Learning from the Worthy of the Past

Contents

Text

English translation

Original Chinese text

English translation

Mencius said to Wan Zhang, “A worthy person of one village befriends the worthy of that village; a worthy person of one state befriends the worthy of that state; a worthy person throughout the realm befriends the worthy throughout the realm.”

Original Chinese text

English translation

“If befriending the worthy of the whole realm is still not enough, one may go on to discuss people of antiquity. Can one recite their poems and read their books without knowing them? One must therefore consider the age in which they lived. This is friendship with those above us in time.”

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