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Mencius said: “Rituals that are not truly ritual, and righteousness that is not truly righteous – these are things a noble person will never do.”
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Mencius said: “If a ruler executes scholar-officials without just cause, then high ministers may leave the state.If a ruler massacres common people without guilt, then scholar-officials (educated individuals) may relocate to another country.”
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Mencius said to King Xuan of Qi: “If a ruler treats his ministers as his own hands and feet, they will treat him as their heart and mind.If he treats them like dogs or horses, they will regard him as a mere stranger.If he treats them like dust or weeds – worthless and disposable…
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Zichan (Zi Chan), while governing the state of Zheng, once used his own carriage to ferry people across the Zhen and Wei rivers.
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Mencius said: “Shun was born in Zhufeng, moved to Fuxia, and died in Mingtiao – he was a man of the Eastern Yi (eastern frontier peoples).King Wen of Zhou was born in Qizhou and died in Biying – he was a man of the Western Yi (western frontier peoples).” “Their homelands were over a…
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Mencius said: “When the whole world is delighted and ready to submit to him, Shun regarded this universal acclaim as lightly as a blade of grass or a speck of dust. Only Shun could do this.”
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Mencius said: “The essence of ren (benevolence) is serving one’s parents;the essence of yi (righteousness) is following one’s elder brothers.The essence of zhi (wisdom) is understanding these two and never abandoning them;the essence of li (ritual propriety) is giving them proper form and refinement;the essence of yue (music/joy) is delighting in these two –and…
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Mencius said: “There are three forms of unfilial conduct, and the gravest is having no descendants.Shun married without informing his parents precisely to avoid this greatest unfilial act.Therefore, the noble person considers it as if he had informed them.”