Gong Sun Chou I · Passage 04 / 09 · 孟子 2A.4

Mencius 2A.4: honor virtue and esteem scholars

Mencius says that fearing disgrace while dwelling in inhumanity is like fearing dampness while living in a low wet place. The true remedy is structural.

孟子曰：「仁則榮，不仁則辱。今惡辱而居不仁，是猶惡濕而居下也。如惡之，莫如貴德而尊士。賢者在位，能者在職；國家閑暇，及是時明其政刑，雖大國，必畏之矣。《詩》云：『迨天之未陰雨，徹彼桑土，綢繆牖戶。今此下民，或敢侮予？』孔子曰：『為此詩者，其知道乎！能治其國家，誰敢侮之？』今國家閑暇，及是時般樂怠敖，是自求禍也。禍福無不自己求之者。《詩》云：『永言配命，自求多福。』《太甲》曰：『天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可活』，此之謂也。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「rén zé róng， bù rén zé rǔ。 jīn è rǔ ér jū bù rén， shì yóu è shī ér jū xià yě。 rú è zhī， mò rú guì dé ér zūn shì。 xián zhě zài wèi， néng zhě zài zhí； guó jiā xián xiá， jí shì shí míng qí zhèng xíng， suī dà guó， bì wèi zhī yǐ。《shī》 yún：『dài tiān zhī wèi yīn yǔ， chè bǐ sāng tǔ， chóu móu yǒu hù。 jīn cǐ xià mín， huò gǎn wǔ yǔ？』 kǒng zǐ yuē：『wéi cǐ shī zhě， qí zhī dào hū！ néng zhì qí guó jiā， shuí gǎn wǔ zhī？』 jīn guó jiā xián xiá， jí shì shí bān lè dài áo， shì zì qiú huò yě。 huò fú wú bú zì jǐ qiú zhī zhě。《shī》 yún：『yǒng yán pèi mìng， zì qiú duō fú。』《tài jiǎ》 yuē：『tiān zuò niè， yóu kě wéi； zì zuò niè， bù kě huó』， cǐ zhī wèi yě。」

Mencius said, 'Benevolence brings glory to a prince, and the opposite of it brings disgrace. For the princes of the present day to hate disgrace and yet to live complacently doing what is not benevolent, is like hating moisture and yet living in a low situation. If a prince hates disgrace, the best course for him to pursue, is to esteem virtue and honour virtuous scholars, giving the worthiest among them places of dignity, and the able offices of trust. When throughout his kingdom there is leisure and rest from external troubles, let him, taking advantage of such a season, clearly digest the principles of his government with its legal sanctions, and then even great kingdoms will be constrained to stand in awe of him. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Before the heavens were dark with rain, I gathered the bark from the roots of the mulberry trees, And wove it closely to form the window and door of my nest; Now, I thought, ye people below, Perhaps ye will not dare to insult me." Confucius said, "Did not he who made this ode understand the way of governing?" If a prince is able rightly to govern his kingdom, who will dare to insult him? But now the princes take advantage of the time when throughout their kingdoms there is leisure and rest from external troubles, to abandon themselves to pleasure and indolent indifference - they in fact seek for calamities for themselves. Calamity and happiness in all cases are men's own seeking. This is illustrated by what is said in the Book of Poetry - Be always studious to be in harmony with the ordinances of God, So you will certainly get for yourself much happiness;" and by the passage of the Tai Jia, "When Heaven sends down calamities, it is still possible to escape from them; when we occasion the calamities ourselves, it is not possible any longer to live."'