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Author: Lu Guoyao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Chapter 1 of Liang Hui Wang ()
(1) Mencius meets Liang Hui Wang. The King said, "Elder, you have come from afar, over a thousand li. Will you bring something beneficial to my state?" Mencius replied, "Your Majesty, why must you mention profit? There is only benevolence and righteousness. The King said, 'What will benefit my state?' The ministers said, 'What will benefit my family?' The scholars and common people said, 'What will benefit myself?' When the people above and below all compete for profit, the state will be in danger. In a state with ten thousand chariots, those who murder the king must be the ministers with a thousand chariots. In a state with a thousand chariots, those who murder the king must be the ministers with a hundred chariots. In a state with ten thousand chariots, these ministers have a thousand chariots; in a state with a thousand chariots, these ministers have a hundred chariots—this is not considered too much. If they prioritize profit over righteousness, they will never be satisfied unless they seize (the king's position and benefits). There has never been a benevolent person who abandoned their parents, nor a righteous person who disregarded their ruler. Your Majesty, as long as you practice benevolence and righteousness, why mention profit?"
[Annotations]
① Liang Hui Wang (): "Liang Hui Wang" is the title of the chapter "Liang Hui Wang" in the Mencius. Like The Analects, the Mencius originally had no chapter titles, but later scholars generally took the first two or three characters from each chapter to name it. The Mencius consists of seven chapters. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhao Ji annotated the Mencius and divided each chapter into upper and lower parts, a practice followed by later scholars.
② Liang Hui Wang: Refers to Wei Hui Wang of the Warring States period, who reigned from 369 to 319 BCE. Wei originally had its capital in Anyi (northwest of Xia County, Shanxi Province), but due to pressure from the Qin state, in 361 BCE, Wei Hui Wang moved the capital to Daliang (now Kaifeng, Henan Province), hence Wei was also known as Liang, and Wei Hui Wang as Liang Hui Wang. "Hui" was his posthumous title.
③ Benevolence and righteousness: "Benevolence" is a broad moral concept in Confucianism, encompassing various virtues, with its core meaning being mutual love between people. "Righteousness" in Confucian thought refers to thoughts and actions that conform to certain principles.
④ Minister: A title for officials in the pre-Qin era, with three ranks below the king: Qing, Dafu, and Shi. "Family" refers to the fief of a minister. The fief was a piece of land granted by feudal lords to their ministers as hereditary income (including the laborers on the land), also known as "cai" (cai).
⑤ Chariot: Pronounced "sheng," a unit of measure, with one chariot consisting of four horses. During that time, warfare was primarily conducted through chariot battles. One chariot was pulled by four horses and carried three armed warriors, with several infantrymen following. In ancient times, the number of chariots was often used to measure the size of feudal states or ministers' fiefs.
⑥ Satisfied: To be content.
[Translation] Mencius paid a visit to Liang Hui Wang. The King said, "Elder, you have come from afar, over a thousand li. Will you bring something beneficial to my state?" Mencius replied, "Your Majesty, why must you mention profit? There is only benevolence and righteousness. The King said, 'What will benefit my state?' The ministers said, 'What will benefit my fief?' The scholars and common people said, 'What will benefit myself?' When the people above and below all compete for profit, the state will be in danger. In a state with ten thousand chariots, those who murder the king must be the ministers with a thousand chariots; in a state with a thousand chariots, those who murder the king must be the ministers with a hundred chariots. In a state with ten thousand chariots, these ministers have a thousand chariots; in a state with a thousand chariots, these ministers have a hundred chariots, and this is not considered too much. If they prioritize profit over righteousness, they will never be satisfied unless they seize (the king's position and benefits). There has never been a benevolent person who abandoned their parents, nor a righteous person who disregarded their ruler. Your Majesty, as long as you practice benevolence and righteousness, why mention profit?"
(2) Mencius paid a visit to Liang Hui Wang. The King stood by the pond, looking at the wild geese and deer, and asked, "Do the virtuous also find joy in this?" Mencius replied, "Only the virtuous can find joy in this; the unworthy, even if they have rare birds and animals, will not (truly) find joy. The Book of Songs says:1 'He planned and built the sacred platform, planned and arranged its layout, the common people attacked it, it was completed in no time. He urged them not to hurry, and the common people worked even harder. The King was in the sacred enclosure, the deer lay at ease, the deer were sleek and white, the white birds fluttered their feathers. The King was by the sacred pond, the fish leaped joyfully.' The King used the labor of the people to build high platforms and deep ponds, yet the people were delighted, calling his platform the sacred platform and his pond the sacred pond, rejoicing in his enjoyment of deer and fish. The ancient virtuous rulers shared joy with the people, hence they could truly enjoy (such joy). The Tang's Oath says:3 'When will this sun perish? I will perish with you!' The people wanted to perish with him, even if he had terraces, ponds, and birds and animals, could he enjoy (such joy) alone?"
[Annotations]
① The Book of Songs: The earliest collection of Chinese poetry. Originally called Shi, it was classified as a classic by Confucian scholars, hence the name The Book of Songs. It is mostly composed between the early Zhou Dynasty and the mid-Spring and Autumn period, with 305 chapters divided into Feng, Xiaoya, Daya, and Song. The passage cited here is from Daya·Lingtai.
② King: Here refers to King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, a vassal of the Shang during the reign of King Zhou of Shang. His son, King Wu, conquered the Shang and destroyed it.
③ Tang's Oath: A chapter in The Book of Documents. The Book of Documents is a compilation of ancient historical documents and some works recounting ancient events, one of the Confucian classics. The Tang's Oath records the oath of King Tang of Shang when he attacked the tyrannical King Jie of the Shang. Legend has it that King Jie compared himself to the sun, saying he would perish only when the sun perished. The passage cited here is the people cursing King Jie.
④ This: This. Hai: Same as "he," meaning "when."
⑤ You: Same as "you."
[Translation] Mencius paid a visit to Liang Hui Wang. The King stood by the pond, looking at the wild geese and deer, and asked, "Do the virtuous also find joy in this?" Mencius replied, "Only the virtuous can find joy in this; the unworthy, even if they have rare birds and animals, will not (truly) find joy. The Book of Songs says: 'King Wen planned and built the sacred platform, arranged its layout, the common people attacked it, it was completed in no time. He urged them not to hurry, and the common people worked even harder. The King was in the sacred enclosure, the deer lay at ease, the deer were sleek and white, the white birds fluttered their feathers. The King was by the sacred pond, the fish leaped joyfully.' The King used the labor of the people to build high platforms and deep ponds, yet the people were delighted, calling his platform the sacred platform and his pond the sacred pond, rejoicing in his enjoyment of deer and fish. The ancient virtuous rulers shared joy with the people, hence they could truly enjoy (such joy). The Tang's Oath says, 'When will this sun perish? We will perish with you!' The people wanted to perish with him, even if he had terraces, ponds, and birds and animals, could he enjoy (such joy) alone?"