The difference between t‘ien ming and ming can be summed up in this way. T‘ien ming, as moral imperative, is concerned with what man ought to do; ming, in the sense of Destiny, has to do with the bringing about of what comes to pass. T‘ien ming, necessarily difficult to understand is, nevertheless, understandable; ming is a total mystery. What t‘ien ming enjoins we ought to obey; what falls within the domain of ming we should leave alone.
