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-by Zhou Dunyi (Song Dynasty) Among the flowers of land and water, many are lovely. During the Jin Dynasty, Tao Yuanming alone loved the chrysanthemum. Since the Tang Dynasty, people have greatly favored the peony.
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Confucius said, “When serving a noble person, there are three common faults: to speak before it is your turn is called impetuousness; to remain silent when it is your turn to speak is called concealment; and to speak without observing the other’s expression is called blindness.”
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The Master said, “In serving a ruler, attend to your duties with reverence first, and place your salary second.”
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The Master said, “The noble person is steadfast in principle but not rigidly bound by petty fidelity.”
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The Master said, “The noble person cannot be fully known through small matters, yet can be entrusted with great responsibilities; the petty person cannot be entrusted with great responsibilities, yet can be understood through small matters.”
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The Master said, “The noble person seeks the Way, not sustenance. In farming, hunger may still occur; in studying, official emolument often follows. Thus, the noble person worries about the Way, not about poverty.”
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The Master said, “The noble person does not promote someone solely on the basis of his words, nor does he reject someone’s words solely because of who he is.”