Confucius is thought to have lived from 551-479 BC. He was a Chinese politician and philosopher whose ideas were foundational to the culture and society of east Asia. His philosophical teaching emphasized a moral way of life defined by justice, kindness, loyalty, sincerity, and right relationship and conduct among individuals, family, and government. Confucius, like most great teachers, considered himself as “a transmitter who invented nothing.” His teachings emphasized self-cultivation, cultivation of knowledge, and personal embodiment / exemplification over formal rules, and included the negative variant of the Golden Rule, sometimes known as the Silver Rule: “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others”. A disciple asked “Is there any one word that could guide a person throughout life? The Master is said to have replied “How about ‘reciprocity’. Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”
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