The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean. €GL. €DM.
"Unroll it, and it fills the universe; roll it up, and it retires and lies hid in mysteriousness."
This Galileo Ebook contains the complete text of two short, but very important, works: The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean.
The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean are portions of the Li Chi (The Book of Rites), one of the "Five Classics" of the Zhou dynasty. They became known as works in themselves, and eventually became two of the "Four Books", the four "Confucian" classics (along with Confucius and Mencius). But the form in which they traditionally appear is different from that which they take within the Li Chi. They were traditionally thought to have been edited by Confucius, and may indeed have been so. Approximately 1500 years later they were also edited by the great neo-Confucian scholar Chu Hsi, whose version became the accepted standard. They were the basis of the Chinese examination system for hundreds of years.
Given here are the complete contents as edited by Chu Hsi, and as translated by the great Sinologist James Legge. It was originally prepared for the Sacred Books of the East series, published during the nineteenth century under the general editorship of Max Muller.
Double-click for a series of introductory notes: €GL. €DM.
Future editions of the Chinese classics will hopefully incorporate actual Chinese characters using Apple's WorldScript, as well as use the current system for writing Chinese words in English (Dr. Legge used a now very outdated system). It will be more useful once it is extensively hyper-linked both to and from the other Chinese classics in the Galileo Library (and other works), and when definitions of common terms are entered into the Glindex (glossary/index). Eventually we will attach the full scholarly apparatus, including notes by Dr. Legge and modern scholars.
Card 1 Great Learning and Mean. Intro.
Card 2 Preface and Introduction.
Card 3 Great Learning. Introduction.
Card 4 Great Learning. Chapter 1.
Card 5 Great Learning. Chapter 2.
Card 6 Great Learning. Chapter 3.
Card 7 Great Learning. Chapter 4.
Card 8 Great Learning. Chapter 5.
Card 9 Great Learning. Chapter 6.
Card 10 Great Learning. Chapter 7.
Card 11 Great Learning. Chapter 8.
Card 12 Great Learning. Chapter 9.
Card 13 Great Learning. Chapter 10.
Card 14 Great Learning. Conclusion.
Card 15 Golden Mean. Introduction.
Card 16 Golden Mean. Chapter 1.
Card 17 Golden Mean. Chapter 2.
Card 18 Golden Mean. Chapter 3.
Card 19 Golden Mean. Chapter 4.
Card 20 Golden Mean. Chapter 5.
Card 21 Golden Mean. Chapter 6.
Card 22 Golden Mean. Chapter 7.
Card 23 Golden Mean. Chapter 8.
Card 24 Golden Mean. Chapter 9.
Card 25 Golden Mean. Chapter 10.
Card 26 Golden Mean. Chapter 11.
Card 27 Golden Mean. Chapter 12.
Card 28 Golden Mean. Chapter 13.
Card 29 Golden Mean. Chapter 14.
Card 30 Golden Mean. Chapter 15.
Card 31 Golden Mean. Chapter 16.
Card 32 Golden Mean. Chapter 17.
Card 33 Golden Mean. Chapter 18.
Card 34 Golden Mean. Chapter 19.
Card 35 Golden Mean. Chapter 20.
Card 36 Golden Mean. Chapter 21.
Card 37 Golden Mean. Chapter 22.
Card 38 Golden Mean. Chapter 23.
Card 39 Golden Mean. Chapter 24.
Card 40 Golden Mean. Chapter 25.
Card 41 Golden Mean. Chapter 26.
Card 42 Golden Mean. Chapter 27.
Card 43 Golden Mean. Chapter 28.
Card 44 Golden Mean. Chapter 29.
Card 45 Golden Mean. Chapter 30.
Card 46 Golden Mean. Chapter 31.
Card 47 Golden Mean. Chapter 32.
Card 48 Golden Mean. Chapter 33.
"Unroll it, and it fills the universe; roll it up, and it retires and lies hid in mysteriousness."
This Galileo Ebook contains the complete text of two short, but very important, works: The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean.
The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean are portions of the Li Chi (The Book of Rites), one of the "Five Classics" of the Zhou dynasty. They became known as works in themselves, and eventually became two of the "Four Books", the four "Confucian" classics (along with Confucius and Mencius). But the form in which they traditionally appear is different from that which they take within the Li Chi. They were traditionally thought to have been edited by Confucius, and may indeed have been so. Approximately 1500 years later they were also edited by the great neo-Confucian scholar Chu Hsi, whose version became the accepted standard. They were the basis of the Chinese examination system for hundreds of years.
