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 Way, it
may not be abandoned for a moment. If it might be abandoned, it would
not be the Way. Because this is so, the man of principle holds himself
restrained and keyed up in relation to the unseen world (lit. what he
cannot see or hear). Since there is nothing more manifest than what is
hidden, nothing more visible than what is minute, therefore the man of
principle is on guard when he is alone with himself.
(The nature in human is the soul or spirit. The Truth about this nature
is Tao or Way. Tao or Spirit, inherent in each one, cannot be removed
from human body. Once IT is removed, the man is dead. Meditation is to
be in communion with Tao or Way, and the mind should be tied to a point
and not allowed to wonder about even when alone.)
[Few lines have no translation.]

Chung-ni Said: 'The man of true breeding is the mean in action. The
man of no breeding is the reverse. The relation of the man of true
breeding to the mean in action is that, being a man of true breeding,
he consistently holds to the mean. The reverse relationship of the man
of no breeding is that, being what he is, he has no sense of moral
caution.'
(Mean in action is about the same as The Middle Path of the Buddhist
doctrine. Mean in action can also be focusing on the centre, because
the Mark is the chakra 'shuan-kuan'.)

The Master said: 'Perfect is the mean in action, and for a long
time now very few people have had the capacity for it.'
(This statement can mean this middle focusing is known to a handful and
successful persons.)

The Master said: 'I know why the Way is not pursued. (It is
because) the learned run to excess and the ignorant fall short. I know
why the Way is not understood. The good run to excess and the bad fall
short. Amongst men there are none who do not eat and drink, but there
are few who can really appreciate flavors.'

The Master said: 'Alas, this failure to pursue the Way!'

The Master said: 'Consider Shun, the man of great wisdom. He loved
to ask advice and to examine plain speech. He never referred to what
was evil, and publicly praised what was good. By grasping these two
extremes he put into effect the Mean among his people. In this way he
was Shun (ie a sage-emperor), was he not?'
(The use of Shun to explain the mean in action is misleading. Confucius
talked about the character of Shun but not how he cultivated himself.
The meaning might be in the word 'shun'.)

The Master said: 'All men say "I know," but they are driven into
nets, caught in traps, fall into pitfalls, and not one knows how to
avoid this. All men say "I know," but, should they choose the mean in
action, they could not persist in it for a round month.'

The Master said: 'Hui, a real man! He chose the mean in action,
and, if he succeeded in one element of good, he grasped it firmly,
cherished it in his bosom, and never let it go.'
(The use of Hui is stupid. Hui died young. So he can be said to be not
at his prime. When meditating, you can prolong your life.)

The Master said: 'The states and families of the Great Society
might have equal divisions (of land). Men might refuse noble station,
and the wealth that goes with it. They might trample the naked sword
under foot. But the mean in action, it is impossible for them to
achieve that.'
(don't make sense)

Tzu Lu inquired about strong men, and the Master said: 'Is it
strong men of the southern kind (that you have in mind)? The strong man
of the south is magnanimous and gentle in instructing people, and he
takes no revenge for being treated vilely; it is the habit of a man of
true breeding to be like this. The strong man of the north lives under
arms and dies without a murmur: it is the habit of a man of true force
to be like this. Hence the man of true breeding, how steadfast he is in
his strength, having a spirit of concord and not giving way to
pressure. He takes up a central position and does not waver one way or
another. How steadfast his strength, for, when there is good
government, he does not change his original principles, and, when there
is vile government, he does not change, even though his life be at
stake.'
(another nonsense)

The Master said: 'To unravel mysteries and work miracles, that I
will not do, even though my name should be recorded for ages to come.
The man of true breeding follows the Way in all his acts, and it is
impossible for me, therefore, to abandon the course half-way. The man
of true breeding has faith in the mean in action. Although he live the
life of a recluse, unknown to his age, he has no regrets. A man must be
a sage to have this capacity.'
(Confucius's admission about Taoist recluse)

