Children's Introduction to Chinese Culture -- Mencius (Volume 1 and 2) with Disc

Author: Beijing Four Seas Children's Classic Reading Education Center
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Mencius is revered as the "Second Sage" of Confucianism. His book Mencius consists of seven chapters (sections), now published in two volumes. Mencius's enterprising spirit, as expressed in the famous line from the Gaozi Section of Mencius: "Therefore, Heaven intends to impose a great task upon a person, it must first harden their heart and will, toil their muscles and bones, starve their body, and impoverish them. People constantly make mistakes, and only then can they correct them; they are troubled in mind, weighed down in thought, and then they act. Only then do they realize that life comes from hardship and death comes from comfort." After reading it, one feels like rolling up their sleeves and taking action to practice benevolence and righteousness for the world. Mencius believed in the goodness of human nature, thinking that "everyone can become as virtuous as Yao or Shun," and believed in the limitless potential and inherent goodness of people. "Gaining the talents of the world and educating them" was one of his three great joys. He advocated the "Kingly Way" and opposed the "Domineering Way," also embodying the freedom of "when poor, cultivate oneself; when prosperous, benefit the world."