Gongsun Chou I

Gongsun Chou I

1

Gongsun Chou asked, saying, "If you were to hold power in Qi, could the achievements of Guan Zhong and Yan Zi be replicated?"

Mencius replied, "Truly you are a man of Qi—you know only of Guan Zhong and Yan Zi. Someone once asked Zeng Xi, saying, 'Between you and Zilu, who is the worthier?' Zeng Xi looked troubled and said, 'One whom my revered father held in awe.' The person asked, 'Then between you and Guan Zhong, who is the worthier?' Zeng Xi flushed with displeasure and said, 'How could you compare me to Guan Zhong? Guan Zhong enjoyed such exclusive confidence from his lord, administered the government of the state for so long, and yet his achievements were so paltry. How could you compare me to such a one!'" Mencius then said, "Guan Zhong was one whom Zeng Xi would not emulate, and yet you wish that I would?"

Gongsun Chou said, "Guan Zhong made his lord a hegemon, and Yan Zi made his lord illustrious. Are even Guan Zhong and Yan Zi not worth emulating?"

Mencius said, "With Qi, to become a true king would be as easy as turning over one's hand."

Gongsun Chou said, "In that case, my confusion only grows deeper. Consider: even with King Wen's virtue, he died after a hundred years, and his influence still had not permeated all under heaven. It was only after King Wu and the Duke of Zhou succeeded him that his Way was greatly extended. Now if you speak of becoming king as though it were so easy, does that mean King Wen is not worth taking as a model?"

Mencius replied, "How could anyone presume to equal King Wen? From Tang to Wuding, six or seven worthy and sagely rulers arose. The world had submitted to Yin for a long time; what has been long is hard to change. When Wuding summoned the feudal lords and held the empire, it was as easy as turning something over in his palm. The time since Zhou of Shang was not yet distant from Wuding's era—old families and inherited customs, lingering influences and good governance, still survived. Moreover, there were Weizi, Weizhong, Prince Bigan, Jizi, and Gege—all worthy men—who assisted and supported one another. Thus it was only after a long time that the realm was lost. Every foot of land was his; every one of his people was his subject. And yet King Wen still had to rise from a territory of a hundred square li—this was what made it difficult. There is a saying among the men of Qi: 'Though one has wisdom and cleverness, it is better to ride the tide of circumstance; though one has a fine spade, it is better to wait for the right season.' The present time offers an easy path indeed. In the flourishing ages of the Xia, the Yin, and the Zhou, no territory exceeded a thousand square li, and yet Qi possesses such land. The crowing of cocks and the barking of dogs are heard from border to border, and Qi possesses such people. The land need not be further expanded, the people need not be further gathered—if one were to practice humane government and become king, none could stand against it. Moreover, the interregnum of true kings has never been longer than it is now; the suffering of the people under tyrannous rule has never been more severe than it is now. The hungry are easy to feed; the thirsty are easy to give drink. Confucius said, 'The spread of virtue swirls faster than the posting of dispatches by relay stations.' In the present time, if a state of ten thousand chariots were to practice humane government, the people's joy would be as though they were cut down from being hung upside down. Thus, accomplishing only half the effort of the ancients, one would achieve double their results—and this is possible only at this time."

2

Gongsun Chou asked, saying, "Suppose you were elevated to the position of chief minister in Qi and were able to put your Way into practice—even if through this you were to achieve hegemony or kingship, it would be no different. In such circumstances, would your heart be moved?"

Mencius said, "No. At forty, my heart has not been moved."

Gongsun Chou said, "In that case, you far surpass Meng Ben."

Mencius said, "That is not difficult. Gaozi achieved an unmoved heart before I did."

Gongsun Chou said, "Is there a way to achieve an unmoved heart?"

