Mencius 7B.25
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
浩生不害問曰：「樂正子，何人也？」孟子曰：「善人也，信人也。」「何謂善？何謂信？」曰：「可欲之謂善，有諸己之謂信。充實之謂美，充實而有光輝之謂大，大而化之之謂聖，聖而不可知之之謂神。樂正子，二之中，四之下也。」
Hao Sheng Bu Hai asked, saying, 'What sort of man is Yue Zheng?'
Mencius replied, 'He is a good man, a real man.'
'What do you mean by "A good man," "A real man?"'
The reply was, 'A man who commands our liking is what is called a good man. He whose goodness is part of himself is what is called real man. He whose goodness has been filled up is what is called beautiful man. He whose completed goodness is brightly displayed is what is called a great man. When this great man exercises a transforming influence, he is what is called a sage. When the sage is beyond our knowledge, he is what is called a spirit-man. Yue Zheng is between the two first characters, and below the four last.'
Character glossary
- 浩hàogreat, grand, vast
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 害hàito injure, to harm; to destroy, to kill
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 人rénman, person; people
- 也yěalso, too
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 充chōngto fill, to supply; to be full
- 實shíreal, true; honest, sincere
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 光guānglight; bright, brilliant; only, merely
- 輝huībrightness, luster
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 化huàto change, to convert, to reform; -ize
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 神shéngod, spirit; divine, mysterious, superna
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 四sìfour
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Exercise of Faculties
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.