Correcting a Ruler's Heart
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English translation
Original Chinese text
孟子曰:“人不足与適也,政不足与间也,惟大人为能格君心之非。君仁莫不仁,君义莫不义,君正莫不正,一正君而国定矣。”
English translation
Mencius said, “One should not dwell on blaming individuals, nor on finding fault with government measures. Only a great person can correct what is wrong in a ruler’s heart. If the ruler is humane, none will be inhumane; if the ruler acts righteously, none will act unrighteously; if the ruler is upright, none will be crooked. Once the ruler is set right, the state will be settled.”