Virtue
To be able under all circumstances to
practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are
gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
Wisdom,
compassion,
and courage are
the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
He who exercises government by means of his
virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place
and all the stars turn towards it.
If a man takes no thought about what is
distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be
virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand.
If a man remembers what is right at the
sign of profit, is ready to lay down his life in the face of danger, and
does not forget sentiments he has repeated all his life when he has been
in straitened circumstances for a long time, he may be said to be a
complete man.
The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the
modest are near to virtue.
Fine words and an insinuating appearance
are seldom associated with true virtue.
I have not seen a person who loved virtue,
or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue would esteem
nothing above it.
Virtue is more to man than either water or
fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have
never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
If a man withdraws his mind from the
love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to
the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his
utmost strength; if, in serving his prince, he can devote his life; if
in his intercourse with his friends, his words are sincere – although
men say that he has not learned, I will certainly say that he has.
Character & Personality
The will
to win, the desire to
succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys
that will unlock the door to
personal excellence.
By nature, men are nearly alike; by
practice, they get to be wide apart.
The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm.
The superior man thinks always of virtue;
the common man thinks of comfort.
Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first
principles.
Everything has its beauty but not everyone
sees it.
The superior man is satisfied and composed;
the mean man is always full of distress.
The superior man...does not set his mind
either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.
There are three things which the superior
man guards against. In youth...lust. When he is
strong...quarrelsomeness. When he is old...covetousness.
To see what is right, and not to do it, is
want of
courage or of
principle.
Without an acquaintance with the rules of
propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.
In his errors a man is true to type.
Observe the errors and you will know the man.
When we see men of worth, we should think
of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should
turn inwards and examine ourselves.
He with whom neither slander that gradually
soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the
flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed.
With coarse rice to eat, with water to
drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of
these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as
a floating cloud.
Success,
Failure
Our greatest glory is not in never falling,
but in
rising every time we fall.
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble
without.
Success depends upon previous
preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
The man of virtue makes the difficulty to
be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent
consideration.
Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make
them crimes.
To be wronged is nothing unless you
continue to remember it.
A man who has committed a mistake and
doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake.
When you have faults, do not fear to
abandon them.
What the superior man seeks is in himself;
what the small man seeks is in others.
If a man takes no thought about what is
distant, he will find sorrow near at hand
The cautious seldom err.
When a man's knowledge is sufficient to
attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever
he may have gained, he will lose again.
He who will not economize will have to
agonize.
Achievement
Wheresoever you go,
go with all your heart.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your
life.
If you shoot for the stars and hit the
moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people
don't even shoot.
The man who moves a mountain begins by
carrying away small stones.
It does not matter how slowly you go so
long as you do not stop.
Things that are done, it is needless to
speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame.
To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.
Life
is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
The man of wisdom is never in two minds
about right and wrong; the man of benevolence never worries about the
future; the man of courage is never afraid.
The superior man is distressed by the
limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do
not recognize the ability that he has.
The Three Armies can be deprived of their
commanding officer, but even a common man cannot be deprived of his
purpose.
The superior man, when resting in safety,
does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he
does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does
not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered,
and his States and all their clans are preserved.
The superior man cannot be known in little
matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may
not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little
matters.
There is one single thread binding my way
together...the way of the Master consists in
doing one’s best...that is all.
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to
love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are
difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a
seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years,
teach the people.
Knowledge,
Learning
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Learn as though
you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in
fear of losing it.
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is
easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.
The more man
meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the
world at large.
Study the past if you would divine the
future.
They must often change who would be
constant in
happiness
or wisdom.
I am not one who was born in the possession
of
knowledge; I am one who is fond of
antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.
In a hamlet of ten households, there are
bound to be those who are my equal in doing their best for others and in
being trustworthy in what they say, but they are unlikely to be as eager
to learn as I am.
He who merely knows right principles is not
equal to him who loves them.
Learning
without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a
night without moon and star.
He who learns but does not
think, is lost! He who thinks but does not
learn is in great danger.
The essence of knowledge is, having it, to
apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.
Even when walking in the company of two
other men, I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of
the one I copy; the bad points of the other I correct in myself.
The scholar who cherishes the love of
comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
Those who do not study are only cattle
dressed up in men’s clothes.
The determined scholar and the man of
virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue.
They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.
The man who in view of gain thinks of
righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his
life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it
extends – such a man may be reckoned a complete man.
Look at the means which a man employs,
consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal
himself!
The people may be made to follow a path of
action, but they may not be made to understand it.
While you are not able to serve men, how
can you serve spirits?...While you do not know life, how can you know
about death?
Relationships
Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who
practices it will have neighbors.
Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.
Respect yourself and others will respect
you.
It is more shameful to distrust our friends
than to be deceived by them.
It is not the failure of others to
appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your
failure to appreciate theirs.
When anger rises, think of the
consequences.
Do not impose on others what you yourself
do not desire.
Tsze-Kung asked, saying, 'Is there one word
which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" The Master
said, "Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to
yourself, do not do to others."
Recompense injury with justice, and
recompense kindness with kindness.
Have no friends not equal to yourself.
Never give a sword to a man who can't
dance.
It is only the benevolent man who is
capable of liking or disliking other men.
A youth is to be regarded with respect. How
do you know that his future will not be equal to our present?
Communication
The superior man is modest in his speech,
but excels in his
actions.
The superior man] acts before he speaks,
and afterwards speaks according to his actions
.
Speak the truth, do not yield to anger;
give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go
near the gods.
If
language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said
is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains
undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will
stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what
is said. This matters above everything.
It is not possible for one to teach others
who cannot teach his own family.
He who speaks without modesty will find it
difficult to make his words good.
To see and listen to the wicked is already
the beginning of wickedness.
Silence is a true friend who never betrays.
Governance
To govern is to be correct. If you set an
example by being correct, who would dare remain incorrect?
In a country well governed, poverty is
something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is
something to be ashamed of.
The strength of a nation derives from the
integrity of the home.
He who exercises government by means of his
virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place
and all the stars turn towards it.
An oppressive government is more to be
feared than a tiger.
