On Will
志于道,据于德,依于仁,游于艺。
"Set your will on the right path, hold fast to virtue, rely on humanity, and take recreation in the arts."
Chinese Original
志于道,据于德,依于仁,游于艺。
English Rendering
Set your will on the Way, hold fast to virtue, rely on humanity, and take recreation in the arts.
Chinese Translation
孔子说:"志向在道,根据在德,依靠在仁,游习于六艺之中。"
Modern Meaning
In "志于道,据于德,依于仁,游于艺," Confucius focuses on set your will on the right path, hold fast to virtue, rely on humanity, and take recreation in the arts. The exact principle is that purpose must be strong enough to survive discomfort, delay, and pressure. The tension is not generic will and resolve; it is the specific problem that people confuse a wish with a commitment and abandon it when status, comfort, or difficulty changes, which still appears in working on a long responsibility that has no immediate reward.
How to Apply Today
Use this teaching today in working on a long responsibility that has no immediate reward. Because this line says "Set your will on the right path, hold fast to virtue, rely on humanity, and take recreation in the arts," name the responsibility, then choose the next visible step instead of waiting for motivation, so the lesson becomes visible in one behavior.
Reflection Question
For "志于道,据于德,依于仁,游于艺" (row 8, 立志篇 / On Will), Which commitment am I calling important while treating it as optional?
Action Step
Complete one visible step on a long-term responsibility before taking on a new task, specifically in response to this demand: "Set your will on the right path, hold fast to virtue, rely on humanity, and take recreation in the arts."
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