我们说儒家把天人性化为道德的天。子思所写的‘中庸’把这个天和道联系起来：
天命之謂性，率性之謂道，修道之謂教。
第一句里的‘命’当动词解为‘给’。天所给我们的就叫性。
英语把性和自然都译为‘nature’，可是中文里这两个词在语意是没有关联的。英语 nature在西方思维里包含了中国古代所没有的超越现实。一般上，性可译为human nature。
什么叫‘率直之性’？儒家有另一个说法叫‘赤子之心’。一般观察小孩出生百日后才开始说话。在这之前，他的心是率直、纯净、清洁、无压力、自然的。这时的心就可以形容为率性。赤子之心就是道。我们要注意的是这个道为人道。人道又是一个重要的华人概念。
小孩开始说话后，他就被周围的环境和人所影响，所以孔子说：‘性相近也，习相远也。’故人需要教化以回到赤子之心的道。儒家传统，教化的过程就是修道。
道家的修道意思又不大相同，指顺其自然之道以达长生不老。
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We have said that the Confucians have extended the meaning of the Chinese word Tian to mean an ethical Tian. In Zhong Yong (The Doctrine of Mean), a book written by Zisi, Tian is linked to Dao:
What Tian confers (on man) is called his (human) nature;
天命之謂性，率性之謂道，修道之謂教。
第一句里的‘命’当动词解为‘给’。天所给我们的就叫性。
英语把性和自然都译为‘nature’，可是中文里这两个词在语意是没有关联的。英语 nature在西方思维里包含了中国古代所没有的超越现实。一般上，性可译为human nature。
什么叫‘率直之性’？儒家有另一个说法叫‘赤子之心’。一般观察小孩出生百日后才开始说话。在这之前，他的心是率直、纯净、清洁、无压力、自然的。这时的心就可以形容为率性。赤子之心就是道。我们要注意的是这个道为人道。人道又是一个重要的华人概念。
小孩开始说话后，他就被周围的环境和人所影响，所以孔子说：‘性相近也，习相远也。’故人需要教化以回到赤子之心的道。儒家传统，教化的过程就是修道。
道家的修道意思又不大相同，指顺其自然之道以达长生不老。
.
We have said that the Confucians have extended the meaning of the Chinese word Tian to mean an ethical Tian. In Zhong Yong (The Doctrine of Mean), a book written by Zisi, Tian is linked to Dao:
What Tian confers (on man) is called his (human) nature;
Following our straightforward nature is called the Dao;
Cultivating the Dao is called education.
One should note that the word Ming (命) in the first sentence is a verb that means ‘confers’. So Tian Ming here is not to be interpreted as the Decree of Heaven.
The word Xing (性) needs clarification. Xing, ziran (自然) are both commonly translated into English as ‘nature’, but the two terms have no semantic relationship to each other in Chinese. The translation ‘nature’ has implications from Western conceptual scheme of a transcendent reality that was nonexistent in ancient China. Xing is conventionally interpreted as ‘human nature’.
What then is ‘straightforward nature’? The Confucians have another term for it called ‘The bare mind’ (赤子之心 also translated as The Pure Heart）。It is observed that a child starts to speak only about one hundred days after his birth. Before this, his mind is straightforward, pure, clear, without stress, and is as natural as it is. His mind during this period is termed a Bare Mind and it is this stage of mind that is known as Dao. One must take note that this Dao refers to the Dao of Humanity – which is another important Chinese concept.
After a child starts to talk, his mind will be influenced by his natural environment, people surrounding him, as Confucius observed: 'men are close in human nature but far apart in practice’. (The Analects, 17.2) Therefore there is a need to cultivate it back to the bare mind again.
In the Confucian tradition, the process of cultivation is known as Education ‘xiudao修道’.
The term ‘xiudao修道’ is used by the Doaists rather differently to mean the cultivation of Dao to attain immortality.
One should note that the word Ming (命) in the first sentence is a verb that means ‘confers’. So Tian Ming here is not to be interpreted as the Decree of Heaven.
The word Xing (性) needs clarification. Xing, ziran (自然) are both commonly translated into English as ‘nature’, but the two terms have no semantic relationship to each other in Chinese. The translation ‘nature’ has implications from Western conceptual scheme of a transcendent reality that was nonexistent in ancient China. Xing is conventionally interpreted as ‘human nature’.
What then is ‘straightforward nature’? The Confucians have another term for it called ‘The bare mind’ (赤子之心 also translated as The Pure Heart）。It is observed that a child starts to speak only about one hundred days after his birth. Before this, his mind is straightforward, pure, clear, without stress, and is as natural as it is. His mind during this period is termed a Bare Mind and it is this stage of mind that is known as Dao. One must take note that this Dao refers to the Dao of Humanity – which is another important Chinese concept.
After a child starts to talk, his mind will be influenced by his natural environment, people surrounding him, as Confucius observed: 'men are close in human nature but far apart in practice’. (The Analects, 17.2) Therefore there is a need to cultivate it back to the bare mind again.
In the Confucian tradition, the process of cultivation is known as Education ‘xiudao修道’.
The term ‘xiudao修道’ is used by the Doaists rather differently to mean the cultivation of Dao to attain immortality.
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