Li Lou II · Passage 28 / 33 · 孟子 4B.28

Mencius 4B.28: why say the noble person differs

Mencius grounds the difference of the noble person not in status but in what is preserved within.

孟子曰：「君子所以異於人者，以其存心也。君子以仁存心，以禮存心。仁者愛人，有禮者敬人。愛人者，人恒愛之；敬人者，人恒敬之。有人於此，其待我以橫逆，則君子必自反也：『我必不仁也，必無禮也，此物奚宜至哉？』其自反而仁矣，自反而有禮矣。其橫逆由是也，君子必自反也：『我必不忠。』自反而忠矣。其橫逆由是也，君子曰：『此亦妄人也已矣。如此則與禽獸奚擇哉？於禽獸又何難焉！』是故君子有終身之憂，無一朝之患也。乃若所憂則有之。舜人也，我亦人也；舜為法於天下，可傳於後世，我由未免為鄉人也，是則可憂也。憂之如何？如舜而已矣。若夫君子所患則亡矣。非仁無為也，非禮無行也。如有一朝之患，則君子不患矣。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「jūn zǐ suǒ yǐ yì wū rén zhě， yǐ qí cún xīn yě。 jūn zǐ yǐ rén cún xīn， yǐ lǐ cún xīn。 rén zhě ài rén， yǒu lǐ zhě jìng rén。 ài rén zhě， rén héng ài zhī； jìng rén zhě， rén héng jìng zhī。 yǒu rén wū cǐ， qí dài wǒ yǐ héng nì， zé jūn zǐ bì zì fǎn yě：『wǒ bì bù rén yě， bì wú lǐ yě， cǐ wù xī yí zhì zāi？』 qí zì fǎn ér rén yǐ， zì fǎn ér yǒu lǐ yǐ。 qí héng nì yóu shì yě， jūn zǐ bì zì fǎn yě：『wǒ bì bù zhōng。』 zì fǎn ér zhōng yǐ。 qí héng nì yóu shì yě， jūn zǐ yuē：『cǐ yì wàng rén yě yǐ yǐ。 rú cǐ zé yǔ qín shòu xī zé zāi？ wū qín shòu yòu hé nán yān！』 shì gù jūn zǐ yǒu zhōng shēn zhī yōu， wú yì cháo zhī huàn yě。 nǎi ruò suǒ yōu zé yǒu zhī。 shùn rén yě， wǒ yì rén yě； shùn wéi fǎ wū tiān xià， kě chuán wū hòu shì， wǒ yóu wèi miǎn wéi xiāng rén yě， shì zé kě yōu yě。 yōu zhī rú hé？ rú shùn ér yǐ yǐ。 ruò fū jūn zǐ suǒ huàn zé wáng yǐ。 fēi rén wú wéi yě， fēi lǐ wú xíng yě。 rú yǒu yì cháo zhī huàn， zé jūn zǐ bú huàn yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'That whereby the superior man is distinguished from other men is what he preserves in his heart - namely, benevolence and propriety. The benevolent man loves others. The man of propriety shows respect to others. He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them. Here is a man, who treats me in a perverse and unreasonable manner. The superior man in such a case will turn round upon himself, "I must have been wanting in benevolence; I must have been wanting in propriety - how should this have happened to me?" He examines himself, and is specially benevolent. He turns round upon himself, and is specially observant of propriety. The perversity and unreasonableness of the other, however, are still the same. The superior man will again turn round on himself, "I must have been failing to do my utmost." He turns round upon himself, and proceeds to do his utmost, but still the perversity and unreasonableness of the other are repeated. On this the superior man says, "This is a man utterly lost indeed! Since he conducts himself so, what is there to choose between him and a brute? Why should I go to contend with a brute?" Thus it is that the superior man has a life-long anxiety and not one morning's calamity. As to what is matter of anxiety to him, that indeed be has. He says, "Shun was a man, and I also am a man. But Shun became an example to all the kingdom, and his conduct was worthy to be handed down to after ages, while I am nothing better than a villager." This indeed is the proper matter of anxiety to him. And in what way is he anxious about it? Just that he maybe like Shun: then only will he stop. As to what the superior man would feel to be a calamity, there is no such thing. He does nothing which is not according to propriety. If there should befall him one morning's calamity, the superior man does not account it a calamity.'