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6.25 The Master said, “A horn-gourd that is neither horn nor gourd! A pretty horn-gourd indeed, a pretty horn-gourd indeed.”
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6.23 The Master said, “The wise man delights in water, the benevolent man delights in mountains. For the wise move; but the benevolent stay still. The wise are happy; but the benevolent, secure.”
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6.21 The Master said, “To men who have risen at all above the middling sort, one may talk of things higher yet. But to men who are at all below the middling sort it is useless to talk of things that are above them.”
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6.20The Master said, “To prefer it is better than only to know it. To delight in it is better than merely to prefer it.”
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6.19The Master said, “Man’s very life is honesty, in that without it he will be lucky indeed if he escapes with his life.”
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6.18 The Master said, “When natural substance prevails over ornamentation, you get the boorishness of the rustic. When ornamentation prevails over natural substance, you get the pedantry of the scribe. Only when ornament and substance are duly blended do you get the true gentleman.”
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6.17The Master said, “Who expects to be able to go out of a house except by the door? How is it then that no one follows this Way of ours?