Gao Zi II · Passage 02 / 16 · 孟子 6B.2

Mencius 6B.2: all people can become Yao and Shun

Mencius answers directly that all people can become Yao and Shun. The key issue is not body, status, or size.

曹交問曰：「人皆可以為堯舜，有諸？」孟子曰：「然。」「交聞文王十尺，湯九尺；今交九尺四寸以長。食粟而已，如何則可？」曰：「奚有於是？亦為之而已矣。有人於此，力不能勝一匹雛，則為無力人矣。今曰舉百鈞，則為有力人矣。然則舉烏獲之任，是亦為烏獲而已矣。夫人豈以不勝為患哉？弗為耳。徐行後長者，謂之弟；疾行先長者，謂之不弟。夫徐行者，豈人所不能哉？所不為也。堯舜之道，孝弟而已矣。子服堯之服、誦堯之言、行堯之行，是堯而已矣。子服桀之服、誦桀之言、行桀之行，是桀而已矣。」曰：「交得見於鄒君，可以假館，愿留而受業於門。」曰：「夫道，若大路然，豈難知哉？人病不求耳。子歸而求之，有餘師。」

cáo jiāo wèn yuē：「rén jiē kě yǐ wéi yáo shùn， yǒu zhū？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「rán。」「jiāo wén wén wáng shí chǐ， tāng jiǔ chǐ； jīn jiāo jiǔ chǐ sì cùn yǐ cháng。 shí sù ér yǐ， rú hé zé kě？」 yuē：「xī yǒu wū shì？ yì wéi zhī ér yǐ yǐ。 yǒu rén wū cǐ， lì bù néng shèng yì pǐ chú， zé wéi wú lì rén yǐ。 jīn yuē jǔ bǎi jūn， zé wéi yǒu lì rén yǐ。 rán zé jǔ wū huò zhī rèn， shì yì wéi wū huò ér yǐ yǐ。 fū rén qǐ yǐ bú shèng wéi huàn zāi？ fú wéi ěr。 xú xíng hòu cháng zhě， wèi zhī dì； jí xíng xiān cháng zhě， wèi zhī bú dì。 fū xú xíng zhě， qǐ rén suǒ bù néng zāi？ suǒ bù wéi yě。 yáo shùn zhī dào， xiào dì ér yǐ yǐ。 zǐ fú yáo zhī fú、 sòng yáo zhī yán、 xíng yáo zhī xíng， shì yáo ér yǐ yǐ。 zǐ fú jié zhī fú、 sòng jié zhī yán、 xíng jié zhī xíng， shì jié ér yǐ yǐ。」 yuē：「jiāo dé jiàn wū zōu jūn， kě yǐ jiǎ guǎn， yuàn liú ér shòu yè wū mén。」 yuē：「fū dào， ruò dà lù rán， qǐ nán zhī zāi？ rén bìng bù qiú ěr。 zǐ guī ér qiú zhī， yǒu yú shī。」

Jiao of Cao asked Mencius, saying, 'It is said, "All men may be Yaos and Shuns;"-- is it so?' Mencius replied, It is.' Jiao went on, 'I have heard that king Wen was ten cubits high, and Tang nine. Now I am nine cubits four inches in height. But I can do nothing but eat my millet. What am I to do to realize that saying?' Mencius answered him, 'What has this - the question of size - to do with the matter? It all lies simply in acting as such. Here is a man, whose strength was not equal to lift a duckling - he was then a man of no strength. But to-day he says, "I can lift 3,000 catties' weight," and he is a man of strength. And so, he who can lift the weight which Wu Huo lifted is just another Wu Huo. Why should a man make a want of ability the subject of his grief? It is only that he will not do the thing. To walk slowly, keeping behind his elders, is to perform the part of a younger. To walk quickly and precede his elders, is to violate the duty of a younger brother. Now, is it what a man cannot do - to walk slowly? It is what he does not do. The course of Yao and Shun was simply that of filial piety and fraternal duty. Wear the clothes of Yao, repeat the words of Yao, and do the actions of Yao, and you will just be a Yao. And, if you wear the clothes of Jie, repeat the words of Jie, and do the actions of Jie, you will just be a Jie. Jiao said, 'I shall be having an interview with the prince of Zou, and can ask him to let me have a house to lodge in. I wish to remain here, and receive instruction at your gate.' Mencius replied, 'The way of truth is like a great road. It is not difficult to know it. The evil is only that men will not seek it. Do you go home and search for it, and you will have abundance of teachers.'