Duke Ai asked about governance.The Master said:“The policies of Kings Wen and Wu are recorded in books and documents.Yet, when the right people are present, their policies flourish;when those people are gone, their policies cease.”
The Master said:“Was Shun not the epitome of filial piety?His virtue made him a sage; his honor made him Son of Heaven;he possessed the wealth of all within the Four Seas.He is honored in ancestral temples, and his descendants preserve his legacy.
The Master said:“The world and the state may be governed with fairness;titles and emoluments may be renounced;even bare blades may be trodden upon –yet the Doctrine of the Mean is what cannot be practiced!”
The Master said:“Yan Hui was such a person –he chose the Doctrine of the Mean.Whenever he grasped even a single point of goodness,he held it close to his heart with unwavering devotion and never let it go.”
The Master said:“Everyone says, ‘I am wise!’Yet when driven into nets, snares, and traps,none of them knows how to avoid them.Everyone says, ‘I am wise!’Yet even if they choose the Doctrine of the Mean,they cannot hold to it for even a month.”
The Master sighed:“Alas! The Way will surely not be practiced in the world.”
The Master said:“I know why the Way is not practiced:the wise go too far, while the foolish fall short.I know why the Way is not understood:the virtuous overreach, while the unworthy do not reach it at all.Everyone eats and drinks, yet few truly discern the flavor.”
The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, both integral to the Confucian “Four Books,” share a focus on “self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and universal peace” but diverge in philosophical emphasis, stylistic approach, and practical pathways, forming a complementary system of Confucian ethics.