The Doctrine of the Mean

The Doctrine of the Mean was originally one chapter of The Book of Rites. The Book of Rites is an important ancient work on Han Chinese institutions and regulations. It was written by Zisi during the Warring States period. The whole text takes "the mean" as the highest moral standard and natural law. In the Song dynasty it was ranked with The Great Learning, The Analects, and Mencius as the "Four Books." The way of the mean was also called by the ancients the way of the middle or the way of harmony. The mean is the great way of life and the fundamental theory of career success, life, and health, and basically contains three meanings. First: the middle is unbiased, and the constant is unchanging. It means that in life one does not deviate or change one's goals and positions. This is a way of success through perseverance. Confucius said: "The mean as a virtue—is it not the highest! It has long been rare among the people." Second: it refers to uprightness and calmness. People need to maintain uprightness and calm; if they lose them, it must be because joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure are excessive. To govern anger, only joy works; to govern excessive joy, nothing surpasses propriety; the way to keep propriety lies in reverence. Therefore Yeyashanren said: as long as one maintains a heart of respect or awe, uprightness and calm can endure, and health can be safeguarded. Third: "middle" means good, and "yong" is the same as "use," i.e., useful. It means one should have a skill and be a useful talent; it also means one should hold fast to one's post and fulfill one's duties in that position. Quoted from Yeyashanren's Chinese Heart Method. The key to grasping the mean: seek constancy in movement, attain weight in stillness. Do not depart from the middle way, do not lean, do not change. Forced to name it, we call it the Way; forced to give it form, we call it One. The world urges people upward and mostly chooses righteousness, yet if the Way is a thing, its form is One.