Mencius said, "There is. The way Bei Gongyou cultivated courage was this: he would not flinch from a blow to his flesh, nor dodge from a threat to his eyes. To suffer the slightest slight from another was as though being beaten in the marketplace. He would not accept an insult from a commoner in coarse cloth, nor from the ruler of a state of ten thousand chariots. To him, stabbing the ruler of a state of ten thousand chariots was no different from stabbing a man in coarse cloth. He held no feudal lord in awe. If an insult reached his ears, he would always return it. Meng Shishe cultivated courage in this way, saying: 'I regard defeat as victory. To measure the enemy before advancing, to calculate victory before engaging—this is to be in awe of the opposing army. How could I guarantee victory? I can only be without fear.' Meng Shishe resembled Zengzi, and Bei Gongyou resembled Zixia. As for the courage of these two men, I do not know which was the worthier, but Meng Shishe held to what is essential. Formerly, Zengzi said to Zixiang, 'Do you delight in courage? I once heard about the greatest courage from the Master: If upon self-reflection I find I am not in the right, then even if the other is but a man in coarse cloth, shall I not tremble? But if upon self-reflection I find I am in the right, then even if there are thousands or tens of thousands of men, I shall go forward.' Meng Shishe's guarding of his vital force still does not compare to Zengzi's holding to what is essential."

Gongsun Chou said, "May I ask you to tell me about your unmoved heart and Gaozi's unmoved heart?"

Mencius said, "Gaozi said, 'If you do not find it in words, do not seek it in the heart; if you do not find it in the heart, do not seek it in the vital force.' To say 'If you do not find it in the heart, do not seek it in the vital force'—that is acceptable. But to say 'If you do not find it in words, do not seek it in the heart'—that is not acceptable. The will is the commander of the vital force; the vital force is that which fills the body. The will goes first; the vital force follows. Hence I say: Hold fast to your will, and do not do violence to your vital force."

Gongsun Chou said, "Since you say 'The will goes first; the vital force follows,' and yet you also say 'Hold fast to your will, and do not do violence to your vital force,' how is that?"

Mencius said, "When the will is concentrated, it moves the vital force; when the vital force is concentrated, it moves the will. Now when a man stumbles or hurries, it is the vital force acting, and yet it turns back and moves his heart."

Gongsun Chou said, "May I ask wherein you excel?"

Mencius said, "I understand words. I am good at cultivating my flood-like vital force."

Gongsun Chou said, "May I ask what you mean by this flood-like vital force?"

Mencius said, "It is difficult to speak of. As a vital force, it is the greatest and the most unyielding. If one cultivates it with uprightness and does no harm to it, it will fill the space between Heaven and Earth. As a vital force, it is matched with righteousness and the Way; without these, it starves. It is born from the accumulation of righteous deeds—it cannot be seized by grasping at righteousness from outside. If an action does not satisfy the heart, then the vital force starves. This is why I say that Gaozi never understood righteousness—because he regarded it as external. You must be engaged in the task without fixing a settled aim, and your mind must not forget it, but you must also not help it to grow. Do not be like the man of Song. There was a man in Song who was distressed that his seedlings were not growing, so he pulled them up. Weary, he returned home and said to his family, 'I am worn out today—I have helped the seedlings to grow.' His son ran out to look at them, and the seedlings had all withered! Those in the world who do not help their seedlings grow are few indeed. Those who abandon them as useless and do not tend them are those who do not weed their seedlings. Those who force them to grow are those who pull up their seedlings—they are not merely unhelpful, but positively harmful."

Gongsun Chou said, "What do you mean by 'understanding words'?"

Mencius said, "When words are one-sided, I know what obscures them; when words are excessive, I know what entraps them; when words are deviant, I know what leads them astray; when words are evasive, I know what exhausts them. Born in the heart, they do harm to governance; enacted in governance, they do harm to affairs. If a sage were to arise again, he would certainly follow my words."

"Zai Wo and Zi Gong were skilled at crafting persuasive speeches; Ran Niu, Min Zi, and Yan Yuan were skilled at cultivating moral conduct. Confucius excelled in both, yet he said, 'When it comes to diplomatic missions and formal declarations, I am not competent.' Does this mean, then, then, that you consider the Master to have been a sage?"

Mencius said, "Why! What kind of talk is this? Formerly, Zi Gong asked Confucius, 'Master, are you a sage?' Confucius replied, 'A sage? That I cannot claim. I learn without satiety and teach without weariness.' Zi Gong said, 'To learn without satiety—that is wisdom. To teach without weariness—that is benevolence. Possessing both benevolence and wisdom, the Master is indeed a sage.' Now, sagehood was something Confucius would not claim for himself. What kind of talk is this?"

"On another occasion I have heard it said: Zi Xia, Zi You, and Zi Zhang each possessed one limb of a sage; Ran Niu, Min Zi, and Yan Yuan possessed the whole body, though on a smaller scale. May I ask where you would place yourself?"