Given here are the complete contents as edited by Chu Hsi, and as translated by the great Sinologist James Legge. It was originally prepared for the Sacred Books of the East series, published during the nineteenth century under the general editorship of Max Muller.
Double-click for a series of introductory notes: €GL. €DM.
Future editions of the Chinese classics will hopefully incorporate actual Chinese characters using Apple's WorldScript, as well as use the current system for writing Chinese words in English (Dr. Legge used a now very outdated system). It will be more useful once it is extensively hyper-linked both to and from the other Chinese classics in the Galileo Library (and other works), and when definitions of common terms are entered into the Glindex (glossary/index). Eventually we will attach the full scholarly apparatus, including notes by Dr. Legge and modern scholars.
Card 1 Great Learning and Mean. Intro.
Card 2 Preface and Introduction.
Card 3 Great Learning. Introduction.
Card 4 Great Learning. Chapter 1.
Card 5 Great Learning. Chapter 2.
Card 6 Great Learning. Chapter 3.
Card 7 Great Learning. Chapter 4.
Card 8 Great Learning. Chapter 5.
Card 9 Great Learning. Chapter 6.
Card 10 Great Learning. Chapter 7.
Card 11 Great Learning. Chapter 8.
Card 12 Great Learning. Chapter 9.
Card 13 Great Learning. Chapter 10.
Card 14 Great Learning. Conclusion.
Card 15 Golden Mean. Introduction.
Card 16 Golden Mean. Chapter 1.
Card 17 Golden Mean. Chapter 2.
Card 18 Golden Mean. Chapter 3.
Card 19 Golden Mean. Chapter 4.
Card 20 Golden Mean. Chapter 5.
Card 21 Golden Mean. Chapter 6.
Card 22 Golden Mean. Chapter 7.
Card 23 Golden Mean. Chapter 8.
Card 24 Golden Mean. Chapter 9.
Card 25 Golden Mean. Chapter 10.
Card 26 Golden Mean. Chapter 11.
Card 27 Golden Mean. Chapter 12.
Card 28 Golden Mean. Chapter 13.
Card 29 Golden Mean. Chapter 14.
Card 30 Golden Mean. Chapter 15.
Card 31 Golden Mean. Chapter 16.
Card 32 Golden Mean. Chapter 17.
Card 33 Golden Mean. Chapter 18.
Card 34 Golden Mean. Chapter 19.
Card 35 Golden Mean. Chapter 20.
Card 36 Golden Mean. Chapter 21.
Card 37 Golden Mean. Chapter 22.
Card 38 Golden Mean. Chapter 23.
Card 39 Golden Mean. Chapter 24.
Card 40 Golden Mean. Chapter 25.
Card 41 Golden Mean. Chapter 26.
Card 42 Golden Mean. Chapter 27.
Card 43 Golden Mean. Chapter 28.
Card 44 Golden Mean. Chapter 29.
Card 45 Golden Mean. Chapter 30.
Card 46 Golden Mean. Chapter 31.
Card 47 Golden Mean. Chapter 32.
Card 48 Golden Mean. Chapter 33.
Footer section, if any
Text source: €GL. The Great Learning. Introduction by Chu Hsi. My master, the philosopher Ch'ang, says: "The Great Learning is a Book transmitted by the Confucian School, and forms the gate by which the first learners enter into virtue.
€GL. That we can now perceive the order in which the ancients pursued their learning is solely owing to the preservation of this work, the Analects and Mencius coming after it.
€GL. Learners must commence their course with this, and then it may be hoped they will be kept from error."
€GL. My master, the philosopher Ch'ang, says ‹ "Being without inclination to either side is called Chung; admitting of no change is called Yung.
€GL. By Chung is denoted the correct course to be pursued by all under heaven; Š
€GL. Š by Yung is denoted the fixed principle regulating all under heaven.
€GL. This work contains the law of the mind, which was handed down from one to another, in the Confucian school, Š
€GL. Š till Tsze-sze, fearing lest in the course of time errors should arise about it, committed it to writing, and delivered it to Mencius.
€GL. The Book first speaks of one principle; it next spreads this out, and embraces all things; finally, it returns and gathers them all up under the one principle.
€GL. Unroll it, and it fills the universe; roll it up, and it retires and lies hid in mysteriousness.
€GL. The relish of it is inexhaustible.
€GL. The whole of it is solid learning.
€GL. When the skillful reader has explored it with delight till he has apprehended it, he may carry it into practice all his life, and will find that it cannot be exhausted."
€DM. The Doctrine of the Mean. Chapter 1. In the first chapter, which is given above, Tsze-sze states the view which had been handed down to him, as the basis of his discourse.
