Mencius said to him, "The followers of Zhong Ni who have nothing to do with Taoism and literature will never be handed down in the future. I haven't heard of it. If there is no way, then Wang (wàng)? "
He said, "What kind of virtue can make you king?" He said: "Protecting the people is king, and you can't defend yourself." He said, "If I am a person, how can I protect the people?" Say, "Yes." Yue: "How do you know I can do it?" He said: "I heard that Hu Qi said that the king was sitting in the hall. If a cow passed by the hall, Wang Jianzhi would say,' What is that cow?' Yes, I said, I want to use this bell. The king said,' Give it up! I can't bear to be swaddled with him. If he is innocent, he will die. "Yes:' But why use a clock?' Yue:' What can be abolished? Trade sheep for them! Know nothing? "
Say, "Yes." He said: "The heart is king. The people all love the king, and I know the king can't stand it. " The king said, "Of course. There are sincere people. Although Qi is young, why do I love a cow? In other words, I can't bear to be swaddled by it. If I am innocent, I will die, so I want to change sheep. " He said: "The king and the people love him no different. Small is easy to be big, and evil is known? If Wang hides his innocence and dies, what about cattle and sheep? " Wang smiled and said, "Why are you sincere? I must love its wealth. It is easy to use sheep, and it is appropriate for people to call me love. "
He said, "This is harmless, but it is a kind of technology. I can't see the sheep when I see the cow. A gentleman is to an animal, seeing its life, and can't bear to see its death; I can't bear to eat its meat when I hear its voice. Far cooking is also a gentleman. "
Qi Xuanwang asked, "Can you hear about Qi Huangong and Jin Wengong?"
Mencius replied, "Confucius' students didn't talk about the deeds of Qi Huangong and Jin Wengong, so they didn't pass them on to future generations. I haven't heard of it either. If you insist, let's talk about unifying the king of the world with moral power? "
Qi Xuanwang asked: "What kind of morality can unify the world?" Mencius said: "No one can stop the unification of the world by trying to make people's lives stable." Qi Xuanwang asked, "Can a person like me make people's lives stable?" Mencius said, "Yes." Qi Xuanwang asked, "How do you know I can do it?"
Mencius replied, "I once heard a joke by Hu Bi. One day, Wang was sitting in the hall, and someone walked under the hall with a cow. The king saw it and asked, "Where are you taking the cow?" The man replied, "Prepare to kill the sacrificial bell." The king then said, "Let it go." . I can't bear to see it shivering and scared. It is innocent, but it has been sent to the slaughterhouse. The man asked, "Then there is no need to sacrifice bells?" The king said, "What can I do? Change it into a sheep. I wonder if there is such a thing. "
Qi Xuanwang replied: "There is such a thing." Mencius said: "With this heart, the world can be unified. People think Wang is stingy. I knew the king couldn't stand it. "
Qi Xuanwang said, "Yes, some people think so. Although qi is not big, I won't be reluctant to part with a cow, will I? I just couldn't bear to see it shivering and innocent, but it was sent to the slaughterhouse, so it was replaced by a sheep. "
Mencius said, "Don't be surprised. Why does everyone say that Wang Xiaoqi trades small for big? How can they understand the profound meaning of the king? If the king pities it and kills it, what is the difference between a cow and a sheep? "
Qi Xuanwang smiled and said, "What is my psychology? I'm not greedy for money, but I traded sheep for cattle. People can understand that I am stingy. "
Mencius said: "It doesn't matter if they misunderstand like this. The king's mercy is kindness, because the king saw the cow but not the sheep. For birds and beasts, a gentleman can't bear to see them die when he sees their lives, and can't bear to eat their meat when he hears their cries. So gentlemen stay away from the kitchen. "
Note (1) Worry Clock, Wang Mingfu's "Mencius Shu Shu" explains that "Worry, sacrifice names, blood sacrifices, all completed sacrifices are worries." In ancient times, when the state made important artifacts or carried out activities in ancestral temples, it was necessary to slaughter living things for sacrifice.
(2) I was trembling with fear when I was a baby (unconscious).
(3) love, loathe to give up, stingy
(4) (bi m: n), narrow
Interpretation has to say that Mencius' ability to persuade people to be good is extraordinary. He told Qi Xuanwang with the story that Qi Xuanwang sacrificed the bell with sheep instead of cattle, and he was also kind, which laid the foundation for the implementation of benevolent policies.
"At the beginning of life, human nature is good." Everyone has a good root and the softest place in his heart. Only with the growth of age and the washing of years, the original simplicity and kindness have disappeared. Whether Qi Xuanwang was really kind at that time or not, Mencius grasped this point and magnified it. I think Qi Xuanwang was also very happy at that time. He felt that he was understood, so that his kindness could be separated from the dust in his heart.
For anyone, there is actually kindness, depending on how we guide them. Just like education, in addition to "teaching students in accordance with their aptitude", we must also guide them correctly. Every child is an angel who comes to earth. We should affirm its good aspects, give them love, give full play to their strengths and be the guiding light of their lives. If every parent and teacher can do this, many tragedies will be avoided.
In modern parenting education, education is not for children, but for parents. Only when parents' thoughts change can we avoid the family-style way of getting along and return to the stability, harmony and happiness of each family.
Idioms and famous sentences can't bear to see their life, but they can't bear to see their death; I can't bear to eat its meat when I hear its voice. Cooking far away is a gentleman. "