Gao Zi II · Passage 03 / 16 · 孟子 6B.3

Mencius 6B.3: resentment is not always petty

Mencius uses the Xiao Bian to argue that some forms of grievance come not from small-mindedness but from the deep injury of a near relation.

公孫丑問曰：「高子曰：『《小弁》，小人之詩也。』」孟子曰：「何以言之？」曰：「怨。」曰：「固哉，高叟之為《詩》也！有人於此，越人關弓而射之，則己談笑而道之；無他，疏之也。其兄關弓而射之，則己垂涕泣而道之，無他，戚之也。《小弁》之怨，親親也。親親，仁也。固矣夫，高叟之為《詩》也！」曰：「《凱風》何以不怨？」曰：「《凱風》，親之過小者也；《小弁》，親之過大者也。親之過大而不怨，是愈疏也。親之過小而怨，是不可磯也。愈疏，不孝也；不可磯，亦不孝也。孔子曰：『舜其至孝矣，五十而慕。』」

gōng sūn chǒu wèn yuē：「gāo zǐ yuē：『《xiǎo biàn》， xiǎo rén zhī shī yě。』」 mèng zǐ yuē：「hé yǐ yán zhī？」 yuē：「yuàn。」 yuē：「gù zāi， gāo sǒu zhī wéi 《shī》 yě！ yǒu rén wū cǐ， yuè rén guān gōng ér shè zhī， zé jǐ tán xiào ér dào zhī； wú tā， shū zhī yě。 qí xiōng guān gōng ér shè zhī， zé jǐ chuí tì qì ér dào zhī， wú tā， qī zhī yě。《xiǎo biàn》 zhī yuàn， qīn qīn yě。 qīn qīn， rén yě。 gù yǐ fū， gāo sǒu zhī wéi 《shī》 yě！」 yuē：「《kǎi fēng》 hé yǐ bú yuàn？」 yuē：「《kǎi fēng》， qīn zhī guò xiǎo zhě yě；《xiǎo biàn》， qīn zhī guò dà zhě yě。 qīn zhī guò dà ér bú yuàn， shì yù shū yě。 qīn zhī guò xiǎo ér yuàn， shì bù kě jī yě。 yù shū， bú xiào yě； bù kě jī， yì bú xiào yě。 kǒng zǐ yuē：『shùn qí zhì xiào yǐ， wǔ shí ér mù。』」

Gong Sun Chou asked about an opinion of the scholar Gao, saying, 'Gao observed, "The Xiao Pan is the ode of a little man."' Mencius asked, 'Why did he say so?' 'Because of the murmuring which it expresses,' was the reply. Mencius answered, 'How stupid was that old Gao in dealing with the ode! There is a man here, and a native of Yue bends his bow to shoot him. I will advise him not to do so, but speaking calmly and smilingly; for no other reason but that he is not related to me. But if my own brother be bending his bow to shoot the man, then I will advise him not to do so, weeping and crying the while; for no other reason than that he is related to me. The dissatisfaction expressed in the Xiao Pan is the working of relative affection, and that affection shows benevolence. Stupid indeed was old Gao's criticism on the ode.' Chou then said, 'How is it that there is no dissatisfaction expressed in the Kai Feng?' Mencius replied, 'The parent's fault referred to in the Kai Feng is small; that referred to in the Xiao Pan is great. Where the parent's fault was great, not to have murmured on account of it would have increased the want of natural affection. Where the parent's fault was small, to have murmured on account of it would have been to act like water which frets and foams about a stone that interrupts its course. To increase the want of natural affection would have been unfilial, and to fret and foam in such a manner would also have been unfilial. Confucius said, "Shun was indeed perfectly filial! And yet, when he was fifty, he was full of longing desire about his parents."'