孔子 – 大學之道 CONFUCIUS – The Way of Ultimate Wisdom

孔子 – «大學之道» CONFUCIUS – «The Way of Ultimate Wisdom»

中文原文 / Chinese Origin﹕

大學之道．在明明德．在親民．在止於至善．知止而後有定．定而後能靜．靜而後能安．安而後能慮．慮而後能得．物有本末．事有終始．知所先後．則近道矣．

古之欲明明德於天下者．先治其國．欲治其國者．先齊其家．欲齊其家者．先修其身．欲修其身者．先正其心．欲正其心者．先誠其意．欲誠其意者．先致其知．致知在格物．物格而後知至．知至而後意誠．意誠而後心正．心正而後身修．身修而後家齊．家齊而後國治．國治而後天下平．

自天子以至於庶人．壹是皆以修身為本．其本亂而末治者否矣．其所厚者薄．而其所薄者厚．未之有也．

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

The way of ultimate wisdom is the comprehension of absolute integrity, genial development of the common people and endless pursuit of the perfection of humanities. Acknowledgement of such an ultimate terminus of trinity provides a focus; having a focus enables calmness; a calm demeanour brings about tranquility; a tranquil mind allows for clear deliberation; clear deliberation leads to attainment of wisdom. There exist the fundamental and incidental, everything has a beginning and an end, knowing what comes first and after takes one closer to knowing the way.

Those of the ancient times who wished to extend the way to the whole world must first have their states governed well; in order to govern a state well, they would have to have their family clans rationally managed; to be able to rationally manage family clans would require of them personal probity; to ensure personal probity, one must maintain a just mind; a just mind should hold only sincere intentions; upholding of sincere intentions would require one to attain and accumulate wisdom; wisdom is attained and accumulated by exploring and analysing aspects and perspectives of facts and knowledge. Thoroughly explored and analysed facts and knowledge give rise to wisdom; wisdom ensures intentions are sincere; upholding of sincere intentions frames a just mind; once a mind is just, personal probity ensues; personal probity directs rational management of family clans; the ability to manage family clans rationally can then be further developed to facilitate proper state governance; well-governed states ultimately lead to world peace.

From emperors to the common people, all must concentrate on ensuring personal probity as the basis of all else. Having a disorderly basis yet expecting to govern all is impossible to achieve. Thinning on substance to grow abundant based on the measly is never attainable.