The chapter "King Hui of Liang" is the first part of Mencius. I think this chapter mainly writes about Mencius' experiences and conversations when lobbying kings in various countries. It also tells about Mencius's way of governing the country and the king in Mencius' eyes.
When Mencius met King Hui of Liang, King Hui of Liang asked: "Will it be beneficial to our country to come all the way?" From this sentence, we can see that King Hui of Liang only had the only intention in his heart. Benefit, but Mencius replied: "King! Why do you need to call it benefit? There is also benevolence and righteousness." In Mencius' heart, righteousness is obviously more important than benefit.
From the above paragraph mentioned by Mencius, we can know that in Mencius’ view, profit is terrible, and they will never be satisfied. If everyone in a country is competing for profit, then this society Wouldn’t it be confusing? Isn’t the country seeking its own destruction? Therefore, Mencius believed that people only need to be righteous, which is beneficial to the king and to all the people. Therefore, it is said that benefit makes the country dangerous, and righteousness makes the country peaceful.
The next few stories are about Mencius, advising the king on how to govern the country. First, Mencius told King Hui of Liang that only wise people would take pleasure in building these gardens. When you build a garden, all the people help you prune it out of love for you. This is the real wise man. I think the happiness here is not only the happiness of enjoying these garden flowers and birds, but also the love and respect of the people for you.
Secondly, the king must be responsible for the politics of his country. Because King Hui of Liang believed that he was worthy enough, he complained to Mencius why the country was still not prosperous enough. This not only brings out the contempt of King Hui of Liang, but also tells us that as a king, we must have a broader vision and a bigger mind to benefit the world, and we cannot just be satisfied with the immediate satisfaction. Only a king who has the courage to take responsibility and inspire others can be called a sage.
? Finally, as parents and officials of the common people, we should be considerate and understand the common people. Mencius believed that those in power were like wild beasts and did not take the people seriously. From this, I seemed to see Mencius’ people-oriented policy. Under all conditions, he was based on the people and thought about the people at all times. He advised those in power to treat the people first. For this.
Mencius still mentioned a sentence when he met King Hui of Liang, "The benevolent are invincible." Those who implement benevolent government must be invincible in the world. This is how Mencius explained this sentence.
This is another important point of Mencius. Emphasizing the importance of benevolent government, this point corresponds to the previous point. As a king, he should use benevolent and righteous political methods to govern the people, rather than violent means. The examples cited by Mencius exactly prove the consequences of doing so.
So how to implement benevolent government depends on the moral standard of the king, which can drive the entire society towards benevolence and righteousness. We all know that there were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn Period. It was precisely because of the lack of righteousness that led to the current situation. Therefore, Mencius hoped that the country could have benevolence and righteousness, so that the status quo could be changed. Benevolence and righteousness started with the king, and then promoted the society, changing this society into a society full of morality and righteousness. Then everyone will practice filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty and trust, and it can be said to be a truly benevolent and righteous country.
King Xuan of Qi asked Mencius how to unify the world. Mencius answered that he should unify through morality. I think the morality and benevolence here are the same. The stability of the country and society is determined by the king. Mencius encouraged the king more on how to work hard to govern, how to strengthen his country, and how to let the people live and work in peace and contentment.