Jin Xin II

Jin Xin II

1

Mencius said: "How unkind was King Hui of Liang! A kind person extends his love from those he loves to those he does not love. An unkind person extends his lack of care from those he does not love to those he does."

Gong Sun Chou asked: "What do you mean?"

"King Hui of Liang, for the sake of land, ground his people to pulp in battle and suffered a great defeat. Wishing to fight again, he feared he could not win, so therefore drove the sons and brothers he loved to their deaths. This is what is meant by extending one's lack of care from those he does not love to those he loves."

2

Mencius said: "In the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, there were no righteous wars. There were, however, cases where one was better than another. 'Punitive expedition' means a superior attacking an inferior. Opposing states do not conduct punitive expeditions against each other."

3

Mencius said: "It is better to be without the *Book of Documents* than to give it full faith. In the 'Wu Cheng' chapter, I accept only two or three bamboo strips' worth. A man of benevolence has no rival in the world. When the supremely benevolent attacked the supremely unbenevolent, how could the blood have flowed so freely as to float the pestles of the mortars?"

4

Mencius said: "There is a person who says, 'I am good at forming battle arrays; I am good at fighting.' This is a great crime. If a ruler of a state is fond of benevolence, he will have no rival under Heaven. When he campaigns to the north, the Di tribes complain; when he campaigns to the west, the Yi tribes complain, saying, 'Why do you leave us for last?' When King Wu attacked Yin, he had three hundred war chariots and three thousand guards of valor. The king said: 'Have no fear! I have come to bring you peace, not to make enemies of the people.' The people knocked their heads to the ground like collapsing mountains. 'Zheng' (征) means 'to correct' (正). If each side merely wishes to correct itself, what need is there for fighting?"

5

Mencius said: "Carpenters and wheelwrights can give people rules and compasses, but cannot make them skillful."

6

Mencius said: "When Shun ate dry rice and coarse greens, it seemed as if he would spend his whole life that way. When he became the Son of Heaven, he wore embroidered robes, played the qin, and attended to his two women, as if it had always been his."

7

Mencius said: "Only now do I understand how grave it is to kill a person's kin. If you kill a man's father, he will kill your father. If you kill a man's brother, he will kill your brother. In that case, though it is not you yourself who kills them, it is only a matter of one step removed."

8

Mencius said: "In ancient times, frontier passes were established to ward off violence. Today, frontier passes are established to perpetrate violence."

9

Mencius said: "If a person himself does not practice the Way, he will not be able to get his wife and children to follow it. If he does not use the Way in employing others, he will not be able to get even his wife and children to follow his orders."

10

Mencius said: "Those who are ample in profit will not be ruined in a year of famine. Those who are ample in virtue will not be thrown into confusion in an age of disorder."

11

Mencius said: "A man who seeks fame may be willing to yield a state of a thousand chariots. But if it were not such a man, the matter of a basket of rice and a dish of soup would show on his face."

12

Mencius said: "If you do not trust the benevolent and the worthy, the state will be empty. If there are no rites and rightness, superiors and inferiors will be in chaos. If there is no good governance, wealth and resources will be insufficient."

13

Mencius said: "There have been cases of the unkind gaining a state. But there has never been a case of the unkind gaining the whole world."

14

Mencius said: "The people are the most important; the altars of soil and grain come next; the ruler is the lightest. Therefore, one who gains the hearts of the common people becomes the Son of Heaven; one who gains the Son of Heaven becomes a feudal lord; one who gains a feudal lord becomes a grand official. If a feudal lord endangers the altars of soil and grain, he is replaced. When the sacrificial animals are fully grown, the offerings are clean, and the sacrifices are offered at the proper times, yet drought or flood still occur, then the altars of soil and grain are replaced."

15

Mencius said: "Sages are the teachers of a hundred generations. Bo Yi and Liu Xia Hui are such men. Therefore, when one hears of the conduct of Bo Yi, the stubborn become upright, and the weak resolve to stand firm. When one hears of the conduct of Liu Xia Hui, the mean become generous, and the narrow-minded become liberal. Living a hundred generations ago, they have inspired all who heard of them a hundred generations later. Could anyone other than a sage achieve this? How much more so for those who were personally close to them!"

16

Mencius said: "Benevolence is what it means to be human. Put the two together, and that is the Way."

17

Mencius said: "When Confucius left Lu, he said, 'I am leaving slowly.' That is the way to leave one's parents' state. When he left Qi, he left immediately, without waiting to strain the water from his rice. That is the way to leave another state."

18

Mencius said: "The reason the gentleman was in difficulty between Chen and Cai was that he had no dealings with those above or below."

19

Mao Ji said: "I am greatly maligned by people's talk."

Mencius said: "No harm in that. Gentlemen detest this sort of talk. The *Odes* say: 'My anxious heart is troubled; I am resented by the petty crowd' — this was Confucius. 'He did not put an end to their resentment, nor did he let his reputation fall' — this was King Wen."

20

Mencius said: "The worthy make others clear-sighted by means of their own clarity. Today, people try to make others clear-sighted by means of their own benightedness."

