Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.17

Passage 17

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「孔kǒng子zǐ之zhī去qù魯lǔ，曰yuē：『遲chí遲chí吾wú行xíng也yě』，去qù父fù母mǔ國guó之zhī道dào也yě。去qù齊qí，接jiē淅xī而ér行xíng，去qù他tā國guó之zhī道dào也yě。」

Mencius said, 'When Confucius was leaving Lu, he said, "I will set out by-and-by;" - this was the way in which to leave the State of his parents. When he was leaving Qi, he strained off with his hand the water in which his rice was being rinsed, took the rice, and went away - this was the way in which to leave a strange State.'

First-principles reading

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