Li Lou I · Passage 27 / 28 · 孟子 4A.27

Mencius 4A.27: benevolence begins with serving parents

Mencius brings benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, ritual, and joy back into lived relations. Virtue is not an abstract label first.

孟子曰：「仁之實，事親是也。義之實，從兄是也。智之實，知斯二者弗去是也。禮之實，節文斯二者是也。樂之實，樂斯二者，樂則生矣。生則惡可已也？惡可已，則不知足之蹈之、手之舞之。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「rén zhī shí， shì qīn shì yě。 yì zhī shí， cóng xiōng shì yě。 zhì zhī shí， zhī sī èr zhě fú qù shì yě。 lǐ zhī shí， jié wén sī èr zhě shì yě。 lè zhī shí， lè sī èr zhě， lè zé shēng yǐ。 shēng zé è kě yǐ yě？ è kě yǐ， zé bù zhī zú zhī dǎo zhī、 shǒu zhī wǔ zhī。」

Mencius said, 'The richest fruit of benevolence is this: the service of one's parents. The richest fruit of righteousness is this: the obeying one's elder brothers. The richest fruit of wisdom is this: the knowing those two things, and not departing from them. The richest fruit of propriety is this: the ordering and adorning those two things. The richest fruit of music is this: the rejoicing in those two things. When they are rejoiced in, they grow. Growing, how can they be repressed? When they come to this state that they cannot be repressed, then unconsciously the feet begin to dance and the hands to move.'