Mencius visited Pinglu in the state of Qi and said to its local magistrate, Kong Juxin: “If one of your soldiers who stands guard with a halberd deserts his post three times in a single day, would you dismiss him?”
7.22 The Master said,”Even when walking in a party of no more than three I can always be certain of learning from those I am with. There will be good qualities that I can select for imitation and bad ones that will teach me what requires correction in myself.”
6.3 Duke Ai asked which of the disciples had a love of learning.
Master Zeng said, “Every day I examine myself on these three points: in acting on behalf of others, have I always been loyal to their interests? In intercourse with my friends, have I always been true to my word? Have I failed to repeat the precepts that have been handed down to me?”
It is necessary to use tactful methods to help a person overcome his faults. If you use a confrontational and clamorous approach, you will be using your own shortcomings to counter his.
No matter how earth-shaking one’s achievements, self-conceit will cancel them out. No matter how horrendous one’s sins, repentance will atone for them.
In the still of the night, when a man sits alone in meditation, the first thing that happens is that his inordinate desires disappear, and his true self holds sway.