and some by strenuous effort. But
the achievement being made,
it comes to the same thing."
The Master said, "To be fond of learning is to be near to
knowledge. To practice with vigor
is to be near to magnanimity. To possess the feeling of shame is
to be near to energy.
"He who knows these three things knows how to cultivate
his own character. Knowing
how to cultivate his own character, he knows how to govern other
men. Knowing how to
govern other men, he knows how to govern the kingdom with all its
states and families.
"All who have the government of the kingdom with its
states and families have nine standard
rules to follow;-viz., the cultivation of their own characters;
the honoring of men of virtue
and talents; affection towards their relatives; respect towards
the great ministers; kind and
considerate treatment of the whole body of officers; dealing with
the mass of the people as
children; encouraging the resort of all classes of artisans;
indulgent treatment of men from a
distance; and the kindly cherishing of the princes of the states.
"By the ruler's cultivation of his own character, the
duties of universal obligation are set
forth. By honoring men of virtue and talents, he is preserved
from errors of judgment. By
showing affection to his relatives, there is no grumbling nor
resentment among his uncles
and brethren. By respecting the great ministers, he is kept from
errors in the practice of
government. By kind and considerate treatment of the whole body
of officers, they are led
to make the most grateful return for his courtesies. By dealing
with the mass of the people
as his children, they are led to exhort one another to what is
good. By encouraging the
resort of an classes of artisans, his resources for expenditure
are rendered ample. By
indulgent treatment of men from a distance, they are brought to
resort to him from all
quarters. And by kindly cherishing the princes of the states, the
whole kingdom is brought
to revere him.
"Self-adjustment and purification, with careful
regulation of his dress, and the not making a
movement contrary to the rules of propriety this is the way for a
ruler to cultivate his
person. Discarding slanderers, and keeping himself from the
seductions of beauty; making
light of riches, and giving honor to virtue-this is the way for
him to encourage men of worth
and talents. Giving them places of honor and large emolument. and
sharing with them in
their likes and dislikes-this is the way for him to encourage his
relatives to love him. Giving
them numerous officers to discharge their orders and
commissions:-this is the way for him
to encourage the great ministers. According to them a generous
confidence, and making
their emoluments large:-this is the way to encourage the body of
officers. Employing them
only at the proper times, and making the imposts light:-this is
the way to encourage the
people. By daily examinations and monthly trials, and by making
their rations in accordance
with their labors:-this is the way to encourage the classes of
artisans. To escort them on
their departure and meet them on their coming; to commend the
good among them, and
show compassion to the incompetent:-this is the way to treat
indulgently men from a
distance. To restore families whose line of succession has been
broken, and to revive states
that have been extinguished; to reduce to order states that are
in confusion, and support
those which are in peril; to have fixed times for their own
reception at court, and the
reception of their envoys; to send them away after liberal
treatment, and welcome their
coming with small contributions:-this is the way to cherish the
princes of the states.
"All who have the government of the kingdom with its
states and families have the above
nine standard rules. And the means by which they are carried into
practice is singleness.
"In all things success depends on previous preparation,
and without such previous
preparation there is sure to be failure. If what is to be spoken
be previously determined,
there will be no stumbling. If affairs be previously determined,
there will be no difficulty
with them. If one's actions have been previously determined,
there will be no sorrow in
connection with them. If principles of conduct have been
previously determined,
the practice of them will be inexhaustible.
"When those in inferior situations do not obtain the
confidence of the sovereign, they cannot
succeed in governing the people. There is a way to obtain the
confidence of the
sovereign;-if one is not trusted by his friends, he will not get
the confidence of his
sovereign. There is a way to being trusted by one's friends;-if
one is not obedient to
his parents, he will not be true to friends. There is a way to
being obedient to one's
parents;-if one, on turning his thoughts in upon himself, finds a
want of sincerity, he will
not be obedient to his parents. There is a way to the attainment
of sincerity in one's self; -if
a man do not understand what is good, he will not attain
sincerity in himself.
"Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of
sincerity is the way of men. He who
possesses sincerity is he who, without an effort, hits what is
right, and apprehends, without
the exercise of thought;-he is the sage who naturally and easily
embodies the right way. He
who attains to sincerity is he who chooses what is good, and
firmly holds it fast.
