Gong Sun Chou II · Passage 01 / 14 · 孟子 2B.1

Mencius 2B.1: why rank human harmony above favorable

Through siege imagery that the deepest source of political strength is not timing or terrain, but whether people are truly aligned in heart.

孟子曰：「天時不如地利，地利不如人和。三里之城，七里之郭，環而攻之而不勝；夫環而攻之，必有得天時者矣，然而不勝者，是天時不如地利也。城非不高也，池非不深也，兵革非不堅利也，米粟非不多也，委而去之，是地利不如人和也。故曰：域民不以封疆之界，固國不以山溪之險，威天下不以兵革之利。得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，親戚畔之；多助之至，天下順之。以天下之所順，攻親戚之所畔，故君子有不戰，戰必勝矣。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「tiān shí bù rú dì lì， dì lì bù rú rén hé。 sān lǐ zhī chéng， qī lǐ zhī guō， huán ér gōng zhī ér bú shèng； fū huán ér gōng zhī， bì yǒu dé tiān shí zhě yǐ， rán ér bú shèng zhě， shì tiān shí bù rú dì lì yě。 chéng fēi bù gāo yě， chí fēi bù shēn yě， bīng gé fēi bù jiān lì yě， mǐ sù fēi bù duō yě， wěi ér qù zhī， shì dì lì bù rú rén hé yě。 gù yuē： yù mín bù yǐ fēng jiāng zhī jiè， gù guó bù yǐ shān xī zhī xiǎn， wēi tiān xià bù yǐ bīng gé zhī lì。 dé dào zhě duō zhù， shī dào zhě guǎ zhù。 guǎ zhù zhī zhì， qīn qī pàn zhī； duō zhù zhī zhì， tiān xià shùn zhī。 yǐ tiān xià zhī suǒ shùn， gōng qīn qī zhī suǒ pàn， gù jūn zǐ yǒu bú zhàn， zhàn bì shèng yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'Opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth, and advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to the union arising from the accord of Men. There is a city, with an inner wall of three li in circumference, and an outer wall of seven. The enemy surround and attack it, but they are not able to take it. Now, to surround and attack it, there must have been vouchsafed to them by Heaven the opportunity of time, and in such case their not taking it is because opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth. There is a city, whose walls are distinguished for their height, and whose moats are distinguished for their depth, where the arms of its defenders, offensive and defensive, are distinguished for their strength and sharpness, and the stores of rice and other grain are very large. Yet it is obliged to be given up and abandoned. This is because advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to the union arising from the accord of Men. In accordance with these principles it is said, "A people is bounded in, not by the limits of dykes and borders; a State is secured, not by the strengths of mountains and rivers; the kingdom is overawed, not by the sharpness and strength of arms." He who finds the proper course has many to assist him. He who loses the proper course has few to assist him. When this - the being assisted by few - reaches its extreme point, his own relations revolt from the prince. When the being assisted by many reaches its highest point, the whole kingdom becomes obedient to the prince. When one to whom the whole kingdom is prepared to be obedient, attacks those from whom their own relations revolt, what must be the result? Therefore, the true ruler will prefer not to fight; but if he do fight, he must overcome.'