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The Great Learning. A Confucian Classic
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| Glimpses at what others harvested - |
Incidentally, the words 'Confucius', 'Confucian', and 'Confucianism' are not really meaningful terms among the Chinese, but are rather Western terms with no counterparts in Chinese. - T. Kinnes
Contents
Supporting "well medleys" are presupposed
throughout:From the Great Learning
One
THE SOVEREIGN has a great course to pursue. He must show entire self-devotion and
sincerity to attain it, and by pride and extravagance he will fail of it. (1) 
Two
WHEN HE who presides over a state or a family makes his revenues his chief business,
he must be under the influence of some small, mean man. (3)One should let great learning teach the highest excellence. (4)
The officer Mang Hsien said: He who keeps horses and a carriage does not look after fowls and pigs.
The vicious ruler accumulates wealth at the expense of his life.
Three
THE HOUSE which owns a hundred chariots should not keep a minister to look out for
imposts that he may lay them on the people. It were better for that house to have one who
should rob it of its revenues than to have such a minister,. This is in accordance with the
saying "In a state, money gain is not to be considered to be prosperity, but its prosperity
will be found in righteousness."The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue, first ordered well their own states.From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of much else besides.*
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 might be better regulated.
Their families being better regulated, their states were better governed.
If their states were well governed, the whole kingdom could be tranquil and happy.*
Attend to the root of things and what springs from it may be quite well ordered.*
Anything of great importance needs to be greatly cared for, and vice versa: Only slightly care for what is of slight importance.
Calmness brings about a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation,
and that deliberation can be followed by the attainment of the desired end.
(6)
Summary
And lo
[More content is being prepared. - T. Kinnes]
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Adjoined
See:Chan, Wing-Tsit: A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press. New Jersey, 1963, p. 84-94.
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