€DM. First, it shows clearly how the path of duty is to be traced to its origin in Heaven, and is unchangeable, while the substance of it is provided in ourselves, and may not be departed from.
€DM. Next, it speaks of the importance of preserving and nourishing this, and of exercising a watchful self-scrutiny with reference to it.
€DM. Finally, it speaks of the meritorious achievements and transforming influence of sage and spriritual men in their highest extent.
€DM. The wish of Tsze-sze was that hereby the learner should direct his thoughts inwards, and by searching in himself, there find these truths, Š
€DM. Š so that he might put aside all outward temptations appealing to his selfishness, and fill up the measure of the goodness which is natural to him.
€DM. This chapter is what the writer Yang called it, ‹ "The sum of the whole work." In the ten chapters which follow, Tsze-sze quotes the words of the Master to complete the meaning of this.
*€A1. Generally, * indicates footnotes found in the author's original text, and € indicates notes added to the electronic editions.
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€GL. That we can now perceive the order in which the ancients pursued their learning is solely owing to the preservation of this work, the Analects and Mencius coming after it.
€GL. Learners must commence their course with this, and then it may be hoped they will be kept from error."
€GL. My master, the philosopher Ch'ang, says ‹ "Being without inclination to either side is called Chung; admitting of no change is called Yung.
€GL. By Chung is denoted the correct course to be pursued by all under heaven; Š
€GL. Š by Yung is denoted the fixed principle regulating all under heaven.
€GL. This work contains the law of the mind, which was handed down from one to another, in the Confucian school, Š
€GL. Š till Tsze-sze, fearing lest in the course of time errors should arise about it, committed it to writing, and delivered it to Mencius.
€GL. The Book first speaks of one principle; it next spreads this out, and embraces all things; finally, it returns and gathers them all up under the one principle.
€GL. Unroll it, and it fills the universe; roll it up, and it retires and lies hid in mysteriousness.
€GL. The relish of it is inexhaustible.
€GL. The whole of it is solid learning.
€GL. When the skillful reader has explored it with delight till he has apprehended it, he may carry it into practice all his life, and will find that it cannot be exhausted."
€DM. The Doctrine of the Mean. Chapter 1. In the first chapter, which is given above, Tsze-sze states the view which had been handed down to him, as the basis of his discourse.
€DM. First, it shows clearly how the path of duty is to be traced to its origin in Heaven, and is unchangeable, while the substance of it is provided in ourselves, and may not be departed from.
€DM. Next, it speaks of the importance of preserving and nourishing this, and of exercising a watchful self-scrutiny with reference to it.
€DM. Finally, it speaks of the meritorious achievements and transforming influence of sage and spriritual men in their highest extent.
€DM. The wish of Tsze-sze was that hereby the learner should direct his thoughts inwards, and by searching in himself, there find these truths, Š
€DM. Š so that he might put aside all outward temptations appealing to his selfishness, and fill up the measure of the goodness which is natural to him.
€DM. This chapter is what the writer Yang called it, ‹ "The sum of the whole work." In the ten chapters which follow, Tsze-sze quotes the words of the Master to complete the meaning of this.
*€A1. Generally, * indicates footnotes found in the author's original text, and € indicates notes added to the electronic editions.
€F10. This is a demonstration of the Footnote Broadcasting Service. It searches fields 5, 6 and 7, in that order, finding the first card with that note in each.
€F10. Eventually it will find if there are notes in this stack. If none are found, it will ask you if you want to search the glindex.
€F10. Footnotes are distinguished from other hypertext by a * or in it. * indicates footnotes found in the author's original text, and € indicates notes added to the electronic editions.
€F10. The footnote need not be on the same card and can be called from many different cards.
€F10. A footnote can be anything you wish. You can have numerous numbering systems going simultaneously, allowing you to distinguish between notes by different translators or scholars.
€F10. €F13. For instance, putting both numbers in the same footnote allows this note to be found by either €F10 or €F13.
€F10. The footnote system will find a match in field 5 (reference) on another card before finding one in field 6 (remarks) or field 7 (lessons) on the original card.
€F10. Be careful when you move, alter or delete a reference or a note that you also make any necessary changes in the corresponding reference or note.
€F10. There does not need to be any connection between the order of the footnote references and that of the notes themselves. You can move one without moving the other.
Footer section, if any
place time topic people language
China - Ancient - Philosophy - Chinese Confucians - Chinese translation
China - Ancient - Philosophy - Chinese Confucians - Chinese translation
Footer section, if any