Mencius stresses reverence in social exchanges and accepts ritual-compliant gifts, yet rejects stolen loot from murderers. He distinguishes criminal robbers from exploitative lords, explaining Confucius took office for three pragmatic reasons to gradually promote the Dao before departing.
Sima Niu lamented, “Everyone has brothers, but I alone have none.”Zixia consoled him, saying, “I once heard it said: ‘Life and death are determined by fate; wealth and honor depend on Heaven.’ If a noble person is reverent and never careless in conduct, and treats others with respect and propriety, then all within the…
When sleeping, he did not lie stiffly like a corpse; when at home, he was relaxed and unpretentious. Yet whenever he saw someone in mourning dress – even if they were close friends – he would always change his expression to one of solemnity. When encountering someone wearing a ceremonial cap or a blind…
When Confucius entered the Grand Temple (the ancestral temple of the ruler), he asked about every detail of the rites.