Humaneness

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

“No man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others. Suppose a child were about to fall into a well: anyone who saw it would experience a heart of alarm and distress. This would not be in order to gain favor with the child's parents, or to seek praise from neighbors and friends, or out of dislike for the child's cries.”

“The heart of compassion is the sprout of humaneness. The heart of shame is the sprout of rightness. The heart of deference is the sprout of ritual propriety. The heart of right and wrong is the sprout of wisdom. People have these four sprouts just as they have four limbs.”

“All men have the mind which cannot bear to see the suffering of others. If men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they will all without exception experience a feeling of alarm and distress. And from this we may infer the four beginnings: the feeling of commiseration is the beginning of benevolence; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; the feeling of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.”

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

“No man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others. Such a heart is the origin of humaneness.”

“Human nature is good, just as water seeks low ground. There is no person who is not good, just as there is no water that does not flow downward.”

“To overcome yourself and return to ritual propriety is Goodness. If for one day you are able to overcome yourself and return to ritual propriety, the entire world will return to Goodness.”

“One who is Good will necessarily be courageous, but one who is courageous will not necessarily be Good.”

“What you yourself do not want, do not impose upon others.”

“There is one single thread that runs through my Way.”