伯夷聖之清者也
Bo Yi, the Sage of Purity
孟子曰："伯夷，目不視惡色，耳不聽惡聲。非其君不事，非其民不使。治則進，亂則退。橫政之所出，橫民之所止，不忍居也。思與鄉人處，如以朝衣朝冠坐於塗炭也。當紂之時，居北海之濱，以待天下之清也。故聞伯夷之風者，頑夫廉，懦夫有立志。
伊尹曰：'何事非君？何使非民？'治亦進，亂亦進。曰：'天之生斯民也，使先知覺後知，使先覺覺後覺。予，天民之先覺者也；予將以此道覺此民也。'思天下之民匹夫匹婦有不與被堯舜之澤者，若己推而內之溝中，其自任以天下之重也。
柳下惠，不羞污君，不辭小官。進不隱賢，必以其道。遺佚而不怨，阨窮而不憫。與鄉人處，由由然不忍去也。'爾為爾，我為我，雖袒裼裸裎於我側，爾焉能浼我哉？'故聞柳下惠之風者，鄙夫寬，薄夫敦。
孔子之去齊，接淅而行；去魯，曰：'遲遲吾行也。'去父母國之道也。可以速而速，可以久而久，可以處而處，可以仕而仕，孔子也。"
孟子曰："伯夷，聖之清者也；伊尹，聖之任者也；柳下惠，聖之和者也；孔子，聖之時者也。孔子之謂集大成。集大成也者，金聲而玉振之也。金聲也者，始條理也；玉振之也者，終條理也。始條理者，智之事也；終條理者，聖之事也。智，譬則巧也；聖，譬則力也。由射於百步之外也，其至，爾力也；其中，非爾力也。"
Mencius characterized the four great sages: Bo Yi was the sage of purity — he would serve only the right lord and govern only the right people. Yi Yin was the sage of responsibility — he said ‘What lord is not worth serving?’ and advanced whether the age was orderly or chaotic. Liuxia Hui was the sage of harmony — he was not ashamed of a corrupt lord, did not disdain a minor office, and could not be contaminated regardless of company. Confucius was the sage of timeliness — he served when it was right to serve, stopped when it was right to stop, stayed long or departed quickly as the situation demanded.
Mencius said: “Confucius is called the one who gathered to completion. Gathering to completion means striking the bell to begin and the jade chime to conclude. Striking the bell begins the pattern; the jade chime concludes the pattern. Beginning the pattern is the work of wisdom; concluding the pattern is the work of sageness.”