•
An ode says: “The blossoms of the tang-di tree flutter back and forth. How could I not long for you? It’s just that my home is far from yours.” Confucius commented, “If one truly longed, one would have already acted – how could distance ever be a barrier?”
•
Confucius said, “The commander of an army of three divisions may be taken away, but the will of an ordinary man cannot be taken from him.”