Li Lou II · 孟子 4B.26

Passage 26

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「天tiān下xià之zhī言yán性xìng也yě，則zé故gù而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。故gù者zhě，以yǐ利lì為wéi本běn。所suǒ惡è於wū智zhì者zhě，為wéi其qí鑿záo也yě。如rú智zhì者zhě，若ruò禹yǔ之zhī行xíng水shuǐ也yě，則zé無wú惡è於wū智zhì矣yǐ。禹yǔ之zhī行xíng水shuǐ也yě，行xíng其qí所suǒ無wú事shì也yě。如rú智zhì者zhě亦yì行xíng其qí所suǒ無wú事shì，則zé智zhì亦yì大dà矣yǐ。天tiān之zhī高gāo也yě，星xīng辰chén之zhī遠yuǎn也yě，茍jì求qiú其qí故gù，千qiān歲suì之zhī日rì至zhì，可kě坐zuò而ér致zhì也yě。」

Mencius said, 'All who speak about the natures of things, have in fact only their phenomena to reason from, and the value of a phenomenon is in its being natural. What I dislike in your wise men is their boring out their conclusions. If those wise men would only act as Yu did when he conveyed away the waters, there would be nothing to dislike in their wisdom. The manner in which Yu conveyed away the waters was by doing what gave him no trouble. If your wise men would also do that which gave them no trouble, their knowledge would also be great. There is heaven so high; there are the stars so distant. If we have investigated their phenomena, we may, while sitting in our places, go back to the solstice of a thousand years ago.'