Mencius 4B.26
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
孟子曰：「天下之言性也，則故而已矣。故者以利為本。所惡於智者，為其鑿也。如智者若禹之行水也，則無惡於智矣。禹之行水也，行其所無事也。如智者亦行其所無事，則智亦大矣。天之高也，星辰之遠也，苟求其故，千歲之日至，可坐而致也。」
Mencius said, 'All who speak about the natures of things, have in fact only their phenomena to reason from, and the value of a phenomenon is in its being natural. What I dislike in your wise men is their boring out their conclusions. If those wise men would only act as Yu did when he conveyed away the waters, there would be nothing to dislike in their wisdom. The manner in which Yu conveyed away the waters was by doing what gave him no trouble. If your wise men would also do that which gave them no trouble, their knowledge would also be great. There is heaven so high; there are the stars so distant. If we have investigated their phenomena, we may, while sitting in our places, go back to the solstice of a thousand years ago.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 性xìngsex, nature, character; suffix convertin
- 也yěalso, too
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 本běnroot, origin, source; basis
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 鑿záochisel; to bore, to pierce
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 禹yǔlegendary Hsia dynasty founder
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 水shuǐwater, liquid, lotion, juice
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 星xīngstar, planet; a point of light
- 辰chénearly morning; fortune, good luck; 5th t
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 苟gǒucareless, frivolous, illicit; but, if on
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 歲suìyear; years old, age; harvest
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 坐zuòseat; to sit; to ride, to travel by
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Mencius 3A.3
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- 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.