Wan Zhang I · Passage 01 / 09 · 孟子 5A.1

Mencius 5A.1: why describe Shun's crying as grieving

Mencius explains Shun's weeping as grievous longing, not simple resentment: even while wounded.

萬章問曰：「舜往于田，號泣于旻天。何為其號泣也？」孟子曰：「怨慕也。」萬章曰：「父母愛之，喜而不忘；父母惡之，勞而不怨。然則舜怨乎？」曰：「長息問於公明高曰：『舜往于田，則吾既得聞命矣；號泣于旻天、于父母，則吾不知也。』公明高曰：『是非爾所知也。』夫公明高以孝子之心為不若是恝。『我竭力耕田，共為子職而已矣；父母之不我愛，於我何哉？』帝使其子九男二女，百官牛羊倉廩備，以事舜於畎畝之中。天下之士多就之者，帝將胥天下而遷之焉。為不順於父母，如窮人無所歸。天下之士悅之，人之所欲也，而不足以解憂。好色，人之所欲；妻帝之二女，而不足以解憂。富，人之所欲；富有天下，而不足以解憂。貴，人之所欲；貴為天子，而不足以解憂。人悅之、好色、富貴無足以解憂者，惟順於父母，可以解憂。人少則慕父母，知好色則慕少艾，有妻子則慕妻子，仕則慕君，不得於君則熱中。大孝終身慕父母，五十而慕者，予於大舜見之矣。」

wàn zhāng wèn yuē：「shùn wǎng yú tián， hào qì yú mín tiān。 hé wéi qí hào qì yě？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「yuàn mù yě。」 wàn zhāng yuē：「fù mǔ ài zhī， xǐ ér bú wàng； fù mǔ è zhī， láo ér bú yuàn。 rán zé shùn yuàn hū？」 yuē：「cháng xī wèn wū gōng míng gāo yuē：『shùn wǎng yú tián， zé wú jì dé wén mìng yǐ； hào qì yú mín tiān、 yú fù mǔ， zé wú bù zhī yě。』 gōng míng gāo yuē：『shì fēi ěr suǒ zhī yě。』 fū gōng míng gāo yǐ xiào zǐ zhī xīn wéi bú ruò shì jiá。『wǒ jié lì gēng tián， gòng wéi zǐ zhí ér yǐ yǐ； fù mǔ zhī bù wǒ ài， wū wǒ hé zāi？』 dì shǐ qí zǐ jiǔ nán èr nǚ， bǎi guān niú yáng cāng lǐn bèi， yǐ shì shùn wū quǎn mǔ zhī zhōng。 tiān xià zhī shì duō jiù zhī zhě， dì jiāng xū tiān xià ér qiān zhī yān。 wéi bú shùn wū fù mǔ， rú qióng rén wú suǒ guī。 tiān xià zhī shì yuè zhī， rén zhī suǒ yù yě， ér bù zú yǐ jiě yōu。 hào sè， rén zhī suǒ yù； qī dì zhī èr nǚ， ér bù zú yǐ jiě yōu。 fù， rén zhī suǒ yù； fù yǒu tiān xià， ér bù zú yǐ jiě yōu。 guì， rén zhī suǒ yù； guì wéi tiān zǐ， ér bù zú yǐ jiě yōu。 rén yuè zhī、 hào sè、 fù guì wú zú yǐ jiě yōu zhě， wéi shùn wū fù mǔ， kě yǐ jiě yōu。 rén shǎo zé mù fù mǔ， zhī hào sè zé mù shǎo ài， yǒu qī zǐ zé mù qī zǐ， shì zé mù jūn， bù dé wū jūn zé rè zhōng。 dà xiào zhōng shēn mù fù mǔ， wǔ shí ér mù zhě， yǔ wū dà shùn jiàn zhī yǐ。」

Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'When Shun went into the fields, he cried out and wept towards the pitying heavens. Why did he cry out and weep?' Mencius replied, 'He was dissatisfied, and full of earnest desire.' Wan Zhang said, 'When his parents love him, a son rejoices and forgets them not. When his parents hate him, though they punish him, he does not murmur. Was Shun then murmuring against his parents?' Mencius answered, 'Chang Xi asked Gong Ming Gao, saying, "As to Shun's going into the fields, I have received your instructions, but I do not know about his weeping and crying out to the pitying heavens and to his parents." Gong Ming Gao answered him, "You do not understand that matter." Now, Gong Ming Gao supposed that the heart of the filial son could not be so free of sorrow. Shun would say, "I exert my strength to cultivate the fields, but I am thereby only discharging my office as a son. What can there be in me that my parents do not love me?" The Di caused his own children, nine sons and two daughters, the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared, to serve Shun amid the channelled fields. Of the scholars of the kingdom there were multitudes who flocked to him. The sovereign designed that Shun should superintend the kingdom along with him, and then to transfer it to him entirely. But because his parents were not in accord with him, he felt like a poor man who has nowhere to turn to. To be delighted in by all the scholars of the kingdom, is what men desire, but it was not sufficient to remove the sorrow of Shun. The possession of beauty is what men desire, and Shun had for his wives the two daughters of the Di, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Riches are what men desire, and the kingdom was the rich property of Shun, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Honours are what men desire, and Shun had the dignity of being sovereign, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. The reason why the being the object of men's delight, with the possession of beauty, riches, and honours were not sufficient to remove his sorrow, was that it could be removed only by his getting his parents to be in accord with him. The desire of the child is towards his father and mother. When he becomes conscious of the attractions of beauty, his desire is towards young and beautiful women. When he comes to have a wife and children, his desire is towards them. When he obtains office, his desire is towards his sovereign - if he cannot get the regard of his sovereign, he burns within. But the man of great filial piety, to the end of his life, has his desire towards his parents. In the great Shun I see the case of one whose desire at fifty year's was towards them.'