Marblehead Posted April 22, 2018 Those who would mend their nature through vulgar learning, seeking to restore its original condition, and those who would polish their desires through vulgar thinking, seeking to perfect their intelligence, may be called deluded persons. The ancients who practiced the Way nourished knowledge with placidity. Understanding life, they did not use their knowledge to engage in action. This may be called nourishing placidity with knowledge. When knowledge and placidity nourish each other, then harmony and principle emerge from one's nature. Now, virtue is harmony and the Way is principle. When there is nothing virtue does not accommodate, that is humaneness; when there is nothing the Way does not arrange, that is righteousness; when righteousness is manifest and things feel affection, that is loyalty. When the center is genuine and that is reflected in the emotions, there is music; when trustworthy conduct is accommodating and conforms to an elegant pattern, there is ceremony. But if ceremony and music are deviantly performed, all under heaven will be in disorder. Correcting others yet concealing one's own virtue results in virtue remaining unexposed. But if it is exposed, things will lose their nature. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
