The Confucian Analects (1861) - Page 6

Do not let the literary form

harm the wording, and do not

let the wording harm the

intended meaning. To use

one's own mind to meet

the author’s intention:

this is how to grasp it.

original: "不以文害辭，不以辭害志。以意逆志，是爲得之。" This is a foundational rule of Chinese hermeneutics (the study of interpretation). Mencius suggests that a reader should not get bogged down by literal words or stylistic flourishes, but should instead strive to understand the underlying spirit and purpose of the author.

MENCIUS, Book 5, Part I, chapter 4, section 2.

original: "MENCIUS, V. Pt. I. iv. 2." This reference points to a conversation between Mencius and his disciple Wan Zhang regarding the interpretation of the "Classic of Poetry."