Mencius said, "Let us leave that for now."

"Then how do Bo Yi and Yi Yin compare?"

Mencius said, "Their ways were different. Bo Yi would not serve any lord he did not approve of, nor employ any people he did not approve of. In times of good government he would advance; in times of disorder he would retire. That was Bo Yi. Yi Yin would serve any lord, and employ any people. In times of good government he would advance, and in times of disorder he would also advance. That was Yi Yin. Confucius would serve when it was right to serve, would stop when it was right to stop, would stay long when it was right to stay long, and would depart quickly when it was right to depart quickly. That was Confucius. All were sages of antiquity. I have not been able to follow any of their examples. But if I were to express my aspiration, it would be to emulate Confucius."

"Then do Bo Yi and Yi Yin rank equally with Confucius?"

Mencius said, "No. Since there were living people until now, there has never been another like Confucius."

"Then do they have anything in common?"

Mencius said, "Yes. Had each been given a territory of a hundred li to rule as lord, all three would have been able to bring the feudal lords to court and possess the whole world. But had it required committing one act of injustice or killing one innocent person to gain the world, none of them would have done it. In this they were alike."

"May I ask wherein they differed?"

Mencius said, "Zai Wo, Zi Gong, and You Ruo had wisdom enough to know a sage. Even had they been lowly, they would not have flattered the one they admired. Zai Wo said, 'In my view of the Master, he far surpassed Yao and Shun.' Zi Gong said, 'By observing his rituals one could know his governance; by listening to his music one could know his virtue. Waiting a hundred generations, measuring a hundred kings, none could depart from his standards. Since there were living people, there has never been another like the Master.' You Ruo said, 'Is this true only of people? The qilin among beasts, the phoenix among birds, Mount Tai among mounds and anthills, the rivers and seas among rivulets—these are of their respective kinds. The sage among the people is also of his kind. But he rises above his kind, he stands out among his peers. Since there were living people, none has been more eminent than Confucius.'"

Mencius said, "He who uses force while borrowing the name of benevolence becomes a hegemon; a hegemon must possess a large state. He who rules through moral power and practises benevolence becomes a true king; a true king need not wait for a large state. Tang did it with seventy li, and King Wen with a hundred li. Those who subjugate others by force do not win their hearts; their submission is only because their strength is insufficient. Those who subjugate others through moral power win their hearts and inspire sincere submission, as the seventy disciples submitted to Confucius. The Book of Poetry says, 'From west to east, from south to north, none thought of disobeying.' This is what I mean."

Mencius said, "Benevolence brings glory; the absence of benevolence brings disgrace. Now, those who hate disgrace yet abide in a state of unbenevolence are like those who hate dampness yet live in a low place. If one truly hates disgrace, there is nothing better than honouring virtue and respecting scholars. Let the worthy hold positions of authority and the competent hold offices of responsibility. When the state enjoys peace and leisure, let its laws and punishments be made clear. Then even great states will stand in awe. The Book of Poetry says, 'Before the sky has darkened with rain, I strip the mulberry roots and bind fast my window and door. How could any of the people below dare to insult me?' Confucius said, 'The one who composed this poem understood the Way! If he could govern his own state, who would dare insult him?' Now, when the state enjoys peace and leisure, if instead one gives himself up to pleasure and idle self-indulgence, he is courting disaster. Disaster and good fortune are always brought upon oneself. The Book of Poetry says, 'Ever strive to be worthy of Heaven's decree, and seek for yourself abundant blessings.' The Tai Jia says, 'Calamities sent by Heaven may still be avoided; calamities brought upon oneself cannot be escaped.' This is what I mean."

Mencius said, "If the ruler honours the worthy and employs the capable, so that men of distinction hold positions of authority, then the scholars of the world will be delighted and wish to serve at his court. If in the marketplace, goods are housed without tax, or taxed without being housed, then the merchants of the world will be delighted and wish to store their goods in his markets. If at the frontier passes, travellers are inspected but not taxed, then the travellers of the world will be delighted and wish to travel on his roads. If farmers are required to render the labour tax but not taxed on their produce, then the farmers of the world will be delighted and wish to till his fields. If no land tax or residential levy is imposed on dwellings, then the people of the world will be delighted and wish to become his subjects. If one truly puts these five measures into practice, the people of neighbouring states will look up to him as to their parents. To lead sons and brothers against their parents—since there were living people, no one has ever succeeded in this. Thus one would be without a rival in the world. One who is without a rival in the world is the agent of Heaven. Yet under such circumstances, there has never been one who did not become a true king."

