15 famous quotes about Mencius: The Rule of Virtue (How to Conquer People with Virtue)

Selected Mencius’ Quotes: The Rule of Virtue (Original Text and Translation)

Mencius, a famous thinker, educator, politician, political commentator and essayist in ancient China, a representative figure of Confucianism during the Warring States Period and the fourth generation disciple of Confucius. Inherit and carry forward Confucius' thoughts and criticize Yang Zhu and Mo Zhai. Mencius had countless famous quotes throughout his life. Below are selected classic quotes by Mencius for the appreciation of Mencius lovers.

(King Xiang of Liang Dynasty) "...suddenly asked: 'Is the world determined to be evil?'

"I replied: 'It is determined to be one. ’”

“‘Who can do it? ’”

“The answer is: ‘He who is not fond of killing can do it. ’”

“‘Who can do it? ’”

“The answer is: ‘Everyone in the world will not agree with you. ’” (King Hui of Liang, Part 1)

Translation “(King Xiang of Liang) suddenly asked me: ‘How can the world be stabilized? ’ I replied: ‘The world will be stable if it is unified. ’ He asked again: ‘Who can unify the world? ’ I replied: ‘A king who doesn’t like to torture and kill his people can unify the world. ’ He asked again: ‘Then who will come to submit to him? ’ I replied: ‘There is no one in the world who will not surrender. '"

Original text Mencius said: "If you gain a land of hundreds of miles and rule it, you can show it to the princes and have the world; if you do an injustice or kill an innocent person and gain the world, you should not do it. . Yes it is the same. ” (Gongsun Chou Part 1)

Translation (Mencius said) If you obtain a land with a radius of a hundred miles and rule it (by them), they will be able to bring the princes from all over the world to come to court and unify the world; ask them to go They would not do an unjust thing or kill an innocent person in exchange for the world. This is what they have in common. Please pay attention to related articles about Mencius's famous sayings.

Original text Mencius said: "If you convince others with force, you won't be convinced with your heart or with strength; if you convince others with virtue, your heart will be happy and sincerely convinced." (Gongsun Chou, Part 1)

Translation (Mencius said:) If you use force to persuade others, they will not be convinced, because they are just not strong enough; if you use kindness to make others submit voluntarily, they will follow you sincerely.

Original text Mencius. He said: “The weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the people. A city of three miles and a country of seven miles can be surrounded and attacked without victory. If you attack the enemy's ring, you will definitely get the right time; however, if you don't win, the right time is not as good as the right place. The city is not too high, the pond is not not deep, the military revolution is not not strong and powerful, and the rice and millet are not not abundant. But if we leave it, the favorable terrain is not as good as the people. "(Exit Gongsun Chou)

Translation Mencius said: It is better to have favorable weather than to have convenient terrain, and to have convenient terrain is not as good as to have docile people. An inner city three miles square, an outer city seven miles square, the enemy If you surround and attack it but cannot win, but you still surround and attack it, you must have obtained the right opportunity; if you still cannot defeat it, it means that the city wall is not too tall and the moat is not more advantageous. It is not deep, the weapons and armor are not hard and sharp, and the reserve rations are not insufficient. The defenders abandoned the city and fled, because although the terrain was favorable, it was not as powerful as the consensus of the people.

Original text Mencius said: “…Those who have attained the truth will receive much help, while those who have lost the path will receive little help. When there is little help, relatives will be there; when there is much help, the world will follow. If the world is submissive, attack the relatives' side; therefore, if a gentleman refuses to fight, he will surely win in battle. ” (Part 2 of Gongsun Chou)

Translation Mencius said: “… A person who has gained morality will have more people helping him, and a person who has lost morality will have fewer people helping him.” If the number of people who help him reaches the extreme, his relatives and friends will betray him; if the number of people who help him reaches the extreme, the people of the world will submit to him. If you use the power that all the people in the world obey to attack those whose relatives and friends have betrayed you, then the gentleman will either not fight, or he will definitely win the battle. ”

(Original text Mencius said): “The unevenness of things reflects the emotions of things; they may be as many as one, or as many as a hundred, or as many as tens of millions. If you compare and agree, it will bring chaos to the world. How can people do this if the big girl and the small girl are together? According to the way of Xu Zi, those who follow the example and are hypocritical, can evil rule the country? "(Teng Wengong)

Translation (Mencius) said: "The quality of various goods is different. This is the nature of things; some vary from ten to a hundred times, and some vary by a thousand or even ten thousand times. If you insist on selling at the same price, you are trying to disrupt the world. Let rough shoes and fine shoes sell at the same price. How can people do such a stupid thing? According to Mr. Xu's theory, that would be equivalent to leading everyone to become hypocritical people. How can we govern the country well? "

(Original text Mencius said): "If the city is not completed and there are not many soldiers and armors, it is not a disaster for the country; if the fields are not opened up and the goods and wealth are not gathered, it is not a disaster for the country. There is no courtesy at the top and no learning at the bottom. , The thieves and the people are prosperous, but there is no day left for mourning. "(Li Lou 1)

Translation (Mencius) said: If the city walls are not strong and the armament is insufficient, this is not a disaster for the country; if the fields and land are not developed, and if there is not much goods and property gathered, this is not a disaster for the country either. Disaster: if the ruler does not respect etiquette and justice, the people lack education, and there are more thieves and chaos, the country will be destroyed.

