Only those who have a certain amount of property income will have certain moral concepts and codes of conduct. People who do not have a certain amount of property income will not have certain moral concepts and codes of conduct.

This sentence comes from Mencius's "Mencius Liang Huiwang 1".

Mencius: Mencius (372 BC - 289 BC), whose name was Ke and whose courtesy name was Ziyu (to be examined, it is said that the courtesy name is Ziche or Ziju. According to: Che, ancient text; Yu, the modern character. Che also sounds like Ju, so Ziyu, Ziche, and Ziju are all named after Mencius). Han nationality, a native of Zou State during the Warring States Period, and a descendant of Lu Guoqing's father. Mencius inherited and carried forward Confucius' thoughts and became a generation of Confucian masters second only to Confucius. He had a comprehensive and huge influence on later generations of Chinese culture. He was known as the "Senior Sage" and was collectively called "Confucius and Mencius" with Confucius. A famous thinker and educator in ancient China, and a representative figure of Confucianism during the Warring States Period. Mencius and his disciples wrote the book "Mencius".

Mencius, King Hui of Liang, ancient prose. It mainly describes the story of Mencius persuading King Hui of Liang to be a benevolent king. Original text:

Mencius met King Hui of Liang. The king said: "The old man has not traveled thousands of miles, will he benefit my country?"

Mencius said to him: "Why should the king say benefit? It is just benevolence and righteousness. The king said, 'How can it benefit me? The great man said, "How can I benefit my family?" The common people said, "How can I benefit my body?" Those who kill their king will surely take away a thousand of them, and if they don’t take a hundred, they will not be able to gain more. If they do not take away their relatives, they will not be satisfied. He is the king who does not have righteousness. The king also calls it benevolence and righteousness, why should he call it profit?" Mencius saw King Hui of Liang, who was standing on the marsh, looking at Hongyan Elk, and said: "The wise man also enjoys this. "Huh?"

Mencius said: "The virtuous will enjoy this, but the unworthy will not enjoy it." , It will be completed soon. The king is in Lingbo, the deer is lying down, the white bird is in the marsh, and the king is in the marsh. rèn) Fish leaping. 'King Wen used the power of the people as a platform and a marsh, and the people were happy. He called the platform Lingtai and the marsh Lingmarsh. They were happy that there were elk, fish, and turtles in it. People in ancient times enjoyed themselves together. Also. "Tang Oath" said: "The time will harm (hé) the death of my daughter. 'The people want to die with her, how can they be happy alone even if there are birds and beasts in the pond?"

< p> King Hui of Liang said: "A few people are dedicated to the country. If there is trouble in the river, move the people to the east of the river, and move the millet to the river. The same is true for the trouble in the east of the river. If you look at the government of neighboring countries, it is not as good as a few people. If the people of neighboring countries are not reduced and the people of the poor are not increased, why not?" Mencius said to him: "The king likes to fight, please fill it with war weapons. After receiving it, he abandoned his armor and followed his troops. He might take a hundred steps and then stop, or he could take fifty steps and then stop. What if he takes fifty steps and takes a hundred steps? "Bu'er, this is also walking."

He said: "If the king knows this, there is no hope that the number of people will be greater than that of neighboring countries. If it is not contrary to the farming season, the grain will not be enough to eat; count (cù)生(gǔ) If you don't enter the pond, the fish and turtles will not be able to eat it; if you go into the mountains and forests with a heavy weight, the wood will not be able to be used. . Maintaining one's health without regrets in death is the beginning of kingship. If one has a five-acre house with mulberry trees, he can be clothed with silk; if the chickens, dolphins, dogs and pigs are in their proper time, one can eat meat; Don't take away the acres of land, and a family of several people will not be hungry. Follow the teachings of Xiangxu and show the meaning of filial piety and brotherhood. Those who are awarded the white gift will live up to their clothes and eat meat on the road. There is no such thing as a person who is neither hungry nor cold, but who is not a king.

A dog eats human food but does not know how to check it; when a person dies, he says: "It is not me." Ye. How is it different from stabbing people and saying, "It's not me, it's a soldier." King Hui of Liang said: "The king is innocent."

I am willing to accept the teaching."

Mencius said: "Is there any difference between killing people with a stick and a knife?"

He said: "There is no difference."

