Geng Zhu

Mozi was angry with Geng Zhuzi. Geng Zhuzi said, “Am I not as good as others?” Mozi said, “If I were to go to Taihang Mountain and used a fine horse and a sheep to pull the carriage, which one would you drive?” Geng Zhuzi said, “I would drive the fine horse.” Mozi asked, “Why drive the fine horse?” Geng Zhuzi said, “The fine horse is sufficient to bear the heavy responsibility.” Mozi said, “I also consider you sufficient to bear the heavy responsibility.”

Wuma Zi said to Mozi, “Between ghosts and spirits and a sage, which is more wise?” Mozi said, “Ghosts and spirits are more wise than a sage, just as a person with keen hearing and eyesight is compared to a deaf and blind person. In former times, Xia Houkai sent Feilian to mine ore from the mountains and rivers and cast it at Kunwu, and also had Weng Nan use a white tortoise shell for divination. The oracle said: ‘The tripod is cast in a three-legged square shape, it cooks without fire, hides without being lifted, moves without being shifted, to be used for sacrifice in the ruins of Kunwu, please enjoy it!’ The diviner interpreted the omen, saying: ‘It is enjoyed! White clouds billow, one south, one north, one west, one east. After the nine tripods are cast, they will be moved to three states.’ Xia Houshi lost them, and the Yin people obtained them. The Yin people lost them, and the Zhou people obtained them. Xia Hou, Yin, and Zhou succeeded each other for several hundred years. Even if a sage gathered his good ministers and outstanding chancellors to plan, could they know what would happen several hundred years later? Yet ghosts and spirits can know it. Therefore it is said: Ghosts and spirits are more wise than a sage, just as a person with keen hearing and eyesight is compared to a deaf and blind person.”

Zhi Tu Yu and Xian Zi Shuo asked Mozi, saying, “In practicing righteousness, which matter is most important?” Mozi said, “It is like building a wall: those who can build, build; those who can fill earth, fill earth; those who can measure, measure; only then can the wall be completed. Practicing righteousness is also like this: those who can debate, debate; those who can explain the classics, explain them; those who can handle affairs, handle them; only then can righteousness be achieved.”

Wuma Zi said to Mozi, “You love all under heaven universally, but you have not obtained any benefit; I do not love all under heaven, nor have I caused any harm. Neither of us has achieved any effect, so why do you consider yourself right and me wrong?” Mozi said, “Now suppose someone sets a fire here. One person holds water to extinguish it, and another holds fire to add to the flames. Neither has achieved any effect yet. Which of these two people do you consider valuable?” Wuma Zi said, “I affirm the intention of the one holding water and deny the intention of the one holding fire.” Mozi said, “I also affirm my intention and deny your intention.”

Mozi recommended Geng Zhuzi to serve as an official in Chu. Several fellow students visited him, but Geng Zhuzi only gave them three sheng of rice to eat, and his hospitality was not generous. The students returned and said to Mozi, “Geng Zhuzi is of no benefit in Chu. When we visited him, he only gave us three sheng of rice, and his hospitality was not generous.” Mozi said, “This is not yet certain.” Not long after, Geng Zhuzi sent ten pieces of gold to Mozi, saying, “Your disciple dares not be discourteous. Here are ten pieces of gold, please use them, Teacher.” Mozi said, “Indeed, it was not certain.”

Wuma Zi said to Mozi, “You practice righteousness, and if people do not see it, you help; if ghosts and spirits do not see it, they bless you, yet you still do it—this is like madness!” Mozi said, “Now suppose you have two household servants here. One of them works when he sees you working, and does not work when he does not see you working. The other works when he sees you working, and also works when he does not see you working. Which of these two do you value?” Wuma Zi said, “I value the one who works when he sees me working and also works when he does not see me working.” Mozi said, “Thus, you also value a mad person.”

A disciple of Zixia asked Mozi, saying, “Do gentlemen have conflicts?” Mozi said, “Gentlemen have no conflicts.” The disciple of Zixia said, “Pigs and dogs still fight, how can there be a scholar without conflicts?” Mozi said, “Alas! When speaking, they cite Tang and Wen; when acting, they compare to pigs and dogs—alas!”

