Gaozi, Part II
A man of Ren asked Wulu Li, "Which is more important, ritual or food?"
Wulu Li replied, "Ritual is important."
The man asked again, "Which is more important, beauty or ritual?"
Wulu Li replied, "Ritual is important."
The man said, "If seeking food according to ritual leads to starvation, but seeking food without ritual obtains food, must one still follow ritual? If following the ritual of personally welcoming the bride results in not getting a wife, but not following that ritual obtains a wife, must one still personally welcome her?"
Wulu Li could not answer. The next day he went to Zou and told this to Mencius.
Mencius said, "What difficulty is there in answering this? If you do not measure the base but only compare the tips, then a block of wood an inch thick can be taller than a tall building. Metal is heavier than feathers—does that mean a metal hook is heavier than a cartload of feathers? When comparing the most critical aspect of food with the most trivial aspect of ritual, is it merely that food is more important? When comparing the most critical aspect of beauty with the most trivial aspect of ritual, is it merely that beauty is more important? Go and answer him: 'Twisting your older brother's arm to snatch his food—if doing so gets you food, and not doing so fails to get food, would you twist it? Climbing over the wall of the eastern neighbor to embrace their virgin daughter—if doing so gets you a wife, and not doing so fails to get a wife, would you embrace her?'"
Cao Jiao asked, "Is it true that everyone can become a Yao or a Shun?"
Mencius said, "Yes."
Cao Jiao said, "I have heard that King Wen of Zhou was ten feet tall, and Tang was nine feet tall. Now I am nine feet four inches tall. I am just a consumer of grain. What must I do to achieve it?"
Mencius said, "What difficulty is there in this? Just do it. If there is a person here who cannot lift a chick, he is a person without strength. If someone now says he can lift three thousand jin, he is a person of strength. Then if one can lift the weight that Wu Huo could lift, that is to become Wu Huo. Why should a person worry about being unable? It is just that he does not do it. Walking slowly, staying behind one's elders, is called fraternal respect. Walking quickly, rushing ahead of one's elders, is called lacking fraternal respect. Is walking slowly something a person cannot do? It is just that he does not do it. The Way of Yao and Shun is nothing but filial piety and fraternal respect. If you wear Yao's clothes, recite Yao's words, and practice Yao's deeds, you become Yao. If you wear Jie's clothes, recite Jie's words, and practice Jie's deeds, you become Jie."
Cao Jiao said, "I can meet the ruler of Zou. I may borrow a place to stay and hope to remain and study under your gate."
Mencius said, "The Way is like a great road—how is it difficult to know? The fault of people lies in not seeking it. Go back and seek it yourself. Teachers are plentiful."
Gongsun Chou asked, "Gaozi said, 'The poem "Xiaopan" was written by a petty man.'"
Mencius said, "On what basis does he say this?"
Gongsun Chou said, "Because there is resentment in the poem."
Mencius said, "How rigidly Master Gao interprets the Book of Songs! If there were a person here, and a man from Yue drew a bow and shot at him, he could speak of it with a smile and a laugh—there is no other reason, only that he and the Yue man are distant. If his own brother drew a bow and shot at him, then he would speak of it with tears and weeping—there is no other reason, only that he and his brother are close. The resentment in "Xiaopan" arises from affection for one's kin. Affection for kin is Ren. How rigidly Master Gao interprets the Book of Songs!"
Gongsun Chou said, "Why is there no resentment in the poem "Kaifeng"?"
Mencius said, "In "Kaifeng," the fault of the kin is minor; in "Xiaopan," the fault of the kin is major. If the kin's fault is major and there is no resentment, this is to be more distant from the kin. If the kin's fault is minor and there is resentment, this is an inability to bear slight irritation. Being more distant from the kin is unfilial; being unable to bear slight irritation is also unfilial. Confucius said: 'Shun was the most filial. At fifty years of age, he still yearned for his parents.'"
Song Keng was about to go to Chu. Mencius met him at Shiqiu and asked, "Where is the Master going?"
Song Keng said, "I have heard that Qin and Chu are at war. I am going to see the King of Chu to advise him to cease hostilities. If the King of Chu is displeased, I will go to see the King of Qin to advise him to cease. Among the two rulers, I will surely find one who can be persuaded."
Mencius said, "I do not wish to ask for details—only to know your general intent. How do you plan to advise them?"
Song Keng said, "I plan to advise them using 'disadvantage.'"
