Famous Quotes from Mencius

1. I would like to honor the teachings of ① in the preface of Xiang (xiáng), apply ② to the meaning of filial piety and brotherhood, and award ③ to those who wear white and live up to the road. The old man wears rich clothes and eats meat, and the people are neither hungry nor cold. However, there is no such thing as a king. ("Mencius·King Hui of Liang")

Notes

①Xiang Preface: Ancient schools. ②Shen: Enlighten repeatedly. ③ Award: pass "spot".

Effectiveness

If you set up a school conscientiously and educate students repeatedly on the principles of filial piety, respect for parents and respect for brothers, people with gray hair will not have to walk with heavy loads on the road. The elderly have silk clothes to wear and meat to eat, and the common people have enough to eat and keep warm clothes. This cannot bring the world into submission. This has never happened before.

2. ① The people of the territory do not rely on the boundaries of the frontier, the country does not rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers to consolidate the country, and the power of the world does not rely on the benefits of military revolution. Those who have attained the truth will receive much help, while those who have lost the truth will receive little help. When little help comes, relatives will be there (pàn)②; when there is much help, the world will follow. ("Mencius Gongsun Chou")

Notes

① Territory citizens: restrict the people. domain, boundary. ②Pan: Same as "rebellion".

Effectiveness

It is not necessary to rely on the boundaries of the country to limit the people, to protect the country does not need to rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers, to dominate the world does not need to rely on the sharpness of weapons. People who have moral integrity will get more help, while people who lose morality will get less help. When there are too few people to help, even relatives will rebel; when there are too many people to help, everyone in the world will obey.

※ 3． If a person has the right way, if he has enough food, warm clothes, and a comfortable home without education, he is close to an animal. The saint is worried about this, so he makes Qi (xiè) ① a disciple and teaches human relations - father and son are related, monarch and ministers are righteous, husband and wife are distinguished, senior and young are respected, and friends are trustworthy. ("Mencius·Teng Wengong")

Notes

①Deed: Name of the person, according to legend, he is the ancestor of Yin, his surname is Zi, and Emperor Yao was a Situ at that time.

The general idea

The reason why people are human is that they are well fed, clothed, and lived in comfort. Without education, they are almost like animals. The sage was worried about this, and sent him to be a situ to be in charge of education. He taught the people the ethical relationships and behavioral norms that people should have - father and son are related by flesh and blood, monarchs and ministers are righteous, and husbands and wives are related. There is a distinction between inside and outside, there is an order of superiority and inferiority between old and young, and there is the virtue of integrity between friends.