Listen to this articlejīnɡ, quán 经、权
Constant and Temporary
中国哲学史上用来称说“道”的通常不变与权宜之变的一对哲学范畴。“经”是“道”在人伦日用中的通常表现，是通常应遵行的普遍之道，具有规范性的作用和意义。“权”的意思是从权、权变。在某些特殊处境中，按照“经”的规范行事会产生背离“道”的结果，这时就需要采取变通的方式，即“权”。“权”看似是对经常之“道”的偏离，但实质上是以权宜的方式合乎“道”的要求。在不同处境中对“经”与“权”的恰当选择与运用，取决于对“道”的深刻理解与把握。
Jing (经), which means the constant, and quan (权), which means the temporary, are terms used in the historical discourse of Chinese philosophy referring to a pair of philosophical concepts concerning the permanent and temporarily changing aspects of the Dao. The constant is the normal manifestation of human relations and daily life. It is thus the normal way that should be observed. It has normative functions and significance. The temporary means a change of the function of the Dao to suit circumstances or to meet needs of the day. In special circumstances, to follow the constant may result in deviation from the Dao. When this happens, a flexible way, that is, the temporary, may be adopted. The temporary seems to deviate from the Dao, but it actually conforms to requirements of the Dao in a flexible manner. The application of the constant or the temporary in different circumstances is determined by one’s keen understanding and mastery of the Dao.
引例 Citations：
◎子曰：“可与共学，未可与适道；可与适道，未可与立；可与立，未可与权。”(《论语·子罕》)
（孔子说：“可以与之共同学习的人，未必可以共同向道而行；可以与之共同向道而行的人，未必可以共同笃志不变；可以与之共同笃志不变的人，未必可以共同通权达变。”）
Confucius said, “There are some whom you can join in study but whom you do not necessarily join in following the Dao. There are others whom you can join in following the Dao, but with whom you may not always share the same belief. There are still others with whom you may share the same belief, but whom you cannot join in applying flexibility as needed when following the Dao. (The Analects)
◎经者，道之常；权者，道之变也。道是个统体，贯乎经与权。（《朱子语类》卷三十七）
（经是道的通常表现，权是对道的变通应用。道是一个统一体，贯穿于经与权的具体表现之中。）
The constant is a general expression of the Dao, while the temporary is a flexible application of the Dao. Dao unifies both the constant and the temporary.(Classified Conversations of Zhu Xi)