"Is there any difference between using a sword and politics? ”

Said: “There is no difference. ”

Said: “There is fat meat in the kitchen, fat horses in the stables, the people are hungry, and there are hungry weeds in the wild. This is how the beasts eat people.” Animals eat each other, and humans hate it. As parents of the people, administration cannot avoid leading beasts and cannibalism. The evil lies in being a parent to the people? Zhongni said: 'The one who first made the figurines has no descendants! 'It is used because it resembles a human being. How could the people of Sri Lanka die of hunger? ”

King Hui of Liang said: “In the Kingdom of Jin, there is no strong one in the world, as I know it. As a widower, I was defeated by Qi in the east, and my eldest son died; I lost my land seven hundred miles to Qin in the west; I was humiliated by Chu in the south. I am ashamed of this, I would like to be like the dead, what can I do? ”

Mencius said to him: “A place a hundred miles long can be king.” The king was benevolent to the people, sparing punishments, collecting taxes lightly, and plowing deeply to make farming easier. The strong ones spend their spare time cultivating their filial piety and loyalty, serving their fathers and brothers when they are in, and serving their superiors when they are out, so that they can control the stiles and attack the strong armor and powerful soldiers of Qin and Chu. When he captured his people, he was unable to cultivate the land to support their parents. Their parents were frozen and hungry, and their brothers and wives were separated. He is drowning his people, and the king goes to conquer them. Who can be the enemy of the king? Therefore it is said: ‘The benevolent are invincible. 'King, please don't doubt me! "

Mencius met King Xiang of Liang. When he came out, he said to the man: "Looking at him does not look like a human king. Su Ran asked: "Is the world evil?" ’ I replied: ‘Determined to be one.

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‘Who can do it? ’ He replied: ‘Those who are not fond of killing can do it. ’

‘Who can do it? ’ He said to him, ‘Everyone in the world will not agree with you. Wang Zhifu Miao Hu? If there is a drought between July and August, the seedlings will wither. The sky is cloudy and the rain is falling, and the seedlings are flourishing. If it is like this, who can control it? Today, among the people in the world, there is no one who does not like to kill people. If there are people who do not like to kill people, then all the people in the world will lead and look forward to it. It is true that when the people return, they will descend from the water. Who can control it? ’”

King Xuan of Qi asked: “Can anyone hear about the affairs of Qi Huan and Jin Wen? ”

Mencius said to him: “Zhongni’s disciples have no way of doing things like Dao, Huan and Wen, which will not be passed down to future generations.” I haven't heard of it yet. If there is no way, then what is the king? ”

Said: “How can you be a king if you are virtuous?” ”

Said: “To protect the people and become king, no one can control it.” "

Said: "If I have only a few people, can I protect the people? "

Said: "Yes. ”

Said: “How do you know that I can do it?” "

Said: "I heard that Hu He said that the king was sitting in the hall, and a cow passed by the hall. When the king saw it, he said: 'Where is the cow? ’ He said to him, ‘I will challenge the bell. ’ The king said: ‘Give it up! I cannot bear to look at him, and he will die if he is not guilty. ’ He said to him, ‘How about abolishing Zhongyu? ’ He said, ‘Why should we abolish it? Trade it with sheep! ’ Don’t you know there are all kinds of things? "

Say: "Yes. ”

Said: “The heart is enough to be a king.” The people all love the king, but I know that the king cannot bear it. "

The king said: "Yes. Those who sincerely have common people. Although the state of Qi is small, why should I love an ox? That is to say, he couldn't bear to look at him, and he would die if he was not guilty, so he changed it to a sheep.

Said: "The king is no different from the people who love the king." It's easy to make a big thing out of a small thing. How can he know it? If the king hides his innocence and dies, how can he choose between the cattle and the sheep?

Wang laughed and said, "Why are you sincere?" I do not love his wealth. And it is easy to use sheep, which is suitable for people to call it "I love".

Said: "There is no injury, this is the art of benevolence. You can see the cow but not the sheep." A gentleman is like an animal: when he sees it alive, he cannot bear to see it die; when he hears its sound, he cannot bear to eat its flesh. Therefore, a gentleman cooks at a distance. "

Wang said: ""Poetry" says: "If others have intentions, let me think about them." ’ That’s what Master means. Husband, I do it, but I seek it, and it doesn’t get my heart. Master said, I feel very close to you. Why is this heart aligned with the king? "

Said: "There is a king who said: 'My strength is enough to lift a hundred jun', but not enough to lift a feather; 'I am strong enough to detect the end of a small feather'. If there is no public opinion, then the king will promise What? "

Said: "No. ”

