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The Tao is near and people seek it far away.

Mencius

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Mencius
Philosopher
Writer
Zhulou
Meng Ke
ሜንግዙ
Meng-tze
Near
Seek
Effort
Away
People
Tao
Taoism

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He who loves others is always loved by them, and he who respects others is always respected by them.
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To lay hold of the mean without taking into account the occasion is like grasping one thing only.
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Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.
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Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
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The sole concern of learning is to seek one's original heart.
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Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.
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When the men of antiquity realized their wishes, benefits were conferred by them on the people. If they did not realize their wishes, they cultivated their personal character, and became illustrious in the world. If poor, they attended to their own virtue in solitude if advanced to dignity, they made the whole empire virtuous as well.
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The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute- he simply speaks and does what is right.
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Truth uttered before its time is dangerous.
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If you know that a thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to it--why wait till next year?
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The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart.
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Water indeed will flow indifferently to the east or west, but will it flow indifferently up or down? The tendency of our nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. There are none but have this tendency to good, just as all water flows downward.
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Evil exists to glorify the good. Evil is negative good. It is a relative term. Evil can be transmuted into good. What is evil to one at one time, becomes good at another time to somebody else.
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A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.
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When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist.
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If you love men and they are unfriendly, look into your love if you rule men and they are unruly, look into your wisdom if you are courteous to them and they do not respond, look into your courtesy. If what you do is vain, always seek within.
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The foundation of the world lies in the nation. The foundation of the nation lies in the family. The foundation of the family lies in the individual.
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It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.
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He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
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When Heaven is about to confer a great office upon you, it first exercises your mind with suffering and your sinews and bones with toil.
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