Mencius said, "The Master's ambition is great, but the name he uses is not acceptable. If the Master uses 'advantage' to advise the kings of Qin and Chu, and the kings of Qin and Chu, because they delight in 'advantage,' cease the movements of their three armies, then the officers and soldiers of those armies will be joyful at the cessation because they delight in 'advantage.' Ministers, harboring the concept of 'advantage,' serve their lords; sons, harboring the concept of 'advantage,' serve their fathers; younger brothers, harboring the concept of 'advantage,' serve their elder brothers. This will cause ruler and minister, father and son, elder and younger brother to ultimately discard Ren and Yi, and interact with each other harboring 'advantage.' For a state not to perish under such circumstances has never happened. If the Master uses 'Ren and Yi' to advise the kings of Qin and Chu, and the kings of Qin and Chu, because they delight in 'Ren and Yi,' cease the movements of their three armies, then the officers and soldiers of those armies will be joyful at the cessation because they delight in 'Ren and Yi.' Ministers, harboring the concept of 'Ren and Yi,' serve their lords; sons, harboring the concept of 'Ren and Yi,' serve their fathers; younger brothers, harboring the concept of 'Ren and Yi,' serve their elder brothers. This will cause ruler and minister, father and son, elder and younger brother to discard 'advantage,' and interact with each other harboring 'Ren and Yi.' For a state not to become a true king under such circumstances has never happened. Why must you speak of 'advantage'?"
When Mencius was living in Zou, Ji Ren was acting as regent in Ren and sent gifts to befriend Mencius. Mencius accepted the gifts but did not reciprocate. When Mencius was living in Pinglu, Chu Zi was prime minister of Qi and sent gifts to befriend Mencius. Mencius accepted the gifts but did not reciprocate. Later, Mencius went from Zou to Ren and visited Ji Zi. From Pinglu he went to Qi but did not visit Chu Zi. Wulu Li said happily, "I have found the Master's inconsistency."
Wulu Li asked, "When the Master went to Ren, he visited Ji Zi; when he went to Qi, he did not visit Chu Zi. Is it because Chu Zi was only a prime minister?"
Mencius said, "No. The Book of Documents says: 'In presenting gifts, ritual is of utmost importance. If the ritual does not match what the gift requires, it is as if no gift was presented. This is because the intention was not directed toward the presentation.' This was because Chu Zi did not complete the ritual of presentation." Wulu Li was pleased. Someone asked him about it, and Wulu Li said, "Ji Zi could not go personally to Zou, but Chu Zi could have gone personally to Pinglu."
Chunyu Kun said, "Those who value fame and achievement act for the sake of saving the world. Those who belittle fame and achievement act for the sake of cultivating themselves. You hold one of the three high ministerial positions in Qi. Yet you have established no fame or achievement for the ruler or the people, and you have left Qi. Was a person of Ren like this?"
Mencius said, "To occupy a low position and not serve an unworthy person with the status of a worthy—this was Bo Yi. To go to Tang five times and to Jie five times—this was Yi Yin. Not to dislike a corrupt ruler, not to refuse a minor office—this was Liu Xiahui. The three men's actions were different, but their direction was the same. What was the same? It was Ren. The junzi need only attain Ren. Why must their actions be the same?"
Chunyu Kun said, "In the time of Duke Mu of Lu, Gongyi Zi presided over the government, and Zi Liu and Zi Si served as ministers. Yet Lu's territory was increasingly diminished. From this, it seems that worthies are of no benefit to the state!"
Mencius said, “The state of Yu did not employ Bai Li Xi and therefore perished; Duke Mu of Qin employed him and became hegemon. If one does not employ worthy men, one will perish. How could it be possible merely to be encroached upon and diminished?”
Chunyu Kun said, “In former times, Wang Bao lived by the Qi River, and the people west of the River became good at singing. Mian Ju lived in Gaotang, and the people of western Qi became good at singing. The wives of Hua Zhou and Qi Liang wept bitterly for their husbands, and thereby changed the customs of the state. What is within must manifest itself without. I have never seen a man who did something yet achieved no result. Therefore, if there were no worthy men, I would know it; if there were, I would certainly be aware of them.”
