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Confucianism -> Mengzi -> Gaozi II -> 35.1

孟子Mencius said,
'Shun rose from among the channelled fields.
傅說Fu Yue was called to office from the midst of his building frames;
膠鬲Jiao Ge from his fish and salt;
管夷吾Guan Yi Wu from the hands of his gaoler;
孫叔敖Sun Shu Ao from his hiding by the sea-shore;
百里奚and Bai Li Xi from the market-place.
Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man,
it first exercises his mind with suffering,
and his sinews and bones with toil.
It exposes his body to hunger,
and subjects him to extreme poverty.
It confounds his undertakings.
By all these methods it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature,
and supplies his incompetencies.
Men for the most part err,
and are afterwards able to reform.
They are distressed in mind
and perplexed in their thoughts,
and then they arise to vigorous reformation.
When things have been evidenced in men's looks,
and set forth in their words,
then they understand them.
If a prince have not about his court families attached to the laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there are not hostile States or other external calamities, his kingdom will generally come to ruin.
From these things we see how life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.


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