Gong Sun Chou I · Passage 09 / 09 · 孟子 2A.9

Mencius 2A.9: Bo Yi withdrew; Liu Xia Hui kept himself

Mencius sets Bo Yi beside Liu Xia Hui to show that integrity is not one posture only: one stays clean by distance, another by not losing himself in corruption.

孟子曰：「伯夷非其君不事，非其友不友。不立於惡人之朝，不與惡人言；立於惡人之朝，與惡人言，如以朝衣朝冠坐於涂炭。推惡惡之心，思與鄉人立，其冠不正，望望然去之，若將浼焉。是故諸侯雖有善其辭命而至者，不受也。不受也者，是亦不屑就已。柳下惠，不羞污君，不卑小官。進不隱賢，必以其道。遺佚而不怨，厄窮而不憫。故曰：『爾為爾，我為我。雖袒裼裸裎於我側，爾焉能浼我哉！』故由由然與之偕而不自失焉，援而止之而止。援而止之而止者，是亦不屑去已。」孟子曰：「伯夷隘，柳下惠不恭。隘與不恭，君子不由也。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「bó yí fēi qí jūn bú shì， fēi qí yǒu bu yǒu。 bú lì wū è rén zhī cháo， bù yǔ è rén yán； lì wū è rén zhī cháo， yǔ è rén yán， rú yǐ cháo yī cháo guān zuò wū tú tàn。 tuī è è zhī xīn， sī yǔ xiāng rén lì， qí guān bú zhèng， wàng wàng rán qù zhī， ruò jiāng měi yān。 shì gù zhū hóu suī yǒu shàn qí cí mìng ér zhì zhě， bú shòu yě。 bú shòu yě zhě， shì yì bú xiè jiù yǐ。 liǔ xià huì， bù xiū wū jūn， bù bēi xiǎo guān。 jìn bù yǐn xián， bì yǐ qí dào。 yí yì ér bú yuàn， è qióng ér bù mǐn。 gù yuē：『ěr wéi ěr， wǒ wéi wǒ。 suī tǎn tì luǒ chéng wū wǒ cè， ěr yān néng měi wǒ zāi！』 gù yóu yóu rán yǔ zhī xié ér bú zì shī yān， yuán ér zhǐ zhī ér zhǐ。 yuán ér zhǐ zhī ér zhǐ zhě， shì yì bú xiè qù yǐ。」 mèng zǐ yuē：「bó yí ài， liǔ xià huì bù gōng。 ài yǔ bù gōng， jūn zǐ bù yóu yě。」

Mencius said, 'Bo Yi would not serve a prince whom he did not approve, nor associate with a friend whom he did not esteem. He would not stand in a bad prince's court, nor speak with a bad man. To stand in a bad prince's court, or to speak with a bad man, would have been to him the same as to sit with his court robes and court cap amid mire and ashes. Pursuing the examination of his dislike to what was evil, we find that he thought it necessary, if he happened to be standing with a villager whose cap was not rightly adjusted, to leave him with a high air, as if he were going to be defiled. Therefore, although some of the princes made application to him with very proper messages, he would not receive their gifts. He would not receive their gifts, counting it inconsistent with his purity to go to them. Hui of Liu Xia was not ashamed to serve an impure prince, nor did he think it low to be an inferior officer. When advanced to employment, he did not conceal his virtue, but made it a point to carry out his principles. When neglected and left without office, he did not murmur. When straitened by poverty, he did not grieve. Accordingly, he had a saying,"You are you, and I am I. Although you stand by my side with breast and aims bare, or with your body naked, how can you defile me?" Therefore, self-possessed, he companied with men indifferently, at the same time not losing himself. When he wished to leave, if pressed to remain in office, he would remain. He would remain in office, when pressed to do so, not counting it required by his purity to go away.' Mencius said, 'Bo Yi was narrow-minded, and Hui of Liu Xia was wanting in self-respect. The superior man will not manifest either narrow-mindedness, or the want of self-respect.'