The Way of the true man is widely apparent and yet hidden. Thus the
ordinary man and woman, ignorant though they are, can yet have some
knowledge of it; and yet in its perfection even a sage finds that there
is something there which he does not know. Take the vast size of
heaven-and-earth; men can still find room for criticism of it. Hence,
when the enlightened man speaks of supreme bigness, it cannot be
contained within the world of our experience. Nor, when he speaks of
supreme smallness, can it be split up in the world of our experience
into nothing.
As is said in the Book of Songs, 'The hawk beats its way up to the
height of heaven, the fish dives down into the abyss.' That refers to
things being examined from above and from below. Thus the Way of the
man of principle: its early shoots coming into existence in the
ordinary man and woman, but in its ultimate extent to be examined in
the light of heaven-and-earth.
(The bird flying up and the fish represent our eyebrows and the nose.
Chuang Tzu also mentioned this in chapter one.)

The Master said: 'The Way is not far removed from men. If a man
pursue a way which removes him from men, he cannot be in The Way. In
the Book of songs there is the word, "When hewing an axe-handle, hew an
axe-handle. The pattern of it is close at hand.' You grasp an
axe-handle to hew an axe-handle, although, when you look from the one
to the other (ie from the pattern to the block of wood), they are very
different. Therefore the right kind of ruler uses men to control men
and attempts nothing beyond their correction; and fidelity and mutual
service (these two human qualities) cannot be outside the scope of the
Way. The treatment which you do not like for yourself you must not hand
out to others. And this Way for the man of true breeding has four sides
to it, in not one of which have I succeeded. To serve my father as I
would have a son serve me as a father, in this I, Chiu, have failed. To
serve my prince as I would have a minister serve me as a prince, in
this I, Chiu, have failed. To serve my elder brother as I would have a
younger brother serve me as an elder brother, in this I, Chiu, have
failed. To be beforehand in treating a friend as I would have him treat
me as a friend, in this I, Chiu, have failed.'
(The Tao or Way is inside us. A block of wood represents man. When
hacked to be a axe-handle means becoming a sage. So man and sage is
still wood but in different shape only. The mention of good behavior is
out of place. Standard behavior is legalized by the men of old, so it
is a form of law. Our natural self is without law. Law is man made not
God made.)

The acts of the true man agree with the station in life in which he
finds himself, and he is not concerned with matters outside that
station. If he is a man of wealth and high position, he acts as such.
If he is a poor man and low in the social scale, he acts accordingly.
So also, if he is among barbarians, or if he meets trouble. In fact,
there is no situation into which he comes in which he is not himself.
In a high station he does not disdain those beneath him. In a low
station he does not cling round those above him. He puts himself in the
right and seeks no favors. Thus he is free from ill will, having no
resentment against either Heaven or men. He preserves an easy mind as
he awaits the Will of Heaven: (in contrast to) the man who is not true,
who walks in perilous paths and hopes for good luck. As the Master
said: 'In archery there is a resemblance to the man of true breeding.
If a man misses the target, he looks for the cause in himself.'
(Confucius was contradictory in saying these. He preached to the
various princes in different states in order to secure high post but
without luck.)

The Way of the true man is like a long journey, since it must begin
with the near at hand. It is like the ascent of a high mountain, since
it must begin with the low ground.
In the Book of Songs there is: The happy union with wife and child is
like the music of lutes and harps. When concord grows between brother
and brother, the harmony is sweet and intimate. The ordering of your
household, your joy in wife and child!
(Charity begins at home.)

The Master said: 'How greatly parents are served in this!'

The Master said: 'How irrepressible is the spiritual power in the
manes! Look for them and they are not to be seen. Listen for them, and
they are not to be heard. They are in things, and there is nothing
without them. They stir all the people in the Great Society to fast and
purify themselves and wear their ritual robes, in order that they may
sacrifice to them. They fill the air, as if above, as if on the left,
as if on the right. As the Book of Songs has it: 'The coming of the
Spirits! Incalculable. And yet they cannot be disregarded.' Even so is
the manifestation of the minute and the impossibility of hiding the
real.
(He was talking about Tao.)

