Q0157
“Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly thickens his virtue to…” — The Book of Changes (Yijing, Kun, Commentary on the Images)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Yijing, Kun, Commentary on the Images. Theme: virtue.
English
Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly thickens his virtue to bear things.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Yijing, Kun, Commentary on the Images and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About The Book of Changes
The Book of Changes appears in this archive through verified English quotations associated with the Confucianism tradition. Biographical certainty varies by figure and text; where the “author” is a scripture or school anthology, read the name as a traditional attribution rather than a modern individual biography.
How to read this passage
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
How to cite this quotation
APA: The Book of Changes. (n.d.). Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly thickens his virtue to bear things. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0157
MLA: The Book of Changes. “Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0157.
Chicago: The Book of Changes. “Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0157.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Earth's condition is receptive devotion; the gentleman accordingly…”?
The passage is attributed to The Book of Changes, Yijing, Kun, Commentary on the Images. The archive attributes this English wording to Yijing, Kun, Commentary on the Images and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does The Book of Changes mean by virtue?
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue.