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The Master said, “The noble person aspires upward toward the Way, virtue, and heavenly principle; the petty person sinks downward toward private gain, desire, and trivial concerns.”
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Yuan Xian asked Confucius what constituted “shame.”The Master said, “When the state is well governed, it is right to draw a salary as an official; but when the state is poorly governed, to still draw a salary is shameful.”Yuan Xian then asked, “If someone can suppress competitiveness, boastfulness, resentment, and desire, can he be…
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Confucius said, “I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as they love beauty.”
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Tasty foods are like poison that perforates your intestines and erodes your bones. So long as you only eat until you are half full no harm will ensue.
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As soon as you find your thoughts deflecting to the path of material desires, switch them immediately back to the path of preserving your essential nature.
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When you have material gains to pursue, do not make hasty decisions to do so simply because of their easy accessibility.
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“Huang Jiulang” from Liaozhai Zhiyi(Strange Tales from Liaozhai) recounts the tale of He Zixiao, a scholar from Zhejiang with an attraction to men.