The Master said: 'Consider Shun, the man of superb filial piety. By
the virtue in him he was a sage. In his dignity he was Son of Heaven.
In his wealth he owned all within the four seas. Temple sacrifices were
made to him, and his memory was cherished by his descendants. Thus it
is that outstanding personality is bound to obtain its position of
authority, its wealth, its fame, and its lasting life. For thus it is
that Heaven, as it gives life to all creatures, can be surely trusted
to give to each what is due to its basic capacity. And thus it is that
the well-planted is nourished and the ill-planted falls prostrate.
(The mention of temple sacrifice is stupidity in the sense that Chinese
follow this advice to hero-worship their idols. The praise for Shun is
stupid. Shun was not a sage when he was king. He abdicated the throne
and later seek the Tao and may be a sage.)

The Book of Songs has the word:

Hail to our sovereign prince! How gracious is his personality! He
has put the people to right: he has put his men to right. Heaven has
vouchsafed its bounty to him. Heaven has protected him and appointed
him king; Heaven's blessing is his, not once but again and yet again.
(This is for the future sage-king.)

Thus it is that the man of superb personality is bound to receive
the commission from Heaven.

The Master said: 'The only man who has been without sorrow is King
Wen. He had Wang Chi for father and King Wu for son. The father laid
the foundation, and the son built on it. King Wu thus inherited from a
line of kingly men, T'ai Wang, Wang Chi, and King Wen. Once he had
buckled on his armor, the world was his, for (although he rebelled) he
suffered no loss to his world wide reputation. In dignity he became the
son of Heaven, in wealth he owned all within the four seas. Temple
sacrifices were made to him, and his memory was cherished by his
descendants.'
(Confucius's reference to King Wen and King Wu is wrong. These men were
not sages. Sage does not kill a living soul. And again the temple
sacrifices.)

It was in his old age that King Wu received the Commission, and it
was Duke Chou who carried to completion the virtue in King Wen and King
Wu. The rite reserved for sacrificing to a Son of Heaven he used for
sacrificing to his (non-royal) forbears. And this rule in ritual was
extended to the feudatories and great officers and was applied in every
rank of society down to the minor officials and the common people. If
the father was a great officer and the son a minor official, then the
father was buried with the rite of a great officer, but afterwards was
sacrificed to with the rite of a minor officer. If the father was a
minor official and the son a great officer, then the father was buried
with the rite of a minor official, but afterwards was sacrificed to
with the rite of a great officer. The practice of mourning for one year
was extended to a great officer, of mourning for three years to a Son
of Heaven. In the case of mourning for a father or a mother, there was
no difference for the noble or the commoner. The practice was the same.

(The stupidity of including funeral rites in this book shows the moral
standard of Confucius. He had not reached the sage stage. This
inclusion did retard the progress of Chinese in the past 2500 years,
because people are concern about rites and ritual, so where have they
time to learn other things.)

The Master said: 'How wide an influence King Wu's and Duke Chou's
filial piety had.' Filial men are those who are well able to follow up
what the men before have willed, and preserve what they have
undertaken. In the spring and the autumn they repair their ancestral
temples, arrange the sacrificial vessels, set in order the ceremonial
robes, and offer the seasonal meats. The ritual of the temple is the
means by which the line on the male side and the line on the female
side are kept distinct. The gradation of titles is the means by which
higher and lower ranks are defined. The distinctions of office are the
means by which the worth of men is marked. In the pledging rite those
of low station present the cup to those of high, and thus a place is
made for the common man. At the festal board white-haired old men have
their places, and by this means differences of age are observed. To
maintain one's ancestors in their proper shrines, to carry out their
rites, to play their music, to reverence those whom they honored, to
love those closely related to them, to serve the dead as they were
served alive, to serve those who are no more as they were served when
they were here: this is the height of filial piety. Let (a ruler) only
grasp the significance of the rites at the altars of Heaven and Earth
and those in the ancestral temple, and government will become (as easy)
as pointing to the palm of the hand. For the rites to Heaven and Earth
are means by which service is rendered to Shang Ti, the rites in the
temple are the means by which (grateful) offerings are made to those
from whom we have sprung.
(This lecture is stupid. Confucius was promoting custom and traditions.
He was trying to say that were proper. That is why Chinese are
superstitious and cannot become strong. If you don't pray to your
ancestors but do my meditation, you will become strong and prosperous.
Also don't pray to the Heaven and Earth, because Tao or Way is inside
you.)

