修己以安百姓 (xiūjǐyǐ'ānbǎixìng): cultivate oneself in order to bring peace to the people

Meanings

1 cultivate oneself in order to bring peace to the people
2 (fig.) the Confucian ideal of governance: inner self-cultivation is the root of outer public order
3 (lit.) cultivate self so-as-to pacify hundred surnames

Characters

修

in order to (classical)

安

ān

to pacify / bring peace to

surname (百姓 = the people)

Examples

真正的领导者应有修己以安百姓的胸怀。

Zhēnzhèng de lǐngdǎozhě yīng yǒu xiū jǐ yǐ ān bǎixìng de xiōnghuái.

A true leader should hold the aspiration to 'cultivate oneself so as to bring peace to the people.'

儒家讲修己以安百姓，从自身做起。

Rújiā jiǎng xiū jǐ yǐ ān bǎixìng, cóng zìshēn zuò qǐ.

Confucianism teaches 'self-cultivation in order to bring peace to the people,' starting with oneself.

Tips

history

From 《论语·宪问》(Analects, Xian Wen, Confucius, c. 500 BCE). Zilu asks Confucius what a junzi (gentleman) is. Confucius answers in three ascending steps: 修己以敬 (cultivate oneself in reverence), 修己以安人 (cultivate oneself to bring peace to others), 修己以安百姓 (cultivate oneself to bring peace to all the people — even Yao and Shun found this hard). A seed of the later 大学 'self-cultivation → ordering the state' (修身→治国) framework.

usage

以 here = 'in order to / so as to,' a classical purpose connector. 百姓 literally 'the hundred surnames' = the common people. Referenced in public-service ethics writing and speeches.