Mencius 4A.12
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
孟子曰:「居下位而不獲於上,民不可得而治也。獲於上有道:不信於友,弗獲於上矣;信於友有道:事親弗悅,弗信於友矣;悅親有道:反身不誠,不悅於親矣;誠身有道:不明乎善,不誠其身矣。是故誠者,天之道也;思誠者,人之道也。至誠而不動者,未之有也;不誠,未有能動者也。」
Mencius said, 'When those occupying inferior situations do not obtain the confidence of the sovereign, they cannot succeed in governing the people. There is a way to obtain the confidence of the sovereign: if one is not trusted by his friends, he will not obtain the confidence of his sovereign. There is a way of being trusted by one's friends: if one do not serve his parents so as to make them pleased, he will not be trusted by his friends. There is a way to make one's parents pleased: if one, on turning his thoughts inwards, finds a want of sincerity, he will not give pleasure to his parents. There is a way to the attainment of sincerity in one's self: if a man do not understand what is good, he will not attain sincerity in himself. Therefore, sincerity is the way of Heaven. To think how to be sincere is the way of man. Never has there been one possessed of complete sincerity, who did not move others. Never has there been one who had not sincerity who was able to move others.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 獲huòto get, to obtain, to receive, to sieze
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 也yěalso, too
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 誠chénghonest, sincere, true; actually, really
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 思sīto think, to ponder, to consider; final
- 人rénman, person; people
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
Passages with shared wording
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 22
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 20
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi The Universe
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.