Listen to this articleshèng 圣
Sage / Sageness
人所能达到的最高品德；也指具有这种最高品德的人，即“圣人”。“圣”一般与“智”相对而言，“智”是对“人道”的把握，而“圣”则是对“天道”的把握。由于具“圣”德之人能够把握“天道”，因此在人伦日用中通达无碍。
The term refers to the highest realm of human integrity and morality, hence one who has reached this state is a sage. It is often used in relation to “wisdom,” since one who is a wise man understands the way of man, while one who is a sage understands the way of heaven. Thus a sage with knowledge of the way of heaven will interact successfully with other people.
引例 Citations：
◎闻君子道，聪也。闻而知之，圣也。圣人知天道也。（郭店楚简《五行》）
（听闻君子的准则，可谓之“聪”。听闻而能知晓其义，可谓之“圣”。圣人知晓“天道”。）
He who listens to the principles of men of virtue is wise; he who not only listens but also understands them is a sage. The sage understands the way of heaven. (Wuxing, from the bamboo slips unearthed from a Chu State tomb at Guodian)
◎孔子，圣之时者也。（《孟子·万章下》）
（孔子，是圣人中把握时运的人。）
Confucius was a sage who was able to seize the opportunity of his era. (Mencius)
