Teng Wen Gong II · Passage 10 / 10 · 孟子 3B.10

Mencius 3B.10: why Chen Zhong's purity would require

Mencius criticizes Chen Zhong's absolute purity by arguing that, if fully carried through.

匡章曰：「陳仲子豈不誠廉士哉？居於於陵，三日不食，耳無聞，目無見也。井上有李，螬食實者過半矣，匍匐往將食之，三咽，然後耳有聞、目有見。」孟子曰：「於齊國之士，吾必以仲子為巨擘焉。雖然，仲子惡能廉？充仲子之操，則蚓而後可者也。夫蚓上食槁壤，下飲黃泉。仲子所居之室，伯夷之所筑與？抑亦盜跖之所筑與？所食之粟，伯夷之所樹與？抑亦盜跖之所樹與？是未可知也。」曰：「是何傷哉？彼身織屨、妻辟纑，以易之也。」曰：「仲子，齊之世家也。兄戴，蓋祿萬鍾。以兄之祿為不義之祿而不食也，以兄之室為不義之室而不居也，避兄、離母，處於於陵。他日歸，則有饋其兄生鵝者，己頻戚曰：『惡用是鶃鶃者為哉？』他日其母殺是鵝也，與之食之。其兄自外至，曰：『是鶃鶃之肉也。』出而哇之。以母則不食，以妻則食之；以兄之室則弗居，以於陵則居之。是尚為能充其類也乎？若仲子者，蚓而後充其操者也。」

kuāng zhāng yuē：「chén zhòng zǐ qǐ bù chéng lián shì zāi？ jū wū wū líng， sān rì bù shí， ěr wú wén， mù wú jiàn yě。 jǐng shàng yǒu lǐ， cáo shí shí zhě guò bàn yǐ， pú fú wǎng jiāng shí zhī， sān yàn， rán hòu ěr yǒu wén、 mù yǒu jiàn。」 mèng zǐ yuē：「wū qí guó zhī shì， wú bì yǐ zhòng zǐ wéi jù bò yān。 suī rán， zhòng zǐ è néng lián？ chōng zhòng zǐ zhī cāo， zé yǐn ér hòu kě zhě yě。 fū yǐn shàng shí gǎo rǎng， xià yǐn huáng quán。 zhòng zǐ suǒ jū zhī shì， bó yí zhī suǒ zhù yǔ？ yì yì dào zhí zhī suǒ zhù yǔ？ suǒ shí zhī sù， bó yí zhī suǒ shù yǔ？ yì yì dào zhí zhī suǒ shù yǔ？ shì wèi kě zhī yě。」 yuē：「shì hé shāng zāi？ bǐ shēn zhī jù、 qī pì lú， yǐ yì zhī yě。」 yuē：「zhòng zǐ， qí zhī shì jiā yě。 xiōng dài， gài lù wàn zhōng。 yǐ xiōng zhī lù wéi bú yì zhī lù ér bù shí yě， yǐ xiōng zhī shì wéi bú yì zhī shì ér bù jū yě， bì xiōng、 lí mǔ， chǔ wū wū líng。 tā rì guī， zé yǒu kuì qí xiōng shēng é zhě， jǐ bīn qī yuē：『è yòng shì yì yì zhě wéi zāi？』 tā rì qí mǔ shā shì é yě， yǔ zhī shí zhī。 qí xiōng zì wài zhì， yuē：『shì yì yì zhī ròu yě。』 chū ér wā zhī。 yǐ mǔ zé bù shí， yǐ qī zé shí zhī； yǐ xiōng zhī shì zé fú jū， yǐ wū líng zé jū zhī。 shì shàng wéi néng chōng qí lèi yě hū？ ruò zhòng zǐ zhě， yǐn ér hòu chōng qí cāo zhě yě。」

Kuang Zhang said to Mencius, 'Is not Chen Zhong a man of true self-denying purity? He was living in Wu Ling, and for three days was without food, till he could neither hear nor see. Over a well there grew a plum-tree, the fruit of which had been more than half eaten by worms. He crawled to it, and tried to eat some of the fruit, when, after swallowing three mouthfuls, he recovered his sight and hearing.' Mencius replied, 'Among the scholars of Qi, I must regard Zhong as the thumb among the fingers. But still, where is the self-denying purity he pretends to? To carry out the principles which he holds, one must become an earthworm, for so only can it be done. Now, an earthworm eats the dry mould above, and drinks the yellow spring below. Was the house in which Zhong dwells built by a Bo Yi? or was it built by a robber like Zhi? Was the millet which he eats planted by a Bo Yi? or was it planted by a robber like Zhi? These are things which cannot be known.' 'But,' said Zhang, 'what does that matter? He himself weaves sandals of hemp, and his wife twists and dresses threads of hemp to sell or exchange them.' Mencius rejoined, 'Zhong belongs to an ancient and noble family of Qi. His elder brother Dai received from Gai a revenue of 10,000 zhong, but he considered his brother's emolument to be unrighteous, and would not eat of it, and in the same way he considered his brother's house to be unrighteous, and would not dwell in it. Avoiding his brother and leaving his mother, he went and dwelt in Wu Ling. One day afterwards, he returned to their house, when it happened that some one sent his brother a present of a live goose. He, knitting his eyebrows, said, "What are you going to use that cackling thing for?" By-and-by his mother killed the goose, and gave him some of it to eat. Just then his brother came into the house, and said, "It is the flesh of that cackling thing," upon which he went out and vomited it. Thus, what his mother gave him he would not eat, but what his wife gives him he eats. He will not dwell in his brother's house, but he dwells in Wu Ling. How can he in such circumstances complete the style of life which he professes? With such principles as Zhong holds, a man must be an earthworm, and then he can carry them out.'