Life and Works of Mencius; With Essays and Notes

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1875. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... BOOK VII. TSIN SIN. PARI' I. Chapter I. 1. Mencius said, He who has exhaustively studied all his mental constitution knows his nature. Knowing his nature, he knows Heaven. 2. To prpserve one's mental constitution, and nourish one's nature, is the way to servo Heaven. 3. When neither [the thought] of premature death nor Title Of This Book. Like the previous Books, this is named from the commencing words--Tsin Si/i, The exhausting of all the mental constitution. It contains many mure chanters than any of the others, --brief, enigmatical sentences for the most part, conveying Mencius' views on human nature. It is more abstruse also, and the student will have much difficulty in satisfying himself that he has hit the exact meaning of our philosopher. The author of The Root oud Relish of the four Books says: -- This Book was made by Mencius hi his old age. Its style is terse, and its meaning deep, and we cannot discover an order of subjects in its chapters. He had completed the previous chapters, and this grew up under his stt//n.i, as his mind was affected, and he was prompted to give expression to his thoughts. The first chapter, however, may he regarded as a compendium of the whole. Gh. I. BY THE KNOWLEDGE 0F0UKSELVE.S Wftcometothe Knowledge Ok Heaven, And Hkaven Is Served By Our Obeying Our Nature. Par. 1. To exhaust our mental constitution is, I conceive, to make one's-self acquainted with all his mental constitution, having arrested his consciousness, and ascertained what it is. This of course gives a man the knowledge of his nature: and as he is the creature of Heaven, its attributes must be corresponding. I can get no other meaning from this paragraph. Choo He, however, and all his school, say that there is no work or labour in exhausting t...