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The Master said, “The determined scholar and the humane person will never seek to preserve their life at the expense of benevolence (humaneness); they would rather sacrifice their life to fulfill humaneness.”
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Zilu said, “Duke Huan of Qi killed Prince Jiu; Shao Hu died for him, but Guan Zhong did not.” He added, “Was he not humane?”The Master replied, “It was through Guan Zhong’s efforts that Duke Huan convened the feudal lords nine times without resorting to war chariots. Wasn’t he humane! Wasn’t he humane!”
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Someone asked Confucius about Zi Chan. The Master said, “He was a man who showed kindness to the people.”He then asked about Zi Xi. Confucius replied, “That man! That man!” (a dismissive and evasive expression).He further asked about Guan Zhong. Confucius said, “He was a true man! He confiscated three hundred households of Bo…
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The Master said, “There may be noble persons (junzi) who occasionally fall short of benevolence; but there has never been a petty person who truly attained benevolence.”
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The Master said, “A person of virtue will surely have meaningful words; but one who has words is not necessarily virtuous. A humane (benevolent) person will surely possess courage; but a courageous person is not necessarily humane.”
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Zengzi said, “The noble person gathers friends through shared study of cultural texts, and uses friendship to support the cultivation of humaneness.”