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Book 4

Li Ren · 4里仁

Humaneness, rightness, profit, and dwelling with virtue.

Li Ren(里仁)·01

子曰,里仁为美,择不处仁,焉得知。

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

子曰,不仁者,不可以久处约,不可以长处乐,仁者安仁,知者利仁。

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

子曰,惟仁者,能好人,能恶人。

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

子曰,苟志于仁矣,无恶也。

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

子曰,富与贵,是人之所欲也,不以其道得之,不处也。贫与贱,是人之所恶也,不以其道得之,不去也。君子去仁,恶乎成名。君子无终食之间违仁,造次必于是,顚沛必于是。

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

子曰,我未见好仁者,恶不仁者,好仁者,无以尙之,恶不仁者,其为仁矣,不使不仁者,加乎其身。有能一日用其力于仁矣乎,我未见力不足者。盖有之矣,我未之见也。

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

子曰,人之过也,各于其党,观过,斯知仁矣。

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

子曰,朝闻道,夕死,可矣。

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

子曰,士志于道,而耻恶衣恶食者,未足与议也。

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

子曰,君子之于天下也,无适也,无莫也,义之与比。

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

子曰,君子怀德,小人怀土,君子怀刑,小人怀惠。

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

子曰,放于利而行,多怨。

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

子曰,能以礼让为国乎,何有,不能以礼让为国,如礼何。

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

子曰,不患无位,患所以立,不患莫己知,求为可知也。

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

子曰,参乎,吾道一以贯之。曾子曰,唯。子出,门人问曰,何谓也。曾子曰,夫子之道,忠恕而已矣。

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

子曰,君子喻于义,小人喻于利。

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

子曰,见贤思齐焉,见不贤而内自省也。

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

子曰,事父母几谏,见志不从,又敬不违,劳而不怨。

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

子曰,父母在,不远游,游必有方。

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

子曰,三年无改于父之道,可谓孝矣。

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

子曰,父母之年,不可不知也,一则以喜,一则以惧。

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

子曰,古者言之不出,耻躬之不逮也。

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

子曰,以约,失之者鲜矣。

The Master said, "The cautious seldom err."

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Li Ren(里仁)·24

子曰,君子欲讷于言,而敏于行。

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

子曰,德不孤,必有邻。

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

子游曰,事君数,斯辱矣,朋友数,斯疏矣。

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

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