Great Throughts Treasury

"Irreverently they point at the three luminaries; intently they gaze at the sun and at the moon."

"Liars they are, bearing false witness, deceivers, and hypocrites; malevolent exposers of kith and kin; mischievous and malignant; not humane; cruel and irrational; self-willed."

"Moreover, all those who wrongly seize others' property may have to compensate for it, with wives or children or other family members, the expiation to be proportionate up to a punishment by death."

"Observing the talent and ability of a man worthy of praise, they suppress the truth."

"Of all the offences which men commit, the greater ones cause a loss of twelve years, the smaller ones of a hundred days. These their offences, great as well as small, constitute some hundred affairs, and those who are anxious for life everlasting,[17] should above all avoid them."

"On the eight festivals of the seasons they execute punishment."

"On the last day of the month the Hearth Spirit,[16] too, does the same."

"Receive favors as if surprised."

"Recklessly they cut cloth to waste."

"Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and regard your neighbor's loss as your own loss."

"Renounce much, accept little."

"Right and wrong they confound. Their avowals and disavowals are not as they ought to be."

"Seeing a man imperfect in his bodily features they ridicule him."

"Seeing the wealth of others, they wish them bankrupt and ruined."

"Seeing their neighbor lose his vantage they gossip of his failure."

"Shamelessly greedy they are for wealth."

"Show endurance in humiliation and bear no grudge."

"Stay evil and promote goodness."

"Stealthily they despise their superiors and parents."

"Take pity on orphans, assist widows; respect the old, be kind to children."

"The last day of the month and the last day of the year they sing and dance. The first day of the month, the first day of the year, they start roaring and scolding."

"The reward of good and evil is like the shadow accompanying a body, and so it is apparent that heaven and earth are possessed of crime-recording spirits."

"The right way leads forward; the wrong way backward."

"Their deportment is irrational."

"Their heart is venomous while they show a compassionate face."

"Their lusty desires exceed all measure."

"Their mouth asserts what their heart denies."

"Their unbridled ambition makes for power, and through the degradation of others they seek success."

"Therefore, blessed is the man who speaketh what is good, who thinketh what is good, who practiceth what is good. If but each single day he would persevere in these three ways of goodness, within three years Heaven will surely shower on him blessings."

"They accuse heaven and find fault with man."

"They adulterate the genuine, and they seek profit in illegitimate business."

"They agitate and disturb the public order."

"They are careful in hiding their shortcomings."

"They appropriate the accomplishments of their neighbor and conceal his good qualities. They make known his foibles and expose his secrets. They squander his property and cause divisions in his family."

"They are greedy and covetous without satiety."

"They assist others in doing wrong."

"They are partial in their hatred and partial in their love."

"They attack that which is dear to others."

"They betray and deceive the simple-minded."

"They blame the wind and rail at the rain."

"They borrow and accept without intention to return."

"They break into others' houses to take their property and valuables."

"They break up betrothals."

"They cannot see beauty without cherishing in their hearts thoughts of seduction."

"They claim having done acts of favor and disclaim being at fault."

"They compel respectable people to become lowly."

"They conceal and keep a treacherous heart."

"They cringe to superiors to curry favor."

"They crush that which is excellent in others."

"They curse and swear to seek vindication."