The Duke Ai asked advice as to governing, and the Master said:
'King Wen's and King Wu's system of government is revealed in the
historical records. It is this: with their kind of men the system
worked: without their kind of men it came to an end. Man's right way is
to be prompt in good government as the earth's way is to be prompt in
making things grow. Thus, good government is like the speed with which
some reeds grow. For this reason good government depends on the men
(who govern). Such men are obtainable on the basis of their
personality. The cultivation of personality is on the basis of the Way.
The cultivation of the Way is on the basis of human-heartedness. To be
human hearted is to be a man, and the chief element in
human-heartedness is loving one's relations. So it is with justice: it
is to put things right, and the chief element in it is employing worthy
men in public service, whilst the degrees in kinship and the grades of
office are the product of the established order of procedure. (Unless
those in the high ranks of society can capture the confidence of those
in the lower ranks, they cannot gain the support of the people for
their administrative measures). Thus it is that the true ruler must not
fail to cultivate his self; and, having it in mind to do this, he must
not fail to serve his parents; and having it in mind to do this, he
must not fail to have knowledge of men; and having it in mind to have
this knowledge, he must not fail to have knowledge of Heaven.
(See my drawing in my comments on Great Learning above. Same meaning.)

There are five things which concern everybody in the Great Society,
as also do the three means by which these five things are accomplished.
To explain, the relationship between sovereign and subject, between
father and son, between husband and wife, between elder and younger
brother, and the equal intercourse of friend and friend; these five
relationships concern everybody in the Great Society. Knowledge,
human-heartedness, and fortitude, these three are the means; for these
qualities are the spiritual power in society as a whole. The means by
which this power is made effective is unity.
(This lecture is secondary.)

Some people know these relationships by the light of nature. Others
know them by learning about them from a teacher. Others, again, know
them through hard experience. But once they all do know them, there is
unity. Some people practice these relationships with a natural ease.
Others derive worldly advantage from their practice of them. Others,
again, have to force themselves to practice them. But once they all
have achieved success in practicing them, there is unity.
(Meditation will develop intuitive power in you.)

The Master said: 'To love to learn is to be near to having
knowledge. To put into practice vigorously is to be near to being
human-hearted. To know the stings of shame is to be near to fortitude.
So we may infer that the man who knows these three things, knows how to
cultivate his self. When he knows how to do that, it may be inferred
that he knows how to rule other individuals. And, when he knows how to
do that, it may be inferred that he knows how to rule the whole of the
Great Society with its states and families.
(Confucius himself and his so called sage-kings were unable to bring
peace to the world world, so his words are useless. I think he just
copied from old book like the Book of Songs etc. Or else he should have
brought world peace in around 550 BC.)

For those whose function covers the whole Great Society or any one
of its constituent states, there are nine basic duties: cultivation of
one's self, honoring men of worth, affectionate treatment of the royal
family, high respect towards ministers of state, courtesy towards all
the other officers, fatherly care of the common people, promotion of
the hundred crafts, kindly treatment of strangers, enlistment of the
fervent loyalty of the fief-holders. Let the self be cultivated, then
the Way is established in the country. Let the right men be put into
the right posts, then mistakes[? in administration] will not occur. Let
the royal family be treated affectionately, then the royal uncles and
cousins will bear no ill will. Let the ministers of state be held in
high respect, then there will be no vacillation in policy. Let courtesy
be extended to all the other officers, then the lower ranks will doubly
repay that courtesy. Let fatherly care be bestowed on the common
people, then they will gladly obey. Let the hundred crafts be promoted,
then the resources for expenditure will be ample. Let strangers be
treated with kindness, then men from all parts will be attracted. Let
the loyalty of the fief-holders be enlisted, then the whole Great
Society will stand in awe of the Throne.
(The main point is self cultivation - meditation. The other words are
not so important.)

