Jin Xin I · Passage 22 / 46 · 孟子 7A.22

Mencius 7A.22: when the world sees genuine care

Using Bo Yi and Tai Gong's turn toward King Wen, Mencius argues that what attracts humane people is not power alone.

孟子曰：「伯夷辟紂，居北海之濱，聞文王作興，曰：『盍歸乎來！吾聞西伯善養老者。』太公辟紂，居東海之濱，聞文王作興，曰：『盍歸乎來！吾聞西伯善養老者。』天下有善養老，則仁人以為己歸矣。五畝之宅，樹墻下以桑，匹婦蠶之，則老者足以衣帛矣。五母雞，二母彘，無失其時，老者足以無失肉矣。百畝之田，匹夫耕之，八口之家，足以無饑矣。所謂西伯善養老者，制其田里，教之樹畜，導其妻子，使養其老。五十非帛不暖，七十非肉不飽。不暖不飽，謂之凍餒。文王之民，無凍餒之老者，此之謂也。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「bó yí pì zhòu， jū běi hǎi zhī bīn， wén wén wáng zuò xīng， yuē：『hé guī hū lái！ wú wén xī bó shàn yǎng lǎo zhě。』 tài gōng pì zhòu， jū dōng hǎi zhī bīn， wén wén wáng zuò xīng， yuē：『hé guī hū lái！ wú wén xī bó shàn yǎng lǎo zhě。』 tiān xià yǒu shàn yǎng lǎo， zé rén rén yǐ wéi jǐ guī yǐ。 wǔ mǔ zhī zhái， shù qiáng xià yǐ sāng， pǐ fù cán zhī， zé lǎo zhě zú yǐ yī bó yǐ。 wǔ mǔ jī， èr mǔ zhì， wú shī qí shí， lǎo zhě zú yǐ wú shī ròu yǐ。 bǎi mǔ zhī tián， pǐ fū gēng zhī， bā kǒu zhī jiā， zú yǐ wú jī yǐ。 suǒ wèi xī bó shàn yǎng lǎo zhě， zhì qí tián lǐ， jiào zhī shù chù， dǎo qí qī zǐ， shǐ yǎng qí lǎo。 wǔ shí fēi bó bù nuǎn， qī shí fēi ròu bù bǎo。 bù nuǎn bù bǎo， wèi zhī dòng něi。 wén wáng zhī mín， wú dòng něi zhī lǎo zhě， cǐ zhī wèi yě。」

Mencius said, 'Bo Yi, that he might avoid Zhou, was dwelling on the coast of the northern sea when he heard of the rise of king Wen. He roused himself and said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old." Tai Gong, to avoid Zhou, was dwelling on the coast of the eastern sea. When he heard of the rise of king Wen, he said, "Why should I not go and follow him? I have heard that the chief if the West knows well how to nourish the old." If there were a prince in the kingdom, who knew well how to nourish the old, all men of virtue would feel that he was the proper object for them to gather to. Around the homestead with its five mau, the space beneath the walls was planted with mulberry trees, with which the women nourished silkworms, and thus the old were able to have silk to wear. Each family had five brood hens and two brood sows, which were kept to their breeding seasons, and thus the old were able to have flesh to eat. The husbandmen cultivated their farms of 100 mu, and thus their families of eight mouths were secured against want. The expression, "The chief of the West knows well how to nourish the old," refers to his regulation of the fields and dwellings, his teaching them to plant the mulberry and nourish those animals, and his instructing the wives and children, so as to make them nourish their aged. At fifty, warmth cannot be maintained without silks, and at seventy flesh is necessary to satisfy the appetite. Persons not kept warm nor supplied with food are said to be starved and famished, but among the people of king Wen, there were no aged who were starved or famished. This is the meaning of the expression in question.'