Great Throughts Treasury

"The wise man does not try to set up detailed systems. One uses what is right for today to govern th eworld of today, but this does not mean that it will be right for a later day."

"Heaven has its principle, but Heaven itself cannot be separated from chi. Only when we recognize the Principle as the principle of chi , can we define the Principle of Heaven. If we don't do that and abandon talk of chi to discuss the principle, then we cannot even find the Principle of Heaven. "

"Heaven has its principle, but Heaven itself cannot be separated from chi. Only when we recognize the Principle as the principle of chi, can we define the Principle of Heaven. If we don't do that and abandon talk of chi to discuss the principle, then we cannot even find the Principle of Heaven."

"What is meant by the Way [Dao] is the management of concrete things... Lao-zi was blind to this and said that the Way existed in emptiness... Buddha was blind to this and said that the Way existed in silence... One may keep on uttering such extravagant words endlessly, but no-one can ever escape from concrete things."

"No ordered society is purely good; it is simply when superior men (jun zi)dominate. There are vile people in the world even when superior men dominate. No chaotic society is purely bad; it is simply when vile men (xiao ren) dominate. There are superior men in the world even when vile people. "

"With a tendency, either one eventually brings to its completion, or one does not eventually bring to its completion, it is all up to one's judgment."

"Flaws derived from good laws after they have been implemented for too long, from this we can see what will happen to the mediocre laws... From this point of view, we see that no matter whether the rulership is good or bad, none can last forever."

"What can be applied for a thousand years without any change is humanity, it is also Heaven."

"The day the world is hooked on the examinations is the day the sacred scholarship died. Those who take the examinations know perfectly well what they are doing is not genuine scholarship. It is but for them to acquire an office and to have a comfortable life. Unfortunately, the unreflective prefers to use their scholarship to serve as a yardstick for the scholarship of the past and the present."

"Since the examinations became influential, this world no longer knows there are books... The millions of people over the hundreds of years are lured only to how to copy each other, and to figure out what the examination content could be like. These people are empty shells and rotten leather. They are no talents at all. "

"For the best way of government, there is nothing better than to examine the :Book of History" and modify it with the words of Confucius. The but centrla point is whether the ruler's heart is serious or dissolute."

"Intellectuals believe that going to halls and walls of Confucius will guarantee them a short cut to profit. The stricter the government examine them, the more cunning they are in cheating in the examinations. The more successful the candidates the government recruits, the more imposters there are... This is why the people of self-dignity do not wish to consider studying for the examinations a kind of serious learning. However, what else could one acquire genuine learning? Could they not pursue the position in the government as an erudite scholar, and to place themselves in the service of the sons of heaven, in the hope that they assist him in the work of straightening the world?"

"Throughout heaven and earth is Mind [hsin], whose changes are unpredictable. It is inexorably manifested in myriad different forms. The mind has no fundamental substance. Fundamental substance is that which is achieved by its efficacious effort. Therefore, to plumb th principle is to prob e the myriad different forms of the Mind, not the myriad different forms of myriad things."

"At bottom, principle is not a finished product that can be grasped. It is invisible. The details and order of material force is a principle that is visible. Therefore, the first time there is any principle is when it is seen in material force. After principles have thus been found, they of course appear to become tendencies. "

"The great function of government is to make use of worthy men and promote education. In dealing with people, it should bestow humanity and love to the highest degree."