"Great Learning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Confucius)

500 BC
THE GREAT LEARNING
Confucius

WHAT THE GREAT LEARNING teaches, is to illustrate illustrious
virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence.
The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then
determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may
be attained to. To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose.
In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that
deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end.
Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end
and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will
lead near to what is taught in the Great Learning.
The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue
throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing
to order well their states, they first regulated their families.
Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their
persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified
their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be
sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts,
they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of
knowledge lay in the investigation of things.
Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their
knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their
thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts
being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being
cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being
regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being
rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.
From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must
consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.
It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring
from it will be well ordered. It never has been the case that what was
of great importance has been slightly cared for, and, at the same
time, that what was of slight importance has been greatly cared for.

COMMENTARY OF THE PHILOSOPHER TSANG

In the Announcement to K'ang, it is said, "He was able to make his
virtue illustrious."
In the Tai Chia, it is said, "He contemplated and studied the
illustrious decrees of Heaven."
In the Canon of the emperor (Yao), it is said, "He was able to
make illustrious his lofty virtue."
These passages all show how those sovereigns made themselves
illustrious.
On the bathing tub of T'ang, the following words were engraved:
"If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let
there be daily renovation."