Tao Te Ching
Zisi 子思
(Kong Ji or Tzu-Ssu)
481 – 402 BCE
Confucius' grandson and early influence on Neo-Confucianism
The only grandson of Confucius, writer of the influential Doctrine of the Mean, and teacher of Confucian thought to Mencius; Kong Ji evolved his grandfather’s insights into the difference between real and believed truth, the relativity of understanding, and the possibilities of learning lessons from nature and applying them to everything from politics to daily life. His writings were a deep influence on Zhu Xi and the Neo-Confucian movement becoming one of “The Four Books” that set the educational and political framework in China and throughout Asia for more than 700 years, from c. 1150 to 1905.
Lineages
Apostles of Doubt Confucian
Eras
Western
Egyptian Civilization (3150 – 305 BCE)Greek Civilization (480 – 146 BCE)
The Axial Age, “The Great Leap of Being” (800 – 200 BCE)
Sources
Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
Quotes by Zisi (17 quotes)
“The way of the superior man is hidden but becomes more prominent every day, whereas the way of the inferior man is conspicuous but gradually disappears.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
Chapters:
24. Unnecessary Baggage
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“The skilled reader turns it over and over in his mind, and once he gets it, draws on it his whole life, finding that it has no limits.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Use oneness [truthfulness] to put the 3 universal world virtues—wisdom, goodness, and courage—into practice.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Knowing how to cultivate oneself is to know how to govern others; knowing how to govern others is to know how to govern the empire, the state, and the family.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Those who turn inward and find that they are not true to themselves cannot govern the people well.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“When understanding proceeds from truthfulness, one truly understands.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“The most truthful and capable of giving full realization to their human nature can form a trinity, a union of heaven, earth, and man.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Truthfulness is the beginning and end of things; without truthfulness, there is nothing.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Cultivating shoots of goodness gives form to truthfulness that then burns bright influencing and transforming the people.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Completion of the self is true goodness…the Way that unites external and internal.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Perfect truthfulness though unmoving, creates change; though taking no action, brings about completion; though making no display, becomes manifest.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
Chapters:
57. Wu Wei
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“The sage honors his inborn, basic goodness rising in influence when sanity reigns in society; enduring protected by silence when the Way does not prevail.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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“Whoever is his true self has an understanding of the universe; whoever has a true understanding of the universe realizes his true self.”
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“The god-given is called Nature; to follow that nature is called Tao; to cultivate the Tao is called Culture.”
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“The way of great learning is keeping clear our original, clear, basic goodness.”
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“The Tao is the way things are which you can't depart from even for one instant.”
from Doctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸
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