Mencius 2A.8
Mencius (孟子), Book 2, Part I: Gong Sun Chou I 公孫丑上
孟子曰：「子路，人告之以有過則喜。禹聞善言則拜。大舜有大焉，善與人同。舍己從人，樂取於人以為善。自耕、稼、陶、漁以至為帝，無非取於人者。取諸人以為善，是與人為善者也。故君子莫大乎與人為善。」
Mencius said, 'When any one told Zi Lu that he had a fault, he rejoiced. When Yu heard good words, he bowed to the speaker. The great Shun had a still greater delight in what was good. He regarded virtue as the common property of himself and others, giving up his own way to follow that of others, and delighting to learn from others to practise what was good. From the time when he ploughed and sowed, exercised the potter's art, and was a fisherman, to the time when he became emperor, he was continually learning from others. To take example from others to practise virtue, is to help them in the same practice. Therefore, there is no attribute of the superior man greater than his helping men to practise virtue.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 人rénman, person; people
- 告gàoto tell, to inform, to announce; to accu
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 喜xǐto love; to enjoy, to be happy; joyful,
- 禹yǔlegendary Hsia dynasty founder
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 拜bàito bow, to salute; to worship, to pay re
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 舜shùnlegendary ruler
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 耕gēngto plow, to cultivate
- 稼jiàcrops; to sow grain
- 陶táopottery, ceramics
- 漁yúfisherman; to fish; to pursue; to sieze
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 帝dìsupreme ruler, emperor; god
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 也yěalso, too
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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