The doctrine of the mean: a person's natural endowment is called "nature", acting according to his nature is called "Tao", and cultivating according to the principle of "Tao" is called "teaching". Tao can't leave for a moment. If you can leave, it's not Tao. Therefore, people with high moral character are also cautious where no one sees them, and they are also afraid where no one hears them. The more hidden the place is, the more obvious it is, and the more subtle the place is. Therefore, virtuous people are also cautious when they are alone. When emotions are not shown, it is called "zhong"; It is called "harmony" when it conforms to the festival. "Zhong" is the nature that everyone has; "Harmony" is the principle that everyone follows. When we reach the realm of "neutralization", heaven and earth will be in their respective places, and everything will grow and breed.

Zhong Ni said, "A gentleman is moderate, but a villain violates the mean. The reason why Jun Yu is moderate is because a gentleman can be moderate at any time. The reason why the villain violates the golden mean is because the villain is unscrupulous and goes to extremes. "

Confucius said, "The golden mean is probably the highest virtue! Everyone has lacked it for a long time! "

Confucius said, "I know why the golden mean can't be practiced: smart people are self-righteous and know too much;" Stupid people are too intelligent to understand it. I know the reason why the golden mean can't be promoted: virtuous people go too far; immoral people can't do it at all. Just like people eat and drink every day, but few people can really taste the taste. "

Confucius said, "Shun is really a man of great wisdom! He likes to ask questions and is good at analyzing the meaning of other people's shallow words. Hide the disadvantages of others and publicize their benefits. He has mastered the opinions of both ends and adopted moderate ones for the common people. This is the reason why Shun is Shun! "

Confucius said, "Everyone says that he is clever, but he doesn't know how to avoid being driven into the trap. Everyone says they are smart, but they can't stick to the golden mean for even a month. "

Confucius said: "Yan Hui is such a person. He chose the golden mean and got its benefits, so he firmly took it to his heart and never let it go."

Confucius said: "The country in the world can govern, the official and the official Dai Lu can give up, and the snow-white blade can trample on it, but moderation is not easy."

Lu asked what is strong. Confucius said, "What about the south? What about the strong in the north? Or do you think it's strong? Educate people with the spirit of tolerance and softness, and people will not retaliate against me for being rude. This is the strength of the south, and people with noble morality have this strength. It is the strength of the north to use the armor shield as a pillow, and it is the strength of brave and aggressive people. Therefore, it is really strong for people with high moral character to go with the flow and not go with the flow!

being neutral and impartial is really strong! It is really strong not to change one's ambition when the country's politics is peaceful! When the country's politics is dark, it is really strong to insist on ethics and would rather die than change! "

Confucius said, "Look for secluded truth and do something grotesque to cheat the world. Later generations may have someone to record him and make a biography for him, but I will never do that. Some people with good moral character follow the golden mean, but they give up halfway and can't persist, and I will never stop. A true gentleman follows the golden mean, and even if he is unknown all his life, he will not regret it. Only a saint can do this. "

a gentleman's way is broad and subtle. Although ordinary men and women are ignorant, they can also know the way of a gentleman; However, even the saints can't figure out its highest level. Although ordinary men and women are not wise, they can also practice the gentleman's way, but even the saints can't do it. The land is so big, but people are still dissatisfied. Therefore, when a gentleman talks about "big", it is so big that even the whole world can't hold it; When a gentleman says "small", he is too small to be separated at all. The Book of Songs says: "kites fly into the sky and fish jump into the deep water." This means a clear distinction between the upper and lower levels. The Tao of a gentleman begins with ordinary men and women, but its highest and deepest realm is well-known in the whole world.

Confucius said, "Tao does not exclude people. If someone practices Tao but excludes others, then it is impossible to practice Tao. " "The Book of Songs says:' Cut the axe handle, cut the axe handle, and the style of the axe handle is right in front of you.' It should be said that there is no difference between holding the axe handle and cutting it, but if you squint, you will still find a big difference. Therefore, a gentleman always takes different measures to govern according to different people's situations, as long as he can correct his mistakes and practice Tao. ""A person who is loyal and forgiving is not far from the Tao. What is loyalty and forgiveness? Don't impose on others what you don't want. " "There are four ways for a gentleman, and I Kong Qiu can't even do one of them: I can't do what a son should do to his father; As a subject, I can't do what I should do to the king; As a younger brother, I can't do what I should do to my brother. As a friend, I should have done it first, but I failed to do it. Try to practice your usual virtues, and try to be cautious in your usual words. There are shortcomings in the practice of virtue, so I dare not encourage myself to work hard; Speak without daring to be presumptuous and reckless. How can such a gentleman be disloyal and honest when his speech conforms to his own behavior and his behavior conforms to what he has said? ... "

A gentleman is content with his present position to do what he should do, and he doesn't have wild thoughts. In a position of wealth, do what rich people should do; If you are poor, do what poor people should do; If you are in a remote area, do what you should do in a remote area; When you are in trouble, do what you should do in trouble. A gentleman

is complacent under any circumstances.

