"Doctorine of the Mean" - читать интересную книгу автора (Confucius)

by his friends, he will not get the confidence of his sovereign. There
is a way to being trusted by one's friends;-if one is not obedient
to his parents, he will not be true to friends. There is a way to
being obedient to one's parents;-if one, on turning his thoughts in
upon himself, finds a want of sincerity, he will not be obedient to
his parents. There is a way to the attainment of sincerity in one's
self; -if a man do not understand what is good, he will not attain
sincerity in himself.
"Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is
the way of men. He who possesses sincerity is he who, without an
effort, hits what is right, and apprehends, without the exercise of
thought;-he is the sage who naturally and easily embodies the right
way. He who attains to sincerity is he who chooses what is good, and
firmly holds it fast.
"To this attainment there are requisite the extensive study of
what is good, accurate inquiry about it, careful reflection on it, the
clear discrimination of it, and the earnest practice of it.
"The superior man, while there is anything he has not studied, or
while in what he has studied there is anything he cannot understand,
Will not intermit his labor. While there is anything he has not
inquired about, or anything in what he has inquired about which he
does not know, he will not intermit his labor. While there is anything
which he has not reflected on, or anything in what he has reflected on
which he does not apprehend, he will not intermit his labor. While
there is anything which he has not discriminated or his discrimination
is not clear, he will not intermit his labor. If there be anything
which he has not practiced, or his practice fails in earnestness, he
will not intermit his labor. If another man succeed by one effort,
he will use a hundred efforts. If another man succeed by ten
efforts, he will use a thousand.
"Let a man proceed in this way, and, though dull, he will surely
become intelligent; though weak, he will surely become strong."
When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition
is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity resulting from
intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But
given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the
intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity.
It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity that
can exist under heaven, who can give its fun development to his
nature. Able to give its full development to his own nature, he can do
the same to the nature of other men. Able to give its full development
to the nature of other men, he can give their full development to
the natures of animals and things. Able to give their full development
to the natures of creatures and things, he can assist the transforming
and nourishing powers of Heaven and Earth. Able to assist the
transforming and nourishing powers of Heaven and Earth, he may with
Heaven and Earth form a ternion.
Next to the above is he who cultivates to the utmost the shoots of
goodness in him. From those he can attain to the possession of
sincerity. This sincerity becomes apparent. From being apparent, it