絹與墨Great Learning · Two public excerpts
Originally a chapter of the Book of Rites, the Great Learning later became one of the Four Books. These two excerpts connect a clear aim with responsible conduct.
《大學·經一章》
知止而後有定定而後能靜
Know where to settle, and you can become steady; steadiness then makes stillness possible.
In the opening of the Great Learning, this is a sequence rather than a command to stop working. First recognize the good toward which you are moving; steadiness, calm, reflection, and sound judgment can then follow.
《大學·經一章》
壹是皆以脩身為本
For everyone, cultivating oneself is the root.
This follows a chain from ordering the mind and family to governing a state. The Great Learning does not reduce public responsibility to private virtue; it argues that influence loses its footing when one's own conduct is neglected.
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