Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.35

Passage 35

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「養yǎng心xīn莫mò善shàn於wū寡guǎ欲yù。其qí為wéi人rén也yě寡guǎ欲yù，雖suī有yǒu不bù存cún焉yān者zhě，寡guǎ矣yǐ。其qí為wéi人rén也yě多duō欲yù，雖suī有yǒu存cún焉yān者zhě，寡guǎ矣yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'To nourish the mind there is nothing better than to make the desires few. Here is a man whose desires are few - in some things he may not be able to keep his heart, but they will be few. Here is a man whose desires are many - in some things he may be able to keep his heart, but they will be few.'

First-principles reading

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