Sacrifice is a state of mind in which our thoughts turn with longing [toward Heaven, the Ancestors], It is the supreme expression of loyalty, love, and respect.
XUNZITherefore, a person should first be changed by a teacher’s instructions, and guided by principles of ritual. Only then can he observe the rules of courtesy and humility, obey the conventions and rules of society, and achieve order.
More Xunzi Quotes
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If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
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Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving.
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The petty man is eager to make boasts, yet desires that others should believe in him. He enthusiastically engages in deception, yet wants others to have affection for him. He conducts himself like an animal, yet wants others to think well of him.
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Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.
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The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
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Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
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Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.
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If you wish to see the thousand years, look at today; if you wish to understand the millionfold, then look at the one or the two.
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If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
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If what the heart approves conforms to proper patterns, then even if one’s desires are many, what harm would they be to good order?
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Human nature is such that people are born with a love of profit If they follow these inclinations, they will struggle and snatch from each other, and inclinations to defer or yield will die.
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You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: wy not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?
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If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.
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Men of all social stations live together: they are equal in their desires, yet vary in their methods; they are equal in their passions, yet different in their intelligence; that is their nature-given vitality.
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I once tried standing up on my toes to see far out in the distance, but I found that I could see much farther by climbing to a high place.
XUNZI