Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.

There is the work of great men and there is the work of little men. Therefore it is said, 'Some labor with their minds and some labor with their strength. Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their strength are governed by others.'1 Those who are governed by others support them; those who govern them are supported by them. This is a universal principle.

Charity is in the heart of man, and righteousness in the path of men. Pity the man who has lost his path and does not follow it and who has lost his heart and does not know how to recover it. When people's dogs and chicks are lost they go out and look for them and yet the people who have lost their hearts do not go out and look for them. The principle of self-cultivation consists in nothing but trying to look for the lost heart.

Those who follow the part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow the part which is little are little men.

The root of the kingdom is in the state. The root of the state is in the family. The root of the family is in the person of its head.

Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.

The great person never loses a childlike spirit.