Confucianism

Is it not a pleasure to learn and to apply what one has learned? Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar? Is it not gentlemanly not to take offense when others fail to appreciate your abilities?

Zengzi said, 'Each day I examine myself on three counts: In my dealings with others, have I been faithful? In my interactions with friends, have I been trustworthy? Have I practiced what has been passed on to me?'

Do not be afraid to correct your mistakes. A person who has made a mistake and does not correct it is making another mistake.

Zilu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, 'While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?' Zilu then ventured to ask about death. He was answered, 'While you do not know life, how can you know about death?'

Yan Yuan asked about benevolence. The Master said, 'To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.'

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.

Fan Chi asked about benevolence. The Master said, 'It is to love all men.'

Since I cannot find men who steer a middle course to associate with, I would rather have the impetuous and the cautious. The impetuous forge ahead, the cautious hold back.

The Master said, 'When a prince's personal conduct is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders. If his personal conduct is not correct, he may issue orders, but they will not be followed.'

Someone said, 'What do you say concerning the principle that injury should be recompensed with kindness?' The Master said, 'With what then will you recompense kindness? Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.'

Someone said, 'What do you say about repaying resentment with virtue?' The Master said, 'Then what would you repay virtue with? Repay resentment with uprightness, and repay virtue with virtue.'

The Master said, 'What the superior man seeks is in himself. What the small man seeks is in others.'