Mencius 7A.19
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「有事君人者，事是君則為容悅者也。有安社稷臣者，以安社稷為悅者也。有天民者，達可行於天下而後行之者也。有大人者，正己而物正者也。」
Mencius said, 'There are persons who serve the prince; they serve the prince, that is, for the sake of his countenance and favour. There are ministers who seek the tranquillity of the State, and find their pleasure in securing that tranquillity. There are those who are the people of Heaven. They, judging that, if they were in office, they could carry out their principles, throughout the kingdom, proceed so to carry them out. There are those who are great men. They rectify themselves and others are rectified.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 人rénman, person; people
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 容róngappearance, looks; form, figure; to cont
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 也yěalso, too
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 社shègroup, organization, society; a god of t
- 稷jìgod of cereals; minister of agriculture
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 6A.4
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Mencius 5A.7
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
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.