This translation of The Doctrine of the Mean, Zhong Yong, is by James
Legge, in The Chinese Classics, vol. 1 (reprinted by Hong Kong
University Press, 1960). Legge's romanization has been turned into
pinyin. Some small changes in punctuation and (in a very few places)
vocabulary have also been made.
The text is in the public domain and may be freely used.
Comments, corrections, and suggestions may be directed to Brother
Andrew Thornton at this address: athornto@anselm.edu

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...

http://sg.geocities.com/alex_kew/chinese/zhongyong.html .

The Mean-In-Action

That which Heaven entrusts to man is to be called his nature. The
following out of this nature is to be called the Way. The cultivation
of the Way is to be called instruction in systematic truth. The...

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.
[What which is Destiny is called self-nature or characteristics. That
which leads Destiny is called Tao. Cultivating Tao is called religion.]
[Our life is fated or destined under the influences of stars, sun and
moon etc. So we are acting according to all these influences. The One
leading or a step above the Destiny is called Tao. Tao controls our
fate. The teaching of cultivation and action in cultivation is called
religion. Therefore Confucianism is a religion. Chinese regard
Confucianism as a philosophy or teaching, this is wrong. Teaching of
moral conduct is religion.]

Zhong Ni [Confucius] 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."
[Zhong Ni said: "Gentleman abides in Actions of Mean; the inferior man
abides in the opposite." Why the gentleman abides in Actions of mean,
because gentleman is always mindful of the Central Focus. Inferior man
abides in the opposition of Actions of Mean is because he has no fear
for his actions.]

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: "When in perfection accordingingly in Actions of
Mean, the people will be fresh for a long time or will be obedient for
a long period.]

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."
[same as above]
[Don't call yourself wise if you really don't know the true meaning of
the Mean-in-actions. When tested under hardship most will give up.
Mean-in-actions is about the same as the Middle Path of Buddhism. Hui
Neng said that calm down your mind and think neither of good nor bad.
What is that in you then is the Dharma. In chapter 10 he taught the
pairs of opposition that his disciples had to follow the middle path.
When someone asks about something, answer it with the opposite
principle, like asking for long...

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.
[something like that]

"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.
[something like that]

"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."
[something like that]
[sages were not meant to be sage-king who is the final sage to
harmonise the world.]

Look at Confucius name - Kong Qiu, zhi or nick name - Zhong Ni. Kong is
hole, qiu is mount or anthill, zhong is 2nd uncle, ni is soil. By
splitting zhong, we get 'the hole or Mark is the mount, the soil in
people's body.

Mount can be something like Mount Zion. This is the Holy of the holiest
in our whole body. The is called Garden of Eden, underneath which
rivers flow, our tears flow.