Jin Zhong served as the Minister of Defence during the Ming Dynasty of ancient China. He was tolerant, generous and selfless. He always spoke highly of the good things he saw in others, and praised their merits even when they opposed him.
Before Jin Zhong became an official, a man from his hometown once humiliated and gravely embarrassed him. After he became the minister, the man came to the capital as a lower official. When he learnt that the minister was Jin Zhong, whom he’d once humiliated, he was pale with fright, yet Jin Zhong still recommended him for a promotion.
Someone asked Jin Zhong, "Don’t you resent him?" He replied, "Because I saw he was capable, I offered him the position. How could I deny his strengths for the sake of my personal resentments?"
The sages have all praised and advocated tolerance over grievance, and consider it a remarkable virtue. Confucius said, "Repay ingratitude with justice." Justice means fairness. Didn’t Jin Zhong’s actions epitomise this concept? Lao Zi also said, "Repay ingratitude with goodness," which is a higher requirement for people.
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