“Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.”

If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity.

They are done merely for ornament. … the common people regard them as supernatural.

I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.

The noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.

Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

Thus, anybody who follows this nature and gives way its states will be led into quarrels and conflicts, and go against the conventions and rules of society, and will end up a criminal.

When you concentrate on agriculture and industry and are frugal in expenditures, Heaven cannot impoverish your state.

You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: wy not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?

Pride and excess bring disaster for man.

Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.

Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.

Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.

Misery is evil; quarreling, a misfortune. There is only one possibility of avoiding both: a clear division of society. [Otherwise] the strong tyrannize the weak, the intelligent frighten the stupid, the inferior resist the superior, and the young mock the old.

Now it is human nature to want to eat to ones fill when hungry, to want to warm up when cold, to want to rest when tired. These all are a part of people’s emotional nature.

Thus, that one can find no place to walk through the breadth of the earth is not because the earth is not tranquil but because the danger to every step of the traveler lies generally with words.

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.

With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.

True devotion is for itself: not to desire heaven nor to fear hell.

Your prayers are your light; Your devotion is your strength; Sleep is the enemy of both. Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you. If you ignore it, if you waste it, You will only turn to dust.

You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty, for it is not life that matters, but the courage, fortitude and determination you bring to it.

I haven’t many years left ahead of me and I must devote all my time to painting, in the hope of achieving something worthwhile in the end, something if possible that will satisfy me.

Animals are near and dear to my heart, and I’ve devoted my life to trying to improve their lives.

The devotion which God sends to the succor of His Church and of the nations at the present time is the devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist. It is the highest of all devotions.

Leaders have devoted themselves to politics, little knowing, it seems that political independence disappears without economic independence that economic independence is the foundation of political independence.