Thousand Characters

Chapter 44

[Original text]

The concubine is moderate, and Lao Qian is sincere.Listen to the sound and judge the reason, and judge the appearance to distinguish the color.

【Note】

Shu Ji: Almost.Medium: impartial, appropriate.Yong: mediocre, ordinary.Laoqian: industrious and humble.Sincerely: Be careful.Principle: The deeper truth within things.Jian: Originally refers to a copper mirror, extended to observe and identify.The first two sentences of these four sentences talk about the "golden mean" of Confucianism, which tells us that no matter what we do, we must choose the most suitable method according to the specific situation and not go to extremes.Just like eating and sleeping in our daily life, eat when you need to eat and sleep when you need to sleep. These things seem to be normal, but they are also the most normal and healthy way of life.The last two sentences tell us that no matter how we behave or do things, we must be conscientious and diligent, and we should not only covet some superficial things, but also use our heart to understand the deeper meaning of things.

【Interpretation】

If people can respect the simple nature and upright character like Mencius and Shi Yu, they will almost reach the standard of the mean.One must be industrious, courteous, cautious, and disciplined in being a person and doing things. When listening to a person, one must examine the meaning of the words, and one must discern the inner thoughts of others by observing their appearance.

(End of this chapter)