Mencius 7A.20
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。父母俱存，兄弟無故，一樂也。仰不愧於天，俯不怍於人，二樂也。得天下英才而教育之，三樂也。君子有三樂，而王天下不與存焉。」
Mencius said, 'The superior man has three things in which he delights, and to be ruler over the kingdom is not one of them. That his father and mother are both alive, and that the condition of his brothers affords no cause for anxiety; this is one delight. That, when looking up, he has no occasion for shame before Heaven, and, below, he has no occasion to blush before men; this is a second delight. That he can get from the whole kingdom the most talented individuals, and teach and nourish them; this is the third delight. The superior man has three things in which he delights, and to be ruler over the kingdom is not one of them.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 存cúnto exist; to survive, to maintain; to ke
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 父fùfather, dad
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
- 俱jùall, together; accompany
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 弟dìyoung brother, junior
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 也yěalso, too
- 仰yǎngraise the head to look; look up to, rely
- 愧kuìashamed, regretful; the pangs of conscie
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 俯fǔto bow down, to face down, to look down
- 怍zuòashamed
- 人rénman, person; people
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 英yīngpetal, flower, leaf; brave, heroic; Engl
- 才cáiability, talent, gift; just, only
- 教jiàoschool, education
- 育yùto produce, to give birth to; to educate
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi Language
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Analects 16.5
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 36
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.