“If the kindness is enough for the beasts, but the merit is not for the common people, how can I do it?” However, if a feather is not raised, it is a lack of effort; if the public support is not seen, it is a lack of understanding; if the people do not see protection, it is a lack of kindness. Therefore, if a king is not a king, he does not do it, not because he cannot do it.

said: "Why are the shapes of those who cannot do anything different from those who cannot do it?" ”

Said: “Trying to hold Mount Tai to reach the North Sea, and telling people ‘I can’t’ is because you can’t do it sincerely.” To break a branch for an elder and say to him, "I can't", is not to do, but not to be impossible. Therefore, to be a king without being a king is not to take advantage of Mount Tai to reach the North Sea; to be a king without being a king is to break a branch. When I am old, I am in harmony with others; when I am young, I am in harmony with others. The world can be transported in the palm of your hand. "Poetry" says: "Tenture the widow, as for the brothers, to control the family and the country." ’ It’s just a matter of adding this intention to others. Therefore, if you extend your kindness, you can protect the world, but if you don't extend your kindness, you cannot protect your wife. The reason why people in ancient times were superior to others was because they were good at judging their actions. Today's kindness is as great as that of the beasts, but if the merits do not reach the common people, how can they be given? Quan, then you know the severity; degree, then you know the length. Everything is the same, but the mind is the same. The king please save him! Suppress the king and raise the army, endanger the soldiers and ministers, complain to the princes, and then do it faster than the heart? "

The king said: "No. Why am I so quick? I will seek my great desires. ”

Said: “Can the king’s great desire be heard and fulfilled? "The king smiled and said nothing.

He said: "Is it because the fat and sweetness are not enough for the mouth? Light warmth is not enough for the body? Or is it because the color selection is not enough for the eyes? The sound is not enough for your ears? Isn't it enough that I can order you to come forward? All the king's ministers are enough to provide for him, but why should the king do so? "

Said: "No. I don't think so. ”

Said: “Then the king’s great desire can be known. In order to expand the land, he went to Qin and Chu, and came to China to appease the barbarians. Doing what you want and asking for what you want is like asking for a fish based on a tree. "

The king said: "What if it is really a gift? ”

Said: “There is almost nothing. If you seek fish from a tree, even if you don't get it, there will be no disaster. If you do what you want, seek what you want, and do it with all your heart, there will be disaster later. "

Said: "Can I hear it? ”

Said: “The people of Tsou are fighting with the people of Chu. Who does the king think will win?” ”

Said: “The people of Chu are victorious. ”

Said: “However, a small solid cannot defeat a large one, a small solid cannot defeat a large number, and a weak solid cannot defeat a strong one.” There are nine places within the sea that are thousands of miles apart, and there is one of them. With one serving eight, why is it different from Zou fighting against Chu? Gai is also contrary to his nature. Today, the king is promoting benevolence, so that all officials in the world want to establish themselves in the king's dynasty, all farmers want to cultivate in the king's fields, all merchants want to hide in the king's city, all travelers want to come out of the king's territory, and all the people in the world want to harm the king. Everyone wants to go to the king. If so, who can control it? "

The king said: "I am afraid that I cannot advance. May Master support my ambition and teach me clearly. Although I am not sensitive, please try it. ”

Said: “Those who do not have permanent property but have perseverance are the only ones who can do it.” If you are a people, you will have no permanent property because you have no perseverance.

If you don't have perseverance, you will do everything you can to ward off evil spirits. To fall into a crime and then punish him is to neglect the people. How can a benevolent person be in office and ignore the people? Therefore, when a wise ruler controls the people's property, they will have enough to serve their parents, enough to feed their wives, and they will have enough to eat in happy years and avoid death in bad years. Then the good will be driven out, so the people will follow it easily. Nowadays, the property of the people is controlled. If you look up to your parents, you will not be able to serve your parents, and if you bow down to you, you will not be able to support your wife. In good years, you will suffer hardships for the rest of your life, and in bad years, you will not be immune to death. This is just to save lives, but I am afraid that I will not support you. Is it a shame to treat etiquette and justice in your spare time? If the king wants to do it, he will go against his will. A five-acre house with mulberry trees can be used to clothe the fifty-year-old; chickens, dolphins, dogs, and pigs will not be lost in their time, and the seventy-year-old can eat meat; a hundred acres of land should not be taken away from the eight. There can be no hunger in the family; if you follow the teachings of Xiangxu and show the meaning of filial piety and brotherhood, those who are awarded white will live up to the road. The old man wears silk and eats meat, and the people are neither hungry nor cold. However, there is no such thing as a king.

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