From personal cultivation to governing the state in The Great Learning
Confucius says in The Great Learning: “Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed. Their States being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.” Confucian Analects, The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean, trans. James Legge (New York: Dover Publications, 1971), 358-59.
The Great Learning was part of The Book of Rites. Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi) characterized the Analects, Mencius, The Doctrine of the Mean, and The Great Learning as The Four Chinese Classics. It is said that The Great Learning is the work of one of Confucius’ disciples.
- Understanding the Three Realms in Buddhism: desire, matter, and non-matter
- A good person can be called a person who exists for the good of others
- Addressing dehumanization through active participation and critique of capitalism
- Economic independence and the struggle against exploitation in the post-WWII less developed world
- From personal cultivation to governing the state in The Great Learning
- Tathagata in Buddhism
- Islamic virtues have much in common with Jewish and Christian virtues
- Of all the virtues of Islam, the most basic is mercy or mercy
- Pascal’s view of happiness and faith