“Knowing where to rest, one then has steadiness.” The line comes from the Great Learning in the Book of Rites. It follows “resting in the highest good” and leads into a sequence from steadiness to calm, ease, deliberation and attainment. Here, “rest” is not merely stopping; it means knowing the proper end or place of one's action. The line suggests that calm is not produced simply by suppressing distraction. Unless the aim is clear, activity remains easily redirected by whatever is urgent. Deliberation gains a stable measure only after we can say what we are actually trying to resolve.
Source:
https://ctext.org/liji/da-xue
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