Meng's mother moved three times
[Vernacular] In the past, when Mencius was a child, his father died, and his mother, the Jin family, kept the tradition. The place where he lived was very close to the cemetery, and Mencius learned some things about funerals and crying bitterly. The mother thought: "This place is not suitable for children to live." So she left and moved her home to the street, very close to the place where pigs and sheep were killed. Mencius learned some things about business and slaughter. The mother thought again: "This place is still not suitable for children to live." She moved her family next to the academy. On the first day of every month in the lunar calendar, officials entered the Confucian Temple, bowed and bowed, and bowed before advancing or retreating. Mencius saw them and remembered them one by one. Mother Meng thought: "This is the place where the child should live." So she settled down here.
Mencius was taught not to divorce his wife
Mencius’s wife was alone in the house, squatting on the ground. Mencius entered the house and saw his wife like this, so he said to his mother: "This woman has no etiquette. Please allow me to divorce her." Meng's mother said, "What's the reason?" Mencius said, "She squatted on the ground." Mencius said. Mother asked: "How do you know?" Mencius said: "I saw it with my own eyes." Meng's mother said: "This is because you don't follow the etiquette, not because the woman doesn't follow the etiquette." Isn't it said in the "Book of Rites"? When entering the door, you must first ask who is in the room; when you are about to enter the hall, you must shout loudly to let the people inside know; when you are about to enter the house, you must look down. The "Book of Rites" says this, This is to prevent others from being caught off guard and unprepared. Now you go to the place where your wife is resting, and no one knows when you enter the house, so you see her squatting on the ground. This is because you are not polite. It’s not that your wife doesn’t respect etiquette.” After listening to Meng’s mother’s teachings, Mencius realized that he was wrong and never dared to talk about divorcing his wife again.
Mencius’ Thoughts
Political Thoughts: Mencius inherited and developed Confucius’ thoughts on moral governance and developed it into the theory of benevolent government, which became the core of his political thoughts. He applied the principles of "kinship" and "longevity" to politics to ease class conflicts and safeguard the long-term interests of the feudal ruling class.
On the one hand, Mencius strictly distinguished the class status of the rulers and the ruled. He believed that "those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others." hierarchical system; on the other hand, it compares the relationship between the rulers and the ruled to the relationship between parents and children, advocating that rulers should care about the people's sufferings like parents, and people should get close to and serve the rulers like their parents. .
Mencius believed that this is the most ideal kind of politics. If the ruler implements benevolent government, he can win the heartfelt support of the people; on the contrary, if he does not care about the life and death of the people and implements tyranny, he will lose the support of the people and become a tyrant. The one-man thief was overthrown by the people. The specific content of benevolent government is very broad, including economy, politics, education, and ways to unify the world, etc., and there is a clue of people-oriented thinking running through it. This kind of thinking developed from the thought of attaching importance to the people and despising the gods in the Spring and Autumn Period.
Based on the experience of the Warring States Period, Mencius summarized the rules of the rise and fall of various countries in governing chaos, and put forward a famous proposition rich in the essence of democracy: "The people are the most important, the country is second, and the king is the least." He believes that the issue of how to treat the people is of extreme importance to the success and failure of the country. Mencius attached great importance to the support of the people and repeatedly explained through a large number of historical examples that this was a key issue related to gaining or losing the world. Mencius said: "Benevolent government must start from the realm of economics." The so-called "jingjie" refers to the division and arrangement of field boundaries and the implementation of the well-field system. The well-field system envisioned by Mencius was a feudal natural economy, based on small farmers of each household, and took the form of exploitation through land rent. Each farmer has a house of five acres and a field of one hundred acres, and is self-sufficient in food and clothing. Mencius believed that "the people are the way, those with permanent property have perseverance, and those without permanent property have no perseverance." Only by enabling the people to have "permanent property", fixed in the land, and live and work in peace and contentment, will they not violate the criminal law and do evil. Mencius believed that when the material life of the people is guaranteed, the rulers will set up schools to teach them with the principles of filial piety and brotherhood, and guide them to be good. This can create a good moral custom of "kissing each other" and "long-lasting", that is, "Everyone will love his relatives and grow up with him, and the world will be peaceful." Mencius believed that rulers who implement benevolent governance can win the heartfelt support of the people of the world, and in this way they can be invincible in the world. The benevolent government mentioned by Mencius must be based on the ruler's "intolerance". Mencius said: "The former kings had a heart that could not tolerate others, and this is why they had a government that could not tolerate others." "The heart of intolerance" is a kind of sympathy and kindness. However, this kind of sympathy and benevolence is different from Mozi's "universal love", but starts from the feelings of blood. Mencius advocated, "Be close to relatives and benevolent to the people", "Old people are like the old people, and young people are like the young people." Benevolent government is the political manifestation of this intolerance.
