From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.

Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness and yet live, his escape from death is mere good fortune.

A gentleman considers justice to be essential in everything. He practices it according to the principles of propriety. He brings it forth in modesty and faithfully completes it. This is indeed a gentleman.

If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day.

The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler.

The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.

A country of a thousand war-chariots cannot be administered unless the ruler attends strictly to business, punctually observes his promises, is economical in expenditure, loves the people, and uses the labor of the peasantry only at the proper times of year.