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ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS.
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3. 'Is his way right, he should go forward in it; is it wrong, he should withdraw from it.
He will not tread in devious by-ways; he will not impose on himself in any secret apartment. He will
amass virtue and accumulate deeds of The way of a good man. merit. He will feel kindly towards
(all) creatures. He will be loyal, filial, loving to his younger brothers, and submissive to his elder. He will make himself correct and (so) transform others. He will pity orphans, and compassionate widows; he will respect the old and cherish the young. Even the insect tribes, grass, and trees he should not hurt.
'He ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others; to rejoice over their excellences; to help them in their straits; to rescue them from their perils; to regard their gains as if they were his own, and their losses in the same way; not to publish their shortcomings; not to vaunt his own superiorities; to put a stop to what is evil, and exalt and display what is good ; to yield much, and take little for himself; to receive insult without resenting it, and honour with an appearance of apprehension; to bestow favours without seeking for a return, and give to others without any subsequent regret :-this is what is called a good man. All other men respect him ; Heaven in its course protects him; happiness and emolument follow him; all evil things keep far from him ; the spiritual Intelligences defend him; what he does is sure to succeed 2;
1 In its widest meaning :-Men, creatures, and all living things.
? Here are the happy issues of doing good in addition to long life ;-compare the Tâo Teh King, ch. 50, et al.
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