Reading the wisdom of Confucious

Thanksgiving, early morning:

Reading again  the book on Confucian wisdom, the book I got when I opened it to the page:  “Hold it(mind)fast, and you preserve it.  Let it go, and you lose it.”   

Confucius also says, “Seek and ye shall find it.  Ignore it, and you shall lose it. “

Something I thought of, on Maui; “There is only one moon.  Yet it shines on thousands of lakes and rivers at the same time.”  Zhu Xi, Theory of Li-Qi. 

IN the Great Learning, “From the Son of Heaven to the ordinary people, all must regard the cultivation of one’s personal life as the basis of all things.”   

Rectifying the mind and heart.    “He who wished to regulate his family first cultivated his personal life.  He who wished to cultivate his personal life first rectified his heart.  He who wished to rectify his heart first learned to be sincere in his will.  He who wished to be sincere in his will first needed to have knowledge; knowledge derives from all things in the universe.  ---Great Learning, Preface

“The man who puts great emphasis on exercising his mind is the man who fully understands his true nature.  In understanding his true nature, he understands the Way of Heaven.  To serve Heaven is to guard one’s mind and to nourish one’s true nature...Cultivate oneself and wait patiently.  This way one may develop full potential. “

Kungtu asked, “All are men, but some are great men and some are small men, how can this be?  Mencius replied,”Those who follow their greater part are great men; those who follow their lesser part are small men.”  Kungtu continued, “All are men, but some follow the greater part of themselves and Mencius replied, “Eyes and ears do not think.  They are impinged on by external things.  When things come in contact with each other, ears and eyes merely transmit the action.  It is for the mind to think and to receive what has been transmitted.  When the mind fails to think, it fails to receive too.  Eyes, ears and mind are endowed by Heaven.  When a man sets his priority on the greater parts of his body, the lesser will not be able to obstruct him.  It is this that makes him a great man.” – Mencius 6A: 15

“To be fond of learning brings one close to knowledge.  To make a real effort in one’s action brings one close to humanity.  To know shame brings one close to courage.  He who knows these three things knows the way of cultivating himself...”