(At the times of solemn sacrifice) when purification is to be made
and ritual robes to be worn, if nothing be done in contravention of the
established order of procedure, this is the means by which the
individual self is cultivated. If intrigues be expelled from court and
seductive beauties kept well away, if riches be regarded lightly and
the virtue in men be prized, men of worth are thereby encouraged. If
high titles together with generous allowances be given to the members
of the royal family, if sympathy be shown with their natural likes and
dislikes, they are thereby encouraged to family affection. If their
departments be enlarged, and they be given full responsibility,
ministers of state are thereby encouraged. If an honest confidence be
given to them and allowances be on a generous scale, lower ranks of
officers are thereby encouraged. If the corvee be used only at the
farmer's slack time and the taxes be lightened, the common people are
thereby encouraged. If daily and monthly trials of skill be held, and
grants of better rations be given on the merit of the work done, the
hundred crafts are thereby encouraged. If they be escorted on their
return and welcomed on their arrival, if those who are men of merit be
entertained and those who are not be given charity, kindness is thereby
shown to strangers. If arrangements be made for sacrifices in great
families whose line of succession has been broken, and fiefs which have
been extinguished be restored, if order be made where anarchy prevails
and support be given where there is danger from attack, and if courts
be held at stated intervals and a generous bounty be dispensed at their
close with a moderate tribute required at their opening, the fervent
loyalty of the fief-holders is thereby enlisted. These are the nine
basic duties for the men whose function covers the whole Great Society
or one of its states. By the practice of these duties and the way in
which they work, there is unity.
(This lecture is secondary)

In the transaction of business success depends on preparation
beforehand: without preparation there will be failure. If you decide
beforehand what you are going to say, (when the time comes) you will
not stutter and stammer; and if you are decided on what you are setting
out to do, you will fall into no quandaries. Decide (therefore)
beforehand what conduct should be, and then there will be no regrets:
decide beforehand what the Way is, and then there will be no limit to
the result. Thus, unless those in the higher rank of society can
capture the confidence of those in the lower ranks it is impossible for
them to gain the support of the people for their administrative
measures. But there is only one way by which this confidence may be
captured; for, if friends cannot trust each other, there can be no
confidence in the men in the higher ranks. But there is only one way by
which friends can come to trust each other; for if men are not dutiful
to their parents, there can be no trust between them as friends. But
there is only one way for men to be dutiful to their parents; for, if
in rounding in on themselves, they are not true, they cannot be dutiful
to their parents. But there is only one way for a man to have a true
and real self; for, if he does not understand the good, he cannot be
true and real in himself.
(Another useless talk.)

It is the characteristic of Heaven to be the real. It is the
characteristic of man to be coming-to-be-real. (For a man) to be real
[ie to have achieved realness] is to hit the Mean without effort, to
have it without thinking of it, entirely naturally to be centred in the
Way. This is to be a sage. To be coming-to-be-real is to choose the
good and hold fast to it. This involves learning all about the good,
asking about it, thinking it over carefully, getting it clear by
contrast, and faithfully putting it into practice. If there is any part
about which he has not learnt or asked questions, which he has not
thought over and got clear by contrast, or which he has not put into
practice, he sets to work to learn and ask and think and get clear and
put into practice. If he does not get the required result, he still
does not give up working. When he sees other men succeeding by one
effort, or it may be a hundred, he is prepared to add a hundredfold to
his own effort. The man who can last this course, although he is
stupid, will come to understand: although he is weak, will become
strong.
(Good for everyone.)

To (be able to) proceed from (the capacity for) realness to
understanding is to be ascribed to the nature of man. To proceed from
understanding to realness is to be ascribed to instruction in truth.
Logically, realness involves understanding and understanding involves
realness.

