King Hui of Liang II · Passage 03 / 16 · 孟子 1B.3

Mencius 1B.3: why include both the great serving

Interstate relations are not mere power technique. A great state must serve the small with benevolence, and a small state must serve the great with wisdom.

齊宣王問曰：「交鄰國有道乎？」孟子對曰：「有。惟仁者為能以大事小，是故湯事葛，文王事昆夷。惟智者為能以小事大，故太王事獯鬻，勾踐事吳。以大事小者，樂天者也；以小事大者，畏天者也。樂天者，保天下；畏天者，保其國。《詩》云：『畏天之威，於時保之。』」王曰：「大哉言矣！寡人有疾，寡人好勇。」對曰：「王請無好小勇。夫撫劍疾視曰：『彼惡敢當我哉！』此匹夫之勇，敵一人者也。王請大之！《詩》云：『王赫斯怒，爰整其旅，以遏徂莒，以篤周祜，以對於天下。』此文王之勇也。文王一怒而安天下之民。《書》曰：『天降下民，作之君，作之師，惟曰：其助上帝，寵之四方。有罪無罪，惟我在，天下曷敢有越厥志？』一人衡行於天下，武王恥之，此武王之勇也。而武王亦一怒而安天下之民。今王亦一怒而安天下之民，民惟恐王之不好勇也。」

qí xuān wáng wèn yuē：「jiāo lín guó yǒu dào hū？」 mèng zǐ duì yuē：「yǒu。 wéi rén zhě wéi néng yǐ dà shì xiǎo， shì gù tāng shì gě， wén wáng shì kūn yí。 wéi zhì zhě wéi néng yǐ xiǎo shì dà， gù tài wáng shì xūn yù， gōu jiàn shì wú。 yǐ dà shì xiǎo zhě， lè tiān zhě yě； yǐ xiǎo shì dà zhě， wèi tiān zhě yě。 lè tiān zhě， bǎo tiān xià； wèi tiān zhě， bǎo qí guó。《shī》 yún：『wèi tiān zhī wēi， wū shí bǎo zhī。』」 wáng yuē：「dà zāi yán yǐ！ guǎ rén yǒu jí， guǎ rén hǎo yǒng。」 duì yuē：「wáng qǐng wú hǎo xiǎo yǒng。 fū fǔ jiàn jí shì yuē：『bǐ è gǎn dāng wǒ zāi！』 cǐ pǐ fū zhī yǒng， dí yì rén zhě yě。 wáng qǐng dà zhī！《shī》 yún：『wáng hè sī nù， yuán zhěng qí lǚ， yǐ è cú jǔ， yǐ dǔ zhōu hù， yǐ duì wū tiān xià。』 cǐ wén wáng zhī yǒng yě。 wén wáng yí nù ér ān tiān xià zhī mín。《shū》 yuē：『tiān jiàng xià mín， zuò zhī jūn， zuò zhī shī， wéi yuē： qí zhù shàng dì， chǒng zhī sì fāng。 yǒu zuì wú zuì， wéi wǒ zài， tiān xià hé gǎn yǒu yuè jué zhì？』 yì rén héng xíng wū tiān xià， wǔ wáng chǐ zhī， cǐ wǔ wáng zhī yǒng yě。 ér wǔ wáng yì yí nù ér ān tiān xià zhī mín。 jīn wáng yì yí nù ér ān tiān xià zhī mín， mín wéi kǒng wáng zhī bù hǎo yǒng yě。」

The king Xuan of Qi asked, saying, 'Is there any way to regulate one's maintenance of intercourse with neighbouring kingdoms?' Mencius replied, 'There is. But it requires a perfectly virtuous prince to be able, with a great country, to serve a small one - as, for instance, Tang served Ge, and king Wen served the Kun barbarians. And it requires a wise prince to be able, with a small country, to serve a large one - as the king Tai served the Xun Yu, and Gou Jian served Wu. He who with a areat State serves a small one, delights in Heaven. He who with a small State serves a large one, stands in awe of Heaven. He who delights in Heaven, will affect with his love and protection the whole kingdom. He who stands in awe of Heaven, will affect with his love and protection his own kingdom. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "I fear the Majesty of Heaven, and will thus preserve its favouring decree."' The king said,'A great saying! But I have an infirmity - I love valour.' I beg your Majesty,' was the reply, 'not to love small valour. If a man brandishes his sword, looks fiercely, and says, "How dare he withstand me?" - this is the valour of a common man, who can be the opponent only of a single individual. I beg your Majesty to greaten it. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The king blazed with anger, And he marshalled his hosts, To stop the march to Chu, To consolidate the prosperity of Zhou, To meet the expectations of the nation." This was the valour of king Wen. King Wen, in one burst of his anger, gave repose to all the people of the kingdom. In the Book of History it is said, "Heaven having produced the inferior people, made for them rulers and teachers, with the purpose that they should be assisting to God, and therefore distinguished them throughout the four quarters of the land. Whoever are offenders, and whoever are innocent, here am I to deal with them. How dare any under heaven give indulgence to their refractory wills?" There was one man pursuing a violent and disorderly course in the kingdom, and king Wu was ashamed of it. This was the valour of king Wu. He also, by one display of his anger, gave repose to all the people of the kingdom. Let now your Majesty also, in one burst of anger, give repose to all the people of the kingdom. The people are only afraid that your Majesty does not love valour.'