Making the Will Sincere

十七

~What does Confucius mean by making the will sincere? How does one make the will sincere? How does one know that the will is already sincere?

~Why is the task of making the will sincere the third step in the development of the chun-tzu? What does it contribute to the character of the chun-tzu?

*****

Chang, 2013

“A Confucianist starts his moral self-cultivation with sincerity. His teacher tells him to be sincere first. Without sincerity, nothing can happen to him.”

“Have a sincere will!” his teacher orders him. “With a sincere will, you may have your mind rectified, oriented to the right direction.”

Sincerity, according to the Oxford dictionary, is taken as an emotion that is free from pretences or deceit. The Great Learning (ch.6) defined “making the will sincere” as allowing no self-deception.  Sincerity has always been vital for maintaining a genuine relationship with one’s friends, family, and acquaintances. Oftentimes, this deceit is not only directed to others but also to ourselves. Making the will sincere is not only limited to human relations. It can extend to one’s actions and how one goes about his everyday life. One may only be a simple baker but if he is sincere in his work and does it well with dedication, then there is genuineness in his efforts and actions. His actions of sincerity must be consistent: whether in dealing with a patron or a rich customer to his regular ones and behind closed doors. For this kind of man, success is waiting for him. The Filipino sense of “pakikipagkapwa” connotes a positive attitude towards others but the sincerity of that pakikipagkapwa must always be checked. Is our being sincere in its purest sense? Or is there any underlying motive behind our supposed to be sincere actions?

Chan, 1963

“Sincerity is not just a state of mind, but an active force that is always transforming things and completing things, and drawing man and Heaven together in the same current… If sincerity is to be true, it must involve strenuous effort at learning and earnest effort at practice… Sincerity is to be tested in ordinary words and ordinary deeds and its truth is understandable to the ordinary man.”

Berthrong & Berthrong, 2014

“Only with a sincere will focused on a reverence for the Way of the sages and worthies could the student make progress in self-cultivation.”

Sincerity comes in when one would begin to extend his knowledge. By doing so, he should start by investigating things. Now that things have been investigated, his knowledge has become extensive, making his thoughts sincere. Additionally, he who desires to correct and rectify his mind must first take a step to make his will sincere (Chan, 1963). To show one’s sincerity, correcting and refining one’s speech is a step. By doing this, one will not develop the habit of lying. 

Chang, 2013

“To improve one’s personality, three things must be done: enthusiastic learning, vigorous action, and avoidance of shame. These three things can only be done with a sincere will. When they are done, one is near to the three principal virtues in the world: wisdom, jen, and courage.”

Characteristic to the superior man is that he establishes himself and also wishes to establishes others (Analect 6:28). The same is true in sincerity. By being sincere, one will cause the things around him to go and mature (Chang, 2013). A person of sincere will, devoid of any pretence, will know how to examine himself without bias. Sincerity also has something to do with goodness and enlightenment. As we are born good, it would do well if we can retain that goodness in us as we grow, by doing so, one also keeps the virtue of sincerity by his side. Making the will sincere has something to do with dedication. Confucius always iterates that one needs to “set his will on the way”. One can do so by accepting and practicing the virtues of righteousness, benevolence, propriety, etc. When these actions of righteousness and benevolence are done with sincerity, then it is the Way.  

Chang, 2013

Doctrine of the Mean (20-25)

“Sincerity is Heaven’s way; to be sincere is man’s way… A sincere man sees things clearly. Conversely, when a man can see things clearly, he will want to be sincere without being told so… Sincerity is the beginning and the end of all things… A sincere man knows what has happened and what is going to happen… He can grasp what is important in the world and deal with its crucial problems… A great man is a sincere man… A sage is a man whose sincerity has reached a height as to be able to transform the world.”

*****