Mencius 7B.15
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
孟子曰：「聖人，百世之師也，伯夷、柳下惠是也。故聞伯夷之風者，頑夫廉，懦夫有立志；聞柳下惠之風者，薄夫敦，鄙夫寬。奮乎百世之上。百世之下，聞者莫不興起也。非聖人而能若是乎，而況於親炙之者乎？」
Mencius said, 'A sage is the teacher of a hundred generations - this is true of Bo Yi and Hui of Liu Xia. Therefore when men now bear the character of Bo Yi, the corrupt become pure, and the weak acquire determination. When they hear the character of Hui of Liu Xia, the mean become generous, and the niggardly become liberal. Those two made themselves distinguished a hundred generations ago, and after a hundred generations, those who hear of them, are all aroused in this manner. Could such effects be produced by them, if they had not been sages? And how much more did they affect those who were in contiguity with them, and felt their inspiring influence!'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 也yěalso, too
- 伯bóolder brother; father's elder brother; s
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 柳liǔwillow tree; pleasure; surname
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 惠huìfavor, benefit, blessing, kindness
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 風fēngwind; air; customs, manners; news
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 頑wánstubborn, recalcitrant, obstinate
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 廉liánupright, honorable, honest
- 懦nuòweak, timid, cowardly
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 薄báothin, slight; meager, weak; poor, stingy
- 敦dūnhonest, candid, sincere; kind-hearted; t
- 鄙bǐrustic, vulgar; to despise, to scorn
- 寬kuānbroad, spacious, vast, wide
- 奮fènto strive, to exert effort; to arouse
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 興xìngto thrive, to prosper, to flourish
- 起qǐto begin, to initiate; to rise, to stand
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 況kuàngcondition, situation; furthermore
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 炙zhìto roast, to broil; to cauterize
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 5B.1
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
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.