Mencius closely integrated ethics and politics and emphasized that moral cultivation is the foundation for doing good politics. He said: "The foundation of the world lies in the state, the foundation of the country is at home, and the foundation of the family is in the body." Later, "Xiu Qi Zhiping" proposed in "The Great Learning" was developed based on Mencius's thinking.
Mencius summarized moral norms into four types, namely benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. At the same time, human relations are summarized into five types, namely, "father and son are related, monarch and ministers are righteous, husband and wife are distinguished, elders and young are orderly, and friends are trustworthy." Mencius believed that among the four benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, benevolence and righteousness are the most important.
The foundation of benevolence and righteousness is filial piety and brotherhood, and filial piety and brotherhood are the basic moral norms for dealing with the blood relationship between father and son and brothers. He believed that if every member of society used benevolence and righteousness to deal with various interpersonal relationships, the stability of the feudal order and the unity of the world would be reliably guaranteed.
In order to explain the origin of these moral norms, Mencius proposed the idea that human nature is inherently good. He believes that although there are differences in division of labor and class differences among members of various societies, their human nature is the same. He said: "Therefore, if people of the same kind are similar, why should others doubt them? The sage is the same as me." Here, Mencius puts the rulers and the ruled on an equal footing and explores the universal qualities they possess. of humanity. This kind of discussion was adapted to the historical trend of slave liberation and social change at that time. It marked the deepening of human understanding and was a huge advancement for the development of ethical thought.
Mencius believed that the morality of benevolence, justice, propriety and wisdom is innate. It is inherent in the human heart, it is human's "conscience and good ability", and it is the essential characteristic that distinguishes human beings from animals. He said: "Benevolence, justice, etiquette, and wisdom are rooted in the heart." "Benevolence, justice, etiquette, and wisdom are not imposed on me from outside, but are inherent in me." The reason is that everyone has "good qualities", that is, a heart of compassion, a heart of shame, and a heart of shame. The heart of resignation and the heart of right and wrong are called the "four ends"; some people can expand it and strengthen their moral cultivation, while others give up on themselves and are trapped by the environment, which results in differences in character. Therefore, Mencius attached great importance to the consciousness of moral cultivation. Mencius had strict requirements for the scholar class. He believed that no matter how bad the environment was, they should work hard and use the harsh environment as a means to hone themselves. We should achieve the goal of "not being promiscuous in wealth, not being able to move in poverty, not being able to bend in power", and become a real man. If you encounter a severe test, you should "sacrifice your life for justice." You would rather sacrifice your life than give up your moral principles. He believes that through long-term moral practice, a firm and fearless psychological state can be cultivated, which is the so-called "awe-inspiring spirit". This kind of Qi is "the most powerful and strong" and can actively expand and fill the space between heaven and earth.
Mencius’ theory of good nature is a kind of moral transcendental theory. After the Song Dynasty, it was generally accepted by Neo-Confucianists and became the orthodox theory of human nature with far-reaching influence.
The highest category of Mencius’ philosophical thought is heaven. Mencius inherited Confucius's idea of ??destiny, eliminated the remaining meaning of personal God, and imagined heaven as a spiritual entity with moral attributes. He said: "Sincerity is the way of heaven." Mencius defined the moral concept of sincerity as the essential attribute of heaven, and believed that heaven is the origin of the inherent moral concepts of human nature. Mencius's ideological system, including his political and ethical thoughts, is based on the category of heaven.
Concerning the relationship between heaven and man, Mencius believed that heaven and man are connected. From the aspect of heaven, heaven is the master of all things, and everything about human affairs is determined by heaven. From a human perspective, not only does human kindness come from talent, but also the thinking function of the human heart is given by heaven. The human heart possesses the essential attributes of Heaven. As long as we turn to ourselves and try our best to develop and expand our original mind, we can understand Heaven.
Mencius tried his best to pursue the spiritual realm of dedication, intelligence, and knowledge of heaven. In order to achieve this state, he proposed a set of moral cultivation methods and epistemological ideas, emphasizing the subject's self-consciousness and inward pursuit, believing that if this state is reached, a huge spiritual power can be generated.
Confucius’ life experience
According to research, Confucius’s sixth-generation ancestor was named Kong Fujia. Zimujin's father fled to Zouyi in the state of Lu to avoid being destroyed. From then on, the Kong family settled in Zouyi and became a native of the Lu state.
