Listen widely to remove your doubts and be careful when speaking about the rest and your mistakes will be few. See much and get rid of what is dangerous and be careful in acting on the rest and your causes for regret will be few. Speaking without fault, acting without causing regret: 'upgrading' consists in this.

It is man that makes truth great, and not truth that makes man great.

If the search for riches were sure to be successful, though I should become a groom with a whip in my hand to get them, I will do so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow after that which I love.

Even if I could, I would not exahnge their virtues for my own. And that is why they are intent on learning from me.

Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?

He who needs only coarse food, water and drink, and as pillow his folded arms will find happiness without further search.

The failure to cultivate virtue, the failure to examine and analyze what I have learned, the inability to move toward righteousness after being shown the way, the inability to correct my faults-these are the causes of my grief.