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Mencius – Chapter 7.19 Feeding the body, Honoring the will: True filial piety beyond material care
Mencius said: “What duty is greatest? Serving one’s parents is greatest.What must be guarded above all? Guarding one’s own moral integrity is paramount.I have heard of people with moral integrity can serve their parents well;but I have never heard of anyone of lax morals can do so. There are various kinds of duties. Yet…
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Mencius – Chapter 7.18 Why fathers shouldn’t be their sons’ teachers
Gongsun Chou asked Mencius: “Why don’t gentlemen teach their own sons?”
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Mencius – Chapter 7.17 Saving the world with Dao, Not just hands
Chunyu Kun asked Mencius: “Is it true that, according to ritual propriety, men and women should not directly hand things to each other?”
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Mencius – Chapter 7.16 True Respect and Frugality come from within
Mencius said: “A truly respectful person never humiliates others;a truly frugal person never takes what belongs to others.Yet some rulers humiliate their people and seize their wealth,all while fearing that others won’t obey them.How can such people be called ‘respectful’ or ‘frugal’?Can respectfulness and frugality really be faked through tone of voice, smiles, and…
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Mencius – Chapter 7.15 The eyes never lie
Mencius said: “When it comes to understanding a person, nothing is more revealing than their eyes.The eyes cannot conceal a person’s evil.”
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Mencius – Chapter 7.14 Moral condemnation of war, exploitation, and the false glory of state power
Mencius said: “Ran Qiu served as steward to the powerful Ji family in Lu.Not only did he fail to help them improve their virtue, but he actually doubled their grain taxes.”