Mencius 7B.30
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
孟子之滕，館於上宮。有業屨於牖上，館人求之弗得。或問之曰：「若是乎從者之廀也？」曰：「子以是為竊屨來與？」曰：「殆非也。夫子之設科也，往者不追，來者不距。苟以是心至，斯受之而已矣。」
When Mencius went to Teng, he was lodged in the Upper palace. A sandal in the process of making had been placed there in a window, and when the keeper of the place came to look for it, he could not find it. On this, some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it thus that your followers pilfer?'
Mencius replied, 'Do you think that they came here to pilfer the sandal?'
The man said, 'I apprehend not. But you, Master, having arranged to give lessons, do not go back to inquire into the past, and you do not reject those who come to you. If they come with the mind to learn, you receive them without any more ado.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 滕téngan ancient state in Shandong province
- 館guǎnpublic building; shop, house, establishm
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 宮gōngpalace; surname
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 業yèbusiness, profession; to study, to work
- 屨jùstraw sandals; to tread on
- 牖yǒuwindow; to enlighten
- 人rénman, person; people
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 廀sōuto conceal; to search into
- 也yěalso, too
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 竊qièto steal; thief; secret, stealthy
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 殆dàialmost, probably; danger, peril; to enda
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 設shèto build, to design; to establish; to of
- 科kēsection, department; field, branch; scie
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 追zhuīto pursue, to chase after; to expel
- 距jùdistance, gap
- 苟gǒucareless, frivolous, illicit; but, if on
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Mencius 1A.7
- Mencius 6A.10
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 3A.4
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.