King Hui of Liang, Part Two

樂正子見孟子，曰：「克告於君，君為來見也。嬖人有臧倉者沮君，君是以不果來也。」曰：「行或使之，止或尼之。行止，非人所能也。吾之不遇魯侯，天也。臧氏之子焉能使予不遇哉？」

Yuezheng Zi went to see Mencius and said: "I told the lord, and the lord was going to see you for this. A favorite, Zang Cang, stopped the lord, and so in the end he did not come." Mencius said: "If one goes, perhaps someone urged him on; if one stops, perhaps someone stopped him. Going and stopping are not things a person can determine. That I did not meet the Marquis of Lu is Heaven's doing. How could that Zang fellow make me fail to meet him?"

公孫丑問曰：「夫子當路於齊，管仲、晏子之功，可復許乎？」

Gongsun Chou asked: "If you, Master, held power in Qi, could the achievements of Guan Zhong and Yan Zi be hoped for again?"

孟子曰：「子誠齊人也，知管仲、晏子而已矣。或問乎曾西曰；『吾子與子路孰賢？』曾西蹴然曰：『吾先子之所畏也。』曰：『然則吾子與管仲孰賢？』曾西艴然不悅，曰：『爾何曾比予於管仲？管仲得君，如彼其專也；行乎國政，如彼其久也；功烈，如彼其卑也。爾何曾比予於是？』」曰：「管仲，曾西之所不為也，而子為我願之乎？」

Mencius said: "You are truly a man of Qi, who knows only Guan Zhong and Yan Zi. Someone asked Zeng Xi: 'Who is more worthy, you or Zilu?' Zeng Xi said uneasily: 'He was someone my late father held in awe.' The man asked: 'Then who is more worthy, you or Guan Zhong?' Zeng Xi flushed with displeasure and said: 'How can you actually compare me with Guan Zhong? Guan Zhong gained the confidence of his ruler to such a degree, carried on the government of the state for so long, and yet his achievements were so petty. How can you actually compare me with him?'" Mencius added: "Guan Zhong is someone Zeng Xi did not wish to be; do you think I would wish it?"

曰：「管仲以其君霸，晏子以其君顯。管仲、晏子猶不足為與？」

Gongsun Chou said: "Guan Zhong made his ruler a hegemon, and Yan Zi made his ruler famous. Are Guan Zhong and Yan Zi not worth emulating?"

曰：「以齊王，由反手也。」

Mencius said: "To become king by means of Qi would be as easy as turning over the hand."

曰：「若是，則弟子之惑滋甚。且以文王之德，百年而後崩，猶未洽於天下；武王、周公繼之，然後大行。今言王若易然，則文王不足法與？」

Gongsun Chou said: "If so, your disciple's confusion is all the greater. Moreover, with King Wen's virtue, he lived to a hundred before he died, and still had not saturated the whole world; King Wu and the Duke of Zhou carried on, and only then was it greatly carried out. Now you say that becoming king is as easy as this; then is King Wen not worth taking as a model?"

曰：「文王何可當也？由湯至於武丁，賢聖之君六七作。天下歸殷久矣，久則難變也。武丁朝諸侯有天下，猶運之掌也。紂之去武丁未久也，其故家遺俗，流風善政，猶有存者；又有微子、微仲、王子比干、箕子、膠鬲皆賢人也，相與輔相之，故久而後失之也。尺地莫非其有也，一民莫非其臣也，然而文王猶方百里起，是以難也。齊人有言曰：『雖有智慧，不如乘勢；雖有鎡基，不如待時。』

Mencius said: "How can King Wen be matched? From Tang to Wuding, worthy and sage rulers arose six or seven times. The world had long turned to Yin, and what has lasted long is hard to change. Wuding made the lords come to court and held the world as if turning it in the palm of his hand. Zhou was not far from Wuding in time, and the old families, inherited customs, lingering good influence and fine government were still there; and there were Weizi, Weizhong, Prince Bi Gan, Jizi and Jiao Ge, all worthy men, who together assisted him, and so it was a long time before he lost it. There was not a foot of land that was not his and not a person who was not his subject, yet King Wen rose from a hundred li square; so it was hard. A saying of the people of Qi goes: 'Though you have wisdom, it is not as good as riding the momentum; though you have a hoe, it is not as good as waiting for the season.'

