Now, let's appreciate Confucius's remarks from different perspectives!

(1) On morality. Confucius said: If a person is determined to be benevolent, he will not do evil. A gentleman will not deviate from benevolence even after eating a meal, and he will definitely practice benevolence when he is most urgent, even when he is displaced, he must have benevolence in his heart. Benevolence is actually not far away from us, benevolence is the innate nature of human beings, so by their own efforts, they will definitely be able to have benevolence. The wise will not be confused, the righteous will not be sorrowful, and the brave will not be afraid. A virtuous person must have good words, but a person with good words may not necessarily be virtuous; A virtuous person is bound to be brave, but a brave person is not necessarily virtuous.

People with lofty ideals will not compromise benevolence in order to save their lives, and will rather sacrifice their lives to achieve benevolence at critical moments. In the face of benevolence, even if I am a teacher, I will not be humble to him. Do your best to do what is beneficial to others, fear ghosts and gods but stay away from them, if a person can do this, he can be called wise. A gentleman may be deceived for a moment because of his integrity, but he cannot be unreasonably fooled because of his integrity. We must restrain ourselves and do everything according to the requirements of etiquette; Don't impose on others what you don't want to want. Those who are in government must know how to love and understand people, select upright people, and depose evil people. Usually behaving at home, doing things seriously, and being loyal to others, such a person can't be wrong no matter where he goes.

It's really rare to find someone who doesn't have the four points of competitiveness, boasting, resentment, and greed! In order to do a good job, the workman must first sharpen his tools. To live in this country is to serve the wise men among the doctors, and to make friends with the benevolent among the scholars. A person who can practice the five virtues of "solemnity, generosity, honesty, diligence, and kindness" everywhere is a benevolent person. Dignity will not be insulted, generosity will be supported by all, honesty will be appointed by others, diligence will improve work efficiency, and kindness will be able to summon people. While a man's father is alive, that person can learn from his father's merits; After his father's death, if he can hold on to his father's reasonable part for a long time without changing it, such a person can be said to have fulfilled his filial piety.

When we serve our parents, if they are at fault, we should persuade them gently. If our parents do not accept them, we should still respect them, we should not disobey and confront them, and we should continue to work hard without resentment. Actually, there is a fundamental idea in my sermons that carries them throughout. People should be able to carry forward the Tao, not expand people's talents. I don't want others to impose on me what others have imposed on me, and I don't want to impose it on others; What I don't want to ask for myself, I won't impose on others. A moral person will never be isolated, and there will definitely be people with the same thoughts who will get along with him. As a kind of morality, moderation should be the highest. Until now, I have never seen a person who likes benevolence as much as he likes women!

(2) On self-cultivation. Confucius said: A gentleman has nothing to argue with others. If you have a clear conscience, what sorrow and fear will there be? A gentleman will accomplish the good of others, and will not contribute to the evil of others; The villain is the opposite. The gentleman stresses harmony and does not seek harmony, and the villain only seeks complete uniformity, but does not pay attention to coordination; The gentleman is quiet and calm, not arrogant and rude. To cultivate oneself is to maintain a serious and respectful attitude, to reassure the people around him, and to make all the people happy. Take righteousness as the foundation, implement it with courtesy, express it with humble language, and complete it with a loyal attitude; Those who can usually do this can be called gentlemen.

A gentleman only worries that he has no talent, and does not worry that others do not know him. A gentleman only seeks the Tao, not food and clothing. The gentleman is only worried that the Tao will not work, and he is not worried that he will be poor. The gentleman reveres the destiny of heaven, the noble person, and the words of the saint. A gentleman has nine things to think about: when he looks, he must think about whether he sees clearly or not; When listening, think about whether you hear clearly or not; Your own complexion should be considered whether it is gentle or not; You should think about whether you are humble or not; When you speak, think about loyalty. When doing things, you should think about whether you are cautious and serious; When in doubt, think about whether you should ask someone else. When you are angry, you should consider whether there will be consequences. When obtaining financial gain, it is necessary to consider whether it is in accordance with the standard of righteousness.

A person who can do things with a sense of shame, who can go to foreign parties, and who can complete the mission entrusted by the monarch, can be called a scholar. A gentleman, if you are not dignified, you will not have dignity; Learning can keep people from being closed; Be faithful, and do not make friends with those who disagree with you. If you make a mistake, don't be afraid to correct it; Although he is poor, he is willing to be honest, and although he is rich, he treats others with courtesy. For a scholar who aspires to learn and practice the teachings of a saint, but is ashamed that he does not eat well and does not dress well, it is not worth talking about the Tao with him. When you see a sage, you should learn from him and look up to him; When you see someone who is not virtuous, you should reflect on yourself to see if you have any mistakes similar to them.

Those who understand it are not as good as those who love it; Those who love it are not as good as those who enjoy it. Many people do not cultivate morality, do not pay attention to learning, cannot do what is righteous, and cannot correct what is not good, these are all things that worry me. To be a man is to take the Tao as the ambition, the virtue as the basis, the benevolence as the basis, and the activities within the scope of the six arts. Several people walk together, and one of them must be my teacher; For others, I will choose his good character to learn from him, and when I see his bad points, I will use them as a reference to change my own shortcomings. Even if a monarch on the throne has the same wonderful talents as the Duke of Zhou, if he is arrogant and stingy, then other aspects are not worth mentioning.

To be a man, everything must be based on faithfulness, don't make friends who are not as good as yourself, and don't be afraid to correct mistakes if you have them. A gentleman thinks it is a shame to say too much and do too little. If you make a mistake and don't correct it, then you really have to call it a mistake! There are three kinds of beneficial preferences, and there are three kinds of harmful preferences: the preference for regulating oneself with propriety, the preference for praising the good of others, and the preference for having many virtuous friends, which are beneficial; Likes to be proud, likes to wander, likes to eat and drink, this is a harmful preference. If a person is more simple than literary, then he will be like a countryman, vulgar; If there is more literary brilliance than simplicity, he will be hypocritical and pompous; Only those who have the right combination of simplicity and style can be called a gentleman.

When he was young, his flesh was still immature, and he had to quit his infatuation with women; When the body is mature, the flesh is strong, and the fighting between people must be abstained; When you are old, your flesh is weakened, and you must abstain from insatiable greed. We should be like this: when we see good deeds, we worry that we can't do it; When you see an unkind behavior, it's like putting your hand in boiling water. Rumors heard on the road are spread everywhere, which is morally repugnant. If you don't understand the destiny of heaven, you can't be a gentleman; If you don't know etiquette, you can't stand well in the world; If you are not good at discerning the words of others, you cannot truly understand a person.