Mencius said, "All men have a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer. When the former kings had such a heart, they had a government that could not bear to see others suffer. With a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer, and a government that cannot bear to see others suffer, governing the whole world could be turned upon one's palm. When I say all men have a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer, I mean this: suppose a man were suddenly to see a child about to fall into a well—any man would be seized with alarm and distress. He would feel this not in order to curry favour with the child's parents, nor in order to seek the praise of his neighbours and friends, nor because he disliked the outcry. From this we see that without a heart of compassion, one is not a human being. Without a heart of shame and dislike, one is not a human being. Without a heart of courtesy and modesty, one is not a human being. Without a heart of right and wrong, one is not a human being. The heart of compassion is the germ of benevolence. The heart of shame and dislike is the germ of righteousness. The heart of courtesy and modesty is the germ of propriety. The heart of right and wrong is the germ of wisdom. A man has these four germs just as he has four limbs. Having these four germs and yet saying of oneself 'I cannot' is to cripple oneself. Saying of one's ruler 'He cannot' is to cripple one's ruler. If a man who has these four germs within him knows how to develop and fill them out, it will be like a fire beginning to burn or a spring beginning to gush forth. If he can fill them out, they will be sufficient to protect all within the four seas. If he fails to fill them out, they will be insufficient even to serve his parents."

Mencius said: "Is the arrow-maker less kind than the armor-maker? The arrow-maker fears only that he may not wound people; the armor-maker fears only that people may be wounded. The shaman and the carpenter are the same way. Therefore, one must be careful in choosing a craft. Confucius said: 'To dwell in kindness is beautiful. If one does not choose to dwell in kindness, how can one be wise?' Kindness is Heaven's most honored rank, and man's peaceful abode. If no one prevents one from being kind and yet one is not kind, that is unwise. To be unkind and unwise, without ritual propriety without rightness—such a man is but a menial servant. For a menial servant to be ashamed of being a servant is like the bow-maker being ashamed of making bows, or the arrow-maker being ashamed of making arrows. If one is ashamed of this, there is nothing better than to be kind. The kind man is like an archer: the archer corrects himself and then shoots. If he shoots and does not hit the mark, he does not resent those who surpass himself; he simply turns back and seeks the cause within himself."

Mencius said: "When Zilu was told of a fault, he rejoiced. When Yu heard a good word, he bowed. The great Shun went even further: he was good together with others, yielded himself and followed others, and delighted in drawing from others to be good. From plowing, making pottery, and fishing, up to becoming emperor, there was nothing he did not draw from others. To draw from others in order to be good—this is to be good together with others. Therefore, there is nothing greater for the gentleman than being good together with others."

Mencius said: "Bo Yi would not serve any lord he did not approve of, nor befriend any friend he did not approve of. He would not stand in the court of a wicked man, nor speak with a wicked man. To stand in the court of a wicked man or speak with a wicked man would be, for him, like sitting in court robes and court cap upon mud and charcoal. Pushing his hatred of wickedness to the extreme, he felt that even standing in the company of a fellow villager—if that villager's cap was not straight—he would leave with a look of disgust, as if he would be defiled. Therefore, even though feudal lords sent him kind invitations with polite words, he would not accept. That he would not accept meant simply that he would not stoop so low as to serve. Liu Xia Hui was not ashamed to serve a corrupt lord, nor did he demean a minor office. When he advanced, he did not conceal his worth; he always acted according to the Way. When he was passed over, he did not complain; when he was in distress, he was not sorrowful. He said: 'You are you, and I am I. Even if you strip bare and expose yourself beside me, how could you defile me?' Thus he could be cheerful and at ease in others' company without losing himself; he could be pulled back and made to stay, and he would stay. That he could be pulled back and made to stay meant simply that he would not stoop so low as to leave." Mencius said: "Bo Yi was narrow; Liu Xia Hui was irreverent. Narrowness and irreverence are not the paths the gentleman follows."