Mencius – Chapter 14.25

Hao Sheng Buhai asked, “What kind of person is Yue Zhengzi?” Mencius replied, “He is a good man and a trustworthy (genuine) man.” Hao Sheng Buhai asked again, “What is meant by ‘good’? What is meant by ‘trustworthy’?”

Mencius explained, “To be desirable is what is meant by ‘good.’ To possess this goodness within oneself is what is meant by ‘trustworthy.’ To be filled with this goodness is what is meant by ‘beautiful.’ To be filled with it and emit a radiant brilliance is what is meant by ‘great.’ To be great and transform others is what is meant by ‘sage.’ To be a sage and reach a realm of mystery unfathomable to ordinary men is what is meant by ‘divine.’ As for Yue Zhengzi, he is situated between the first two levels (‘good’ and ‘trustworthy’) and below the latter four levels (‘beautiful,’ ‘great,’ ‘sage,’ and ‘divine’).”

Note

This passage from the Jin Xin II chapter of the Mencius outlines Mencius’ “six-step ladder” of Confucian moral cultivation and realms of personal character. Drawing on historical context and Confucian classics, we can understand its underlying thought through the following dimensions:

• The Internal Logic of Moral Cultivation: The Foundation of “Goodness” and “Trustworthiness”
  Mencius provided a definition of “goodness” and “trustworthiness” with profound psychological depth. “To be desirable is what is meant by ‘good’” implies that true morality is not dry dogma, but a beautiful quality with intrinsic appeal that people naturally aspire to. “To possess this goodness within oneself is what is meant by ‘trustworthy’” emphasizes the internalization and sincerity of morality; this goodness cannot be mere superficial pretense but must be genuinely rooted within. These two steps form the starting point of Confucian self-cultivation, highlighting the appeal and authenticity of morality.
• The Path of Sublimation in Personal Character: The Transcendence of “Beautiful, Great, Sage, and Divine”
  Building upon “goodness” and “trustworthiness,” Mencius depicted four higher-order realms of ascending personal character. “Beautiful” is the fullness and perfection of morality; “Great” is morality externalized into brilliance that can inspire others; “Sage” is the highest practice of morality, capable of nurturing the world and transforming society; “Divine” is the ultimate realm that transcends secular understanding, achieving a state of unity between Heaven and humanity, and unparalleled mastery. This hierarchical classification provided later Confucian scholars with a clear and visible roadmap for “becoming a sage.”
• Objective Evaluation Through Tailored Teaching: “Between the First Two, Below the Latter Four”
  After proposing his grand theory of personal character, Mencius grounded it with an objective evaluation of his disciple Yue Zhengzi. He pointed out that while Yue Zhengzi had achieved “goodness” and “trustworthiness,” he still had a long way to go before reaching “beauty, greatness, sagehood, and divinity.” This served as both an affirmation and encouragement for the disciple, as well as a sobering exhortation. It demonstrates that while the Confucian moral ideal is supremely lofty, one’s practice must be grounded, progressing step by step to “enrich” oneself, rather than harboring unrealistic ambitions.

浩生不害问曰：“乐正子，何人也？”孟子曰：“善人也，信人也。”“何谓善？何谓信？”

曰：“可欲之谓善，有诸己之谓信。充实之谓美，充实而有光辉之谓大，大而化之之谓圣，圣而不可知之之谓神。乐正子，二之中，四之下也。”