Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.25

Passage 25

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「雞jī鳴míng而ér起qǐ，孳zī孳zī為wéi善shàn者zhě，舜shùn之zhī徒tú也yě。雞jī鳴míng而ér起qǐ，孳zī孳zī為wéi利lì者zhě，跖zhí之zhī徒tú也yě。欲yù知zhī舜shùn與yǔ跖zhí之zhī分fēn，無wú他tā，利lì與yǔ善shàn之zhī間jiàn也yě。」

Mencius said, 'He who rises at cock-crowing and addresses himself earnestly to the practice of virtue, is a disciple of Shun. He who rises at cock-crowing, and addresses himself earnestly to the pursuit of gain, is a disciple of Zhi. If you want to know what separates Shun from Zhi, it is simply this: the interval between the thought of gain and the thought of virtue.'

First-principles reading

Begin with the words and context, expose the premise beneath the argument, then test the conditions and limits of the principle.