governance

  • The Analects – Chapter 13.1

    Zilu asked about governance. The Master said, “Lead by example, and then ask the people to work hard.”Zilu asked for more guidance. The Master said, “Never grow weary.”

  • The Analects – Chapter 12.19

    Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governance, saying, “What if I execute those who are unprincipled in order to bring people onto the right path? How would that be?”Confucius replied, “In your governance, why resort to killing? If you yourself desire goodness, the people will become good. The virtue of the noble person is like…

  • The Analects – Chapter 12.17

    Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governance. Confucius replied, “The word ‘governance’ means ‘rectitude’. If you yourself lead by being upright, who would dare not to be upright?”

  • The Analects – Chapter 12.14

    Zi Zhang asked about governance. The Master said, “Be tireless in holding your position, and carry out your duties with loyalty.”

  • The Analects – Chapter 12.7

    Zigong asked about governance. The Master said, “Ensure sufficient food, sufficient military strength, and the people’s trust.”Zigong asked, “If, under unavoidable circumstances, one of these three must be abandoned, which should go first?”The Master replied, “Abandon the military.”Zigong asked again, “If, under further unavoidable circumstances, another must be abandoned between the remaining two, which…

  • The Analects – Chapter 11.26

    Zilu, Zeng Xi (named Dian), Ran You, and Gongxi Hua were sitting with Confucius. The Master said, “I am a few years older than you – don’t let that hold you back. You often say, ‘No one understands me!’ If someone did understand and employ you, what would you do?”

  • The Analects – Chapter 11.25

    Zilu appointed Zigao as magistrate of Fei. The Master said, “You are harming that young man!”Zilu replied, “There are people to govern and altars of soil and grain to tend – why must one read books before being considered learned?”The Master retorted, “This is precisely why I detest glib talkers who twist words to…

  • Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 22. From preparation to perseverance in the path of self-cultivation

    In all things, preparation leads to success; without preparation, there is failure.If one’s words are settled in advance, one will not stumble in speech;if one’s affairs are planned in advance, one will not be perplexed;if one’s actions are resolved in advance, one will not feel remorse;if one’s path is determined in advance, one will…

  • The Great Learning: The Foundation of Confucian Self-Cultivation

    As one of the four core classics of Confucianism, The Great Learning (Daxue) holds a sacred place in Chinese intellectual and cultural history. Originally a chapter in the Book of Rites, an ancient collection of ritual and ethical texts, it was later compiled and annotated by the Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi, who elevated…