「今時則易然也。夏後、殷、周之盛，地未有過千里者也，而齊有其地矣；雞鳴狗吠相聞，而達乎四境，而齊有其民矣。地不改闢矣，民不改聚矣，行仁政而王，莫之能御也。且王者之不作，未有疏於此時者也；民之憔悴於虐政，未有甚於此時者也。飢者易為食，渴者易為飲。孔子曰：『德之流行，速於置郵而傳命。』當今之時，萬乘之國行仁政，民之悅之，猶解倒懸也。故事半古之人，功必倍之，惟此時為然。」

(Mencius continued:) "But at this time it is easy. At the height of the Xia, Yin and Zhou dynasties, the territory did not exceed a thousand li, and Qi already has such territory; the crowing of cocks and barking of dogs can be heard from one place to another, all the way to the four borders, and Qi already has such a population. The land need not be opened up further, the people need not be gathered further; practice benevolent government and become king, and no one can oppose you. Moreover, the non-appearance of a true king has never been more rare than at this time, and the people have never been more worn down by oppressive government than at this time. Hungry people are easily fed, and thirsty people easily given drink. Confucius said: 'The spread of virtue is faster than the transmission of orders by relay stations.' In this present time, if a state of ten thousand chariots practices benevolent government, the people's delight in it would be like being untied from hanging upside down. So with half the work of the ancients, the results will surely be doubled; only at this time is that so."

公孫丑問曰：「夫子加齊之卿相，得行道焉，雖由此霸王不異矣。如此，則動心否乎？」

Gongsun Chou asked: "If you, Master, were given the post of high minister in Qi and could carry out your Way, it would not be strange even if you thereby accomplished the work of a hegemon or king. If so, would your mind be moved?"

孟子曰：「否。我四十不動心。」

Mencius said: "No. At forty, my mind was not moved."

曰：「若是，則夫子過孟賁遠矣。」

Gongsun Chou said: "If so, you, Master, surpass Meng Ben by far."

曰：「是不難，告子先我不動心。」

Mencius said: "This is not difficult; Gaozi had an unmoved mind before me."

曰：「不動心有道乎？」

Gongsun Chou said: "Is there a method for an unmoved mind?"

曰：「有。北宮黝之養勇也，不膚撓，不目逃，思以一豪挫於人，若撻之於市朝。不受於褐寬博，亦不受於萬乘之君。視刺萬乘之君，若刺褐夫。無嚴諸侯。惡聲至，必反之。孟施捨之所養勇也，曰：『視不勝猶勝也。量敵而後進，慮勝而後會，是畏三軍者也。舍豈能為必勝哉？能無懼而已矣。』孟施捨似曾子，北宮黝似子夏。夫二子之勇，未知其孰賢，然而孟施捨守約也。昔者曾子謂子襄曰：『子好勇乎？吾嘗聞大勇於夫子矣：自反而不縮，雖褐寬博，吾不惴焉；自反而縮，雖千萬人，吾往矣。』孟施捨之守氣，又不如曾子之守約也。」

Mencius said: "There is. Bei Gong You cultivated courage: he did not flinch when his skin was pricked, and did not look away when his eyes were poked; he thought that to be insulted by even a single hair was like being whipped in the marketplace or at court. He would not take insult from a man in coarse wide robes, nor from a ruler of ten thousand chariots. To him, stabbing a ruler of ten thousand chariots was like stabbing a man in rough clothes. There was no feudal lord he feared. If a harsh word came to him, he surely hit back. Meng Shishe cultivated courage, saying: 'I regard not being able to win the same as being able to win. To advance only after estimating the enemy, to fight only after considering whether I can win, is to be afraid of the three armies. How can She be sure of victory? He can only be without fear.' Meng Shishe resembled Zengzi, and Bei Gong You resembled Zixia. I do not know which of these two men's courage is better, but Meng Shishe holds to what is essential. Formerly Zengzi said to Zixiang: 'Do you like courage? I once heard about great courage from the Master: if on examining myself I am not in the right, then even if it is a man in coarse wide robes I will not intimidate him; if on examining myself I am in the right, then though there be tens of thousands of men, I will go against them.' What Meng Shishe holds to is qi, which again is not as good as what Zengzi holds to, which is the essential.""

曰：「敢問夫子之不動心，與告子之不動心，可得聞與？」

Gongsun Chou said: "May I ask whether I can hear about the Master's unmoved mind and Gaozi's unmoved mind?""

「告子曰：『不得於言，勿求於心；不得於心，勿求於氣。』不得於心，勿求於氣，可；不得於言，勿求於心，不可。夫志，氣之帥也；氣，體之充也。夫志至焉，氣次焉。故曰：『持其志，無暴其氣。』」

(Mencius said:) "Gaozi said: 'If you do not get it in words, do not seek it in the mind; if you do not get it in the mind, do not seek it in qi.' If you do not get it in the mind, do not seek it in qi: that is acceptable. If you do not get it in words, do not seek it in the mind: that is not acceptable. Will is the commander of qi; qi is what fills the body. Where the will goes, qi follows. So I say: 'Hold fast your will, and do not disorder your qi.'""

「既曰『志至焉，氣次焉』，又曰『持其志無暴其氣』者，何也？」

(Gongsun Chou asked:) "You said both 'Where the will goes, qi follows,' and 'Hold fast your will, and do not disorder your qi.' Why?""

