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Li Ren(里仁)

Li Ren contains 26 passages on learning, virtue, and practical conduct.

This book has 26 chapters; 16/26 chapters currently have audio.

Passages in this book

Li Ren(里仁)·01

子zǐ曰yuē,里lǐ仁rén为wéi美měi,择zé不bù处chǔ仁rén,焉yān得dé知zhì。

The Master said, "It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence, do not fix on one where such prevail, how can he be wise?"

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Li Ren(里仁)·02

子zǐ曰yuē,不bù仁rén者zhě,不bù可kě以yǐ久jiǔ处chǔ约yuē,不bù可kě以yǐ长cháng处chǔ乐lè,仁rén者zhě安ān仁rén,知zhì者zhě利lì仁rén。

The Master said, "Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue."

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Li Ren(里仁)·03

子zǐ曰yuē,惟wéi仁rén者zhě,能néng好hào人rén,能néng恶wù人rén。

The Master said, "It is only the (truly) virtuous man, who can love, or who can hate, others."

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Li Ren(里仁)·04

子zǐ曰yuē,苟gǒu志zhì于yú仁rén矣yǐ,无wú恶wù也yě。

The Master said, "If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness."

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Li Ren(里仁)·05

子zǐ曰yuē,富fù与yǔ贵guì,是shì人rén之zhī所suǒ欲yù也yě,不bù以yǐ其qí道dào得dé之zhī,不bù处chǔ也yě。贫pín与yǔ贱jiàn,是shì人rén之zhī所suǒ恶wù也yě,不bù以yǐ其qí道dào得dé之zhī,不bú去qù也yě。君jūn子zǐ去qù仁rén,恶wū乎hū成chéng名míng。君jūn子zǐ无wú终zhōng食shí之zhī间jiān违wéi仁rén,造zào次cì必bì于yú是shì,顚diān沛pèi必bì于yú是shì。

1. The Master said, "Riches and honours are what men desire. If it cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If it cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. 2. "If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name? 3. "The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."

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Li Ren(里仁)·06

子zǐ曰yuē,我wǒ未wèi见jiàn好hào仁rén者zhě,恶wù不bù仁rén者zhě,好hào仁rén者zhě,无wú以yǐ尙shàng之zhī,恶wù不bù仁rén者zhě,其qí为wéi仁rén矣yǐ,不bù使shǐ不bù仁rén者zhě,加jiā乎hū其qí身shēn。有yǒu能néng一yí日rì用yòng其qí力lì于yú仁rén矣yǐ乎hū,我wǒ未wèi见jiàn力lì不bù足zú者zhě。盖gài有yǒu之zhī矣yǐ,我wǒ未wèi之zhī见jiàn也yě。

1. The Master said, "I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue, would esteem nothing above it. He who hated what is not virtuous, would practise virtue in such a way that he would not allow anything that is not virtuous to approach his person. 2. "Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not seen the case in which his strength would be insufficient. 3. "Should there possibly be any such case, I have not seen it."

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Li Ren(里仁)·07

子zǐ曰yuē,人rén之zhī过guò也yě,各gè于yú其qí党dǎng,观guān过guò,斯sī知zhī仁rén矣yǐ。

The Master said, "The faults of men are characteristic of the class to which they belong. By observing a man's faults, it may be known that he is virtuous."

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Li Ren(里仁)·08

子zǐ曰yuē,朝zhāo闻wén道dào,夕xī死sǐ,可kě矣yǐ。

The Master said, "If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret."

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Li Ren(里仁)·09

子zǐ曰yuē,士shì志zhì于yú道dào,而ér耻chǐ恶è衣yī恶è食shí者zhě,未wèi足zú与yǔ议yì也yě。

The Master said, "A scholar, whose mind is set on truth, and who is ashamed of bad clothes and bad food, is not fit to be discoursed with."

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Li Ren(里仁)·10

子zǐ曰yuē,君jūn子zǐ之zhī于yú天tiān下xià也yě,无wú适shì也yě,无wú莫mò也yě,义yì之zhī与yǔ比bì。

The Master said, "The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow."

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Li Ren(里仁)·11

子zǐ曰yuē,君jūn子zǐ怀huái德dé,小xiǎo人rén怀huái土tǔ,君jūn子zǐ怀huái刑xíng,小xiǎo人rén怀huái惠huì。

The Master said, "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favours which he may receive."

