Yea, he with whom neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, are successful, may be called farseeing." The Master said, "He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed. Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. What has the superior man to do with being distressed because he has no brothers?" "Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety:-then all within the four seas will be his brothers. Tsze-hsia said to him, "There is the following saying which I have heard-'Death and life have their determined appointment riches and honors depend upon Heaven.' Sze-ma Niu, full of anxiety, said, "Other men all have their brothers, I only have not." The Master said, "When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?" "Being without anxiety or fear!" said Nui "does this constitute what we call the superior man?" The Master said, "The superior man has neither anxiety nor fear." "Cautious and slow in his speech!" said Niu -"is this what is meant by perfect virtue?" The Master said, "When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?" The Master said, "The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech." The Master said, "It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself to have no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family." Chung-kung said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson." Yen Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety listen not to what is contrary to propriety speak not what is contrary to propriety make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yen Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson."Ĭhung-kung asked about perfect virtue. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?" If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, an under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. The Master said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue.
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