Mencius said, “When Confucius served as Minister of Crime in Lu, he was not trusted. He accompanied the ruler to a sacrifice, but the sacrificial meat was not sent to him. Therefore, he left hastily without even taking off his sacrificial cap. Those who did not understand Confucius thought it was because of the meat; those who understood him thought it was because of the ruler’s neglect of ritual. In truth, Confucius wished to take a minor fault upon himself and leave, not wanting to depart without cause. The actions of a gentleman are generally not understood by ordinary people.”
Mencius said, “The Five Hegemons were offenders against the Three Kings. The feudal lords of today are offenders against the Five Hegemons. The great officers of today are offenders against the feudal lords of today. When the Son of Heaven visits the states of the feudal lords, it is called an inspection tour; when the feudal lords go to court before the Son of Heaven, it is called reporting their duties. In spring, he inspects the plowing and supplements those who are deficient; in autumn, he inspects the harvesting and relieves those who are in need. When entering the territory of the Son of Heaven, if the land is opened up, the fields are well-tended, the aged are provided for, the worthy are honored, and men of talent are in office, then there is a reward, and the reward is land. When entering the territory of the Son of Heaven, if the land is waste, the aged are abandoned, the worthy are rejected, and those who oppress the people are in office, then there is punishment. A feudal lord who fails to appear at court once has his rank reduced; who fails a second time has his territory diminished; who fails a third time has the six armies sent against him. Therefore, the Son of Heaven issues commands for punitive expeditions but does not personally attack; the feudal lords carry out the attacks but do not issue commands. The Five Hegemons, by contrast, coerced the feudal lords to attack other feudal lords. Thus it is said: The Five Hegemons were offenders against the Three Kings. Among the Five Hegemons, Duke Huan of Qi was the strongest. At the covenant of Kuiqiu, the feudal lords bound the sacrificial victim and placed the covenant document upon it, but did not smear their mouths with blood. The first covenant said: ‘Punish the unfilial; do not depose the heir apparent already established; do not set up a concubine as wife.’ The second covenant said: ‘Honor the worthy, cultivate talent, thereby manifesting virtue.’ The third covenant said: ‘Respect the aged, be kind to the young; do not neglect guests and travelers.’ The fourth covenant said: ‘Offices are not to be hereditary; posts are not to be held concurrently; the selection of officers must be proper; do not presume to put a great officer to death.’ The fifth covenant said: ‘Do not build dikes everywhere; do not obstruct the flow of grain; do not grant fiefs without reporting it.’ Finally, it said: ‘All of us who have covenanted shall restore friendly relations after this oath.’ The feudal lords of today have all violated these five prohibitions. Therefore it is said: The feudal lords of today are offenders against the Five Hegemons. To abet a ruler’s evil is a small crime; to pander to a ruler’s evil is a great crime. The great officers of today all pander to the evil of their rulers. Therefore it is said: The great officers of today are offenders against the feudal lords of today.”
The state of Lu wished to appoint Shenzi as general. Mencius said, “To employ the people without first instructing them is called harming the people. Those who harm the people could not be tolerated in the age of Yao and Shun. Even if you could conquer Qi in one battle and thereby occupy Nanyang, it still would not be permissible.”
Shenzi was displeased and said, “This is truly what I, Shen Huali, do not understand.”
Mencius said, “I will explain it to you clearly: The territory of the Son of Heaven is a thousand li square; if it were less than a thousand li, it would not be enough to receive the feudal lords. The territory of a feudal lord is a hundred li square; if it were less than a hundred li, it would not be enough to guard the ancestral temple and its records. The Duke of Zhou was enfeoffed at Lu, with a hundred li square; the land was not insufficient, but the actual fief was only a hundred li. Tai Gong was enfeoffed at Qi, also with a hundred li square; the land was not insufficient, but the actual fief was only a hundred li. Now the land of Lu is five times a hundred li square. Do you think that if a sage king were to arise, would Lu’s land be diminished or increased? To take land from there and give it here, a humane man would not do such a thing, much less kill people to obtain land! A gentleman serves his ruler only by striving to lead him on the right path and by setting his mind on Ren.”
Mencius said, “Those who serve rulers today all say, ‘I can open up territory for my ruler and fill his treasuries.’ The so-called good ministers of today are the very ones whom antiquity called thieves of the people. If the ruler does not aspire to the Way, nor set his will on practicing Ren, yet seeks wealth, that is enriching Jie of Xia. They also say, ‘I can ally states for my ruler and win every battle.’ The so-called good ministers of today are the very ones whom antiquity called thieves of the people. If the ruler does not aspire to the Way, nor set his will on practicing Ren, yet seeks to wage war with all his might, that is assisting Jie of Xia. Following the present path and not changing the present customs, even if the whole world were given to him, he could not sit securely for a single day.”
