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.”
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…
Confucius said, “I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as they love beauty.”
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.
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.
When you have material gains to pursue, do not make hasty decisions to do so simply because of their easy accessibility.
“Huang Jiulang” from Liaozhai Zhiyi(Strange Tales from Liaozhai) recounts the tale of He Zixiao, a scholar from Zhejiang with an attraction to men.