Jin Xin I · Passage 09 / 46 · 孟子 7A.9

Mencius 7A.9: cultivate yourself when constrained

Mencius distinguishes responsibilities under frustration and success: when blocked, preserve yourself in righteousness; when effective.

孟子謂宋句踐曰：「子好游乎？吾語子游：人知之亦囂囂，人不知亦囂囂。」曰：「何如斯可以囂囂矣？」曰：「尊德樂義，則可以囂囂矣。故士窮不失義，達不離道。窮不失義，故士得己焉。達不離道，故民不失望焉。古之人，得志，澤加於民；不得志，修身見於世。窮則獨善其身；達則兼善天下。」

mèng zǐ wèi sòng jù jiàn yuē：「zǐ hǎo yóu hū？ wú yǔ zǐ yóu： rén zhī zhī yì xiāo xiāo， rén bù zhī yì xiāo xiāo。」 yuē：「hé rú sī kě yǐ xiāo xiāo yǐ？」 yuē：「zūn dé lè yì， zé kě yǐ xiāo xiāo yǐ。 gù shì qióng bù shī yì， dá bù lí dào。 qióng bù shī yì， gù shì dé jǐ yān。 dá bù lí dào， gù mín bù shī wàng yān。 gǔ zhī rén， dé zhì， zé jiā wū mín； bù dé zhì， xiū shēn jiàn wū shì。 qióng zé dú shàn qí shēn； dá zé jiān shàn tiān xià。」

Mencius said to Song Gou Jian, 'Are you fond, Sir, of travelling to the different courts? I will tell you about such travelling. If a prince acknowledge you and follow your counsels, be perfectly satisfied. If no one do so, be the same.' Gou Jian said, 'What is to be done to secure this perfect satisfaction?' Mencius replied, 'Honour virtue and delight in righteousness, and so you may always be perfectly satisfied. Therefore, a scholar, though poor, does not let go his righteousness; though prosperous, he does not leave his own path. Poor and not letting righteousness go - it is thus that the scholar holds possession of himself. Prosperous and not leaving the proper path - it is thus that the expectations of the people from him are not disappointed. When the men of antiquity realized their wishes, benefits were conferred by them on the people. If they did not realize their wishes, they cultivated their personal character, and became illustrious in the world. If poor, they attended to their own virtue in solitude; if advanced to dignity, they made the whole kingdom virtuous as well.'

Priority note

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Central question

Why does Mencius place self-cultivation and benefiting the world on the same line?

Direct answer

Because they are not opposing options. They are the same principle unfolding under different conditions: keep righteousness when unrecognized, and extend goodness when power becomes available.

First principle

Circumstance changes the radius of responsibility, not the standard of judgment.

Why it matters

This is one of Mencius's most quoted lines and serves search intent around self-cultivation, public responsibility, and the relation between personal and civic ethics.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 9 of 46 in Jin Xin I. The cleanest entry point is "Are you fond, Sir, of travelling to the…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about exhausting the heart, sincerity, and preserving the original heart and can be read alongside Humane government / kingly way, Flood-like qi.

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