Analects 6.29 · Yong Ye
“The virtue of the balanced mean is indeed the highest!”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
中庸之爲德也 其至矣乎 (zhōng yōng zhī wéi dé yě, qí zhì yǐ hū) means “The virtue of the balanced mean is indeed the highest!” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 29.
中庸之爲德也 其至矣乎
- Pinyin
- zhōng yōng zhī wéi dé yě, qí zhì yǐ hū
- Translation
- The virtue of the balanced mean is indeed the highest!
- Source
- Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 29
What does this passage mean?
In Yong Ye, the balanced mean is the principle of remaining steady without leaning toward an extreme. Confucius called it the highest virtue yet lamented that practitioners had long been rare. The idea later developed into the Doctrine of the Mean, one of the central Confucian classics. Avoiding extremes and finding what is fitting are both the hardest and highest achievements.
How can we apply it today?
The value of balance becomes even clearer in an age when extreme claims attract attention. Wisdom searches for the fitting point between progressive and conservative, individual and community, freedom and order. This is neither a weak compromise nor lukewarm indecision. Eating, exercise, and work all require a mean. Extremes are easy; balance is difficult.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Where in your life have you leaned toward an extreme?
- ·Why is finding what is fitting so difficult?
- ·What do you do to preserve a balanced attitude?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 中 | zhōng | middle | 4 | 丨 (line) |
| 庸 | yōng | ordinary | 11 | 广 (dotted cliff) |
| 之 | zhī | possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 爲 | wéi | become | 12 | 爪 (claw) |
| 德 | dé | virtue | 15 | 彳 (step) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 至 | zhì | utmost | 6 | 至 (arrive) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The virtue of the balanced mean is indeed…” mean?
中庸之爲德也 其至矣乎 (zhōng yōng zhī wéi dé yě, qí zhì yǐ hū) means “The virtue of the balanced mean is indeed the highest!” It comes from the Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 29.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 6.29: Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 29.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
The value of balance becomes even clearer in an age when extreme claims attract attention.