 As one can see in Mencius’s discussion of the four moral sprouts in this passage, Mencius’s moral psychology of the heart-mind focuses on the psychological and ontological foundation of moral emotions. According to him, Confucian virtues derive from the innate foundations (siduan) and these foundations are naturally given affective moral inclinations. As Confucius stresses the significance of sincere emotions in the cultivation of virtues, Mencius highlights their innate emotional foundations. However, these are not just psychological foundations. They are ontological foundations, too. He (2A6) states, for example, lacking the heart-mind of ceyin means lacking the essence of humanity. This foundational and ontological approach in Mencius’s moral philosophy provides a stimulating opportunity to connect emotions (affective inclinations) and qing (genuine nature) in the context of the four moral sprouts.