Being in an upper position, not bullying people in a lower position; People who are in a lower position and do not climb to the top. Correct yourself without demanding others, so there will be no complaints. Don't complain about the sky in the world, and don't complain about people in the world. Therefore, the gentleman lives in the status quo and waits for the destiny, but the villain is desperate to get something that is not right. Confucius said: "Being a gentleman in the world is like archery. If you miss, you don't blame the target for being wrong, but you only blame yourself for being poor at archery."

A gentleman who practices the golden mean, just like taking a long way, must start from near; Just like climbing a mountain, you must start from a low place. The Book of Songs says: "A wife and children have harmonious feelings, just like playing the piano and playing the harp. Brothers are harmonious, smooth and happy. Make your family happy and your wife and children happy. " Confucius said with admiration, "In this way, parents will be satisfied!"

Confucius said, "The virtues of ghosts and gods are really great! You can't see it, you can't hear it, but it is embodied in everything that makes people unable to leave it. People all over the world fast and purify their hearts, and wear solemn and neat clothes to worship it, which is everywhere! It seems to be on your head, it seems to be around you. The Book of Songs says:' God's arrival cannot be speculated. How can we neglect disrespect?' From the subtle to the obvious, the real thing is like this!

Confucius said, "Isn't Shun the most filial person? He is a saint in virtue and a noble son of heaven in status. Wealth owns the whole world. He is sacrificed in the ancestral temple, and his children and grandchildren keep his achievements. Therefore, a man of great virtue must get his due position, his due wealth, his due reputation and his due longevity. Therefore, when God gives birth to all things, he must treat them well according to their qualifications. Those who can become useful are cultivated, and those who can't become useful are eliminated. The Book of Songs says:' A noble and elegant gentleman has bright and beautiful virtue, which allows people to live and work in peace and enjoy the blessings given by God. God bless him, appoint him and give him a great mission. " Therefore, people with great virtue will certainly bear the destiny. "

Lu Aigong asked about politics. Confucius said, "The political affairs of Zhou Wenwang and Zhou Wuwang are recorded in ancient books. When they are alive, these political affairs will be implemented; When they die, these political affairs will be abandoned. The way to govern people is to be diligent in political affairs; The way to harness the land is to plant a variety of trees. Speaking of it, politics, like reeds, depends entirely on who you use. To get the right person is to cultivate yourself, to cultivate yourself is to follow the avenue, and to follow the avenue should start from benevolence. Benevolence is love, and dear relatives are the greatest benevolence. Righteousness means doing everything properly, and respecting sages is the greatest righteousness. As for loving relatives, it is necessary to distinguish between relatives and friends, and respecting sages should be graded. These are all requirements of courtesy. Therefore, a gentleman cannot but cultivate himself. To cultivate yourself, you have to serve your relatives; To serve one's relatives, one must understand others; If you want to understand others, you can't help but know justice. "

People in the world have five ethical relations, and there are three virtues to deal with these five ethical relations. The communication between the monarch and his subjects, father and son, husband and wife, brothers and friends, these five are the ethical relations that people all over the world have; Wisdom, benevolence and courage are the three virtues used to deal with these five ethics relations. As for the implementation of these three virtues, the truth is the same. For example, some people know them from birth, some people know them through learning < P >, and some people don't know them until they encounter difficulties, but as long as they finally know them, it's the same. For example, some people carry out them voluntarily, some people carry out them for some benefit, and some people carry them out reluctantly, but as long as they all carry them out in the end, it will be the same. Confucius said: "If you like learning, you will get close to wisdom; if you work hard, you will get close to benevolence; if you know shame, you will get close to courage.". Knowing these three points, you know how to cultivate yourself, know how to cultivate yourself, know how to manage others, know how to manage others, and know how to govern the world and the country. "

