an ought always to tread this path; the true doctrine teaches how this
is to be accomplished. The good man will ever be on his guard lest he
depart a hair's breadth from the right way.

The mental state of equilibrium is reached when a man is free from the
distracting influences of anger and goodwill, joy and sorrow. When these
emotions exist in due proportion and extent the state of harmony is
attained. From the first proceed all great human enterprises. The state
of harmony is the path along which all good men will go. When the states
of equilibrium and harmony exist in their fulness gods and men receive
their dues, and there is prosperity and happiness.

Kung-ni[8] said, "The virtuous man embodies in himself the states of
equilibrium and harmony, but the low man knows neither of these states."
This perfect condition of human character in which there is complete
equilibrium and harmony is reached but by few. Why is this so? It is
because those who are wise consider these ideal states too commonplace,
and they aim at things which the world values more highly. The low man,
on the other hand, grovels in the dust and never rises to higher
thoughts or nobler aims. Men could, if they would, distinguish the
worthy from the unworthy, just as with a healthy palate they can tell
good food from bad. But men's moral discernment has been blunted by a
life of sensuality and sin, just as the physical palate loses its power
of tasting when in a diseased condition.

In order to find out the Mean, our Father Shun, of blessed memory, used
to question the people[9] and study their answers, even the shallow
ones. He used to encourage them to speak out by seeming to value the
poorest answers. He would take the extremest sayings he heard, and from
them deduce the Mean.

It is hard to keep in the middle way: men rule kingdoms and accept
honours and emoluments who have yet signally failed to govern themselves
by the rules of the Mean.

The good man's ambition is not to perform feats which startle the world
and give him fame, but rather to live the life of the moderate and
harmonious one; yet how often for lack of true discernment he fails!
This middle path is not, however, hidden from the sincere and pure; even
common men and women may know it, though in its highest reaches it
baffles the wisest. The greatest and the wisest and the best find lodged
within them unrealised ideals. Whoever strenuously aims at realising
these ideals, though