It is only the man who is entirely real in this world of experience
who has the power to give full development to his own nature. If he has
that power, it follows that he has the power to give development to
other men's nature. If he has that power, it follows that he has the
power to give full development to the natures of the creatures. Thus it
is possible for him to be assisting the transforming, nourishing work
of heaven and earth. That being so, it is possible for him to be part
of a trinity of power (heaven, earth, and himself).
(This is true and I don't know where he copied from?)

For, in the second place, with regard to the lopsided man, he can
have realness. Assuming there is realness, the inference is that it
takes on form. If it takes on form, then it is conspicuous. If
conspicuous, then full of light: if full of light, then stirring
things: if stirring things, than changing them: if changing them, then
transforming them. Thus it is only the man who is entirely real in the
world of experience who has the capacity to transform.

A characteristic of the entirely real man is that he is able to
foreknow. When a country is about to flourish, there are bound to be
omens of good. When it is about to perish, there are bound to be omens
of evil fortune. These are revealed in the milfoil and (the lines on
the shell of) the tortoise. They affect the four limbs. When disasters
or blessings are on the way, the morally good and the morally evil
(elements) in a country are bound to be known first of all. Thus the
entirely real man has a likeness to the divine.
(The mention of fortune telling is ill-placed. So many Chinese depend
on it to do their daily work. This is stupid.)

Realness is self-completing, and the way of it is to be
self-directing. Realness is the end as well as the beginning of things,
for without realness there would be no things at all: which is the
reason why the true man prizes above everything coming-to-be-real.
Realness is not merely a matter of an individual completing himself. It
is also that by which things in general are completed. The completing
of the individual self involves man-to-man-ness (jen). The completing
of things in general involves knowledge. Man-to-man-ness and knowledge
are spiritual powers (te) inherent in man, and they are the bridge
[lit. tao, way] bringing together the outer and the inner. Hence it is
self-evidently right that realness should function continuously.
(No comment yet because of the Chinese word Realness.)

The result is that entire realness never ceases for a moment. Now
if that be so, then it must be extended in time: if extended in time,
then capable of proof: if capable of proof, then extended in
space-length: if extended in length, then extended in area: if extended
in area, then extended in height-visibility. And this quality of
extension in area is what makes material things supportable from below:
this quality of extension in height-visibility is what makes things
coverable from above: whilst the extension in time is what makes them
capable of completion. thus area pairs with earth, height-visibility
with heaven, and space plus time makes limitlessness. This being its
nature, it is not visible and yet clearly visible, does not
(deliberately) stir things and yet changes them, takes no action and
yet completes them.
[This is abstract talk, like the Diamond Sutra talking about the six
directions. Here it mentions the inaction (wu wei) and completion of
things.]

The Way of Heaven-and-Earth may be summed up in a word, namely,
their function in relation to all things is unique, and consequently
their giving of life to all things is unfathomable. The Way of
Heaven-and-Earth is large, is substantial, is high, is brilliant, is
far-reaching, is long-enduring. But take now the heaven before us with
its bits of brightness: and yet viewed in its inexhaustible extent with
its network of sun and moon and stars, constituting the canopy over all
creation. Let us take this earth before us, a handful of soil: and yet
bearing the burden of the Hua Mountains and the rivers and the seas
without feeling the weight or letting the water seep away. Take this
mountain, just a fistful of stones: and yet on its broad flanks
producing plants and trees, making a home for birds and beasts, and
storing within masses of precious stones and metals. Take this piece of
water, just a ladleful: and yet in its plumbed depths producing all the
fishes and monsters of the deep which are of so great profit to
mankind.
The Book of Songs has the words: 'Heaven's decrees, how gloriously
unceasing they are': which means that this is what makes heaven to be
Heaven. And again, 'How concealed from view was the purity of spiritual
power (te) in King Wen': which means that this was what made King Wen
to be wen (the civilized): for purity does not stop.
[The verses here are talking about the face. Sun and moon represent our
eyes. The Hua mountain represents our nose. (42 sections Sutra's last
section has saying like 'Samadhi is like the splendor in front' the Hua
word is used.) The water represents our tears. Confucius was trying to
pin point the word 'wen' to mean something here.]