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Li Ren(里仁)·12

子zǐ曰yuē,放fàng于yú利lì而ér行xíng,多duō怨yuàn。

The Master said: "He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against."

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Li Ren(里仁)·13

子zǐ曰yuē,能néng以yǐ礼lǐ让ràng为wéi国guó乎hū,何hé有yǒu,不bù能néng以yǐ礼lǐ让ràng为wéi国guó,如rú礼lǐ何hé。

The Master said, "If a prince is able to govern his kingdom with the complaisance proper to the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern it with that complaisance, what has he to do with the rules of propriety?"

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Li Ren(里仁)·14

子zǐ曰yuē,不bú患huàn无wú位wèi,患huàn所suǒ以yǐ立lì,不bú患huàn莫mò己jǐ知zhī,求qiú为wéi可kě知zhī也yě。

The Master said, "A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known."

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Li Ren(里仁)·15

子zǐ曰yuē,参shēn乎hū,吾wú道dào一yī以yǐ贯guàn之zhī。曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē,唯wéi。子zǐ出chū,门mén人rén问wèn曰yuē,何hé谓wèi也yě。曾zēng子zǐ曰yuē,夫fū子zǐ之zhī道dào,忠zhōng恕shù而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。

1. The Master said, "Shan, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity." The disciple Tsang replied, "Yes." 2. The Master went out, and the other disciples asked, saying, "What do his words mean?" Tsang said, "The doctrine of our master is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others,—this and nothing more."

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Li Ren(里仁)·16

子zǐ曰yuē,君jūn子zǐ喻yù于yú义yì,小xiǎo人rén喻yù于yú利lì。

The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain."

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Li Ren(里仁)·17

子zǐ曰yuē,见jiàn贤xián思sī齐qí焉yān,见jiàn不bù贤xián而ér内nèi自zì省xǐng也yě。

The Master said, "When we see men of worth, we should think of equalling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves."

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Li Ren(里仁)·18

子zǐ曰yuē,事shì父fù母mǔ几jī谏jiàn,见jiàn志zhì不bù从cóng,又yòu敬jìng不bù违wéi,劳láo而ér不bú怨yuàn。

The Master said, "In serving his parents, a son may remonstrate with them, but gently; when he sees that they do not incline to follow his advice, he shows an increased degree of reverence, but does not abandon his purpose; and should they punish him, he does not allow himself to murmur."

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Li Ren(里仁)·19

子zǐ曰yuē,父fù母mǔ在zài,不bù远yuǎn游yóu,游yóu必bì有yǒu方fāng。

The Master said, "While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes."

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Li Ren(里仁)·20

子zǐ曰yuē,三sān年nián无wú改gǎi于yú父fù之zhī道dào,可kě谓wèi孝xiào矣yǐ。

The Master said, "If the son for three years does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial."

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Li Ren(里仁)·21

子zǐ曰yuē,父fù母mǔ之zhī年nián,不bù可kě不bù知zhī也yě,一yì则zé以yǐ喜xǐ,一yì则zé以yǐ惧jù。

The Master said, "The years of parents may by no means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy and for fear."

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Li Ren(里仁)·22

子zǐ曰yuē,古gǔ者zhě言yán之zhī不bù出chū,耻chǐ躬gōng之zhī不bú逮dài也yě。

The Master said, "The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to them."

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Li Ren(里仁)·23

子zǐ曰yuē,以yǐ约yuē,失shī之zhī者zhě鲜xiǎn矣yǐ。

The Master said, "The cautious seldom err."

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Li Ren(里仁)·24

子zǐ曰yuē,君jūn子zǐ欲yù讷nè于yú言yán,而ér敏mǐn于yú行xíng。

The Master said, "The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct."

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Li Ren(里仁)·25

子zǐ曰yuē,德dé不bù孤gū,必bì有yǒu邻lín。

The Master said, "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practises it will have neighbors."

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Li Ren(里仁)·26

子zǐ游yóu曰yuē,事shì君jūn数shuò,斯sī辱rǔ矣yǐ,朋péng友yǒu数shuò,斯sī疏shū矣yǐ。

Tsze-yu said, "In serving a prince, frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant."

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