Wan Zhang I · Passage 02 / 09 · 孟子 5A.2

Mencius 5A.2: why Shun married without first informing

Mencius defends Shun not by belittling parents, but by judging that in an extreme case the more basic human relation of marriage must not be altogether blocked.

萬章問曰：「《詩》云：『娶妻如之何？必告父母。』信斯言也，宜莫如舜。舜之不告而娶，何也？」孟子曰：「告則不得娶。男女居室，人之大倫也。如告則廢人之大倫以懟父母，是以不告也。」萬章曰：「舜之不告而娶，則吾既得聞命矣。帝之妻舜而不告，何也？」曰：「帝亦知告焉則不得妻也。」萬章曰：「父母使舜完廩，捐階，瞽瞍焚廩。使浚井，出，從而掩之。象曰：『謨蓋都君咸我績。牛羊父母，倉廩父母，干戈朕，琴朕，弤朕，二嫂使治朕棲。』象往入舜宮，舜在床琴。象曰：『郁陶思君爾。』忸怩。舜曰：『唯茲臣庶，汝其于予治。』不識舜不知象之將殺己與？」曰：「奚而不知也？象憂亦憂，象喜亦喜。」曰：「然則舜偽喜者與？」曰：「否。昔者有饋生魚於鄭子產，子產使校人畜之池。校人烹之，反命曰：『始舍之圉圉焉，少則洋洋焉，攸然而逝。』子產曰：『得其所哉！得其所哉！』校人出，曰：『孰謂子產智？予既烹而食之，曰：「得其所哉！得其所哉！」』故君子可欺以其方，難罔以非其道。彼以愛兄之道來，故誠信而喜之。奚偽焉？」

wàn zhāng wèn yuē：「《shī》 yún：『qǔ qī rú zhī hé？ bì gào fù mǔ。』 xìn sī yán yě， yí mò rú shùn。 shùn zhī bú gào ér qǔ， hé yě？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「gào zé bù dé qǔ。 nán nǚ jū shì， rén zhī dà lún yě。 rú gào zé fèi rén zhī dà lún yǐ duì fù mǔ， shì yǐ bú gào yě。」 wàn zhāng yuē：「shùn zhī bú gào ér qǔ， zé wú jì dé wén mìng yǐ。 dì zhī qī shùn ér bú gào， hé yě？」 yuē：「dì yì zhī gào yān zé bù dé qī yě。」 wàn zhāng yuē：「fù mǔ shǐ shùn wán lǐn， juān jiē， gǔ sǒu fén lǐn。 shǐ jùn jǐng， chū， cóng ér yǎn zhī。 xiàng yuē：『mó gài dōu jūn xián wǒ jì。 niú yáng fù mǔ， cāng lǐn fù mǔ， gān gē zhèn， qín zhèn， dǐ zhèn， èr sǎo shǐ zhì zhèn qī。』 xiàng wǎng rù shùn gōng， shùn zài chuáng qín。 xiàng yuē：『yù táo sī jūn ěr。』 niǔ ní。 shùn yuē：『wéi zī chén shù， rǔ qí yú yǔ zhì。』 bù shí shùn bù zhī xiàng zhī jiāng shā jǐ yǔ？」 yuē：「xī ér bù zhī yě？ xiàng yōu yì yōu， xiàng xǐ yì xǐ。」 yuē：「rán zé shùn wěi xǐ zhě yǔ？」 yuē：「fǒu。 xī zhě yǒu kuì shēng yú wū zhèng zǐ chǎn， zǐ chǎn shǐ xiào rén chù zhī chí。 xiào rén pēng zhī， fǎn mìng yuē：『shǐ shè zhī yǔ yǔ yān， shǎo zé yáng yáng yān， yōu rán ér shì。』 zǐ chǎn yuē：『dé qí suǒ zāi！ dé qí suǒ zāi！』 xiào rén chū， yuē：『shú wèi zǐ chǎn zhì？ yǔ jì pēng ér shí zhī， yuē：「dé qí suǒ zāi！ dé qí suǒ zāi！」』 gù jūn zǐ kě qī yǐ qí fāng， nán wǎng yǐ fēi qí dào。 bǐ yǐ ài xiōng zhī dào lái， gù chéng xìn ér xǐ zhī。 xī wěi yān？」

Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'It is said in the Book of Poetry, "In marrying a wife, how ought a man to proceed? He must inform his parents." If the rule be indeed as here expressed, no man ought to have illustrated it so well as Shun. How was it that Shun's marriage took place without his informing his parents?' Mencius replied, 'If he had informed them, he would not have been able to marry. That male and female should dwell together, is the greatest of human relations. If Shun had informed his parents, he must have made void this greatest of human relations, thereby incurring their resentment. On this account, he did not inform them!' Wan Zhang said, 'As to Shun's marrying without informing his parents, I have heard your instructions; but how was it that the Di Yao gave him his daughters as wives without informing Shun's parents?' Mencius said, 'The Di also knew that if he informed them, he could not marry his daughters to him.' Wan Zhang said, 'His parents set Shun to repair a granary, to which, the ladder having been removed, Gu Sou set fire. They also made him dig a well. He got out, but they, not knowing that, proceeded to cover him up. Xiang said, "Of the scheme to cover up the city-forming prince, the merit is all mine. Let my parents have his oxen and sheep. Let them have his storehouses and granaries. His shield and spear shall be mine. His lute shall be mine. His bow shall be mine. His two wives I shall make attend for me to my bed." Xiang then went away into Shun's palace, and there was Shun on his couch playing on his lute. Xiang said, "I am come simply because I was thinking anxiously about you." At the same time, he blushed deeply. Shun said to him, "There are all my officers - do you undertake the government of them for me." I do not know whether Shun was ignorant of Xiang's wishing to kill him.' Mencius answered, 'How could he be ignorant of that? But when Xiang was sorrowful, he was also sorrowful; when Xiang was joyful, he was also joyful.' Zhang said, 'In that case, then, did not Shun rejoice hypocritically?' Mencius replied, 'No. Formerly, some one sent a present of a live fish to Zi Chan of Zhang. Zi Chan ordered his pond-keeper to keep it in the pond, but that officer cooked it, and reported the execution of his commission, saying, "When I first let it go, it embarrassed. In a little while, it seemed to be somewhat at ease, then it swam away joyfully." Zi Chan observed, "It had got into its element! It had got into its element!" The pond-keeper then went out and said, "Who calls Zi Chan a wise man? After I had cooked and eaten the fish, he says, "It had got into its element! It had got into its element!" Thus a superior man may be imposed on by what seems to be as it ought to be, but he cannot be entrapped by what is contrary to right principle. Xiang came in the way in which the love of his elder brother would have made him come; therefore Shun sincerely believed him, and rejoiced. What hypocrisy was there?'