-
Mencius – Chapter 13.46
Mencius stresses prioritizing essentials: wise men focus on urgent tasks, benevolent ones prioritize kin and worthies. Yao and Shun followed this. He criticizes those fussing over trivial rituals while ignoring core mourning and dining etiquette fundamentals.
-
Mencius – Chapter 13.45
Mencius puts forward graded love: cherish creatures without full benevolence, treat people kindly yet less intimately than family. True virtue starts with loving relatives, expands to caring for people, and finally extends affection to all natural things.
-
Mencius – Chapter 13.44
Mencius warns against abandoning core morals or neglecting dear ones, as such lapses spread to all conduct. He also states that those who rush forward hastily will retreat quickly, stressing steady, gradual self-cultivation.
-
Mencius – Chapter 13.42
Mencius states gentlemen practice the Dao when the world is upright, and sacrifice themselves to defend it amid chaos. He firmly rejects compromising moral truth to cater to worldly interests, stressing the Dao’s supreme dignity.
-
Mencius – Chapter 13.41
Gongsun Chou asks Mencius to simplify the lofty Way for ordinary people. Mencius refuses to lower moral standards, comparing teachers to skilled craftsmen. He uses heuristic teaching, holding the Middle Way for capable learners to follow.