A collection of inspirational quotes by Zeng Zi

1. A gentleman who respects what he has heard will be wise; if he practices what he has heard, he will be broad-minded. The greatness and magnificence do not lie in him, but in his ambition.

2. Things have a beginning and an end, and things have an end and a beginning. If you know the sequence, you will be shortcut.

3. A gentleman is concerned about victory. He thinks before he acts, discusses before he acts. When he acts, he must think about what he says. When he speaks, he must think about it. When he thinks about it, he must think about what he says without regrets. This can also be said to be prudent.

4. Knowledge lies in investigating things. After observing things, one will know, and after knowing one's thoughts, one will be sincere, one's mind will be sincere, then one's heart will be upright, one's heart will be right, then one will cultivate one's body, one will cultivate one's body, and then one's family will be in order, and one's family will be in order, and then the country will be governed.

5. A gentleman knows a lot but chooses something, is learned and calculates a lot, speaks a lot but is careful.

6. A happy gentleman is the father and mother of the people. Those who love what the people like and hate what the people hate are called the parents of the people.

7. A gentleman is determined to be benevolent and determined. He acts first and speaks later. We are all brothers thousands of miles away. If you don't do this, then even though you are dear to you, who can be close to you!

8. The way of a university lies in clear virtue, in being close to the people, and in striving for perfection.

9. A gentleman must be loyal and trustworthy to gain the right path, and arrogant and arrogant to lose it.

10. A gentleman respects benevolence. The world is rich, what is wealth? Benevolence is wealth. What is noble in the world? Then benevolence is noble.

11. Confucius said: When hearing a lawsuit, I am still a human being. There will definitely be no lawsuits! Those who are ruthless will not be able to use their words and fear the will of the people. This is called knowing the roots.

12. A gentleman thinks about benevolence and righteousness. He forgets to eat during the day and forget to sleep at night. He works in the morning and introspects in the evening to serve his body. This can be said to be keeping his job.

13. You can support an orphan six feet away, you can send a life a hundred miles away, and you can’t take it away during the big festival. A gentleman is a gentleman.

14. When you enter this country, if you are loyal to the officials, you can stay; if you are loyal to the officials, you can be an official; if you give to the people, you can be safe.

15. The Yin Dynasty has not lost its master, but it is not worthy of God. The instrument is in charge of the Yin Dynasty, and the order is not easy. If Tao wins people, the country will be gained; if it loses people, the country will be lost.

16. Zeng Zi asked: Confucius said: To teach the people to be affectionate, don’t be good at filial piety; to teach the people to be polite, don’t be good at dissatisfaction; to change customs, don’t be good at happiness; to teach the people to be safe and orderly, don’t be good at etiquette.

17. When a gentleman advances, he will benefit from the reputation above and suffer from the worries below. It is the righteousness of a gentleman to not have ambitions, not to be insecure about his position, not to have a good fortune and a good salary, to follow the path while being humble, to be benevolent when he is cold and hungry.

18. Therefore, the eyes are the floating mind; the words are the guide for actions. What is done in the middle is spread outside. Therefore, it is said: He who sees it, takes advantage of its hiddenness.

19. When a gentleman advances, he can achieve, and when he retreats, he can remain calm. Why value it for its ability to reach, value it for its merits; value its ability to be quiet, value it for its ability to defend.

20. In ancient times, those who wanted to bring clear virtue to the world first governed their country; those who wanted to govern their country, first managed their families; those who wanted to regulate their families, first cultivated their own bodies; those who wanted to cultivate their own bodies , first rectify one's mind; if one wants to rectify one's mind, one must first be sincere in one's intention; if one wants to be sincere in one's intention, one must first develop knowledge; to achieve knowledge is to investigate things.