"To this attainment there are requisite the extensive
study of what is good, accurate inquiry
about it, careful reflection on it, the clear discrimination of
it, and the earnest practice of it.
"The superior man, while there is anything he has not
studied, or while in what he has
studied there is anything he cannot understand, Will not intermit
his labor. While there is
anything he has not inquired about, or anything in what he has
inquired about which he does
not know, he will not intermit his labor. While there is anything
which he has not reflected
on, or anything in what he has reflected on which he does not
apprehend, he will not
intermit his labor. While there is anything which he has not
discriminated or his
discrimination is not clear, he will not intermit his labor. If
there be anything which he has
not practiced, or his practice fails in earnestness, he will not
intermit his labor. If
another man succeed by one effort, he will use a hundred efforts.
If another man succeed
by ten efforts, he will use a thousand.
"Let a man proceed in this way, and, though dull, he will
surely become intelligent; though
weak, he will surely become strong."
When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this
condition is to be ascribed to nature;
when we have sincerity resulting from intelligence, this
condition is to be ascribed to
instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the
intelligence; given the intelligence,
and there shall be the sincerity.
It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity
that can exist under heaven,
who can give its fun development to his nature. Able to give its
full development to his own
nature, he can do the same to the nature of other men. Able to
give its full development to
the nature of other men, he can give their full development to
the natures of animals and
things. Able to give their full development to the natures of
creatures and things, he can
assist the transforming and nourishing powers of Heaven and
Earth. Able to assist the
transforming and nourishing powers of Heaven and Earth, he may
with Heaven and Earth
form a ternion.
Next to the above is he who cultivates to the utmost the
shoots of goodness in him. From
those he can attain to the possession of sincerity. This
sincerity becomes apparent. From
being apparent, it becomes manifest. From being manifest, it
becomes brilliant. Brilliant, it
affects others. Affecting others, they are changed by it. Changed
by it, they are
transformed. It is only he who is possessed of the most complete
sincerity that can exist
under heaven, who can transform.
It is characteristic of the most entire sincerity to be able
to foreknow. When a nation or
family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens;
and when it is about to perish,
there are sure to be unlucky omens. Such events are seen in the
milfoil and tortoise, and
affect the movements of the four limbs. When calamity or
happiness is about to come, the
good shall certainly be foreknown by him, and the evil also.
Therefore the individual
possessed of the most complete sincerity is like a spirit.
Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its
way is that by which man must
direct himself.
Sincerity is the end and beginning of things; without
sincerity there would be nothing. On
this account, the superior man regards the attainment of
sincerity as the most excellent
thing.
The possessor of sincerity does not merely accomplish the
self-completion of himself. With
this quality he completes other men and things also. The
completing himself shows his
perfect virtue. The completing other men and things shows his
knowledge. But these are
virtues belonging to the nature, and this is the way by which a
union is effected of the
external and internal. Therefore, whenever he-the entirely
sincere man-employs them,-that
is, these virtues, their action will be right.
Hence to entire sincerity there belongs ceaselessness.
Not ceasing, it continues long. Continuing long, it evidences
itself.
Evidencing itself, it reaches far. Reaching far, it becomes
large and substantial. Large and
substantial, it becomes high and brilliant.
Large and substantial;-this is how it contains all things.
High and brilliant;-this is how it
overspreads all things. Reaching far and continuing long;-this is
how it perfects all things.
So large and substantial, the individual possessing it is the
co-equal of Earth. So high and
brilliant, it makes him the co-equal of Heaven. So far-reaching
and long-continuing, it makes
him infinite.
Such being its nature, without any display, it becomes
manifested; without any movement, it
produces changes; and without any effort, it accomplishes its
ends.
The way of Heaven and Earth may be completely declared in one
sentence.-They are
without any doubleness, and so they produce things in a manner
that is unfathomable.
The way of Heaven and Earth is large and substantial, high and
brilliant, far-reaching and
long-enduring.
The Heaven now before us is only this bright shining spot; but
when viewed in its
inexhaustible extent, the sun, moon, stars, and constellations of
the zodiac, are suspended in
it, and all things are overspread by it. The earth before us is
but a handful of soil; but when
regarded in its breadth and thickness, it sustains mountains like
the Hwa and the Yo,
without feeling their weight, and contains the rivers and seas,
without their leaking away.