there are nine principles for governing the world and the country. That is: self-cultivation, respect for sages, love for relatives, respect for ministers, compassion for ministers, love for the people as children, recruiting craftsmen, giving preferential treatment to distant guests and appeasing princes. Self-cultivation can establish the right path; Respect for sages will not confuse you; Dear relatives will not provoke resentment among uncles and brothers; Respect for the minister will not be at a loss; Compassionate with the ministers, the scholars will try their best to serve; Love the people like children, and the people will be loyal; Recruit craftsmen, and property will be sufficient; Give preferential treatment to distant guests, and the people in all directions will submit; Soothe the princes, and people all over the world will be in awe. As pure-hearted and pious as fasting, wearing solemn and tidy clothes and resolutely not doing things that are not in line with etiquette, this is to cultivate themselves; Drive away villains, alienate women, despise property and attach importance to virtue, in order to respect sages; Improve the status of relatives, give them a generous salary, consistent with their love and hate, this is for the sake of loving relatives; Let many officials at their disposal, in order to respect the minister; Appoint them sincerely and give them more salary, which is to show sympathy for the ministers; When using civilian service correctly, pay less taxes, which is to love the people as children; Regular inspection and assessment, pay according to work, this is to recruit craftsmen; Welcome when you come, send you off when you go, reward talented people and help those in trouble, in order to give preferential treatment to distant guests; It is to appease the vassals by continuing the extinct family, reviving the ruined country, managing disasters, supporting the crisis, receiving the court appearance on time, giving generous gifts and paying little tribute. In a word, there are nine principles to govern the world and the country, but the reason for implementing these principles is the same.

anything that is prepared in advance will succeed, and it will fail without preparation. If you are prepared to speak, you will not be interrupted; If you are prepared in advance, you will not be frustrated; If you are prepared for your behavior, you will not regret it; If the road is selected in advance, there will be no desperate. If the people in the lower position can't get the trust of the people in the upper position, it is impossible to govern the common people well. There are ways to win the trust of the people in the upper level: if you can't win the trust of your friends, you can't win the trust of the people in the upper level

; There are ways to gain the trust of friends: if you don't filial your parents, you won't get the trust of your friends; There are ways to be filial to parents: you can't be filial to your parents if you are not sincere; There is a way to be sincere: you can't be sincere if you don't understand what is good.

sincerity is the principle of heaven, and the pursuit of sincerity is the principle of being a man. People who are naturally sincere can do it without reluctance and have it without thinking, which naturally conforms to the principle of heaven. Such people are saints. To be sincere, we must choose a beautiful goal and pursue it persistently: extensive study, detailed inquiry, careful thinking, clear identification and practical implementation. Either you don't learn, or you won't stop if you don't learn; Either don't ask, don't stop if you don't understand

; Either don't want to, think about it and never give up; Either you don't distinguish, and you won't stop until you distinguish clearly; Either don't implement it, and if it doesn't work, it won't stop. What others can do with one effort, I will do with one hundred efforts; What others have done with great efforts, I have done with a thousand efforts. If you can really do this, you can be smart even if you are stupid, and you can be strong even if you are weak.

University: The fundamental purpose of a university is to clarify the perfect and bright virtue; Is to make people influenced and become new people; Is to achieve the ideal state of moral perfection.

if you know what you are pursuing, you can determine your ambition; After the ambition is determined, the heart will be quiet; Peace of mind, you can feel at ease when something happens; When things are peaceful, you can think carefully and carefully; If you think carefully, you can get moral sublimation. Everything in the world has a beginning and an end, and everything in the world has a beginning and an end. Knowing what to do first and what to do later is close to the ideal moral realm.

In ancient times, people who wanted to show and clarify the perfect virtue to the world had to govern their own country first. If you want to govern the country well, you must first tidy up your family. If you want to tidy up your family, you must first cultivate yourself. If you want to cultivate yourself, you must first correct your heart. If you want to correct your heart, you must first make your will honest. If you want to be honest and sincere, you must first enrich and enrich your knowledge. To enrich knowledge, the key is to touch things, so as to understand the omnipresent origin of everything.

touch things, understand the origin of all things, and then you will have knowledge. With knowledge, the will will be honest. If you are honest, your heart will naturally be correct. Self-cultivation can be carried out if the mind is correct. If self-cultivation is done well, the family will be tidy. If the family is neat, the country can be governed. If the country is well governed and promoted, the world will be at peace. From the emperor to the ordinary people, we should take self-cultivation as the foundation.

there is no situation where the fundamental problem is not solved and the side problems are handled well. Specifically, if the first thing (self-cultivation) is despised, the second thing (keeping the family, governing the country, leveling the world, etc.) can be completely successful. Such a thing has never happened.

Kang Gu says, "It can clarify and develop virtue." "Dajia" says: "Always pay attention to this mission of clarifying virtue given by God." The Emperor's Canon also said: "It can show lofty and great virtue." All this is about understanding and promoting virtue by yourself.

The inscription on Shang Tang's bronze "plate" says: "If you can make a new start one day, you must be consistent and keep it forever, so that it will be new every day." "Kang Gao" says: "Bring up a new generation." The Book of Songs says: "Although Zhou is an ancient