6. SECONDARY VALUES
chéng 誠: “sincerity”
Cheng means reality, truth, and natural correctness—to innately be the counterpart of Heaven’s Principles (Tianli 天理). Absolute sincerity is without duplicity; it is the correct Way and fulfillment of naturalistic fate. As contrasted with loyalty and trustworthiness (zhongxin 忠信) which is human effort, ‘sincerity’ is natural principle.
① Sincerity means reality, truth, and freedom from error, to naturally be the essence of the Principle of Heaven. – Zhu Xi, Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean ch. 22, tr. Chan modified
誠者，真實無妄之謂，天理之本然也。
② Cheng is a description of natural principle, whereas loyalty and faithfulness have to do with human effort. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 12:1, tr. Chan
誠是就自然之理上形容出一字，忠信是就人用工夫上說。
③ Without sincerity there would be nothing. – Doctrine of the Mean ch. 26, tr. Chan
不誠無物。
jìng 敬: “seriousness”
Jing is what allows ‘the mind’ (xin 心) to be its own master—concentrating wholly without distraction and making an effort in handling affairs. By means of this, one’s whole person will be collected and focused. ‘Seriousness’ is the pragmatic alternative to Buddhist ‘quietude.’ In ancient use, “reverence.”
① Seriousness is concentrating on one thing without departing from it. – Cheng Yi, The Discourses with Collected Commentaries 1:5, tr. Chan
敬者，主一無適之謂。
② The human mind is mysterious and unpredictable. Seriousness is that by which the mind is mastered and controlled. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 13:108, tr. Chan
人心妙不可測…敬所以主宰統攝。
③ Seriousness merely means the mind being its own master. – Zhu Xi, Collected Conversations of Master Zhu 12:92, tr. Chan
敬，只是此心自做主宰處。
zhōng 忠: “loyalty”
Zhong is what emanates from the heart and is carried out to the fullest for others. This ‘wholehearted loyalty’ is the foundation of ‘trustworthiness’ (xin 信). “Loyalty and trustworthiness” (zongxin 忠信) are often used as a pair of related concepts, with loyalty being the internal state, and trustworthiness being the observable external state.
① To give all of one’s self is what is meant by loyalty and to employ the truth is what is meant by trustworthiness. – Zhu Xi, The Discourses with Collected Commentaries 1:4, tr. Sol
盡己之謂忠，以實之謂信。
② Etymologically, the character 忠 consists of zhong 中 (‘center’) and xin 心 (‘heart’). Loyalty results because one exerts one’s central heart so nothing is unreal. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 10:1, tr. Chan
字義中心為忠，是盡己之中心無不實，故為忠。
③ I, daily, have three introspections on myself: In advising others, have I not been loyal? In interactions with friends, have I not been trustworthy? As for what was passed down to me, have I not practiced it? – Zengzi, Discourses 1:4, tr. Sol
吾日三省吾身：為人謀而不忠乎？與朋友交而不信乎？傳不習乎?
xìn 信: “trustworthiness”
Xin is what is verified through facts and remains consistent. This ‘realness’ is the foundation of the other four virtues, it is already assumed, thus xin is often excluded from a listing of the virtues. “Loyalty and trustworthiness” (zong-xin 忠信) are often used as a pair of related concepts, with ‘loyalty’ being the internal state, and ‘trustworthiness’ being the observable external state. [Note: this is different from the “xin” used in the Five Virtues.]
① When one speaks according to the reality of a thing and does not contradict it in any way, such as saying yes when it is so, and saying no when it is not, that is trustworthiness. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 9:2, tr. Chan modified
循那物之實而言，無些子違背他，如是便曰是，非便曰非，便是信。
② Xin in the Five Constant Virtues refers to the real principle of the mind, while xin in the concept of ‘loyalty and trustworthiness’ refers to the real truth of what one says. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 9:5, tr. Chan
五常之信以心之實理而言，忠信之信以言之實而言。
③ In human nature there are only the four virtues of humanity, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, but not faithfulness … Faithfulness is nothing but the real principle of the four. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 8:1, tr. Chan
人性中只有仁義禮智四位，卻無信位 … 只仁義禮智之實理便是信。
gōng 恭: “respect” or “reverence”
Gong is manifested in one’s respectful and dignified appearance; it is the outward expression of jing 敬 (“seriousness”). There cannot be one who is respectful on the outside without seriousness inside, nor can there be deep seriousness within that does not manifest outwardly as reverence.
① Respect has to do with appearance, while seriousness has to do with the mind. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 14:1, tr. Chan
恭就貌上說，敬就心上說。
② Respect centers on one’s expression, while seriousness centers on one’s work. – Zhu Xi, Collected Conversations of Master Zhu 6:146, tr. Chan
恭主容，敬主事。
③ Respect means that one’s person is well disciplined and one’s appearance is dignified. However, respect is merely seriousness expressed externally and seriousness is merely respect held inside. Seriousness and respect are not two different things but are like form and shadow. – Chen Chun, An Explanation of Terms in the Four Books 14:3, tr. Chan
身體嚴整，容貌端莊，此是恭底意。但恭只是敬之見於外者，敬只是恭之存於中者。敬與恭不是二物，如形影然。
shù 恕: “empathy”
In progress…
xiào 孝: “family affection”
In progress… incl. di