Fan Ch’ih asked about benevolence. The Master said, “It is to love all men.” He asked about knowledge. The Master said, “It is to know all men.”
Fan Ch’ih did not immediately understand these answers.
The Master said, “Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked;—in this way the crooked can be made to be upright.”
Fan Ch’ih retired, and, seeing Tsze-hsîâ, he said to him, “A little while ago, I had an interview with our Master, and asked him about knowledge. He said, ‘Employ the upright, and put aside all the crooked;—in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright.’ What did he mean?”
Tsze-hsîâ said, “Truly rich is his saying!
“Shun, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Kâo-yâo, on which all who were devoid of virtue disappeared. T’ang, being in possession of the kingdom, selected from among all the people, and employed Î Yin, and all who were devoid of virtue disappeared.”