Sunday, October 28, 2012

Mencius - Book 6, Part 1, Chapter 14B

'Here is a plantation-keeper, who neglects his wû and chiâ, and cultivates his sour jujube-trees; he is a poor plantation-keeper.

'He who nourishes one of his fingers, neglecting his shoulders or his back, without knowing that he is doing so, is a man who resembles a hurried wolf.

'A man who only eats and drinks is counted mean by others; because he nourishes what is little to the neglect of what is great.

'If a man, fond of his eating and drinking, were not to neglect what is of more importance, how should his mouth and belly be considered as no more than an inch of skin?'
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~
 Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Works of Mencius.

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