21

Mencius said to Gao Zi: "In the mountain paths, where the tracks are clearly marked, if you use them steadily, they become roads. But if you leave them unused for a while, wild grass blocks them up. Now wild grass blocks up your heart."

22

Gao Zi said: "The music of Yu was superior to that of King Wen."

Mencius said: "On what grounds do you say this?"

He said: "Because the pegs are worn down."

Mencius said: "Is that sufficient evidence? Are the ruts at the city gate made by the strength of a single pair of horses?"

23

There was a famine in Qi. Chen Zhen said: "All the people think that you, sir, will once again petition for the opening of the granary at Tang. I am afraid this cannot be repeated."

Mencius said: "Then I would be like Feng Fu. There was a man of Jin named Feng Fu who was good at seizing tigers. In time he became a model scholar. Later, going into the countryside, he saw a crowd chasing a tiger. The tiger had backed itself into a cliff, and no one dared to confront it. Catching sight of Feng Fu, they hurried forward to welcome him. Feng Fu rolled down his sleeves and descended from his chariot. The crowd was delighted, but the scholars laughed at him."

24

Mencius said: "The mouth desires flavors; the eyes desire colors; the ears desire sounds; the nose desires fragrances; the limbs desire ease and comfort. These are matters of nature, but they are also governed by fate. The gentleman does not call them matters of nature. Benevolence between father and son; rightness between ruler and minister; propriety between guest and host; wisdom in the case of the worthy; the sage's relationship with the Way of Heaven — these are matters of fate, but they also have a basis in nature. The gentleman does not call them matters of fate."

25

Hao Sheng Bu Hai asked: "What kind of person is Yue Zheng Zi?"

Mencius said: "A good person. A trustworthy person."

"What do you mean by 'good'? What do you mean by 'trustworthy'?"

Mencius said, "What is desirable is called good. Having it in oneself is called true. Filling it out fully is called beautiful. Filling it out fully and shining with brilliance is called great. Being great and transforming others is called sage. Being sage and beyond comprehension is called divine. Yue Zhengzi stands between the two and below the four."

Mencius said, "Those who escape from the Moists inevitably turn to Yang; those who escape from Yang inevitably turn to Confucianism. When they come, that is all—one simply receives them. Those who nowadays debate with Yang and Mo are like chasing a stray pig: once it has been penned up, they proceed to tie its legs."

Mencius said, "There are three kinds of levies: a levy on cloth and thread, a levy on grain and rice, and a levy on labor. A gentleman employs one and relaxes the other two. If he employs two, there will be starved people among the populace. If he employs all three, fathers and sons will be separated."

Mencius said, "There are three treasures of a lord: territory, people, and governance. One who treasures pearls and jades will surely bring calamity upon himself."

Pen Chengkuo took office in Qi.

Mencius said, "Pen Chengkuo will die!"

When Pen Chengkuo was put to death, his disciples asked, "How did you know he would be killed?"

Mencius said, "As a person, he had minor talent but had never heard of the great way of the gentleman. That was enough to bring about his death."

When Mencius went to Teng, he lodged in the upper palace. A finished sandal was placed on the window ledge, and the lodge-keeper searched for it but could not find it.

Someone asked, "Is it really so that your followers hide things?"

Mencius said, "Do you suppose they came here to steal sandals?"

The person said, "Probably not. In your method of establishing disciplines, you do not pursue those who leave, nor do you reject those who come. If they come with this intention, you simply receive them—that is all."

Mencius said, "There is something everyone cannot bear; extending it to what they can bear is benevolence. There is something everyone will not do; extending it to what they will do is righteousness. If a person can fill out the heart that desires not to harm others, his benevolence will be inexhaustible. If a person can fill out the heart that will not commit burglary, his righteousness will be inexhaustible. If a person can fill out what it means to refuse being treated with disrespect, wherever he goes he will act with righteousness. When a scholar speaks when he should not speak, he is angling with words; when he does not speak when he should speak, he is angling with silence. These are all in the same category as burglary."

Mencius said, "Words that are near yet point far are good words; holding to the essential yet giving broadly is good way. The words of the gentleman concern nothing below the sash, yet the way is present in them. The cultivation of the gentleman lies in cultivating his own person, and the world is at peace. People's fault lies in abandoning their own fields to weed others' fields—they place heavy demands on others yet take light responsibility upon themselves."

Mencius said, "Yao and Shun were so by nature; Tang and Wu returned to it. When movements and expressions all accord with ritual, that is the perfection of virtue. Weeping for the dead with grief is not for the sake of the living. Adhering to virtue without deviation is not to seek office. Speech that must be truthful is not to correct conduct. The gentleman follows the law and awaits his fate—that is all."

Mencius said, "When speaking to a great man, look down upon him; do not regard him as imposing. His halls rise several zhang high, with rafter ends several chi across—had I my way, I would not do so. Food spread out ten square zhang, with several hundred concubines in attendance—had I my way, I would not do so. Drinking and revelry, racing and hunting, with a thousand chariots following behind—had I my way, I would not do so. What he does, I would not do; what I do, all follows the regulations of the ancients. Why should I fear him?"

