University. The Doctrine of the Mean. The Classic of Filial Piety (Full Text, Full Translation, Illustrations, Pinyin Reader)

Author: Shi Wanpeng, Ji Ruiling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The Great Learning takes human self-cultivation as its core, proposing: "From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must take self-cultivation as the foundation." The methods of self-cultivation include investigating things, achieving harmony, sincerity, and rectifying the mind. It emphasizes that self-cultivation and self-improvement are not merely introspective processes but also involve engaging with external things, exploring the nature of things to gain knowledge, and cultivating moral character and perfecting one's personality. The purpose of self-cultivation is to govern the family, rule the state, and bring peace to the world. The Great Learning holds that governing the state and bringing peace to the world should be based on virtue. The Doctrine of the Mean emphasizes "sincerity," believing it to be the key to achieving the "way of the mean." The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean were originally two chapters of the Book of Rites, but they are now published separately, indicating their unique value. The Great Learning was originally a chapter in the Small Confucian Rituals, attributed to Zeng Can, a disciple of Confucius. The Great Learning summarizes the ethical and political thought of pre-Qin Confucianism and systematically elaborates on the principles and steps of Confucian self-cultivation and the pursuit of the Dao. Confucius once said, "My teachings are reflected in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and my way of life is embodied in the Classic of Filial Piety," showing the position of the Classic of Filial Piety in Confucian classics and Chinese culture. The filial piety elaborated in the Classic of Filial Piety has had an undeniable impact on the behavioral norms and value orientations of the Chinese people, and it has been proven that it cannot be simply negated or abandoned by a few slogans like "anti-filial piety." As for the value of filial piety in modern society—is it a cultural shackle thats people's efforts and progress, or an education that cultivates the moral and ethical norms of the people, or does it have some utility in inheriting and critiquing? Let the readers reflect on this after reading this book.