You Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Speech (yán) 誠 Kangxi stroke count: 14 Page 1163, Entry 01 Pronounced chéng. Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen): Trustworthy. Guangya: Respectful. Zengyun: Pure, without falsehood, genuine. Book of Changes (Yijing), Hexagram Qian: Guard against evil and preserve one's sincerity. Commentary: To guard against evil is to preserve one's sincerity. Book of Documents (Shujing), Taijia: Spirits do not have permanent offerings; they accept offerings from those who are sincere. Commentary: Spirits are not attached to any one person; they accept offerings from those who are sincere and trustworthy. Zhen Dexiu stated: During the Tang and Yu eras, the character for sincerity did not exist; the phrase in the Canon of Shun meaning truly filled is the concept of sincerity. It was not until Yi Yin addressed Taijia that the character for sincerity first appeared. Book of Rites (Liji), Record of Music: To manifest sincerity and eliminate falsehood is the guiding principle of ritual. Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong): Sincerity is the Way of Heaven. To strive for sincerity is the Way of Man. Note: Sincerity refers to being genuine and free from delusion. Also, Yupian: To examine carefully. Book of Rites (Liji), Exposition of the Classics: Therefore, the scale must be set carefully so that it cannot be deceived by lightness or heaviness. Note: Sincerity here means to examine carefully. Sometimes also written in a variant form (chéng). Also a name of a commandery. Old Book of Tang (Tangshu), Treatise on Geography: Xizhou, Guicheng Commandery. Also a name of a prefecture. Old Book of Tang (Tangshu), Treatise on Geography: Lingnan Circuit includes Sicheng Prefecture. Also pronounced cháng. Han Yu, Elegy for Ouyang Sheng: Crying is of no use; suppress grief and strengthen oneself. Understand life and death; thus comfort filial sincerity.