Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.16

Passage 16

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「有yǒu天tiān爵jué者zhě，有yǒu人rén爵jué者zhě。仁rén、義yì、忠zhōng、信xìn，樂lè善shàn不bú倦juàn，此cǐ天tiān爵jué也yě。公gōng卿qīng大dài夫fu，此cǐ人rén爵jué也yě。古gǔ之zhī人rén，修xiū其qí天tiān爵jué而ér人rén爵jué從cóng之zhī。今jīn之zhī人rén，修xiū其qí天tiān爵jué以yǐ要yào人rén爵jué。既jì得dé人rén爵jué而ér棄qì其qí天tiān爵jué，則zé惑huò之zhī甚shèn者zhě也yě，終zhōng亦yì必bì亡wáng而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'There is a nobility of Heaven, and there is a nobility of man. Benevolence, righteousness, self-consecration, and fidelity, with unwearied joy in these virtues; these constitute the nobility of Heaven. To be a gong, a qing, or a da fu; this constitutes the nobility of man. The men of antiquity cultivated their nobility of Heaven, and the nobility of man came to them in its train. The men of the present day cultivate their nobility of Heaven in order to seek for the nobility of man, and when they have obtained that, they throw away the other - their delusion is extreme. The issue is simply this, that they must lose that nobility of man as well.'