Gao Zi II · Passage 05 / 16 · 孟子 6B.5

Mencius 6B.5: if the demonstrations do not match

Mencius explains why he accepts gifts yet visits one sender and not another.

孟子居鄒，季任為任處守，以幣交，受之而不報。處於平陸，儲子為相，以幣交，受之而不報。他日由鄒之任，見季子，由平陸之齊，不見儲子。屋廬子喜曰：「連得間矣。」問曰：「夫子之任見季子，之齊不見儲子，為其為相與？」曰：「非也。《書》曰：『享多儀，儀不及物，曰不享。惟不役志于享。』為其不成享也。」屋廬子悅。或問之，屋廬子曰：「季子不得之鄒，儲子得之平陸。」

mèng zǐ jū zōu， jì rèn wéi rèn chǔ shǒu， yǐ bì jiāo， shòu zhī ér bú bào。 chǔ wū píng lù， chǔ zǐ wéi xiāng， yǐ bì jiāo， shòu zhī ér bú bào。 tā rì yóu zōu zhī rèn， jiàn jì zǐ， yóu píng lù zhī qí， bú jiàn chǔ zǐ。 wū lú zǐ xǐ yuē：「lián dé jiàn yǐ。」 wèn yuē：「fū zǐ zhī rèn jiàn jì zǐ， zhī qí bú jiàn chǔ zǐ， wéi qí wéi xiāng yǔ？」 yuē：「fēi yě。《shū》 yuē：『xiǎng duō yí， yí bù jí wù， yuē bù xiǎng。 wéi bú yì zhì yú xiǎng。』 wéi qí bù chéng xiǎng yě。」 wū lú zǐ yuè。 huò wèn zhī， wū lú zǐ yuē：「jì zǐ bù dé zhī zōu， chǔ zǐ dé zhī píng lù。」

When Mencius was residing in Zou, the younger brother of the chief of Ren, who was guardian of Ren at the time, paid his respects to him by a present of silks, which Mencius received, not going to acknowledge it. When he was sojourning in Ping Lu, Chu, who was prime minister of the State, sent him a similar present, which he received in the same way. Subsequently, going from Zou to Ren, he visited the guardian; but when he went from Ping Lu to the capital of Qi, he did not visit the minister Chu. The disciple Wu Lu was glad, and said, 'I have got an opportunity to obtain some instruction.' He asked accordingly, 'Master, when you went to Ren, you visited the chief's brother; and when you went to Qi, you did not visit Chu. Was it not because he is only the minister?' Mencius replied, 'No. It is said in the Book of History, "In presenting an offering to a superior, most depends on the demonstrations of respect. If those demonstrations are not equal to the things offeredred, we say there is no offering, that is, there is no act of the will presenting the offering." This is because the things so offered do not constitute an offering to a superior.' Wu Lu was pleased, and when some one asked him what Mencius meant, he said, 'The younger of Ren could not go to Zou, but the minister Chu might have gone to Ping Lu.'

Priority note

A human-edited reading layer

Central question

Why does Mencius accept both gifts, yet visit Ji Ren and not Chu Zi?

Direct answer

Because the key issue is not rank but whether the gift is borne by corresponding respect. If a person could have come in person but only sends goods, the thing outruns the will and the offering is incomplete.

First principle

The validity of rite lies not in the amount of the object but in whether the object truly carries the mind that should accompany it. When form runs ahead of will, form becomes empty.

Why it matters

This passage serves searches around offerings, intention, and respect in Mencius, while deepening the site's account of rite and positional order.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 5 of 16 in Gao Zi II. The cleanest entry point is "I have got an opportunity to obtain some…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about nourishing the heart, judgment, and the formation of character and can be read alongside Humane government / kingly way.

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