Mencius - Book 7, Part 1, Chapter 2

Mencius said, 'There is an appointment for everything. A man should receive submissively what may be correctly ascribed thereto.

'Therefore, he who has the true idea of what is Heaven's appointment will not stand beneath a precipitous wall.

'Death sustained in the discharge of one's duties may correctly be ascribed to the appointment of Heaven.

'Death under handcuffs and fetters cannot correctly be so ascribed.'

~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

 Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Works of Mencius.