How supreme is the Way of the sage man, (the influence of it)
spreading far and wide like the ocean. His Way nourishes all creation.
Its influence reaches to the height of heaven. And how yet more supreme
are the Three Hundred Maxims of the Ritual Code, and the ten times more
on discipline in conduct. 'Unless the power of personality (te) be of
the highest, the highest result of the Way cannot be consolidated.'
Therefore the enlightened man does homage to the spiritual power (te)
which is his by nature and applies himself to personal study (of li).
The further a-field he goes in this, the more he explores the hidden
subtleties. At the peak of enlightenment the mean in action directs
him. Thus it is that he studies the old past and comes to know the new
present, and gives earnest attention to (the principles and practice
of) the Ritual Code.
(Mean-in-action here could mean Tao or Way. Ritual Code is out of
context here.)

It follows from this that in a high position the enlightened man is
not proud, in a low position he is not insubordinate. When things are
right in the country his advice is such that he has to be employed.
When things are wrong, his silence is such that he cannot be treated
harshly. Is not this the meaning of the saying in the Book of songs:
'His intelligence and wisdom are a protection to himself'?
As the Master said: 'To be ignorant and have a passion for one's own
opinion, to be in a low position and be entirely self-willed, to live
in the world today and go continually back to the old ways: people of
this sort invite calamity on themselves.'

The Son of Heaven is the only person who has the right to decide
the rules of li (ritual), the weights and measures, and the forms of
the characters. Take the Great Society as we see it today. Carriage
wheels have to be a uniform distance apart, books have to be written in
uniform characters, and conduct is regulated by uniform relationships.
Although a man occupy the throne, if he has not the corresponding moral
personality, he has not the right to make new rituals and music. Nor if
he has the moral personality but does not occupy the throne has he this
right. The Master said: 'I can speak of the Hsia Ritual, but (the
authorities in) Chih State cannot prove what they were. I can study the
Yin Ritual, because it still exists in Sung State. Actually I study the
Chou Ritual, for it is in use today. I follow Chou.'
(No point talking about rituals.)

If the man who exercises kinship in the Great Society has the three
important matters (of ritual, weights and measures, and the forms of
the characters) in hand, he will seldom go wrong. But, if the man at
the head be good but does not give such visible proof of his goodness,
then being unattested, he does not inspire confidence, and the people,
in consequence, do not obey. So also with his officials if they be good
but have no respect (for the regulations which they enforce): they also
do not inspire confidence, and the people, in consequence, do not obey.
Thus it is that the Way of the true monarch is rooted and grounded in
his own personality and proves itself in the eyes of the people, bears
examination by the Three Sage-Kings, and reveals no fundamental errors:
is built up in accord with Heaven-and-Earth and shows no contradiction
(of its laws): is tested in relation to the manes and creates no
doubts: and is able without society going astray to wait a hundred
generations for a sage. If (a monarch's way) can stand the test in
relation to the manes, then he has understanding of Heaven. If it can
thus wait a hundred generations for a sage man without leading society
astray, then he has understanding of man. And thus it is that the true
monarch's influence may last for generations as the Way for the Great
Society, and his deeds be an example and his words a pattern. Then
people in far-off places look longingly to him; and those who are near
will not grow weary of him.
The Book of Songs has the words: 'In this quarter no hatred (of him),
in that no wearying. Almost without ceasing night and day they continue
their praises.' There never has been a true monarch of this kind who
became widely known as 'a highly reputable parasite.'
(A hundred generation is about right. Confucius's descendants are now
in the 80th generation. It is very close. This confirms my saying that
sage-kings of Confucius were not sages when they were kings.)