Original text Mencius said: "People are not enough, and government is not enough. Only adults are not enough." To be able to detect the faults in the king's heart. If a king is benevolent, he will never be unkind; if a king is righteous, he will never be unjust; if a king is upright, he will never be unjust. With a righteous king, the country will be stable.

"(Li Lou 1)

Translation Mencius said: "If the monarch employs people inappropriately, there is no need to criticize it; if the monarch's administration is inappropriate, there is no need to criticize it too much; only people with high moral standards can correct the errors in the monarch's thinking. If the monarch is benevolent, the people will not be unkind; if the monarch is moral, the people will not be unjust; if the monarch is upright, the people will not be upright. Once the king corrects himself, the country will be stable. ”

Original text Mencius said: “If you kill the people without guilt, the officials can go; if you kill the people without guilt, the officials can move away.” "(Li Lou 2)

Translation Mencius said: "If the monarch innocently kills the scholars, then the ministers and officials can leave the country; if the monarch innocently kills the people, then the scholars can move elsewhere. ”

Original text Mencius said: “Those who serve others with kindness will never be able to serve others; if you nourish people with kindness, you will be able to serve the world.” There is no such thing as a king who is not convinced by the whole world. "(Li Lou 2)

Translation Mencius said: "If you use your own virtue to subdue others, it is impossible to convince others; if you use your own virtue to educate others, you can convince the people of the world. It will never happen that the people of the world can unify the world because they are dissatisfied. " Please pay attention to related articles for more famous quotes by Mencius.

Original text Mencius said: "Yu hates wine but loves good words. Tang Zhizhong, there is no way to establish talents. King Wen looked at the people as if they were injured, and looked at the road without seeing it. King Wu does not let go of the near and does not forget the far. The Duke of Zhou thought about combining the three kings to do four things. If there were any inconsistencies, he looked up and thought about them day and night. If he was lucky enough to get them, he sat down and waited for the day. " (Part 2 of Li Lou)

Translation Mencius said: "Yu did not like to drink fine wine, but he liked to listen to others' helpful words. Shang Tang adhered to the golden mean, but recommended talents without following conventions. King Wen of Zhou looked at the people as if they were injured, and even though he was doing what was right, he still had to work hard as if he didn't see it. King Wu of Zhou did not insult the subjects around him, nor did he forget the subjects sent to other places. Zhou Gongdan hoped to learn from the kings of Xia, Shang and Zhou at the same time to implement the career of the four monarchs of Yu, Tang, Wen and Wu. When he encountered something that was inconsistent with their methods, he raised his head and thought seriously, day and night. Thinking about it; figuring it out accidentally, (for fear of forgetting) just sitting and waiting for dawn to implement it. ”

Original text Mencius said: “Yu thought that there were drowning people in the world, and he drowned them by himself; Ji thought that there were hungry people in the world, and he was hungry by himself, so it was so urgent. "(Li Lou 2)

Translation Mencius said: Dayu felt that the people in the world were drowned by the flood, so he pushed them into the water; Ji felt that those who were hungry in the world wanted to be the one who pushed them into the water. It is as if they are starving themselves, so they are so eager to save the people.

Original text Mencius said: "Benevolent words are not as profound as the words of benevolence, and good government is not as good as good teaching to win the people." Good governance will be feared by the people; good education will be loved by the people. Good governance wins people's wealth, and good education wins people's hearts. "(Dedicated to the Heart)

Translation Mencius said: "Kind words are not as deeply rooted in the hearts of the people as the reputation of benevolence, and good politics is not as popular as good education. Good politics, people respect it; good education, people love it. Good politics wins the people's property, and good education wins the people's hearts. ”

Original text Mencius said: “Those who are good at Zhou cannot be killed in bad years, and those who are virtuous cannot be killed in evil years.” "(Under the Heart)

Translation Mencius said: "Those who usually pay attention to accumulating wealth will not be embarrassed in times of famine, and people who usually pay attention to cultivating morality will not be confused in times of trouble. ”

Original text Mencius said: “The three treasures of princes are: land, people, and political affairs. Those who possess precious pearls and jade will suffer disaster. "(Under the Heart)

Translation Mencius said: "The three treasures that princes should cherish are: land, people, and state affairs. If he pays attention to pearls and jade, disaster will befall him. ”

Mencius (372 BC - 289 BC), whose name was Ke and whose courtesy name was Ziyu (to be tested, is also known as Ziche or Ziju). He was a native of Lu during the Warring States Period and a descendant of Lu Guoqing’s father. Ancient China A famous thinker and educator, he wrote the book "Mencius" during the Warring States Period. Mencius inherited and carried forward Confucius' thoughts and became a Confucian master second only to Confucius. It is called "Confucius and Mencius".