"One who has seen the ocean cannot talk easily about water."

 

I often read in passages of <Meng-zi> the personality of the author. One of my most favorite passages is: "One who has seen the ocean cannot talk easily about water."

 

It means that, when a man holds the big picture in sight, he cannot take in any of the details in a casual way. Both the depth and the style of Meng-zi's thoughts can be perceived from these words.