Chapter 54

Original Text

善建者不拔，善抱者不脫，子孫祭祀不輟。修之於身，其德乃真；修之於家，其德乃餘；修之於鄉，其德乃長；修之於邦，其德乃豐；修之於天下，其德乃普。故以身觀身，以家觀家，以鄉觀鄉，以邦觀邦，以天下觀天下。吾何以知天下之然哉？以此。

Translation

What is skillfully established cannot be uprooted; What is skillfully embraced cannot slip away. Through this, descendants carry on the sacrifice without cease.

Cultivate it in the person — one's De becomes true. Cultivate it in the family — one's De becomes abundant. Cultivate it in the village — one's De becomes enduring. Cultivate it in the state — one's De becomes full. Cultivate it in all under Heaven — one's De becomes universal.

Therefore observe the person through the person, Observe the family through the family, Observe the village through the village, Observe the state through the state, Observe all under Heaven through all under Heaven. How do I know all under Heaven is so? By this.

Word Notes

• 拔 — "to uproot; to pull out": to wrench from the ground.
• 脫 — "to slip away; to come loose": to fall away, to be lost.
• 輟 — "to cease; to stop": to discontinue.
• 豐 — "full; abundant": overflowing, replete.

Chapter Explanation

What is skillfully established is so firmly set that it cannot be uprooted. What is skillfully embraced is so securely held that it can never slip away. Passed down to later generations, the descendants carry on the sacrifice without ceasing. This is because such a person possesses De.

If one truly cultivates De in one's own person, one's De becomes genuine and true. If one further cultivates it in the family, one's De overflows to spare. If one cultivates it in the village, one's De grows great and enduring. If one cultivates it in the state, one's De becomes full and replete. If one cultivates it in all under Heaven, one's De becomes universal and all-pervading.

Therefore, take my own person to observe another's person — if I can cultivate myself, others too can cultivate themselves. Take my own family to observe another's family — if I can set my family in order, other families too can be set in order. Take my own village to observe another's village — if my village can be transformed, other villages too can be transformed. Take my own state to observe another's state — if my state can be well-governed, other states too can be well-governed. Take my realm under Heaven to observe another's realm — if my realm can be brought to peace, other realms too can be brought to peace. How do I know that all under Heaven can be brought to peace? By inference from my own person.

Discourse

The greatest thing one can establish is meritorious service to the state. The finest thing one can embrace is a disc of precious jade. Yet when the rival state is destroyed, the meritorious minister perishes. A common person bears no guilt, but possessing a jade disc is itself a crime. Thus establishing merit and embracing jade not only cannot endure — they even bring the danger of death.

Only one who embraces Dao in his person and establishes De in the world can achieve what is described as "received in the ancestral temple, preserved by descendants through the generations." Through ten thousand ages, nothing will change this.

Establishing De in the world may appear extremely difficult, extremely grand. But in truth it is extremely near, extremely easy — it lies right in one's own person. Does not the Doctrine of the Mean say: "In hewing a handle from a handle, the model is not far off"? Does not the Great Learning say: "Everything, without exception, is rooted in cultivating the self"? Does not Mencius say: "Cultivate your own person, and all under Heaven will find peace"?

If one can truly cultivate De in one's own person, one can not only set the family in order, govern the state, and bring peace to all under Heaven — one can govern all worlds, all realms under Heaven, all of Heaven and Earth and the myriad beings. All of these are nurtured and positioned from one's own person.