1, from chapter 14 of the Doctrine of the Mean.
2. Original text:
A gentleman walks in his own position and doesn't want to be outside.
Sue, be rich; Poverty is poverty; Su Yi emperor, walking in the Yi emperor; There's always trouble, always trouble. A gentleman is not complacent.
In the upper position, not under the mausoleum; Second, don't help; If you are right, don't ask others, you will have no complaints. I don't complain, but I don't care about others.
Therefore, a gentleman is easy to live in, and a villain is desperate and lucky.
Confucius said, "Shoot like a gentleman. Lost the right mandarin fish, but begged for it. 」
3. Translation:
A gentleman is content with the status quo and does what he should do. He has no wild desires.
In the position of wealth, do what rich people should do; If you are poor, do what poor people should do; If you are in a remote area, do what you should do in a remote area; When you are in trouble, do what you should do in trouble. No matter what happens, a gentleman is complacent.
Being in the upper position, not bullying the lower ones; A person who is in a lower position without climbing to the top. Don't be hard on others, correct yourself, and there will be no complaints. Don't complain, don't complain.
So the gentleman is content with the status quo and waits for his destiny, but the villain is desperate to get something wrong.
Confucius said, "Being a gentleman in the world is like archery. If you miss your hand, you don't blame the wrong target, but you only blame yourself for poor archery. "
Extended data:
1. The Doctrine of the Mean is an article about Confucian human nature cultivation. Originally the thirty-first article of the Book of Rites, it is said that it was written by Zi Si, a classic work of Confucianism. Respected by Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi in the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhu in the Southern Song Dynasty wrote Notes on the Doctrine of the Mean, which was finally called "Four Books" together with Daxue, Analects of Confucius and Mencius.
2. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, The Doctrine of the Mean became the official textbook of the school and the required reading of the imperial examination, which had a great influence on the ancient education in China.