The Way of Learning is the Way of life? (ES)

     Confucius's text on The Great Learning is very short, but quite profound. Despite its title, Confucius

text goes beyond just education and further explains how to live a proper life. He begins with saying that,

"The Way of learning to be great (or adult education) consists in manifesting the clear character, loving the

people, and abiding (chih) in the highest good".  So right away learning or at least the great learning is 

more than just simply being knowledgeable about history or the rites, but having love for the people and 

striving to abide by the highest good. It is from this point though that Confucius expands deeper into the

way of living one's life.

    Building off of abiding by the highest good, Confucius divulges to us that, "Only after knowing what to

abide in can one be calm. Only after having been calm can one be tranquil. Only after having achieved

tranquility can one have peaceful repose. Only having peaceful repose can one begin to deliberate. Only

after deliberation can the end be attained". It seems that the great learning which leads us to abiding the

highest good, will further help us to cultivate our minds, and to become calm and tranquil and to acquire

deliberation, which all goes a long way in living ones life, and certainly beyond simple acquiring of 

knowledge and information. 

    In regards to manifesting clear character, Confucius tells us that, "The ancients who wished to manifest

their clear character to the world would first bring order to their states. Those who wished to bring order to

their states would need to regulate their families. Those who wished to regulate their families would first

cultivate their personal lives. Those who wished to cultivate their personal lives would first rectify their 

minds. Those who wished to rectify their minds would first make their wills sincere". Manifesting one's

clear character seems akin to living life. It seems to provide a path to regulate one's family, state and 

internal life. And the prerequisite to manifesting one's clear character is first to be abiding to the highest 

good and thus rectifying our minds. Therefore all in all The Great Learning is the way of living.  

Comments

  1. Krishnan VenkateshMarch 29, 2022 at 10:06 AM

    What do you think "rectify the mind" means? There are several different ways one could take that, even just within a Confucian frame.

    ReplyDelete

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