Mencius 4A.10
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
孟子曰：「自暴者，不可與有言也；自棄者，不可與有為也。言非禮義，謂之自暴也；吾身不能居仁由義，謂之自棄也。仁，人之安宅也；義，人之正路也。曠安宅而弗居，舍正路而不由，哀哉！」
Mencius said, 'With those who do violence to themselves, it is impossible to speak. With those who throw themselves away, it is impossible to do anything. To disown in his conversation propriety and righteousness, is what we mean by doing violence to one's self. To say "I am not able to dwell in benevolence or pursue the path of righteousness," is what we mean by throwing one's self away. Benevolence is the tranquil habitation of man, and righteousness is his straight path. Alas for them, who leave the tranquil dwelling empty and do not reside in it, and who abandon the right path and do not pursue it?'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 暴bàoviolent, brutal, tyrannical
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 也yěalso, too
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 人rénman, person; people
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 宅zháiresidence, dwelling, home; grave
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 曠kuàngbroad, vast, wide; empty
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 哀āisad, mournful, pitiful; to pity; to grie
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 6A.11
- Mencius 7A.33
- Mencius 2A.7
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
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.