Wuma Zi said to Mozi, “Abandoning the people of today and praising the former kings—this is praising dried bones. It is like a carpenter who knows dried wood but does not know living wood.” Mozi said, “The reason all under heaven can survive is due to the teachings of the former kings. Now praising the former kings is praising the root by which all under heaven survives. If something can be praised but is not praised, this is not benevolent.”

Mozi said, “The Heshi bi, the Suihou zhu, and the nine tripods—these are what the feudal lords call excellent treasures. Can they make the state wealthy, the people numerous, the penal administration orderly, and the altars of soil and grain stable? The answer is: no. The reason for valuing excellent treasures is that they can benefit the people. But the Heshi bi, the Suihou zhu, and the nine tripods cannot benefit the people, so they are not excellent treasures of all under heaven. Now, if one uses righteousness to govern the state, the state will surely become wealthy, the people will surely become numerous, the penal administration will surely become orderly, and the altars of soil and grain will surely become stable. The reason for valuing excellent treasures is that they can benefit the people, and righteousness can benefit the people. Therefore it is said: Righteousness is the best treasure of all under heaven.”

Ye Gongzi Gao asked Confucius about governance, saying, “How should one who is good at governing affairs act?” Confucius replied, “One who is good at governing affairs makes those far away draw near and makes old associates like new ones.” When Mozi heard this, he said, “Ye Gongzi Gao did not ask the right point, and Confucius did not answer correctly. Did Ye Gongzi Gao not know that one who is good at governing affairs should make those far away draw near and make old associates like new ones? What he asked was the specific method. Not telling him what he did not know, but telling him what he already knew—thus Ye Gongzi Gao did not ask the right point, and Confucius did not answer correctly.”

Mozi said to Lu Yang Wenjun, “A large state attacking a small state is like a child learning to run like a horse. A child learning to run like a horse exhausts himself and his feet hurt. Now, when a large state attacks a small state, in the attacked state, farmers cannot plow and women cannot weave, as they are occupied with defense; in the attacking state, farmers also cannot plow and women also cannot weave, as they are occupied with attack. Thus a large state attacking a small state is like a child learning to run like a horse.”

Mozi said, “Words that are sufficient to be put into action should be upheld; those insufficient to be carried out should not be upheld. Upholding what is insufficient to be carried out—this is empty words and reckless talk.”

Mozi sent Guan Qianao to recommend Gao Shizi to serve in the state of Wei. The ruler of Wei gave him a high salary and appointed him as a minister. Gao Shizi every time he attended court would speak his mind fully, but his words were not put into practice. So he left Wei and went to Qi, where he saw Mozi and said, “The ruler of Wei, because of you, Teacher, gave me a high salary and appointed me as a minister. Every time I attended court, I spoke my mind fully, but my words were not put into practice, so I left. The ruler of Wei probably thinks I am mad, doesn’t he?” Mozi said, “If leaving accords with righteousness, what harm is there in bearing the name of madness? In ancient times, the Duke of Zhou rebuked Guan Shu, resigned from the office of the Three Dukes, and lived east in Shangyan. People called him mad. Yet later generations praised his virtue and spread his fame, which continues to this day. Moreover, I have heard that in practicing righteousness, one does not avoid slander or seek praise. If leaving accords with righteousness, what harm is there in bearing the name of madness!” Gao Shizi said, “In my leaving, how dare I not abide by righteousness? Formerly, you, Teacher, had a saying: ‘When all under heaven is without the Way, a benevolent scholar does not remain in a position of high salary.’ Now the ruler of Wei is without the Way. If I coveted his salary and rank, that would be me compromising and sinking to another’s level.” Mozi was very pleased, and then summoned Qinzi, saying, “Listen to these words for a while! Those who go against righteousness and pursue salary—I have often heard of them; those who abandon salary and pursue righteousness—I have seen it in Gao Shizi.”

