Confucius

The law of right living is not immediately clear to the wise man, but it becomes much clearer when he follows it. The law of right living is immediately clear to the ordinary person, but it becomes less obvious when he tries to follow it.

What is not clear should be cleared up. What is not easy to do should be done with great persistence.

Work toward the purification of your thoughts. Without bad thoughts you will be incapable of bad deeds.

A wise man looks for everything inside of himself; a madman seeks for everything in others.

The journey of the wise to virtue is as a journey to a remote land, or the ascent of a high mountain. People who travel to a faraway place start with a single step, and those who climb a high mountain start from the bottom.

The goodness which you do gives you pleasure, but not satisfaction. No matter how much goodness you do, you should wish to do more and more.

Every man, from the king to the poorest pauper, should seek his own perfection, because only self-perfection improves mankind.

We can understand wisdom in three ways: first, by meditation; this is the most noble way. Secondly, by being influenced by someone or following someone; this is the easiest way. Third is the way of experience; this is the most difficult way.

The more strictly and mercilessly you judge yourself, the more just and kind you will he in the judgment of others.

We understand very clearly that to be a person with high morals is to be a person with a liberated soul. Those who are disappointed or concerned or afraid, or who are involved in passions, cannot free their souls.

People should follow only the indisputable truth.

In order to reach spiritual perfection, you should first of all take care of the purity of your soul. This can be reached when the heart looks for truth, and strives for wholeness, and depends on true knowledge.

Be attentive to what you do; never consider anything unworthy of your attention.

Even if people do not know what real kindness is, they nevertheless have it within them.

Pure perfection can be found only in God; one’s life consists of becoming closer to God. And when a person knows that good is good and that evil is evil, then he or she gets closer to good, and moves farther from evil.

You can achieve wisdom in three ways. The first way is the way of meditation. This is the most noble way. The second way is the way of imitation. This is the easiest and least satisfying way. Thirdly, there is the way of experience. This is the most difficult way.

When an arrow does not hit its target, the marksman blames himself, not another person. A wise man behaves in the same way.