You Collection, Upper Volume
Radical: Speech (yán)
誠
Kangxi Strokes: 14
Page 1163, Entry 12
Pronounced chéng.
Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): Faithfulness.
Guangya (Broad Refinements): Respect.
Zengyun (Additional Rhymes): Pure; without hypocrisy; true and real.
Book of Changes (Yijing), Qian Hexagram: Guard against evil and maintain one's sincerity.
Commentary: The meaning is that in order to prevent evil, one should maintain one's own honesty.
Book of Documents (Shujing), Tai Jia: Spirits do not have a fixed recipient of their offerings; they accept the offerings of those who are truly sincere.
Commentary: The meaning is that spirits do not fix their protection on any one person; those who are able to be sincere are those whose sacrifices the spirits will accept.
Zhen Dexiu stated: During the time of Tang and Yu, the character for sincerity did not yet exist; the term "yun se" in the Canon of Shun conveys the meaning of sincerity. It was not until Yi Yin admonished Tai Jia that the character for sincerity appeared.
Book of Rites (Liji), Record of Music: To manifest true sincerity and remove hypocrisy is the fundamental principle of ritual.
Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong): Sincerity is the Way of Heaven. To attain sincerity is the Way of Man.
Note: Sincerity means to be true and not false.
Also, Yupian (Jade Chapters): To examine.
Book of Rites (Liji), Explanations of the Classics: Thus, when a steelyard is accurately suspended, one cannot deceive people regarding weight.
Note: Sincerity is like the act of examining. Some versions write this as the character for complete (chéng).
Also, the name of a commandery.
Old Book of Tang (Tangshu), Treatise on Geography: Xi Prefecture, Guicheng Commandery.
Also, the name of a prefecture.
Old Book of Tang (Tangshu), Treatise on Geography: Lingnan Circuit has Sicheng Prefecture.
Also pronounced cháng.
Han Yu, Lament for Ouyang Sheng: Crying is of no use; one must restrain sorrow and brace oneself. Examine the living to understand the dead; use this to comfort the sincere heart of filial piety.
