Wan Zhang I · Passage 06 / 09 · 孟子 5A.6

Mencius 5A.6: why succession is neither mere transfer

Mencius discusses Yao, Shun, and Yu to deny that the realm is private property. Succession must be completed by Heaven and public recognition.

萬章問曰：「人有言『至於禹而德衰，不傳於賢而傳於子』，有諸？」孟子曰：「否然也。天與賢則與賢，天與子則與子。昔者舜薦禹於天，十有七年；舜崩，三年之喪畢，禹避舜之子於陽城；天下之民從之，若堯崩之後不從堯之子而從舜也。禹薦益於天，七年，禹崩，三年之喪畢，益避禹子於箕山之陰；朝覲訟獄者，不之益而之啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』謳歌者不謳歌益而謳歌啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』丹朱之不肖，舜之子亦不肖；舜之相堯、禹之相舜也，歷年多，施澤於民久。啟賢，能敬承繼禹之道；益之相禹也，歷年少，施澤於民未久。舜、禹、益相去久遠，其子之賢不肖皆天也，非人之所能為也。莫之為而為者，天也；莫之致而至者，命也。匹夫而有天下者，德必若舜禹，而又有天子薦之者；故仲尼不有天下。繼世而有天下，天之所廢，必若桀紂者也；故益、伊尹、周公不有天下。伊尹相湯以王於天下，湯崩，太丁未立，外丙二年，仲壬四年。太甲顛覆湯之典刑，伊尹放之於桐三年；太甲悔過，自怨自艾，於桐處仁遷義，三年以聽伊尹之訓己也，復歸于亳。周公之不有天下，猶益之於夏、伊尹之於殷也。孔子曰：『唐虞禪，夏後、殷、周繼，其義一也。』」

wàn zhāng wèn yuē：「rén yǒu yán 『zhì wū yǔ ér dé shuāi， bù chuán wū xián ér chuán wū zǐ』， yǒu zhū？」 mèng zǐ yuē：「fǒu rán yě。 tiān yǔ xián zé yǔ xián， tiān yǔ zǐ zé yǔ zǐ。 xī zhě shùn jiàn yǔ wū tiān， shí yǒu qī nián； shùn bēng， sān nián zhī sāng bì， yǔ bì shùn zhī zǐ wū yáng chéng； tiān xià zhī mín cóng zhī， ruò yáo bēng zhī hòu bù cóng yáo zhī zǐ ér cóng shùn yě。 yǔ jiàn yì wū tiān， qī nián， yǔ bēng， sān nián zhī sāng bì， yì bì yǔ zǐ wū jī shān zhī yīn； cháo jìn sòng yù zhě， bù zhī yì ér zhī qǐ， yuē：『wú jūn zhī zǐ yě。』 ōu gē zhě bù ōu gē yì ér ōu gē qǐ， yuē：『wú jūn zhī zǐ yě。』 dān zhū zhī bú xiào， shùn zhī zǐ yì bú xiào； shùn zhī xiāng yáo、 yǔ zhī xiāng shùn yě， lì nián duō， shī zé wū mín jiǔ。 qǐ xián， néng jìng chéng jì yǔ zhī dào； yì zhī xiāng yǔ yě， lì nián shào， shī zé wū mín wèi jiǔ。 shùn、 yǔ、 yì xiāng qù jiǔ yuǎn， qí zǐ zhī xián bú xiào jiē tiān yě， fēi rén zhī suǒ néng wéi yě。 mò zhī wéi ér wéi zhě， tiān yě； mò zhī zhì ér zhì zhě， mìng yě。 pǐ fū ér yǒu tiān xià zhě， dé bì ruò shùn yǔ， ér yòu yǒu tiān zǐ jiàn zhī zhě； gù zhòng ní bù yǒu tiān xià。 jì shì ér yǒu tiān xià， tiān zhī suǒ fèi， bì ruò jié zhòu zhě yě； gù yì、 yī yǐn、 zhōu gōng bù yǒu tiān xià。 yī yǐn xiāng tāng yǐ wáng wū tiān xià， tāng bēng， tài dīng wèi lì， wài bǐng èr nián， zhòng rén sì nián。 tài jiǎ diān fù tāng zhī diǎn xíng， yī yǐn fàng zhī wū tóng sān nián； tài jiǎ huǐ guò， zì yuàn zì ài， wū tóng chǔ rén qiān yì， sān nián yǐ tīng yī yǐn zhī xùn jǐ yě， fù guī yú bó。 zhōu gōng zhī bù yǒu tiān xià， yóu yì zhī wū xià、 yī yǐn zhī wū yīn yě。 kǒng zǐ yuē：『táng yú shàn， xià hòu、 yīn、 zhōu jì， qí yì yī yě。』」

Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'People say, "When the disposal of the kingdom came to Yu, his virtue was inferior to that of Yao and Shun, and he transmitted it not to the worthiest but to his son." Was it so?' Mencius replied, 'No; it was not so. When Heaven gave the kingdom to the worthiest, it was given to the worthiest. When Heaven gave it to the son of the preceding sovereign, it was given to him. Shun presented Yu to Heaven. Seventeen years elapsed, and Shun died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yu withdrew from the son of Shun to Yang Cheng. The people of the kingdom followed him just as after the death of Yao, instead of following his son, they had followed Shun. Yu presented Yi to Heaven. Seven years elapsed, and Yu died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yi withdrew from the son of Yu to the north of mount Ji. The princes, repairing to court, went not to Yi, but they went to Qi. Litigants did not go to Yi, but they went to Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign;" the singers did not sing Yi, but they sang Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign. That Dan Zhu was not equal to his father, and Shun's son not equal to his; that Shun assisted Yao, and Yu assisted Shun, for many years, conferring benefits on the people for a long time; that thus the length of time during which Shun, Yu, and Yi assisted in the government was so different; that Qi was able, as a man of talents and virtue, reverently to pursue the same course as Yu; that Yi assisted Yu only for a few years, and had not long conferred benefits on the people; that the periods of service of the three were so different; and that the sons were one superior, and the other superior - all this was from Heaven, and what could not be brought about by man. That which is done without man's doing is from Heaven. That which happens without man's causing is from the ordinance of Heaven. In the case of a private individual obtaining the throne, there must be in him virtue equal to that of Shun or Yu; and moreover there must be the presenting of him to Heaven by the preceding sovereign. It was on this account that Confucius did not obtain the throne. When the kingdom is possessed by natural succession, the sovereign who is displaced by Heaven must be like Jie or Zhou. It was on this account that Yi, Yi Yin, and Zhou Gong did not obtain the throne. Yi Yin assisted Tang so that he became sovereign over the kingdom. After the demise of Tang, Tai Ding having died before he could be appointed sovereign, Wai Bing reigned two years, and Zhong Ren four. Tai Jia was then turning upside down the statutes of Tang, when Yi Yin placed him in Tong for three years. There Tai Jia repented of his errors, was contrite, and reformed himself. In Tong be came to dwell in benevolence and walk in righteousness, during those three years, listening to the lessons given to him by Yi Yin. Then Yi Yin again returned with him to Bo. Zhou Gong not getting the throne was like the case of Yi and the throne of Xia, or like that of Yi Yin and the throne of Yin. Confucius said, "Tang and Yu resigned the throne to their worthy ministers. The sovereign of Xia and those of Yin and Zhou transmitted it to their sons. The principle of righteousness was the same in all the cases."'