Jin Xin II · Passage 35 / 38 · 孟子 7B.35
Mencius 7B.35: to nourish the heart, make desires few
Mencius treats few desires as the best way to nourish the heart, not because every desire is evil.
孟子曰：「養心莫善於寡欲。其為人也寡欲，雖有不存焉者，寡矣。其為人也多欲，雖有存焉者，寡矣。」
Mencius said, 'To nourish the mind there is nothing better than to make the desires few. Here is a man whose desires are few - in some things he may not be able to keep his heart, but they will be few. Here is a man whose desires are many - in some things he may be able to keep his heart, but they will be few.'
Priority note
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Central question
Why does Mencius say there is nothing better for nourishing the heart than making desires few?
Direct answer
Because the real problem is not a single desire but the multiplied points of capture that tear the heart in too many directions. When desires are fewer, the heart is easier to keep; when they are many, even what remains of it becomes small.
First principle
Self-cultivation is not only about adding knowledge. It is also about reducing the forces that keep stealing attention and command from the heart.
Why it matters
This passage serves clear search intent around desire, discipline, and nourishing the heart, and it strengthens the site's bridge from human goodness to practical cultivation.
Further reading
What this passage is doing
This is passage 35 of 38 in Jin Xin II. The cleanest entry point is "To nourish the mind there is nothing better…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about knowing words, knowing destiny, and the completion of cultivation and can be read alongside Flood-like qi, Human nature.
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Related principles
Citation note
Do not mistake few desires for killing all desire. Mencius is concerned with reducing how far desire drags the person around, so that the heart can lead again.