University · The Doctrine of the Mean · Li Keng's Rhymes

Author: Hao Ying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The Great Learning is the foremost of the Four Books and Five Classics, with its intrinsic spiritual value and profound meaning unmatched by any other book. "The way of the Great Learning lies in manifesting virtue, in renewing the people, and in reaching perfection." It provides meaningful guidance for both personal conduct and governance. The Great Learning is the study of the noble, teaching the principles of self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and world peace. The entire text cites the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents to establish its arguments, yet it does not mention the Book of Changes or the Commentary on the Changes once. However, its ideological framework originates from the Book of Changes and the Commentary on the Changes, serving as a model of integrating the study of the Changes into Confucianism, enriching Confucian thought with the ideas of the Changes, and blending them into a unified whole. The Doctrine of the Mean is another important Confucian classic. From the perspective of methodology, its value far exceeds that of the Great Learning. The central theme of the Doctrine of the Mean is the discussion of harmony. It holds that harmony is innate nature, harmony is the Way, and harmony is the original state of the universe. The greatness of humanity lies in the ability to achieve harmony; the role of governance and education lies in bringing about harmony. Therefore, the Doctrine of the Mean begins with the words: "Heaven's decree is called nature; following nature is called the Way; cultivating nature is called education." Li Yu's Qing Dynasty work, "The Pea-Shell Conceit," is easy to understand and master. It not only allows us to effectively recall the classical Chinese skill of parallelism but also helps us, subconsciously, to learn how to compose parallel lines.