忠經 Zhong Jing #18

盡忠章 Finished Devotion Chapter

(PD) Mt Seoraksan Republic of Korea

Skies, earth, footprint...

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

Larry Neal Gowdy

The final and eighteenth chapter of 忠經 (Zhong Jing) is titled 盡忠章, which is loosely interpreted to be Finished Devotion Chapter.

The following quotes are lightly edited draft translations of the sentences within 盡忠章.

Heaven below(Nature) finished devotion

Honest-pure-genuine-simple change-transform behavior {also}

Devotion have-be place not-yet finished

Then-follow honest-genuine change-transform not behavior-walk

Noble child(junzi) finished devotion

Then finished its-his heart

Tiny people finished devotion

Then finished their-its capability-influence-effort-exertion

Noble child(junzi) able-to use finished plan

Tiny person able-to use imitate life-fate

Finished power-influence-capability person-ist then stop-halt its-their life-body

Finished heart person-ist then vast-immense when-regard distant

Stop-halt oneself-life then mate-cloth-ordinary-person man it-him matter-thing

Vast-immense distant then ten-thousand thing it-him sharp-advantage

Therefore bright-understanding king-beautiful-jade it rational-logic {also}

Virtuous official finished devotion

Then noble virtue extensive {carry-!-?}

Sage not-have-nothing alone-solitary rational-logic

Way-dao not-have common-constant teacher-master

Ancient it bright-understanding king-beautiful-jade

Certainly-will investigate-request virtuous bright-understanding

Nothing-none not cultivate virtue

Virtuous official then nothing-none not finished devotion

Devotion then serve-as-be noble explain-clarity-elucidate spread-praise

Noble virtue reason-cause-from broad-extensive large it {also}

Noble upper stand-erect-upright teach-instruct

Official under place apply

Social-custom cheerful use it and-as-well interest-eagerness

Noble upper establish-system make-do-become

Official under place behavior

Fairness-punish penalty use it and-as-well clear-distinct

Noble upper show-pity-help fairness-punish

Official under place change-transform

Benevolence kindness use it and-as-well cloth

Noble virtue already complete-ready-perfect

People bosom beginning-start peaceful-happy

Four ocean it inside-inner-within

Have-be large-great flat-level sound-voice

Cheerful to-until-extreme and-as-well song

Certainly-oneself correct it reason-logic {also}

Excellent-joyful auspicious-fortunate already-then capable-finish

Tell-say of-regarding upper below

Noble official it-him beginning-start when politics capable

Book-plan-touch-ability when multitude lucky-omen-auspicious

Therefore its capable-accomplish merit able-to use tell-inform-say spirit bright-understanding {also}

Correct therefore sow-spread when-regard elegant laud-praise

Summon-transmit when-regard not-have poor-end-exhausted

Virtue give-name when-regard people

Do-one's-utmost lattice-standard when-regard spirit

And-as-well behind-future behavior when-regard cheerful

Cheerful behavior then able-to extreme-final it have-be {begin-start-!-?}

As a whole, Zhong Jing is quite excellent for speaking of important topics that are not mentioned in other writings. The idea of rationally reasoned logic is so very rare, and it appears that there may not exist a similar idea within any ideology. Basing one's rational logic upon firsthand observations of Nature... a Nature-based logic... is also extremely rare. Having a discussion through use of describing the reasonings of intricate details, that idea is fully absent in all known ideologies and all known schools. Of the numerous topics throughout Zhong Jing, all are important, and all are rarely if ever spoken about within any era of any culture.

As previously mentioned, and based solely upon how the words are applied of patterns, Zhong Jing appears to have likely been written within an era that had a better-established standardization of phonetic language, plus expressing mental patterns of a different region or time than what the ancient Chinese Confucian and Tao texts expressed. As compared to other texts that are reported to have been written around 200 A.D., the progression curve of language use in Zhong Jing appears to be of a minimal ratio of around 400 A.D. to 1,000 A.D., and very possibly much more modern. As a general idea, if Zhong Jing were written today, the author would be brilliant... if written 1,000 years ago, the author was outstandingly brilliant, and if written near the Confucian era of 600-400 B.C., then the exceptionally brilliant author would have been so very far ahead of his time that he likely felt mentally secluded. Unfortunately, to date, no known resource provides information of when Zhong Jing may have been written, nor of whom may have written it.

Except for a few small phrases, the common ideas found within Confucian and Tao writings are not present within Zhong Jing. Although Zhong Jing is listed amongst the numerous Confucian titles, there is no known reason of why. Zhong Jing stands on its own reasoning, speaking of topics that were apparently reasoned by the author himself, and not presented as a mere recitation of someone else's writings.

The few references to She, Ji, and deities appear to have been cultural phrases, and not implied to be literal, which enabled Zhong Jing to be presented upon a base of rational reasoning, not upon a base of the culture's popular beliefs.

Each chapter's draft translations have been adequate enough to present general ideas of what each chapter speaks of, but, of course, an edited translation provides more meaning as well as a clarity of meaning. Of the several core words used within Zhong Jing that were not given clarity of synonyms within the draft sentences, the core words do indeed change many of the sentences' meanings. Nevertheless, some of us enjoy a good mental puzzle to be solved, of which the draft sentences do provide.