Follow the Way and Await Destiny

English translation

Mencius said, “Yao and Shun embodied benevolence and righteousness by nature; Tang and King Wu returned to them through practice. To have every movement accord with ritual is the height of virtue. To mourn the dead sincerely is not done for the sake of the living; to follow virtue without deviation is not a way to seek office or salary; to keep one’s word is not merely a device for correcting conduct. The noble person follows the proper norms and awaits Heaven’s decree.”