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Mencius said: “A truly noble person is one who has not lost the heart of a newborn child.”
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Mencius said: “When the whole world is delighted and ready to submit to him, Shun regarded this universal acclaim as lightly as a blade of grass or a speck of dust. Only Shun could do this.”
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Mencius said: “The essence of ren (benevolence) is serving one’s parents;the essence of yi (righteousness) is following one’s elder brothers.The essence of zhi (wisdom) is understanding these two and never abandoning them;the essence of li (ritual propriety) is giving them proper form and refinement;the essence of yue (music/joy) is delighting in these two –and…
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The Mohist scholar Yi Zhi, through Xu Bi (a disciple of Mencius), requested to meet Mencius. Mencius said: “I’d be glad to see him, but I’m still unwell. Once I recover, I’ll go to him – Yi Zhi need not come!”
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Mencius said: “Everyone possesses a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer. The ancient sage-kings had this very ‘heart of not bearing the suffering of others,’ and thus they implemented policies that reflected that compassion.