Analects 4.10
The Analects (論語), BOOK IV. LE JIN 里仁第四
子曰、君子之於天下也、無適也、無莫也、義之與比。
The Master said, "The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow."
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
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 也yěalso, too
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 適shìmatch, comfortable; just
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 比bǐto compare, liken; comparison; than
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Transcendental Bliss
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Mencius 6A.7
- Mencius 4A.20
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.