Mencius 4A.4
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part I: Li Lou I 離婁上
孟子曰：「愛人不親反其仁，治人不治反其智，禮人不答反其敬。行有不得者，皆反求諸己，其身正而天下歸之。《詩》云：『永言配命，自求多福。』」
Mencius said, 'If a man love others, and no responsive attachment is shown to him, let him turn inwards and examine his own benevolence. If he is trying to rule others, and his government is unsuccessful, let him turn inwards and examine his wisdom. If he treats others politely, and they do not return his politeness, let him turn inwards and examine his own feeling of respect. When we do not, by what we do, realise what we desire, we must turn inwards, and examine ourselves in every point. When a man's person is correct, the whole kingdom will turn to him with recognition and submission. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Be always studious to be in harmony with the ordinances of God, And you will obtain much happiness."'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 人rénman, person; people
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 答dáanswer, reply; to return; to assent to
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 永yǒnglong; perpetual, eternal; forever
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 配pèito blend, to mix; to fit, to match
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 福fúhappiness, good fortune, blessings
Passages with shared wording
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.