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The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart.

Mencius

Never has there been one possessed of complete sincerity who did not move others. Never has there been one who had not sincerity who was able to move others.
MENCIUS

Ability Change Sincere
He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.
MENCIUS

Himself Love Respect
To feed men and not to love them is to treat them as if they were barnyard cattle. To love them and not respect them is to treat them as if they were household pets.
MENCIUS

Freedom Men Pet
Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.
MENCIUS

Death Freedom
The ways are two: love and want of love. That is all.
MENCIUS

Compassion Love
Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.
MENCIUS

Decision Men Vigor
Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.
MENCIUS

Capability Greatness Inspirational
Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not.
MENCIUS

Evil Heaven Men Reality
He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich.
MENCIUS

Choice Himself Rich
Human nature is good, just as water seeks low ground. There is no man who is not good, just as there is no water that does not flow downward.
MENCIUS

Goodness Human Humanity Men Nature Water
The Tao is near and people seek it far away.
MENCIUS

Effort People Spiritual
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.
MENCIUS

Deep Evil Goodness Negative Perspective Philosophy Spiritual
The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Greatness Heart Man Wisdom
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.
MENCIUS

Greatness Heaven Suffering
Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.
MENCIUS

Duty Responsibility Roots
The way of truth is like a great road. It is not difficult to know it. The evil is only that men will not seek it.
MENCIUS

Difficult Evil Men Seek

The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart.

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The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart.

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