I. KONGZI/CONFUCIUS (551-479 B.C.E.) neighbors and friends, and not because one would dislike the sound of the child’s cries. I.4 Master Zeng said: "Every day I examine myself “From this we can see that if one is without the on three counts: in my dealings with others, have I heart of compassion, one is not a human. If one is in any way failed to be dutiful? In my interactions without the heart of disdain, one is not a human. If with friends and associates, have I in any way failed one is without the heart of deference, one is not a to be trustworthy? Finally, have I in any way failed human. If one is without the heart of approval and to put into practice what I teach?" disapproval, one is not a human. The heart of II.3 The Master said, “If you try to guide the common compassion is the sprout of benevolence. The people with coercive regulations and keep them in heart of disdain is the sprout of righteousness. The line with punishments, the common people will heart of deference is the sprout of propriety. The become evasive and will have no sense of shame. heart of approval and disapproval is the sprout of If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep wisdom. them in line by means of ritual, the people will have “People having these four sprouts is like their a sense of shame and will rectify themselves.” having four limbs.” II.4 The Master said: "At fifteen I set my mind upon learning; at thirty I took my place in society; at forty I 6A8 Mengzi said, “The trees of Ox Mountain were became free of doubts; at fifty I understood once beautiful. But because it bordered on a large Heaven’s Mandate; at sixty my ear was attuned; and state, hatchets and axes besieged it. Could it at seventy I could follow my heart’s desires without remain verdant? Due to the rest it got during the overstepping the bounds of propriety.” day or night, and the moisture of rain and dew, it III.3 The Master said: "A man who is not Good— was not that there were no sprouts or shoots what has he to do with ritual? A man who is not growing there. But oxen and sheep then came and Good—what has he to do with music?" grazed on them. Hence, it was as if it were barren. IV.4 The Master said, "Merely set your heart People, seeing it barren, believed that there had sincerely on Goodness and you will be free of bad never been any timber there. Could this be the intentions.” nature of the mountain?! VII.6 The Master said, "Set your heart upon the Way “When we consider what is present in people, (dao), rely upon Virtue (de), lean upon Goodness could they truly lack the hearts of benevolence and (ren), and explore widely in your cultivation of the righteousness? That by which they discard their arts." good heart is simply like the hatchets and axes in 12.11 Duke Jing of Qi asked Kongzi about relation to the trees. With them besieging it day by governing. Kongzi responded, “Let the lord be a day, can it remain beautiful? With the rest it gets true lord, the ministers true ministers, the fathers during the day or night, and the restorative effects of true fathers, and the sons true sons.” the morning qi, their likes and dislikes are The Duke replied, “Well put! Certainly if the lord is sometimes close to those of others. But then what not a true lord, the ministers not true ministers, the they do during the day again fetters and destroys it. fathers not true fathers, and the sons not true sons, If the fettering is repeated, then the evening qi is even if there is sufficient grain, will I ever get to eat insufficient to preserve it. If the evening qi is it?” insufficient to preserve it, then one is not far from a bird or beast. Others see that he is a bird or beast, *** and think that there was never any capacity there. Is this what a human truly is?! II. MENGZI/MENCIUS (c. 320 B.C.E.) “Hence, if it merely gets nourishment, there is nothing that will not grow. If it merely loses its 2A6 Mengzi said, “Humans all have hearts that are nourishment, there is nothing than will not vanish. not unfeeling toward others. . . . Kongzi said, ‘Grasped then preserved; abandoned “The reason why I say that humans all have then lost. Its goings and comings have no fixed hearts that are not unfeeling toward others is this. time. No one knows its home.’ Was it not the heart Suppose someone suddenly saw a child about to of which he spoke?” fall into a well: everyone in such a situation would have a feeling of alarm and compassion—not (Excerpted from Readings in Classical Chinese because one sought to get in good with the child’s Philosophy, 2nd edition, edited by Philip J. Ivanhoe parents, not because one wanted fame among their and Bryan W. Van Norden [Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 2005].)