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Being Mild and Gentle, Sincere and Broadminded 129

which includes the Three Kingdoms Wei, Shu, and Wu, the Eastern and Western Jin
dynasties, the 16 States, the Southern and Northern Dynasties, these convoluted
procedures were criticized, but were successively reaffirmed in the mainstream
thinking and cultural traditions of later generations.
In the Confucian classics, the term “mild and gentle” is often used in reference
to a generous and virtuous character. The chapter “The Doctrine of the Mean” in
The Book of Rites praises it in a poem:
Great is the Dao (道, Path/Way) of the sage. It generously nourishes all things,
rises to the height of heaven, and is full and magnificent. The 300 rituals and 3000
etiquettes can be implemented only after men of great virtue have come forth. Thus
it is said that great Dao appears only in the man of the greatest virtue. Therefore, a
man of virtue has great moral integrity, is diligent in learning, seeks to broaden and
deepen his knowledge, is wise and follows the principle of the Mean, often reviews
what he already knows and acquires new knowledge, and upholds the rituals and
social norms in sincerity. Such a man is not arrogant in high position or disobe-
dient in subordinate position.
The consistency between the bright ideal of life and political philosophy
created the highest state of life and political ideals in ancient China, and also
influenced the literary and artistic thoughts of the Pre-Qin period (before 221
B.C.E.) and the Han Dynasty. In his “On the Concept of Poetry Expressing Aspi-
rations: Being Mild and Gentle, Sincere and Broadminded” (《诗言志辨 · 温柔敦
),
厚》 Zhu Ziqing cited Guo Moruo’s(郭沫若 1895–1978) article entitled “On the
Traditional Thought of the Western Zhou Bronze Inscriptions” (《周彝铭中之传统
思想考》 to the effect that the idea of the Mean (中) can be traced back to the
),
traditional concept of the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1600 B.C.E.–256 B.C.E.):
“The character de (德, virtue) first appeared in the texts of the Zhou Dynasty
(1046 B.C.E.–256 B.C.E.), in which, ‘examining the heart/mind’ was regarded as
virtue. Therefore, illustrious virtue derives from an illustrious heart. For people to
have an illustrious heart, they should be modest, prudent, mild, pious, respectful,
brave, and resolute. These fine moral qualities are the manifestations of inner
virtue. The outer manifestations of virtue are offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods,
remaining true to ancestral values, being honest and unaffected, staying loyal to
friends and respectful to relatives, acting prudently, and refraining from seeking
lust and pleasure.” Mr. Zhu further elaborates, “The distinction between the ruler
and his ministers, the ‘Middle Way,’ (中道) ‘modesty and prudence,’ (谦冲)
‘gentleness and obedience,’ (荏染) ‘honesty and simplicity, filial piety and respect
for relatives, respectfulness and prudence,’ (敦笃孝友，敬慎将事) are all included
in the phrase ‘being mild and gentle, sincere and broadminded.’ The culture of
people in the Zhou Dynasty was inherited from the people of the Shang Dynasty
(1600 B.C.E.–1046 B.C.E.); all these ideas have a long history. In particular, the