Mencius
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 1619025558
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Mencius' strikingly contemporary empiricism represented a complete secularization of the spiritualist concepts of governance that had dominated China for over a millenia. He invested the humanist Confucian vision with its inner dimensions by recognizing that the individual is an integral part of a self-generating and harmonious cosmos. He saw all the spiritual depths of that cosmology inside us, and this led to a mystical faith in the inherent nobility of human beings. In his chaotic and war-ravaged times, he was therefore passionate in his defense of the people. Indeed, he advocated a virtual democracy in which a government's legitimacy depended upon the assent of the people. Such is the enduring magic of the Mencian heart— full of compassionate and practical concern for the human condition, and yet so empty that it contains the ten thousand transformations of the entire cosmos.
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to death. You’re feeding humans to animals. Unless the Way of Yang and Mo withers and the Way of Confucius flourishes, twisty words will keep deluding the people and blocking the path of Humanity and Duty. When Humanity and Duty are blocked up, humans are fed to animals. And pretty soon humans will be feeding on humans. I’m heartsick over it all, and so guard the Way of ancient sages. If we resist Yang and Mo, driving their reckless ideas away, those pundits will stop spreading their twisty
deep waters; driving sparrows into them, kestrels serve thickets. And driving the people to them, the tyrants Chieh and Chou likewise served T’ang and Wu. If there were today a single ruler in all beneath Heaven who loved Humanity, the august lords would all serve him by driving the people to him. He may not want to be emperor, but how could he avoid it? “Those who want to be emperor are like people who start searching for three-year-old moxa, hoping to cure a seven-year-old illness. If they
Duty is the road, and Ritual the gate. Only the noble-minded can follow this road, going in and out the gate with ease. The Songs say: Chou’s Way is whetstone smooth, and it’s straight as an arrow: the noble-minded travel upon it; the small-minded gaze upon it.” “When summoned by the sovereign,” said Wan Chang, “Confucius didn’t wait for a carriage to set out. Does that mean Confucius did wrong?” “Confucius had taken office and so had responsibilities,” replied Mencius. “And he was called
grave mistakes, they admonish him. If they have to admonish him over and over, and he still refuses to listen – they replace him.” The emperor blanched at this, so Mencius continued: “Why so surprised? You asked, and I wouldn’t dare be less than honest and forthright with you.” After he’d recovered his color, the emperor asked about ministers from common families, and Mencius said: “If the sovereign is making mistakes, they admonish him. If they have to admonish him over and over, and he still
about human nature.” 3 Master Kao said: “The nature of things means that which is inborn.” “The nature of things means that which is inborn,” repeated Mencius. “Just like white means that which is white?” “Yes.” “So is the whiteness of a white feather the same as the whiteness of white snow? And is the whiteness of white snow the same as the whiteness of white jade?” “Yes.” “Then is the nature of a dog the same as the nature of an ox? And is the nature of an ox the same as the
