The way of great learning consists in manifesting one's bright virtue and this means consists in loving the people and all beings, consists in stopping in perfect goodness.
When you know where to stop, you have stability.
When you have stability, you can be tranquil.
When you are tranquil, you can be at ease.
When you are at ease, you can deliberate.
When you can deliberate you can attain your aims.
Things have their roots and branches, affairs have their end and beginning.
When you know what comes first and what comes last, then you are near the Tao.
The ancients who wanted to manifest their bright virtue to all in the world first governed well their own states of mind (see the first paragraph).
Wanting to govern well their states of mind, they first harmonized their own feelings and desires.
Wanting to harmonize their own feelings and desires, they first cultivated themselves.
Wanting to cultivate themselves, they first corrected their minds.
Wanting to correct their minds, they first made their wills sincere.
Wanting to make their wills sincere, they first extended their knowledge.
Extension of knowledge consists of the investigation of things.
When things are investigated, knowledge is extended.
When knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere.
When the will is sincere, the mind is correct.
When the mind is correct, the self is cultivated.
When the self is cultivated, the feelings and desires are harmonized.
When the feelings and desires are harmonized, the states of mind are well governed.
When the mind is well governed, there will be peace inner and around you.
You see, from the king (the Lords of this World), down to the common people, all must regard the cultivation of the self as the most essential thing.
It is impossible to have a situation wherein the essentials are in disorder, and the externals are well-managed. You simply cannot take the essential things as superficial, and the superficial things as essential.
Confucius
Free Translation by Yochanan Hayash
Wallpaper made with a painting of artist unknown. Photo taken by Yhonathannah