Mencius 6A.17
Mencius (孟子), Book 6, Part I: Gaozi I 告子上
孟子曰：「欲貴者，人之同心也。人人有貴於己者，弗思耳。人之所貴者，非良貴也。趙孟之所貴，趙孟能賤之。《詩》云：『既醉以酒，既飽以德。』言飽乎仁義也，所以不願人之膏粱之味也；令聞廣譽施於身，所以不願人之文繡也。」
Mencius said, 'To desire to be honoured is the common mind of men. And all men have in themselves that which is truly honourable. Only they do not think of it. The honour which men confer is not good honour. Those whom Zhao the Great ennobles he can make mean again. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "He has filled us with his wine, He has satiated us with his goodness." "Satiated us with his goodness," that is, satiated us with benevolence and righteousness, and he who is so satiated, consequently, does not wish for the fat meat and fine millet of men. A good reputation and far-reaching praise fall to him, and he does not desire the elegant embroidered garments of men.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 人rénman, person; people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 也yěalso, too
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 思sīto think, to ponder, to consider; final
- 耳ěrear; to hear, to hear of; handle
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 良liánggood, virtuous, respectable
- 趙zhàoancient state; surname
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 賤jiàncheap, low, mean, worthless
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 醉zuìintoxicated, drunk; addicted
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 酒jiǔwine, spirits, liquor, alcohol
- 飽bǎosatisfied; to eat one's fill
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 願yuàndesire, wish; honest, virtuous; ready, w
- 膏gāogrease, fat; ointment, paste
- 粱liángsorghum, millet
- 味wèitaste; smell, odor; delicacy
- 令lìngcommand, decree, order; magistrate; to a
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 廣guǎngbroad, vast, wide; building, house
- 譽yùfame, reputation; to praise
- 施shīto grant, to bestow; to act; surname
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 繡xiùto embroider; embroidery; ornament
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
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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