忠經 Zhong Jing #13

揚聖章 Praise Sage Chapter

(PD) Mt Seoraksan Republic of Korea

Skies, earth, footprint...

(Photo clarity, angle, and wording by Larry Neal Gowdy)

Larry Neal Gowdy

The thirteenth chapter of 忠經 (Zhong Jing) is titled 揚聖章, which is loosely interpreted to be Praise Sage Chapter. The following quotes are draft translations of the sentences within 揚聖章.

Noble virtue sage bright-understanding

Devotion official use honor

Happy oneself hunt-receive respectfully-give it noble

Noble virtue not walk-foot-sufficient-enough

Devotion official use-cause disgrace-humble-grateful

Shame-humiliation bow-stoop not capable serve-as-become official

Not walk-foot-sufficient-enough then restore-mend-repair it

Sage bright-understanding then spread-praise him

Ancient it way {also}

Restore-mend-repair imperial-robe it palace

Praise-spread noble it-him rest-cease

Ancient it devotion official

Then all-everybody correct {also}

Correct use forewarned-anxious-concerned-about virtue

Mistake-error-blame-fault reason-cause song-sing-praise it

Culture beautiful-jade it way

Circumference-all-around public song-praise it

Declare-proclaim beautiful-jade middle interest-desire-to-do-flourish

Lucky-good begin sing-poetry it

Noble upper behavior benevolence cover-return-reply it way {also}

Official lower have help-assist chant-poetic-language it righteousness {also}

Therefore noble child(junzi) official when-regard-to flourishing bright-understanding it season

Certainly-will praise it

Flourishing virtue flow-drift filled-completely-fulfill heaven below(Nature)

Summon-transmit when-regard-to future replace-era-generation

Its devotion {carry} man

Like-similar noble have-exist flourishing virtue and-yet official not praise

Order-cause-envoy-messenger long-time distant not hear

Then have incomplete-lack when-regard-to devotion way'

The rough draft's wording is not easy to follow, and the idea of praising people is felt to be uncomfortably inappropriate, but when the wording is edited, and the words are harmonized with the other chapters' words, then the ideas attain mindfulness, be very proper, and, become quite beautiful.

And it is here, that it does seem to be an appropriate time to point to a thought that has accompanied the book from the very first... why have writings like Zhong Jing not been available to the English-speaking public? Why has the English-speaking public not been permitted to see, and to read, Zhong Jing and the several excellent Confucian books? Why have the books and poems been hidden from the public? Where did the devotion die? Why did the devotion die?

Some of us wish that we could have seen writings like Zhong Jing, Li Ren, and Zhong Yong when we were young, of an age that was innocent, before we had to learn through our own mistakes... of an age when there was no guidance, no teachings, no mindfulness from the adults, no caring of children's futures... little different than today's world.

Ah, but the answers are known, and there is no value in further bemoaning what cannot be changed... cannot be changed in the past... will not be changed in the future... and except for a precious few individuals secluded from societies, there will be no 'envoy-messenger long-time distant into the future'.