Analects 15.28
The Analects (論語), BOOK XV. WEI LING KUNG 衞靈公第十五
子曰、人能弘道、非道弘人。
The Master said, "A man can enlarge the principles which he follows; those principles do not enlarge the man."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 人rénman, person; people
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 弘hóngto enlarge, to expand; liberal, great
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Joined Toes
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 1
- Mencius 2A.2
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 53
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.