The mountain now before us appears only a stone; but when
contemplated in all the
vastness of its size, we see how the grass and trees are produced
on it, and birds and beasts
dwell on it, and precious things which men treasure up are found
on it. The water now
before us appears but a ladleful; yet extending our view to its
unfathomable depths, the
largest tortoises, iguanas, iguanodons, dragons, fishes, and
turtles, are produced in
it, articles of value and sources of wealth abound in it.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The ordinances of
Heaven, how profound are they and
unceasing!" The meaning is, that it is thus that Heaven is
Heaven. And again, "How
illustrious was it, the singleness of the virtue of King
Wan!" indicating that it was thus that
King Wan was what he was. Singleness likewise is unceasing.
How great is the path proper to the Sage!
Like overflowing water, it sends forth and nourishes all things,
and rises up to the height of
heaven.
All-complete is its greatness! It embraces the three hundred
rules of ceremony, and the
three thousand rules of demeanor.
It waits for the proper man, and then it is trodden.
Hence it is said, "Only by perfect virtue can the perfect
path, in all its courses, be made a
fact."
Therefore, the superior man honors his virtuous nature, and
maintains constant inquiry and
study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so
as to omit none of the more
exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to
its greatest height and
brilliancy, so as to pursue the course of the Mean. He cherishes
his old knowledge, and is
continually acquiring new. He exerts an honest, generous
earnestness, in the esteem and
practice of all propriety.
Thus, when occupying a high situation he is not proud, and in
a low situation he is not
insubordinate. When the kingdom is well governed, he is sure by
his words to rise; and
when it is ill governed, he is sure by his silence to command
forbearance to himself. Is not
this what we find in the Book of Poetry,-"Intelligent is he
and prudent, and so preserves his
person?"
The Master said, Let a man who is ignorant be fond of using
his own judgment; let a man
without rank be fond of assuming a directing power to himself;
let a man who is living in
the present age go back to the ways of antiquity;-on the persons
of all who act thus
calamities will be sure to come.
To no one but the Son of Heaven does it belong to order
ceremonies, to fix the measures,
and to determine the written characters.
Now over the kingdom, carriages have all wheels, of the-same
size; all writing is with the
same characters; and for conduct there are the same rules.
One may occupy the throne, but if he have not the proper
virtue, he may not dare to make
ceremonies or music. One may have the virtue, but if he do not
occupy the throne, he may
not presume to make ceremonies or music.
The Master said, "I may describe the ceremonies of the
Hsia dynasty, but Chi cannot
sufficiently attest my words. I have learned the ceremonies of
the Yin dynasty, and in Sung
they still continue. I have learned the ceremonies of Chau, which
are now used, and I
follow Chau."
He who attains to the sovereignty of the kingdom, having those
three important things, shall
be able to effect that there shall be few errors under his
government.
However excellent may have been the regulations of those of
former times, they cannot be
attested. Not being attested, they cannot command credence, and
not being credited, the
people would not follow them. However excellent might be the
regulations made by one in
an inferior situation, he is not in a position to be honored.
Unhonored, he cannot command
credence, and not being credited, the people would not follow his
rules.
Therefore the institutions of the Ruler are rooted in his own
character and conduct, and
sufficient attestation of them is given by the masses of the
people. He examines them by
comparison with those of the three kings, and finds them without
mistake. He sets them up
before Heaven and Earth, and finds nothing in them contrary to
their mode of operation. He
presents himself with them before spiritual beings, and no doubts
about them arise. He is
prepared to wait for the rise of a sage a hundred ages after, and
has no misgivings.
His presenting himself with his institutions before spiritual
beings, without any doubts
arising about them, shows that he knows Heaven. His being
prepared, without any
misgivings, to wait for the rise of a sage a hundred ages after,
shows that he knows men.
Such being the case, the movements of such a ruler,
illustrating his institutions, constitute
an example to the world for ages. His acts are for ages a law to
the kingdom. His words are
for ages a lesson to the kingdom. Those who are far from him look
longingly for him; and
those who are near him are never wearied with him.
It is said in the Book of Poetry,-"Not disliked there,
not tired of here, from day to day and
night tonight, will they perpetuate their praise." Never has
there been a ruler, who did not
realize this description, that obtained an early renown
throughout the kingdom.