Bai Gui said, “I wish to implement a tax of one-twentieth. What do you think?”
Mencius said, “Your method is that of the Mo tribes. In a state of ten thousand households, if only one man makes pottery, can it succeed?”
Bai Gui said, “No, the pottery would be insufficient.”
Mencius said, “In the land of the Mo, the five grains do not grow; only millet grows. There are no city walls, palaces, ancestral temples, or sacrificial rituals; there are no ceremonies of gift-giving and feasting among the feudal lords; there are no various officials and offices. Therefore, a tax of one-twentieth is sufficient. But now you dwell in the Central Plains, yet you abandon human relations and do without gentlemen. How can that work? If there are too few potters, it is still impossible to govern a state, much less if there are no gentlemen! Those who wish for a tax lighter than that of Yao and Shun are great Mo and small Mo; those who wish for a tax heavier than that of Yao and Shun are great Jie and small Jie.”
Bai Gui said, “My ability in controlling floods surpasses that of Yu.”
Mencius said, “You are mistaken. Yu controlled the floods by following the nature of the water, guiding it accordingly. Therefore, Yu made the four seas the destination of the waters. But you make neighboring states the destination of the waters. When water flows backward, it is called Jiang water; Jiang water is floodwater, which is what the humane detest. You are mistaken.”
Mencius said, “If a gentleman does not act with integrity, how can he maintain his principles?”
The state of Lu wished to make Yue Zhengzi in charge of governance. Mencius said, “When I heard of this, I was so happy I could not sleep.”
Gongsun Chou said, “Is Yue Zhengzi resolute?”
Mencius said, “No.”
“Is he wise?”
Mencius said, “No.”
“Is he broadly learned?”
Mencius said, “No.”
“Then why are you so happy you cannot sleep?”
Mencius said, “He is fond of goodness.”
“Is being fond of goodness enough?”
Mencius said, “Being fond of goodness is enough to govern the whole world, much less the state of Lu! If one truly loves goodness, then all within the four seas will come from a thousand li away to tell him about goodness. If one does not love goodness, then people will imitate him and say, ‘Hmph, hmph, I already knew that.’ That hmph-ing tone and expression drive people away a thousand li. When scholars are kept a thousand li away, then slanderers and flatterers arrive. To mix with slanderers and flatterers and try to govern the state well—is that possible?”
Chenzi said, “Under what circumstances did the gentlemen of antiquity take office?”
Mencius said, “There are three cases of taking office, and three cases of leaving it. If the ruler treats him with the utmost respect and courtesy, and says that he will carry out his teachings, then he takes office. If the courtesy does not diminish, but his teachings are not carried out, then he leaves. Next, although his teachings are not carried out, if the ruler treats him with respect and courtesy, then he takes office. If the courtesy diminishes, then he leaves. The lowest case is when, having no food in the morning and no food in the evening, he is so starving that he cannot go out. When the ruler hears of this, he says, ‘From a great perspective, I cannot practice his Way, nor can I follow his teachings, allowing him to starve in my land. I am ashamed of this.’ Then he provides relief. This may be accepted, but it is merely to avoid death by starvation.”
Mencius said, “Shun rose from the fields; Fu Yue was called forth from his building labors; Jiao Ge was selected from among fish and salt dealers; Guan Yiwu was released from the hands of the jailer and employed; Sunshu Ao was raised from the seashore; and Baili Xi was chosen from the marketplace. Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon a person, it first makes his heart suffer, toils his sinews and bones, starves his body, subjects him to extreme poverty, and confounds his actions with every frustration. By these means, it stirs his mind, hardens his nature, and supplements his incompetence. People often err, and only then are they able to reform. Their hearts are distressed, their thoughts blocked, and only then do they rouse themselves. Their emotions are expressed in their countenance, and their voice is altered, and only then are they understood. In a state, if there are no ministers who uphold the laws and no scholar-officials who assist the ruler at home, and if abroad there are no hostile neighboring states or external troubles, the state will usually perish. From this, one knows that sorrow and trouble enable one to live, while ease and pleasure lead to death.”
Mencius said, “There are also many ways of teaching. I do not deem it worthwhile to instruct him, and that itself is a form of instruction.”