If the ruler values ritual propriety, the people will not dare to be disrespectful; if the ruler values righteousness, the people will not dare to disobey; if the ruler values trustworthiness, the people will not dare to be insincere.
Killing people without educating them first is called tyranny; expecting success without prior warning is called violence; issuing orders carelessly but enforcing strict deadlines is called treachery; being stingy with money in dealings with others is called bureaucratic misconduct.
The ruler should treat his subjects with ritual propriety, and the subjects should serve their ruler with loyalty.
If the people are well-off, how can the ruler be lacking? If the people are poor, how can the ruler be satisfied?
Those who are supremely benevolent can harmonize with the closest bonds of heaven and earth.
Use literature to make friends, and use friendship to assist in achieving benevolence.
Men of ambition and benevolence will not seek survival at the expense of benevolence, but will sacrifice their lives to achieve it.
The noble man takes righteousness as his essence, conducts himself with ritual propriety, expresses himself with humility, and achieves his goals with trustworthiness. Truly he is a noble man!
Confucius said: "One who can practice five virtues throughout the world is benevolent." When asked what they were, he replied: "Reverence, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and benevolence. Reverence prevents insult, generosity wins the people's support, trustworthiness earns people's confidence, diligence brings success, and benevolence enables one to lead others effectively."
If a noble man dies of illness or passes away without his reputation having been established in the world.
The Book of Changes is vast and comprehensive: it contains the Dao of Heaven, the Dao of Humanity, and the Dao of the Earth. Combining the Three Powers and dividing them into yin and yang, there are thus six lines. The six lines are not separate entities, but represent the Dao of the Three Powers.
If upright men are raised and placed above crooked men, the people will submit; if crooked men are raised and placed above upright men, the people will not submit.
In the use of ritual propriety, harmony is the most precious quality.
When seeing a superior man, think of emulating him; when seeing an inferior man, examine oneself internally.
If a person lacks perseverance, he cannot become a shaman or a physician.
If one rectifies his own conduct, what difficulty will there be in governing the state? If one cannot rectify his own conduct, how can he rectify others?
A noble man's naming things must have a rationale that can be articulated, and his words must be actions that can be carried out. A noble man is never casual or sloppy with his words.
If one makes a mistake, do not hesitate to correct it.
The noble man is open and relaxed, while the petty man is always anxious and sorrowful.
Do not displace anger onto others, and do not repeat the same mistakes.
