black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

By exhaustively examining one’s own mind,one may understand his nature. One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.

Mencius

Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
MENCIUS

Body Friendship Oneself
If the prince of a State love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire.
MENCIUS

Enemy Government Love
There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.
MENCIUS

Greatness Sincere
Sincerity is the way to heaven.
MENCIUS

Heaven Sincere
The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward.
MENCIUS

Flow Human Nature Water
Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.
MENCIUS

Heaven Men Thinking
There is a power in everything; it is the job of the artist to determine it and express it.
MENCIUS

Artist Job Power
Benevolence is one of the distinguishing characters of man.
MENCIUS

Character Kindness Men
He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich.
MENCIUS

Choice Himself Rich
It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.
MENCIUS

Authority Difficult Family Government
The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things.
MENCIUS

Easy Men Philosophy Seek Way
So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.
MENCIUS

Choice Justice Right Togetherness
Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.
MENCIUS

Capability Greatness Inspirational
Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.
MENCIUS

Equality Heaven People See
Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men’s minds are also injured by them.
MENCIUS

Food Hunger Injury Men Mindset
Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
MENCIUS

Born Fall Men Philosophy Spirituality Spring
The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Greatness Heart Man Wisdom
Listen to a man’s words and look at the pupil of his eye. How can a man conceal his character?
MENCIUS

Character Eyes Hide Men Word
He who goes to the bottom of his own heart knows his own nature; And knowing his own nature, he knows heaven.
MENCIUS

Heart Heaven Philosophy
To act without clear understanding, to form habits without investigation, to follow a path all one’s life without knowing where it really leads; such is the behavior of the multitude.
MENCIUS

Act Ignorance Leadership Life Understand
The great person never loses a childlike spirit.
MENCIUS

Attitude Greatness Person Spirit
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.
MENCIUS

Hate Men
The disease of men is that they neglect their own fields and go to weed the fields of others.
MENCIUS

Avoid Destroy Hate Man
Never lose your child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Heart One Liner
The gap between enthusiasm and indifference is filled with failures. The great man is he that does not lose his child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Failure Heart Men
If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. This is what is meant by saying that human nature is good.
MENCIUS

Deep Feeling Human People Philosophy Spiritual
Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.
MENCIUS

Decision Men Vigor

By exhaustively examining one’s own mind,one may understand his nature. One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

By exhaustively examining one’s own mind,one may understand his nature. One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Mencius Quotes