Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.

Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.

It is true that water will flow indifferently to east and west, but will it flow equally well up and down? Human nature is disposed toward goodness, just as water tends to flow downwards. There is no water but flows downwards, and no man but shows his tendency to be good. Now, by striking water hard, you may splash it higher than your forehead, and by damming it, you may make it go uphill. But, is that the nature of water? It is external force that causes it to do so. Likewise, if a man is made to do what is not good, his nature is being similarly forced.

It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.

The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.

Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.

When the men of antiquity realized their wishes, benefits were conferred by them on the people. If they did not realize their wishes, they cultivated their personal character, and became illustrious in the world. If poor, they attended to their own virtue in solitude; if advanced to dignity, they made the whole empire virtuous as well.