Virtuous Neighborhoods (Le Jin)

The Master said, 'It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence, do not fix on one where such prevail, how can he be wise?'

The Master said, 'Virtuous behavior makes a neighborhood an excellent place to live. If a man chooses not to live where virtue prevails, how can he be wise?'

The Master said, 'Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue.'

The Master said, 'People without virtue cannot remain long in either poverty and hardship or comfort and pleasure. The virtuous find peace in virtue. The wise seek virtue.'

The Master said, 'It is only the (truly) virtuous man, who can love, or who can hate, others.'

The Master said, 'Only a (truly) virtuous person can love or hate others.'

The Master said, 'If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness.'

The Master said, 'If you set your heart on virtue, you will do no evil.'

The Master said, 'Riches and honours are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided.

The Master said, 'Wealth and honor are what people desire. If wealth and honor cannot be gained in the right way, people should not keep them. Poverty and low status are what people dislike. If poverty and low status cannot be avoided in the right way, people should not avoid them.

'If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name?

'If a noble man abandons virtue, how can he live up to being called noble?

'The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.'

'The noble man never acts against virtue, not even for the time it takes to eat a single meal. Even when rushed, he holds firmly to virtue. In times of danger, he holds firmly to virtue.'

The Master said, 'I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue, would esteem nothing above it. He who hated what is not virtuous, would practise virtue in such a way that he would not allow anything that is not virtuous to approach his person.

The Master said, 'I have not seen anyone who loved virtue or hated what was not virtuous. Someone who loved virtue would value nothing above virtue. Someone who hated what was not virtuous would practice virtue so that nothing unvirtuous could come near him.

'Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not seen the case in which his strength would be insufficient.

'Can anyone devote their strength to virtue for a single day? I have never seen anyone whose strength would fall short.

'Should there possibly be any such case, I have not seen it.'

'If there is any such case, I have not seen it.'

The Master said, 'The faults of men are characteristic of the class to which they belong. By observing a man's faults, it may be known that he is virtuous.'

The Master said, 'People's faults reflect the kind of people they are. By observing a man's faults, you may know that he is virtuous.'

The Master said, 'If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret.'

The Master said, 'If a man learns the right way in the morning, he may die that evening without regret.'

The Master said, 'A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with.'

The Master said, 'A scholar committed to truth but ashamed of poor clothes and poor food is not worth talking to.'

The Master said, 'The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.'

The Master said, 'A person of noble character does not approach the world already set for or against anything. He follows what is right.'

The Master said, 'The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favours which he may receive.'

The Master said, 'The noble man thinks about virtue. The petty man thinks about comfort. The noble man thinks about the penalties of the law. The petty man thinks about favors he may receive.'

The Master said: 'He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against.'

The Master said: 'Anyone who always acts for his own benefit will face much criticism.'

The Master said, 'If a prince is able to govern his kingdom with the complaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern it with that complaisance, what has he to do with the rules of propriety?'

The Master said, 'If a prince can govern his kingdom with the courtesy required by proper conduct, what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern with such courtesy, what use are the rules of proper conduct to him?'

The Master said, 'A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known.'

The Master said, 'A man should say, I am not worried about having no position. I am concerned with making myself fit for one. I am not worried about being unknown. I seek to be worthy of recognition.'

The Master said, 'Shan, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity.' The disciple Tsang replied, 'Yes.'

The Master said, 'Shan, one unifying idea runs through all my teaching.' The disciple Tsang replied, 'Yes.'

The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, 'What do his words mean?' Tsang said, 'The doctrine of our master is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others,— this and nothing more.'

The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, 'What do his words mean?' Tsang said, 'Our master's teaching is to stay true to the principles of our nature and apply them kindly toward others. There is nothing more to his teaching.'

The Master said, 'The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain.'

The Master said, 'The noble person focuses on what is right. The petty person focuses on personal gain.'

The Master said, 'When we see men of worth, we should think of equalling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.'

The Master said, 'When we see men of good character, we should think about becoming their equals. When we see men of bad character, we should look inward and examine ourselves.'

The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son may remonstrate with them, but gently; when he sees that they do not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased degree of reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur.'

The Master said, 'In serving his parents, a son may gently object to their actions. When he sees that his parents are unwilling to follow his advice, he shows them even greater respect. But he does not give up his purpose. And if his parents punish him, he does not allow himself to complain.'

The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes.'

The Master said, 'While his parents are alive, a son must not travel far from home. If he does, he must have a fixed destination.'

The Master said, 'If the son for three years does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.'

The Master said, 'If a son follows his father's ways for three years without changing them, he may be called a dutiful son.'

The Master said, 'The years of parents may by no means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy and for fear.'

The Master said, 'You must always remember your parents’ ages, as a source of both joy and fear.'

The Master said, 'The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to them.'

The Master said, 'People in ancient times were slow to speak because they feared their actions might not match their words.'

The Master said, 'The cautious seldom err.'

The Master said, 'Cautious people rarely make mistakes.'

The Master said, 'The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct.'

The Master said, 'A noble man aims to be measured in his speech and earnest in his actions.'

The Master said, 'Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practises it will have neighbors.'

The Master said, 'Virtue never stands alone. Anyone who practices virtue will have neighbors.'

Tsze-yu said, 'In serving a prince, frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant.'

Tsze-yu said, 'When serving a prince, repeatedly pointing out his faults leads to disgrace. Between friends, frequent criticism weakens the friendship.'