Mencius said, "Nothing is better for nurturing the heart than having few desires. A person with few desires, though there may be something in him that does not remain, will have little. A person with many desires, though there may be something in him that remains, will have little."

Zeng Xi was fond of sheep-dates, and Zeng Zi could not bear to eat sheep-dates. Gongsun Chou asked, "Which is more delicious—minced meat or sheep-dates?"

Mencius said, "Minced meat!"

Gongsun Chou said, "Then why did Zeng Zi eat minced meat but not sheep-dates?"

Mencius said, "Minced meat is what all share; sheep-dates are what was uniquely his. One avoids a name but not a surname; the surname is what is shared, the name is what is unique."

Wan Zhang asked, "When Confucius was in Chen, he said, 'Why not return? The scholars of my district are ambitious and straightforward—they advance and do not forget their beginnings.' When Confucius was in Chen, why did he think of the ambitious men of Lu?"

Mencius said, "Confucius said, 'If I cannot get those of the middle way to follow me, I must take the ambitious and the cautious! The ambitious advance; the cautious have things they will not do.' Did Confucius not desire the middle way? But he could not be certain of obtaining it, so he thought of the next best."

"May I ask what sort of person can be called ambitious?"

Mencius said, "Such as Qin Zhang, Zeng Xi, and Mu Pi—these are what Confucius called ambitious."

"Why are they called ambitious?"

Mencius said, "Their aspirations are grand. They say, 'The ancients! The ancients!' But when you examine their conduct, it does not cover their words. If the ambitious cannot be obtained, one would want to take those who disdain what is impure—these are the cautious. This is the next level. Confucius said, 'Those who pass my door but do not enter my house—I feel no regret about them. It is only the village honest man! The village honest man is a thief of virtue.'"

Wan Zhang said, "What sort of person is called the village honest man?"

Mencius said, "He says, 'Why all this grand talk? Words do not consider deeds, deeds do not consider words—they just say, The ancients! The ancients! Why walk about so cold and lonely? Born in this age, live in this age—if one is good, that is enough.' One who ingratiates himself with the age in this way is the village honest man."

Wan Zhang said, "When an entire village calls him an honest man, and wherever he goes he seems an honest man, yet Confucius regarded him as a thief of virtue—why?"

Mencius said, "To criticize him, there is nothing to cite; to attack him, there is nothing to attack. He conforms to current customs and fits in with a corrupt age. He dwells in what seems like faithfulness and acts in what seems like integrity. Everyone is pleased with him. He considers himself right, yet one cannot enter the way of Yao and Shun with him. Hence he is called a 'thief of virtue.' Confucius said, 'I hate what resembles the genuine but is not: I hate weeds, lest they confuse the grain; I hate glib talk, lest it confuse righteousness; I hate a sharp tongue, lest it confuse trustworthiness; I hate the music of Zheng, lest it confuse proper music; I hate purple, lest it confuse vermilion; I hate the village honest man, lest it confuse virtue.' The gentleman simply returns to the proper standard. When the standard is correct, the common people will be stirred; when the common people are stirred, there will be no wickedness."

Mencius said, "The way of the gentleman is threefold, but I have not been able to succeed in any. To love the gentleman as a son—this I have not been able to do. To serve one's parents with filial piety—this I have not been able to do. To be true to one's lord—this I have not been able to do. To serve one's elder brother with fraternal duty—this I have not been able to do. These three are the way of the gentleman, but I have not been able to succeed in any. To speak and be trusted—this I have not been able to do. To act and achieve the good—this I have not been able to do. To learn and become wise—this I have not been able to do. These three are the way of learning, but I have not been able to succeed in any. The gentleman's way is simply to cultivate himself and thereby bring peace to others. To cultivate oneself and not bring peace to others—this is not the way. To bring peace to others without cultivating oneself—this is not the way. To bring peace to the world without the world being at peace—this is not the way. The gentleman is at peace in his position and does not seek it elsewhere. He is at peace in his conduct and does not seek it elsewhere. He is in his position and does not seek it elsewhere. He is in his conduct and does not seek it elsewhere. The gentleman simply cultivates himself and thereby brings peace to others."

Mencius said: "From Yao and Shun to Tang was more than five hundred years. As for Yu and Gao Yao, they saw the sages and knew the Way; as for Tang, he heard of them and knew the Way. From Tang to King Wen was more than five hundred years. As for Yi Yin and Lai Zhu, they saw the sages and knew the Way; as for King Wen, he heard of them and knew the Way. From King Wen to Confucius was more than five hundred years. As for Grand Duke Wang and San Yisheng, they saw the sages and knew the Way; as for Confucius, he heard of them and knew the Way. From Confucius until now is more than a hundred years. The time since the age of the sages has not been so distant as this; the proximity to where the sages dwelt has not been so close as this. Yet there is none who has them — and so there is none who has them!"