King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Mencius 6B.9

Mencius (孟子), Book 6, Part II: Gaozi II 告子下

孟子曰:「今之事君者曰:『我能為君辟土地,充府庫。』今之所謂良臣,古之所謂民賊也。君不鄉道,不志於仁,而求富之,是富桀也。『我能為君約與國,戰必克。』今之所謂良臣,古之所謂民賊也。君不鄉道,不志於仁,而求為之強戰,是輔桀也。由今之道,無變今之俗,雖與之天下,不能一朝居也。」

Mencius said, 'Those who now-a-days serve their sovereigns say, "We can for our sovereign enlarge the limits of the cultivated ground, and fill his treasuries and arsenals." Such persons are now-a-days called "Good ministers," but anciently they were called "Robbers of the people." If a sovereign follows not the right way, nor has his mind bent on benevolence, to seek to enrich him is to enrich a Jie. Or they will say, "We can for our sovereign form alliances with other States, so that our battles must be successful." Such persons are now-a-days called "Good ministers," but anciently they were called "Robbers of the people." If a sovereign follows not the right way, nor has his mind directed to benevolence, to seek to enrich him is to enrich a Jie. Although a prince, pursuing the path of the present day, and not changing its practices, were to have the throne given to him, he could not retain it for a single morning.'

James Legge (1861), The Works of Mencius, The Chinese Classics vol. 2 (1861; 2nd ed. 1895); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain.

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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.