AMPLIFICATION OF “THE HIGHEST VIRTUE”
Confucius said: “When a ruler wishes to teach his people to love their
parents, he does not go to their family every day to teach them. He
teaches them by his showing reverence to all old people. In the same
manner he teaches his people to show respect to their elders by doing
so first; and to be loyal to their ruler by his doing duty to his
superiors first.
“The _Shih Ching_ says, ‘The behaviour of the ruler is so good that he
is loved by the people as their parent.’ A ruler could not have been
so loved by his people had he not possessed the highest virtue.”