Mozi said, “Worldly gentlemen, when they are poor and others say they are wealthy, they become angry; when they lack righteousness and others say they are righteous, they become pleased—is this not absurd?”

Gong Mengzi said, “The former men had rules, but only three of them.” Mozi said, “Which person said the former men had only three rules? You do not know that before men, there were later generations.”

A certain man betrayed Mozi and then returned, saying, “Am I guilty? I betrayed afterwards.” Mozi said, “This is like an entire army retreating in defeat, and the one who lags behind demands a reward.”

Gongmengzi said, “A gentleman does not create; he only transmits.” Mozi said, “That is not so. Those who are not quite gentlemen do not transmit the good deeds of antiquity and do not create good deeds for the present. Those who are even less than gentlemen do not promote the good deeds of antiquity; when they themselves have good deeds, they create them, wishing the good deeds to originate from themselves. Now, to only transmit and not create is no different from disliking promotion yet liking creation. I consider that for the good deeds of antiquity, one should transmit them; for the good deeds of the present, one should create them, hoping that good deeds will increase more and more.”

Wumazi said to Mozi, “I am different from you; I cannot practice universal love. I love the people of Zou more than the people of Yue, love the people of Lu more than the people of Zou, love my fellow villagers more than the people of Lu, love my family members more than my fellow villagers, love my parents more than my family members, and love myself more than my parents, because they are closer to me. If I am struck, I feel pain; if others are struck, I do not feel the same pain as my own. Why should I relieve another’s pain that does not concern me, rather than relieve my own pain? Therefore, when it comes to me, there are those who kill others to benefit themselves, but none who kill themselves to benefit others.” Mozi said, “Do you intend to hide this doctrine of yours, or will you tell it to others?” Wumazi said, “Why should I hide my doctrine? I will tell it to others.” Mozi said, “Then if one person approves of you, that one person will want to kill you to benefit himself; if ten people approve of you, those ten people will want to kill you to benefit themselves; if all under heaven approve of you, all under heaven will want to kill you to benefit themselves. If one person does not approve of you, that one person will want to kill you, considering that you are spreading inauspicious words; if ten people do not approve of you, those ten people will want to kill you, considering that you are spreading inauspicious words; if all under heaven do not approve of you, all under heaven will want to kill you, considering that you are spreading inauspicious words. Those who approve of you also want to kill you, and those who do not approve of you also want to kill you. This is what is meant by ‘the mouth and tongue bring disaster; the calamity of death often follows.’”

Mozi said, “What benefit does your doctrine have? If it has no benefit and yet you still speak it, that is empty talk and reckless words.”

Mozi said to Lord Yangwen of Lu, “Now suppose there is a man here whose oxen, sheep, and livestock, after being slaughtered and cooked by the cook, produce food that cannot be finished. Yet when he sees others making cakes, he goes and steals them, saying, ‘Give me that to eat.’ Is this because his own food is insufficient? Or does he have a disease of theft?” Lord Yangwen of Lu said, “He has a disease of theft.” Mozi said, “Within the four borders of Chu, the fields are barren and uncultivated, too many to be fully opened; there are idle lands in thousands of places, too many to be completely entered and farmed. Yet when they see the small towns between Song and Zheng, they go and plunder them. Is this not the same as the previous man?” Lord Yangwen of Lu said, “It is just like that man; indeed, he has a disease of theft.”

Mozi said, “Ji Sunshao and Meng Bochang governed the state of Lu’s affairs but could not trust each other. Yet they went to the village shrine to pray, saying, ‘May we be reconciled.’ This is like covering one’s own eyes and yet going to the village shrine to pray, saying, ‘May I be able to see everything.’ Is that not absurd!”

Mozi said to Luo Huamao, “I have heard that you delight in bravery.” Luo Huamao said, “Yes, whenever I hear of a brave man in any village, I am sure to go and kill him.” Mozi said, “All people under heaven do not wish to be close to those they dislike and distant from those they love. Now you, when you hear of a brave man in any village, are sure to go and kill him. This is not delighting in bravery; it is detesting bravery.”