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Chu Zi asked Mencius: “The king sent someone to secretly observe you – does he really have any qualities that make him different from ordinary people?”
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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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The Master said, “A gentleman is not an implement.”