Confucius’s father’s name was Shu Liang He (the courtesy name was Shu Liang and He was his given name), and his mother’s name was Yan Zhengzai. Shu Lianghe was a famous warrior in the Lu State at that time. He had made two military exploits and served as a doctor in Zouyi. Uncle Liang He first married Shi's wife and had 9 daughters but no children. He also married a concubine and gave birth to a son, named Bernie, also known as Mengpi. Meng Pi had a problem with his feet, and his uncle Liang He was very dissatisfied, so he married Yan Zhengzai again. At that time, Shu Lianghe was 66 years old and Yan Zhengzai was less than 20 years old.
In 551 BC (the 22nd year of Lu Xianggong), Confucius was born in Changping Township, Zouyi, Lu State (now southeast of Qufu City, Shandong Province). Because his parents once prayed to Niqiu Mountain for the birth of a son, he was named Qiu and given the courtesy name Zhongni. When Confucius was three years old, his uncle Liang He died. The Confucius family became the world of the Shi family. As a result, Confucius' mother Yan Zhengzai had to move to Qufu with Confucius and Meng Pi, and life was difficult. When Confucius was 17 years old, his mother Yan Zheng died. When Confucius was 19 years old, he married the daughter of Qi Guan, a native of the Song Dynasty. A year later, Qi Guan gave birth to a son. Duke Zhao of Lu sent someone to send a carp to express his congratulations. Confucius felt very honored and named his son Li, with the courtesy name Boyu.
Confucius
In the 5,000-year history of China, the person who had the greatest influence on the character and temperament of the Chinese nation was Confucius. Confucius was an educator, thinker, and half-politician, but he was first and foremost an intellectual of high moral character. He is upright, optimistic, and enterprising. He has been pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty throughout his life, and he has been pursuing an ideal society throughout his life. His success and failure are all related to his character. The strengths and weaknesses of his character have influenced Chinese people, especially China's intellectuals, for thousands of years.
I am so angry that I forget to eat, and I am so happy that I forget my worries
When he was 63 years old, Confucius once described himself like this: "I am so angry that I forget to eat, and I am so happy that I forget my worries. I don't know that old age is coming." At that time. Confucius has led his disciples to travel around the world for nine years. They have gone through many hardships. Not only did they not get appointed by the princes, but they also almost died. However, Confucius did not lose heart. He remained optimistic and persisted in his ideals, even when he knew that he could not do it.
Be poor and happy
Confucius said: "Being rich and noble without justice is like a floating cloud to me." In Confucius's mind, doing justice is the highest value of life. When conflicts arise, he would rather suffer poverty than give up morality. However, his belief in living in poverty and enjoying the Tao cannot be seen as not seeking wealth, but only seeking to maintain the Tao. This is not in line with historical facts. Confucius once said: "Wealth and honor are what people want; if they don't follow the right way, they won't get it. Poverty and lowliness are what people hate; if they don't follow the right way, they won't get it." " If you are rich and can be asked for, even if you are a man with a whip, I will do it. If you can't ask for it, just follow what I like."
Be tireless in learning and teach others
Confucius is famous for his love of learning. , showed a strong interest in all kinds of knowledge, so he was versatile and knowledgeable. He was famous at that time and was almost regarded as an omniscient sage. However, Confucius himself did not think so. Confucius said: "The sage is me No, I am never tired of learning, and I am never tired of teaching." Confucius studied impermanence. He would worship anyone who had knowledge and something he didn't know as his teacher. Therefore, he said, "When three people walk together, they must be my teacher." .
Walking on a straight path
Confucius was upright by nature and advocated walking on a straight path. He once said: "As for others, who will destroy me and who will praise me? If I have praise, I will be praised by others." It’s time to try. It’s because of the people that the three generations have followed the straight path.” “Historical Records” records that when Confucius was in his thirties, he asked Laozi for courtesy. When he was leaving, Laozi said: “It is good to be close to the dead if you are wise. Those who argue with others are those who endanger one's own body by being eloquent, and those who bring evil to others. Those who are the sons of others should not be self-reliant, and those who are ministers should not be self-respected." This is Laozi's kind reminder to Confucius, and also pointed out some of Confucius's ideas. The problem is that he looks at the problem too deeply, speaks too sharply, and hurts some high-status people, which will bring great danger to himself.
Be kind to others
Confucius founded a moral theory centered on benevolence. He himself was also a very kind person, compassionate, helpful, sincere and generous to others. "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you", "The beauty of a gentleman is the evil of being an adult", "Be generous to yourself and blame others", etc. are all his principles of life. Confucius said: "When I was fifteen, I was determined to learn; when I was thirty, I was established; when I was forty, I was not confused; when I was fifty, I knew the destiny of heaven; when I was sixty, my ears were obedient; when I was seventy, I followed my heart's desires and did not exceed the rules." This is Confucius's view of his life. Summary of stages.