Mencius holds benevolence and righteousness grow from extending innate compassion and moral reluctance. Expanding such inner conscience yields endless virtue. He condemns scholars manipulating speech or silence for favor, equating such hypocrisy to theft.
Mencius warns against slaying others’ kin. Killing someone’s father or brother triggers retaliation against your own family. Though you do not kill your relatives personally, the tragic outcome barely differs from direct murder.
Zigong asked, “Is there one word that can be practiced for a lifetime?” The Master said, “Perhaps it is ‘shu’ (reciprocity)! Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”
Someone asked, “What about repaying resentment with virtue?”The Master replied, “Then what would you use to repay virtue? Repay resentment with uprightness, and repay virtue with virtue.”
The Master said:“The Way is not distant from people.If one pursues the Way in a way that estranges it from human life, it cannot be called the true Way.”