"Zhongyong" is an ancient Chinese treatise on the cultivation of life, one of the Confucian classics, originally belonged to the thirty-first article of the Book of Rites, and is said to have been composed by Zi Si during the Warring States period. Its content affirms that "moderation" is the highest standard of moral behavior, believes that "sincerity" reaches the highest state of life, and puts forward the learning process and understanding method of "erudition, interrogation, careful thinking, discernment, and perseverance". Song Dynasty scholars extracted the Zhongyong from the Book of Rites and referred to it together with the University, the Analects, and Mencius as the "Four Books". After the Song and Yuan dynasties, it became an official textbook for schools and a required reading for the imperial examinations, which had a great impact on ancient Chinese education and society.
01. A gentleman is wary of what he does not see, and fearful of what he does not hear. Mo sees hidden, Mo is microscopic, so the gentleman is cautious and independent.
Virtuous people are also cautious where no one sees them, and they are wary where no one hears. The more hidden the place, the easier it is to reveal, and the more subtle things are, the easier it is to manifest. Therefore, people of high moral character should be more cautious when they are alone and alone.
02, the undeveloped joys and sorrows are said to be in the middle; the hairs are all in the middle, which is said to be the sum. The one who is in the middle, the great ben of the world, and the one who is also the one who is in the world, the way of the world. To neutralize, heaven to the heavens, and all things to nurture.
When these feelings of joy and sorrow are not expressed, they are called "medium"; when they are expressed in moderation and not excessively, they are called "and". "Zhong" is the nature of everyone; "and" is the principle universally followed by the world. In the best of the "neutralization" path, the heavens and the earth will be in their place, and all things will grow and multiply.
03, the gentleman is moderate, the villain is anti-moderate. Among the gentlemen, the gentlemen are also in the middle; the villains are also mediocre, and the villains are unscrupulous.
The words and deeds of a gentleman conform to the middle way, and the words and deeds of the villain go against the middle way. The reason why a gentleman conforms to moderation is because a gentleman can do a moderate job in the middle of change; the reason why a villain violates moderation is because the villain is unscrupulous and goes to extremes.
04, a gentleman is in his place, unwilling to be outside. Plain rich, do rich; plain poor, poor and lowly; Su Yidi, act Yidi; Su affliction, do affliction. A gentleman is infallible and self-absorbed.
A gentleman is content with his current position, to do what he should do, and not to envy anything other than his duty. In the current position of being rich and noble, do what the rich and noble should do; in the situation of being poor and lowly, do what the poor and lowly should do; in the position of Yidi, do what Yidi should do; in the midst of suffering, do what should be done in the midst of suffering. No matter what the situation a gentleman is in, he can be at ease.
05, gentleman and not flow, strong correction! Neutral and not leaning, strong correction!
People of high moral character are gentle and do not follow the tide, this is really strong! Staying neutral and not biased is really strong!
06. Faithfulness and forgiveness are not far from the way, and it is not easy to do to oneself, nor to others.
If a person is faithful and forgiving, it is not far from the middle way, and if you are not willing to do something, do not impose it on others.
07, the act of mediocrity, the prudence of words, some deficiencies, do not dare not encourage, do not dare to exhaust. Words and deeds, deeds and deeds, gentlemen are not afraid?
Ordinary virtues should be practiced diligently, and ordinary words should be spoken with caution. Where there are deficiencies in the practice of virtue, we dare not encourage ourselves; we must leave room for speech and not overdo it. Speech must conform to one's own behavior, and behavior must conform to one's own speech, how can such a gentleman be unfaithful and honest?
08, justify yourself and do not seek others, then there is no complaint. The upper does not complain about the sky, and the lower is not special. Therefore, it is easy for a gentleman to live a life, and a villain to take risks to be lucky.
Straighten yourself out and don't be harsh on others, so that there will be no complaints. Do not resent the heavens for the upper, and do not blame others for the lower. Therefore, the gentleman keeps to himself and waits for the arrangement of fate, while the "little man" specializes in risky things and wants to get lucky and get the benefits of non-points.
09, shoot what seems to be a gentleman, lose all the right hooves, but ask for his body.
A gentleman standing in the world is like shooting an arrow, the arrow did not hit the bullseye, do not blame the target is not correct, only blame himself for not doing archery, the intention is not right.
