孟mengtzu.com中文

Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.21

Passage 21

孟mèng子zǐ謂wèi高gāo子zǐ曰yuē：「山shān徑jìng之zhī蹊qī間jiàn，介jiè然rán用yòng之zhī而ér成chéng路lù；為wéi間jiàn不bú用yòng，則zé茅máo塞sāi之zhī矣yǐ。今jīn茅máo塞sāi子zi之zhī心xīn矣yǐ。」

Mencius said to the disciple Gao, 'There are the footpaths along the hills; if suddenly they be used, they become roads; and if, as suddenly they are not used, the wild grass fills them up. Now, the wild grass fills up your mind.'

First-principles reading

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