Source: "Mencius Teng Wengong": "Richness and wealth can't be lewd, poverty and lowliness can't be moved, and powerful people can't be bent. This is called a gentleman. "
Original text:
Jingchun said, "Aren't Gongsun Yan and Zhang Yi loyal men? Anger is the fear of the princes, and peace is the destruction of the world. " Mencius said, "A gentleman is a gentleman. Haven't you learned manners? The husband's crown is also the father's life; When a woman gets married, she is ordered by her mother to deliver it to her door, saying,' Don't go against the Lord when you go to your daughter's house!' He who takes obedience as the right path is also a concubine. Live in a vast place in the world, stand in the right position in the world and be the best self in the world. Success, with the people; Go your own way when you are frustrated. Wealth can't be lewd, poverty can't be moved, and power can't be bent. This is called a gentleman. "
Translation:
Jingchun said, "Aren't Gongsun Yan and Zhang Yi real men? When angry, the princes will be afraid; Quiet down and the world will be safe. "
Mencius said, "How can this be called a gentleman?" Haven't you learned manners? When the man was crowned, his father gave discipline; When the woman got married, her mother gave her instructions, sent her to the door, and warned her:' When you come to your husband's house, you must be respectful. "You must be careful not to go against your husband!" Obedience is the principle of being a concubine. As for a gentleman, he should live in the widest house in the world, stand in the most correct position in the world and walk on the brightest road in the world. When you succeed, you will advance with the people; When you are frustrated, you stick to your principles alone. Wealth can't make me arrogant and extravagant, poverty can't make me change my moral integrity, and power can't make me succumb to my will. This is called a gentleman! "
Appreciation of works:
Jing Chun thinks that Gongsun Yan and Zhang Yi can influence governors and provoke wars between countries. "When the princes are angry, they fear, and the world dies." This is a great man.
Mencius believed that Gongsun Yan and Zhang Yi climbed up by shaking their lips and obeying the wishes of the governors, and there was no principle of benevolence, righteousness and morality. Therefore, they are just villains and women, pursuing the way of entrusting women. How can they be called courageous men?
Mencius' statement is implicit and humorous, only by saying "courtesy" to explain the mother's instructions when a woman gets married, thus drawing the conclusion that "those who take obedience as the right path are also concubines". What deserves our attention here is that the ancients thought that a wife's way was like a minister's way. Of course, I should obey you, but the principle of obedience is justice. If you are unfair, I will protest. The same is true of a wife to her husband. Of course, a wife should obey her husband, but if he has, he should be advised to correct it. It should be "harmony but difference" only eunuchs, little wives, little maids, who don't ask right and wrong and blindly obey principles. Actually, there is no principle. "The way of concubinage" can not be generally understood as the way of women, but actually the way of little wives.
Mencius' satire was profound and sharp, and he hated Gongsun Yan and Zhang Yi. Regrettably, although Mencius hated this "obedience is the right way", such "concubines" have emerged continuously for more than two thousand years. Today, monogamy has been protected by law, "concubine" is hard to exist, but the theory of "concubine" may not exist, or even be popular.
Mencius' method is to put forward the real way of being a man in a tit-for-tat manner. This is his famous saying, which has been passed down through the ages: "Wealth cannot be lewd, poverty cannot be moved, and power cannot be bent." How? Then you have to "live in the world, stand in the right position in the world and be the best in the world." Or go back to the benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom that Confucianism has always advocated. After doing this, we will adopt the attitude of "being comrades with the people, not doing it for ourselves", that is, Confucius said "using what is used, hiding what is abandoned" (The Analects of Confucius) or Mencius said in another place that "poverty is the only way to protect yourself, and prosperity is the best way to help the world." ("wholeheartedly" then you can become a real gentleman.
Every sentence of Mencius' famous saying about "gentleman" shines with the power of thought and personality. Historically, it has inspired many people with lofty ideals and become their motto of not being afraid of violence and upholding justice.