7B.3.  Mengzi said: It would be better to have no Book of History¹ than to believe all of it. In its ‘Completion of War’ section [for example], I accept only two or three passages.² A man of humanity has no enemy in the world. When a most humane person (King Wu) punished a most inhumane ruler (King Zhou), how could the blood (of the people) have flowed till it floated the pestles of the mortars?³

孟子曰：「盡信《書》，則不如無《書》。吾於《武成》，取二三策而已矣。仁人無敵於天下。以至仁伐至不仁，而何其血之流杵也？」

7B.14.  Mengzi said: [In a state] the people are the most important; the spirits of the land and grain (guardians of territory) are the next; the ruler is of slight importance. Therefore to gain [the hearts of] the peasantry is the way to become an emperor; to gain the [heart of the] emperor is the way to become a feudal lord; and to gain [the heart of the] feudal lord of a state is the way to become a great officer. When a feudal lord (a ruler) endangers the spirits of the land and grain (territory), he is removed and replaced. When sacrificial animals have been well fed, the millet in its vessels has been all pure, and the sacrificial rites have been performed at proper times, if yet there are still droughts and floods [to harm the people], the spirits of the land and grain are removed and replaced.⁴

孟子曰：「民為貴，社稷次之，君為輕。是故得乎丘民而為天子，得乎天子為諸侯，得乎諸侯為大夫。諸侯危社稷，則變置。犧牲既成，粢盛既潔，祭祀以時，然而旱乾水溢，則變置社稷。」

7B.16.  Mengzi said: Humanity is [the distinguishing characteristic of] man.⁵ When embodied in man’s conduct, it is the Way.

孟子曰：「仁也者，人也。合而言之，道也。」

7B.24.  Mengzi said: It is due to our nature that our mouths desire sweet taste, that our eyes desire beautiful colors, that our ears desire pleasant sounds, that our noses desire fragrant odors, and that our four limbs desire ease and comfort. But there is also fate (ming 命) [whether these desires are satisfied or not]. The superior man does not say they are man’s nature [and insist on satisfying them]. The virtue of humanity in the relationship between father and son, the virtue of righteousness in the relationship between ruler and minister, the virtue of propriety in the relationship between guest and host, the virtue of wisdom in the worthy, and the sage in regard to the Way of Heaven—these are [endowed in people in various degrees] according to fate. But there is also man’s nature. The superior man does not [refrain from practicing them and] say they are matters of fate.⁶

孟子曰：「口之於味也，目之於色也，耳之於聲也，鼻之於臭也，四肢之於安佚也，性也，有命焉，君子不謂性也。仁之於父子也，義之於君臣也，禮之於賓主也，智之於賢者也，聖人之於天道也，命也，有性焉，君子不謂命也。」

7B.25.  Haosheng Buhai⁷ asked: What sort of man is Yue Zhengzi?⁸

Mengzi said: He is a good man and a true man.

What is a good man? And what is a true man?

Mengzi said: One who commands our liking [because of his virtue] is called a good man. One who is sincere with himself is called a true man. He [whose goodness] is extensive and solid is called a beautiful man. He [whose goodness] is abundant and is brilliantly displayed is called a great man. When one is great and is completely transformed [to be goodness itself], he is called a sage. When a sage is beyond our knowledge, he is called a man of the spirit.

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。…」

7B.31.  Mengzi said: All men have some things which they cannot bear. Extend that feeling to what they can bear, and humanity will be the result. All men have some things which they will not do. Extend that feeling to the things that they do, and righteousness will be the result. If a man can give full development to his feeling of not wanting to injure others, his humanity will be more than what he can ever put into practice. If he can give full development to his feeling of not wanting to break in to steal, his righteousness will be more than what he can ever put into practice. If a man can give full development to his real dislike of being addressed, “Hey, you,” he will act according to righteousness wherever he may be. When an officer speaks what he ought not to speak, he is enticing people by speaking. When he does not speak what he ought to speak, he is enticing by not speaking. In both cases he is doing something like breaking in.

孟子曰：「人皆有所不忍，達之於其所忍，仁也；人皆有所不為，達之於其所為，義也。人能充無欲害人之心，而仁不可勝用也；人能充無穿踰之心，而義不可勝用也。人能充無受爾汝之實，無所往而不為義也。士未可以言而言，是以言餂之也；可以言而不言，是以不言餂之也，是皆穿踰之類也。」

7B.33.  Mengzi said: With Yao and Shun it was their nature. With Tang and Wu, it was their effort to return [to their nature]. When all movements and expressions are exactly proper according to the rules of propriety, that shows the highest degree of eminent virtue. The sorrow in weeping for the dead is not for the sake of the living. The regular practice of virtue without any deviation is not to seek emolument. And words should always be sincere not because of any conscious desire to do what is right. The superior man practices principle (Natural Law) and waits for destiny (ming 命, Mandate of Heaven) to take its own course.⁹

孟子曰：「堯舜，性者也；湯武，反之也。動容周旋中禮者，盛德之至也；哭死而哀，非為生者也；經德不回，非以干祿也；言語必信，非以正行也。君子行法，以俟命而已矣。」