Chung-ni handed down the doctrines of Yao and Shun, as if they
had been his ancestors,
and elegantly displayed the regulations of Wan and Wul taking
them as his model. Above, he
harmonized with the times of Heaven, and below, he was conformed
to the water and land.
He may be compared to Heaven and Earth in their supporting and
containing, their
overshadowing and curtaining, all things. He may be compared to
the four seasons in their
alternating progress, and to the sun and moon in their successive
shining.
All things are nourished together without their injuring one
another. The courses of the
seasons, and of the sun and moon, are pursued without any
collision among them. The
smaller energies are like river currents; the greater energies
are seen in mighty
transformations. It is this which makes heaven and earth so
great.
It is only he, possessed of all sagely qualities that can
exist under heaven, who shows
himself quick in apprehension, clear in discernment, of
far-reaching intelligence, and
all-embracing knowledge, fitted to exercise rule; magnanimous,
generous, benign, and mild,
fitted to exercise forbearance; impulsive, energetic, firm, and
enduring, fitted to maintain a
firm hold; self-adjusted, grave, never swerving from the Mean,
and correct, fitted to
command reverence; accomplished, distinctive, concentrative, and
searching, fitted to
exercise discrimination.
All-embracing is he and vast, deep and active as a fountain,
sending forth in their due season
his virtues.
All-embracing and vast, he is like Heaven. Deep and active as a fountain, he is like the abyss
He is seen, and the people all reverence him; he speaks, and the
people all believe him; he
acts, and the people all are pleased with him.
Therefore his fame overspreads the Middle Kingdom, and extends
to all barbarous tribes.
Wherever ships and carriages reach; wherever the strength of man
penetrates; wherever the
heavens overshadow and the earth sustains; wherever the sun and
moon shine; wherever
frosts and dews fall:-all who have blood and breath unfeignedly
honor and love him. Hence
it is said,-"He is the equal of Heaven."
It is only the individual possessed of the most entire
sincerity that can exist under Heaven,
who can adjust the great invariable relations of mankind,
establish the great fundamental
virtues of humanity, and know the transforming and nurturing
operations of Heaven and
Earth;-shall this individual have any being or anything beyond
himself on which
he depends?
Call him man in his ideal, how earnest is he! Call him an
abyss, how deep is he! Call him
Heaven, how vast is he!
Who can know him, but he who is indeed quick in apprehension,
clear in discernment, of
far-reaching intelligence, and all-embracing knowledge,
possessing all Heavenly virtue?
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Over her embroidered
robe she puts a plain single
garment," intimating a dislike to the display of the
elegance of the former. Just so, it is the
way of the superior man to prefer the concealment of his virtue,
while it daily becomes
more illustrious, and it is the way of the mean man to seek
notoriety, while he daily
goes more and more to ruin. It is characteristic of the superior
man, appearing insipid, yet
never to produce satiety; while showing a simple negligence, yet
to have his
accomplishments recognized; while seemingly plain, yet to be
discriminating. He knows
how what is distant lies in what is near. He knows where the wind
proceeds from. He
knows how what is minute becomes manifested. Such a one, we may
be sure, will enter
into virtue.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Although the fish sink
and lie at the bottom, it is still quite
clearly seen." Therefore the superior man examines his
heart, that there may be nothing
wrong there, and that he may have no cause for dissatisfaction
with himself. That wherein
the superior man cannot be equaled is simply this,-his work which
other men cannot see.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Looked at in your
apartment, be there free from shame as
being exposed to the light of Heaven." Therefore, the
superior man, even when he is not
moving, has a feeling of reverence, and while he speaks not, he
has the feeling of
truthfulness.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "In silence is the
offering presented, and the spirit
approached to; there is not the slightest contention."
Therefore the superior man does not
use rewards, and the people are stimulated to virtue. He does not
show anger, and the
people are awed more than by hatchets and battle-axes.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "What needs no display
is virtue. All the princes imitate it."
Therefore, the superior man being sincere and reverential, the
whole world is conducted to a
state of happy tranquility.
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "I regard with pleasure
your brilliant virtue, making no great
display of itself in sounds and appearances." The Master
said, "Among the appliances to
transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial
influences. It is said in another
ode, 'His Virtue is light as a hair.' Still, a hair will admit of
comparison as to its size. 'The
doings of the supreme Heaven have neither sound nor smell. 'That
is perfect virtue."