Chinese Four Books

the Great Learning
the Doctrine of the Mean
the Analects of Confucius
the Mencius

The Great Learning, Duis the first of the Four books which were selected by Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty as a foundational introduction to Confucianism. It was originally one chapter in Li Ji (the Classic of Rites).

The book consists of a short main text, attributed to Confucius and nine commentaries chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius' disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.

The main text reads

The Way of the great learning is to rid oneself of selfish desires and develop further one's inherent virtures. One should not only develop his own inherent virtures further, but should encourage all persons to do so also. Only then is it possible to reach the acme of perfection. (...)

In ancient times, one who intended to carry forward all the inherent virtures in the world and to rid them of material desires had to first rule his state well.
To rule his state well, he had to first educate his family.
To educate his family, he had first to cultivate himself.
To cultivate himself, he had first to set his heart right.
To set his heart right, he had first to be sincere and honest.
To be sincere and honest, he had first to perfect his knowledge and the perfection of his knowledge depended on his investigation of things.

It is only when one is able to investigate things that knowledge can be perfected.
It is only when one's knowledge is perfect that one can be sincere and honest.
It is only when one is honest and sincere that he can set his heart right.
It is only when the heart is set right that a man can educate his family.
It is only when his family is educated that he can rule the state.
It is only when the state is ruled that the world can be governed well.
From emperor to the common people, self-cultivation is the base.