Only the supremely sage person under Heaven possesses:
- brilliant intelligence and profound wisdom, sufficient to preside over all;
- magnanimity, gentleness, and warmth, sufficient to embrace all;
- vigorous strength and resolute firmness, sufficient to uphold principles;
- solemn dignity, balance, and uprightness, sufficient to command reverence;
- refined discernment and meticulous insight, sufficient to distinguish right from wrong.
His virtue is vast as the sky and deep as a spring,
flowing forth spontaneously in due time.
Vast like Heaven, deep like an abyss.
When the people see him, none fail to revere him;
when they hear his words, none fail to trust them;
when they witness his conduct, none fail to rejoice.
Thus, his fame fills the Central States and extends even to distant barbarian tribes.
Wherever boats and carriages reach, wherever human effort penetrates –
under the canopy of Heaven, upon the breadth of Earth,
within the radiance of sun and moon, beneath the fall of frost and dew –
every being endowed with breath holds him in reverence and affection.
Therefore, it is said: he is matched with Heaven.
唯天下至聖，為能聰明睿知，足以有臨也；
寬裕溫柔，足以有容也；
發強剛毅，足以有執也；
齊莊中正，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。
Note
This chapter from the Doctrine of the Mean offers a panoramic portrait of the “supremely sage” personality, systematically articulating five core virtues of the Confucian ideal ruler and elevating this moral character to cosmic parity with Heaven and Earth.
First, the fivefold virtues constitute a complete structure of sagehood:
- Brilliant intelligence and wisdom: cognitive clarity for sound governance;
- Magnanimity and gentleness: boundless benevolence, reflecting the expansiveness of benevolence;
- Vigorous resolve and firmness: unwavering will, embodying the commitment of righteousness;
- Solemn dignity and uprightness: inner and outer rectitude that sustains ritual order;
- Refined discernment: analytical precision enabling clear moral judgment (wisdom).
Together, these represent a concrete unfolding of the Confucian cardinal virtues – benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom, and implicitly trustworthiness, evident in “none fail to trust his words” – demonstrating the comprehensiveness of “inner sageliness.”
The phrase “vast as the sky and deep as a spring, flowing forth spontaneously” marks a crucial shift: the sage’s virtue is not static possession but dynamic, timely expression – natural and effortless, like Heaven covering all or a spring welling up. Zhu Xi, in his Commentary, interprets “abyss-like spring” as “profoundly still and unfathomable,” highlighting the inexhaustible depth of the sage’s inner moral reservoir; “vast like Heaven” echoes earlier descriptions of cosmic grandeur, showing his virtue matches Heaven in scope.
The triad – “people revere at sight, trust his words, rejoice in his conduct” – reveals three dimensions of the sage’s transformative influence: presence, speech, and action all become vehicles of moral education. This influence transcends cultural and geographic boundaries (“extends even to distant tribes”), achieving universal recognition: “every being with breath holds him in reverence and affection.” This is not conquest by force but the natural radiance of perfected moral character.
The closing line – “therefore, he is matched with Heaven” – captures the core message: the sage is “paired with Heaven” not merely through achievement, but because his virtue fully embodies the Heavenly Way’s creativity, inclusiveness, justice, and constancy. As the Yi Zhuan states: “The great person harmonizes his virtue with that of Heaven and Earth.” This is the pinnacle of the Confucian ideal of “Heaven-human unity.”
Thus, this chapter is not only praise for the sage but also the ultimate guide for the gentleman’s self-cultivation: only by nurturing these five virtues and integrating inner integrity with outer conduct can one approach sagehood and participate in the cosmic work of transformation.
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