-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 16. The unseen presence: Sincerity, Ghosts and Spirits
The Master said:“How vast and powerful is the virtue of ghosts and spirits!You look but do not see them; you listen but do not hear them –yet they permeate and sustain all things, never absent from any.”
-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 15. From archery to family harmony: Self-reflection and filial fulfillment
The Master said:“Archery resembles the way of the gentleman:if one misses the bullseye, one turns inward and seeks the cause in oneself.”
-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 14. At ease in every station
The gentleman acts according to his present station and does not desire what lies beyond it.If he is in wealth and honor, he acts accordingly;if in poverty and lowliness, he acts accordingly;if among barbarians, he acts accordingly;if in distress and adversity, he acts accordingly.Thus, the gentleman is at ease wherever he finds himself.
-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 13. The Way is Near: The ethics of everyday life
The Master said:“The Way is not distant from people.If one pursues the Way in a way that estranges it from human life, it cannot be called the true Way.”
-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 12. The vast and hidden Way
The Way of the gentleman is both vast and hidden.Even ordinary men and women, in their simplicity, can understand something of it; yet at its utmost height, even sages have what they do not fully know.Even unvirtuous husbands and wives can practice it in daily life; yet at its ultimate reach, even sages have…
-
Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 11. Unseen yet unshaken: The Sage’s commitment to the Mean
The Master said:“Some deliberately hide in obscurity and act eccentrically, hoping to be celebrated by later generations – I will never do such things.A gentleman who follows the Way but abandons it halfway – I could not bring myself to stop like that.Only the sage can steadfastly adhere to the Doctrine of the Mean,…