Chung Ni handed on the (traditions of) Yao and Shun as if they had
been his ancestors, and took Wen and Wu's laws as subject of
exposition. These conformed with the regularity of the stars above and
fulfilled the laws of land and water below. They are to be compared
with heaven and earth, for there is nothing which they do not hold and
sustain, nothing which they do not cover and envelop. They are to be
compared with the seasons in their interaction, with the light of the
sun and the light of the moon giving place to each other. Thus all
creatures were nourished alike with none injuring their fellows. All
men pursued the Way alike with none contradicting it to another. By the
virtue of their lesser powers the streams flowed in their courses; and
by virtue of their greater powers there were mighty transformations.
This in them is that by which Heaven-and-Earth is supreme.
(The talk of traditions and laws is out of place.)

It is only the man who is entirely sage-like in the Great Society
who can be both brilliant in intellect and intuitively wise, and thus
be adequate for being over all men: who can be magnanimous and
tender-hearted, and thus be adequate for being king to all: who can be
strong and determined, and thus be adequate for holding all in control:
who can be outwardly composed and inwardly true, and thus be adequate
for being revered: who can be cultured in mind and withdrawn into his
studious thoughts, and thus be adequate for distinguishing between true
and false. Like a fathomless deep spring, continually gushing forth and
watering far and wide! Being all-embracing like heaven and deep as a
spring from the abyss, when he appears, the people all revere him: when
he speaks, they all trust him: when he acts, they all take delight in
him. Thus it is that his fame spreads from end to end of the civilized
world [lit. the Middle Kingdom] and even to the barbarian tribes. Where
ships and carriages go, wherever the strength of man penetrates,
wherever the canopy of heaven is overhead and the earth bears up the
world, on whatever spot the sun and the moon shine and the frosts and
dews fall, all who have blood and breath pay loving homage to him. And
thus it may be said, he pairs with Heaven.
[(God), Middle Kingdom is China.]

It is only the man who is entirely real in his world of men who can
make the warp and woof of the great fabric of civilized life, who can
establish the great foundations of civilized society, and who can
understand the nourishing processes of heaven and earth. Can there be
any variableness in him? His human-heartedness how insistent! His depth
how unfathomable! His super-humanness how overwhelming! Who is there
who can comprehend this unless he posses acute intelligence and
sage-like wisdom, unless he reach out to the spiritual power of Heaven!

(Only the One to come will know about this.)

There is the expression in the Book of Songs: 'Over her embroidered
robe she wears a simple cloak'; for she dislikes the display of the
robe's elegance. Hence the Way of the true man is hidden from view yet
daily more resplendent, whilst the untrue man takes the obvious path
and daily goes more and more to ruin. The true man may seem tasteless,
but people do not weary of him. He has simplicity along with great
accomplishments, is thorough but all in accord with principle. He knows
the nearness of the distant, that, indeed, the wind must come from
somewhere, that the invisible must become visible. Such a man has the
right to enter into spiritual power.
As it is said in the Book of Songs: 'Without a word we seek the
presence. During this time (of sacrifice) all quarrels are put aside.'
Before the true monarch gives rewards for goodness, the people are
already encouraged to be good. Before he punishes in his anger, they
fear him in a way that no hatchets or battle-axes can make them fear.
As it is said in the Book of Songs: 'Nothing is more resplendent than
their spiritual power. The chieftains all pattern themselves on it.'
Thus it is that the true monarch is true-hearted and reverent of
spirit, and the world is at peace.
As the saying is in the Book of Songs: 'I am moved by your spiritual
power of understanding. You do not build your fame on empty show.'
And the Master said: 'Of the means of transforming the people, the
least is the bubble of fame.'
And, again, in the Book of Songs: 'Spiritual power is weightless as a
hair. Yet even a hair has weight for comparison.' But 'the deeds of
high Heaven are without sound and smell.' This is perfection.

(23rd July 2001) Where does the spiritual power come from? By
Confucian theory? Those who talk too much don't understand this.
Spiritual power comes from inaction or meditation. Therefore action
(inaction) is supreme. With the spiritual power, one can do
propagation. This propagation increases further the spiritual power
because of compassion, love for fellow human being. In Buddhist term,
it is the 'Great Vehicle' or Mahayana.

My Articles Home Great Learning Analects of Confucius

Edited on 3rd July 2005