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In exploring 仁 (rén)—humaneness—I ended with an image from Mencius that stayed with me: 仁，人之安宅也；義，人之正路也。 仁 (rén) is the peaceful home we live in; 義 (yi)—rightness—is the road we walk. 仁 (rén) as a home. 義 (yi) as a road. Having spent so much time exploring the home, I wanted to understand the road. 義 (yì) is the second of the Five Confucian Virtues, 仁義禮智信 (rén yì lǐ zhì xìn), and can be understood in English as rightness.

It is often translated as benevolence, humanity, or humaneness. At first glance, it seems to be a virtue centered on how we care for other people. But as I began following 仁 (rén) through the Analects and the Mencius, I found that it kept opening into something larger.

I first came across this poem as a teenager, and I was awe-struck by its spirit and conviction. That feeling has never really left me. Here is my rendition of it — commentary on the historical allusions will follow in the coming weeks.