Gao Zi I · Passage 14 / 20 · 孟子 6A.14

Mencius 6A.14: nourish the greater part to become great

Mencius places the distinction between the great person and the small person in what one chooses to nourish when bodily desire and higher judgment compete.

孟子曰：「人之於身也，兼所愛；兼所愛，則兼所養也。無尺寸之膚不愛焉，則無尺寸之膚不養也。所以考其善不善者，豈有他哉？於己取之而已矣。體有貴賤，有小大。無以小害大，無以賤害貴。養其小者為小人，養其大者為大人。今有場師，舍其梧槚，養其樲棘，則為賤場師焉。養其一指，而失其肩背而不知也，則為狼疾人也。飲食之人，則人賤之矣，為其養小以失大也。飲食之人，無有失也，則口腹豈適為尺寸之膚哉？」

mèng zǐ yuē：「rén zhī wū shēn yě， jiān suǒ ài； jiān suǒ ài， zé jiān suǒ yǎng yě。 wú chǐ cùn zhī fū bú ài yān， zé wú chǐ cùn zhī fū bù yǎng yě。 suǒ yǐ kǎo qí shàn bu shàn zhě， qǐ yǒu tā zāi？ wū jǐ qǔ zhī ér yǐ yǐ。 tǐ yǒu guì jiàn， yǒu xiǎo dà。 wú yǐ xiǎo hài dà， wú yǐ jiàn hài guì。 yǎng qí xiǎo zhě wéi xiǎo rén， yǎng qí dà zhě wéi dà rén。 jīn yǒu chǎng shī， shè qí wú jiǎ， yǎng qí èr jí， zé wéi jiàn chǎng shī yān。 yǎng qí yī zhǐ， ér shī qí jiān bèi ér bù zhī yě， zé wéi láng jí rén yě。 yǐn shí zhī rén， zé rén jiàn zhī yǐ， wéi qí yǎng xiǎo yǐ shī dà yě。 yǐn shí zhī rén， wú yǒu shī yě， zé kǒu fù qǐ shì wéi chǐ cùn zhī fū zāi？」

Mencius said, 'There is no part of himself which a man does not love, and as he loves all, so he must nourish all. There is not an inch of skin which he does not love, and so there is not an inch of skin which he will not nourish. For examining whether his way of nourishing be good or not, what other rule is there but this, that he determine by reflecting on himself where it should be applied? Some parts of the body are noble, and some ignoble; some great, and some small. The great must not be injured for the small, nor the noble for the ignoble. He who nourishes the little belonging to him is a little man, and he who nourishes the great is a great man. Here is a plantation-keeper, who neglects his wu and jia, and cultivates his sour jujube-trees; he is a poor plantation-keeper. He who nourishes one of his fingers, neglecting his shoulders or his back, without knowing that he is doing so, is a man who resembles a hurried wolf. A man who only eats and drinks is counted mean by others; because he nourishes what is little to the neglect of what is great. If a man, fond of his eating and drinking, were not to neglect what is of more importance, how should his mouth and belly be considered as no more than an inch of skin?'