克己复礼为仁。

原文英文

The application of propriety should be guided by the principle of harmony.

A gentleman has three cautions: in youth, when his blood and qi are not yet stable, he should be cautious about lust; in his prime, when his blood and qi are vigorous, he should be cautious about quarreling; in old age, when his blood and qi are declining, he should be cautious about acquiring.

His wisdom is attainable, but his foolishness is beyond attainment.

To those of medium capacity or above, one may speak of higher principles; to those of medium capacity or below, one must not speak of higher principles.

A gentleman is all-embracing yet does not form factions; a petty man forms factions but is not all-embracing.

I examine myself three times a day: Have I been disloyal in serving others? Have I been unfaithful in my dealings with friends? Have I failed to practice what I have been taught?

To study without thinking is to be bewildered.

Without learning propriety, one cannot establish oneself in the world.

When engrossed in study, I forget to eat; when I find joy in it, I forget my worries; I do not realize that old age is approaching.

While one's parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, there must be a specific destination.

The Master taught in four ways: literature, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness.

Be quick-witted and eager to learn, and do not be ashamed to ask questions of those who are less educated or of lower status.

Restraining oneself and returning to propriety is benevolence. If one can restrain oneself and return to propriety for a single day, all under heaven will be considered benevolent. The practice of benevolence depends on oneself; how can it depend on others?

To be able to speak with someone but not do so is to lose a person; to speak with someone who should not be spoken to is to waste words. A wise person neither loses people nor wastes words.

The Master avoided four things: arbitrary assumptions, absolute certainty, rigidity, and self-centeredness.

The wise find joy in water; the benevolent find joy in mountains. The wise are active; the benevolent are quiet. The wise are happy; the benevolent have long lives. To know a thing is not as good as to love it; to love it is not as good as to take joy in it.

Customs are similar, but nature differs.

Those who know by birth are the highest; those who know by learning are next; those who learn when in difficulty are next again; those who are in difficulty but do not learn are the lowest.