To find joy in caring for one's wife is not a failure of loyalty to one's lord; to cherish one's family is not a failure of righteousness to the state.
Serving a lord through virtue is renowned, but serving through palaces and mansions is not.
He who treats others with disdain will be treated with disdain in return.
If others lack benevolence, I lack righteousness.
To overcome many with few, or the weak with the strong, one must first understand the balance of labor and rest.
Failing to endure small trials will lead to great calamities.
A tiger low on strength may still strike; a stooping weasel may still catch its prey.
A dragon in the depths cannot be glimpsed by commoners; once it leaves the depths for land, a child can subdue it.
High-flying birds die from delicious food; fish in deep springs die from fragrant bait.
An arrogant ruler will not preserve the state; an arrogant high official will not preserve the ancestral temple.