曰：「志壹則動氣，氣壹則動志也。今夫蹶者趨者，是氣也，而反動其心。」

Mencius said: "When the will is concentrated, it moves qi; when qi is concentrated, it moves the will. Now one who stumbles or runs, that is qi, yet it in turn moves his mind.""

「敢問夫子惡乎長？」

(Gongsun Chou asked:) "May I ask what the Master is good at?""

曰：「我知言，我善養吾浩然之氣。」

Mencius said: "I understand words, and I am good at cultivating my flood-like qi (a qi that is utterly great and utterly firm, matched with righteousness and the Way).""

「敢問何謂浩然之氣？」

(Gongsun Chou asked:) "May I ask what is called flood-like qi?""

曰：「難言也。其為氣也，至大至剛，以直養而無害，則塞於天地之閒。其為氣也，配義與道；無是，餒也。是集義所生者，非義襲而取之也。行有不慊於心，則餒矣。我故曰，告子未嘗知義，以其外之也。必有事焉而勿正，心勿忘，勿助長也。無若宋人然：宋人有閔其苗之不長而揠之者，芒芒然歸。謂其人曰：『今日病矣，予助苗長矣。』其子趨而往視之，苗則槁矣。天下之不助苗長者寡矣。以為無益而舍之者，不耘苗者也；助之長者，揠苗者也。非徒無益，而又害之。」

Mencius said: "It is hard to say. As qi, it is utterly great and utterly firm; if it is cultivated with uprightness and not harmed, it fills the space between heaven and earth. As qi, it is matched with righteousness and the Way; without these, it shrivels. It is born from the accumulation of righteousness, not seized by a sudden raid of righteousness from outside. If an act leaves the heart uneasy, it shrivels. This is why I say Gaozi never understood righteousness, because he regarded it as external. One must work at it without expecting results, not forgetting it in the heart, and not helping it grow. Do not be like the man of Song: there was a man of Song who, grieved that his seedlings did not grow, pulled them up, and came home worn out. He said to his family: 'I am exhausted today; I helped the seedlings grow.' His son ran to look, and the seedlings had withered. Few in the world do not 'help the seedlings grow.' Those who think it is useless and give up are those who do not weed the seedlings; those who help them grow are those who pull up the seedlings. They not only gain nothing, but harm them.""

「何謂知言？」

(Gongsun Chou asked:) "What is meant by understanding words?""

曰：「詖辭知其所蔽，淫辭知其所陷，邪辭知其所離，遁辭知其所窮。生於其心，害於其政；發於其政，害於其事。聖人復起，必從吾言矣。」

Mencius said: "From a one-sided statement I know what it conceals; from an excessive statement I know what it sinks into; from a depraved statement I know where it has strayed; from an evasive statement I know where it is at its wits' end. Arising in the heart, it harms government; issuing from government, it harms affairs. If a sage were to arise again, he would surely agree with my words.""

「宰我、子貢善為說辭，冉牛、閔子、顏淵善言德行。孔子兼之，曰：『我於辭命則不能也。』然則夫子既聖矣乎？」

(Gongsun Chou said:) "Zai Wo and Zigong were good at speech, and Ran Niu, Min Zi and Yan Yuan were good at talking about virtuous conduct. Confucius had all of these, yet said: 'In the matter of speeches and commissions, I am not able.' Then is the Master already a sage?""

曰：「惡！是何言也？昔者子貢、問於孔子曰：『夫子聖矣乎？』孔子曰：『聖則吾不能，我學不厭而教不倦也。』子貢曰：『學不厭，智也；教不倦，仁也。仁且智，夫子既聖矣！』夫聖，孔子不居，是何言也？」

Mencius said: "Ah! What kind of talk is that? Formerly Zigong asked Confucius: 'Master, are you a sage?' Confucius said: 'As to being a sage, I am not able; I learn without being satisfied and teach without tiring.' Zigong said: 'To learn without being satisfied is wisdom; to teach without tiring is humaneness. Being both humane and wise, the Master is already a sage!' Confucius himself would not claim to be a sage; what kind of talk is that?""

「昔者竊聞之：子夏、子游、子張皆有聖人之一體，冉牛、閔子、顏淵則具體而微。敢問所安。」

(Gongsun Chou said:) "Formerly I heard it privately said: Zixia, Ziyou and Zizhang each had one part of a sage, while Ran Niu, Min Zi and Yan Yuan had the whole but in smaller scale. May I ask which of these the Master is comfortable with?""

曰：「姑舍是。」

Mencius said: "Let us put that aside for now.""

曰：「伯夷、伊尹何如？」

Gongsun Chou said: "What about Bo Yi and Yi Yin?""

