Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.46

Passage 46

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「知zhī者zhě無wú不bù知zhī也yě，當dāng務wù之zhī為wéi急jí；仁rén者zhě無wú不bú愛ài也yě，急jí親qīn賢xián之zhī為wéi務wù。堯yáo舜shùn之zhī知zhī而ér不bú遍biàn物wù，急jí先xiān務wù也yě。堯yáo舜shùn之zhī仁rén不bú遍biàn愛ài人rén，急jí親qīn賢xián也yě。不bù能néng三sān年nián之zhī喪sāng，而ér緦sī小xiǎo功gōng之zhī察chá：放fàng飯fàn流liú歠chuò，而ér問wèn無wú齒chǐ決jué：是shì之zhī謂wèi不bù知zhī務wù。」

Mencius said, 'The wise embrace all knowledge, but they are most earnest about what is of the greatest importance. The benevolent embrace all in their love, but what they consider of the greatest importance is to cultivate an earnest affection for the virtuous. Even the wisdom of Yao and Shun did not extend to everything, but they attended earnestly to what was important. Their benevolence did not show itself in acts of kindness to every man, but they earnestly cultivated an affection for the virtuous. Not to be able to keep the three years' mourning, and to be very particular about that of three months, or that of five months; to eat immoderately and swill down the soup, and at the same time to inquire about the precept not to tear the meat with the teeth; such things show what I call an ignorance of what is most important.