10. The way of a gentleman, if you go far, you will be self-defeating; if you are ascending to a high place, you will be inferior.
A gentleman practicing the middle way, like taking a long way, must start from a near place; just like climbing a mountain, he must start from a low place.
11, eager to learn almost know, practice almost benevolent, know shame almost courageous. Knowing the three, then knowing the self-cultivation; knowing the cultivation of the body, then knowing the so ruling the people; knowing the so ruling the people, then knowing the reason for ruling the world and the country.
To like to learn is to approach wisdom, to work hard is to be close to benevolence, to know shame is to be brave. Knowing these three points, you know how to cultivate yourself, you know how to cultivate yourself, you know how to manage others, you know how to manage others, and you know how to govern the country under the heavens.
12. Knowledge, benevolence, and courage, the world's Dadeya. So the one who does it, one also.
Wisdom, benevolence, and courage are virtues that are common throughout the ages. It all depends on a 'sincere' word.
13. Everything is established if it is hesitant, and if it is not hesitated, it will be abolished. If you say what you say, you will not hesitate; if you decide beforehand, you will not be sleepy; if you do what you do, you will not feel guilty; if you are determined before you do, you will not be poor.
Anything that is prepared in advance will succeed, and without preparation it will fail. If you think about it before you speak, you won't be poor in language; if you prepare before you do something, you won't be embarrassed; if you are prepared before you act, you won't feel ashamed; if the road is pre-selected, you won't be cornered.
14. The one who is sincere, the way of heaven is also; the one who is sincere, the way of man. Sincerely, do not reluctantly, do not think, calmly in the middle, the saints also. Those who are sincere, those who choose the good and stubborn.
Truthfulness is the truth of all things, and the pursuit of sincerity is the principle of being a human being. People who are born sincere can conform to the middle without force, they can get what they get without thinking, and they will conform to the middle way with ease, and those who reach this state are saints. Those who strive to be sincere are those who choose the good way and persist in it.
15. Erudition, interrogation, contemplation, discernment, and perseverance.
Study extensively, inquire carefully, think carefully, discern clearly, and fulfill it faithfully.
16. There is The Buddha's Learning, the Learning of the Buddha, the Buddha's Answer; the Buddha's Question, the Question of the Buddha, the Buddha's Knowledge, the Buddha's Thought, the Buddha's Thought, the Buddha's
Either you will not stop if you don't study, you won't stop learning; you will either don't ask, you won't give up until you understand; or you won't stop if you don't think, you won't give up without thinking, you won't give up without thinking, you won't give up, you won't stop if you don't know the results.
17. One man can do what he can, and he has a hundred. Man has ten powers, and he has a thousand. If you can do this, although you are foolish, you will be clear, and if you are soft, you will be strong.
What others can do with one point of effort, they will do it with 100 percent of their efforts; what others can do with ten points of effort, they will do it with thousands of efforts. If this is true, even a foolish person will become wise, and even a weak person will become strong.
18. Only the world is sincere, in order to be able to fulfill its nature; if it can fulfill its nature, it can fulfill its human nature; if it can fulfill its human nature, it can fulfill the nature of things; if it can fulfill the nature of things, we can praise the cultivation of heaven and earth; we can praise the cultivation of heaven and earth, and we can participate with heaven and earth.
Only the most sincere people in the world can give full play to their own natural nature; if they can give full play to their natural nature, they can give full play to the nature of all people; if they can give full play to the nature of all people, they can give full play to the nature of all things; if they can give full play to the nature of all things, they can help the heavens and the earth to cultivate life; and if they can help the heavens and the earth to cultivate life, they can be listed together with the heavens and the earth as three.
19. He who is sincere is self-made; and the Tao, the Self-Tao, is also self-righteous. Sincere, the end of things; insincere, nothing. It is therefore the gentleman's sincerity that is precious.
Sincerity is used to perfect oneself, and the Tao is used to guide oneself. Sincerity is the origin and destination of everything in the world; without sincerity, there would be no all things. Therefore, a gentleman regards sincerity as the most precious thing.
20, a gentleman introspects without guilt, no evil than ambition. What is out of reach of a gentleman, but what is not seen by man?
Gentlemen often reflect on themselves, there is no guilt, and there is no shame. The reason why the virtue of a gentleman is higher than that of ordinary people is probably that he can strictly demand himself when he is not seen by others, right?