Jin Xin II · Passage 38 / 38 · 孟子 7B.38

Mencius 7B.38: why keep counting the years between

Mencius traces the chain from Yao and Shun to Confucius to ask why, when time and place are still not so far removed, no one continues the transmission.

孟子曰：「由堯、舜至於湯，五百有餘歲，若禹、皋陶，則見而知之；若湯，則聞而知之。由湯至於文王，五百有餘歲，若伊尹、萊朱則見而知之；若文王，則聞而知之。由文王至於孔子，五百有餘歲，若大公望、散宜生，則見而知之；若孔子，則聞而知之。由孔子而來至於今，百有餘歲，去聖人之世，若此其未遠也；近聖人之居，若此其甚也，然而無有乎爾，則亦無有乎爾！」

mèng zǐ yuē：「yóu yáo、 shùn zhì wū tāng， wǔ bǎi yǒu yú suì， ruò yǔ、 gāo táo， zé jiàn ér zhī zhī； ruò tāng， zé wén ér zhī zhī。 yóu tāng zhì wū wén wáng， wǔ bǎi yǒu yú suì， ruò yī yǐn、 lái zhū zé jiàn ér zhī zhī； ruò wén wáng， zé wén ér zhī zhī。 yóu wén wáng zhì wū kǒng zǐ， wǔ bǎi yǒu yú suì， ruò dà gōng wàng、 sàn yí shēng， zé jiàn ér zhī zhī； ruò kǒng zǐ， zé wén ér zhī zhī。 yóu kǒng zǐ ér lái zhì wū jīn， bǎi yǒu yú suì， qù shèng rén zhī shì， ruò cǐ qí wèi yuǎn yě； jìn shèng rén zhī jū， ruò cǐ qí shèn yě， rán ér wú yǒu hū ěr， zé yì wú yǒu hū ěr！」

Mencius said, 'From Yao and Shun down to Tang were 500 years and more. As to Yu and Gao Yao, they saw those earliest sages, and so knew their doctrines, while Tang heard their doctrines as transmitted, and so knew them. From Tang to king Wen were 500 years and more. As to Yi Yin, and Lai Zhu, they saw Tang and knew his doctrines, while king Wen heard them as transmitted, and so knew them. From king Wen to Confucius were 500 years and more. As to Tai Gong Wang and San Yi Sheng, they saw Wen, and so knew his doctrines, while Confucius heard them as transmitted, and so knew them. From Confucius downwards until now, there are only 100 years and somewhat more. The distance in time from the sage is so far from being remote, and so very near at hand was the sage's residence. In these circumstances, is there no one to transmit his doctrines? Yea, is there no one to do so?'