曰：「不同道。非其君不事，非其民不使；治則進，亂則退，伯夷也。何事非君，何使非民；治亦進，亂亦進，伊尹也。可以仕則仕，可以止則止，可以久則久，可以速則速，孔子也。皆古聖人也，吾未能有行焉；乃所願，則學孔子也。」

Mencius said: "They did not follow the same way. If it was not a ruler he approved, he would not serve him; if it was not a people he approved, he would not employ them; he advanced in a well-ordered age and withdrew in a disordered one: that was Bo Yi. 'Which ruler cannot be served and which people cannot be employed?' He advanced in a well-ordered age and also advanced in a disordered one: that was Yi Yin. When it was fitting to serve, he served; when it was fitting to stop, he stopped; when it was fitting to stay long, he stayed long; when it was fitting to leave quickly, he left quickly: that was Confucius. All were sages of old, and I have not been able to practice any of them; but as for what I wish for, it is to learn from Confucius.""

「伯夷、伊尹於孔子，若是班乎？」

(Gongsun Chou asked:) "Are Bo Yi and Yi Yin on a par with Confucius?""

曰：「否。自有生民以來，未有孔子也。」

Mencius said: "No. Since the birth of mankind, there has never been one like Confucius.""

曰：「然則有同與？」

Gongsun Chou said: "Then do they have anything in common?""

曰：「有。得百里之地而君之，皆能以朝諸侯有天下。行一不義、殺一不辜而得天下，皆不為也。是則同。」

Mencius said: "Yes. If they obtained a hundred li of land and became rulers, they could all make the feudal lords come to court and hold the world. To do one unrighteous deed or kill one innocent person in order to gain the world, none of them would do. That is what they have in common.""

曰：「敢問其所以異？」

Gongsun Chou said: "May I ask about how they differ?""

曰：「宰我、子貢、有若智足以知聖人。汙，不至阿其所好。宰我曰：『以予觀於夫子，賢於堯舜遠矣。』子貢曰：『見其禮而知其政，聞其樂而知其德。由百世之後，等百世之王，莫之能違也。自生民以來，未有夫子也。』有若曰：『豈惟民哉？麒麟之於走獸，鳳凰之於飛鳥，太山之於丘垤，河海之於行潦，類也。聖人之於民，亦類也。出於其類，拔乎其萃，自生民以來，未有盛於孔子也。』」

Mencius said: "Zai Wo, Zigong and You Ruo had wisdom enough to understand the sage. Even if they were not above reproach, they would not have flattered those they liked. Zai Wo said: 'Judging by the Master, he is far worthier than Yao and Shun.' Zigong said: 'Seeing his rites, one knows his government; hearing his music, one knows his virtue. From a hundred generations afterward, looking back over the kings of a hundred generations, none can depart from him. Since the birth of mankind, there has never been one like the Master.' You Ruo said: 'Is it only among people that this is so? The qilin among the beasts, the phoenix among the birds, Mount Tai among the mounds, the rivers and seas among roadside puddles, are the same kind. The sage among the people is also the same kind. Rising above his kind, standing out from his crowd, since the birth of mankind there has been none more flourishing than Confucius.'""

孟子曰：「以力假仁者霸，霸必有大國，以德行仁者王，王不待大。湯以七十里，文王以百里。以力服人者，非心服也，力不贍也；以德服人者，中心悅而誠服也，如七十子之服孔子也。《詩》云：『自西自東，自南自北，無思不服。』此之謂也。」

Mencius said: "One who uses force to borrow the name of humaneness is a hegemon, and a hegemon must have a great state; one who uses virtue to practice humaneness is a king, and a king need not wait for large territory. Tang had only seventy li, King Wen only a hundred li. When people are made to submit by force, their hearts do not submit; their strength is simply insufficient; when people are made to submit by virtue, they are glad in their hearts and sincerely submit, as the seventy disciples submitted to Confucius. The Book of Odes (Greater Odes, 'King Wen's Fame') says: 'From the west and from the east, from the south and from the north, none thought of not submitting.' This is what is meant.""

孟子曰：「仁則榮，不仁則辱。今惡辱而居不仁，是猶惡溼而居下也。如惡之，莫如貴德而尊士，賢者在位，能者在職。國家閒暇，及是時明其政刑。雖大國，必畏之矣。《詩》云：『迨天之未陰雨，徹彼桑土，綢繆牖戶。今此下民，或敢侮予？』孔子曰：『為此詩者，其知道乎！能治其國家，誰敢侮之？』今國家閒暇，及是時般樂怠敖，是自求禍也。禍褔無不自己求之者。《詩》云：『永言配命，自求多褔。』《太甲》曰：『天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可活。』此之謂也。」

Mencius said: "Practice humaneness and there is glory; be without humaneness and there is disgrace. Now people hate disgrace yet dwell in inhumaneness, like hating dampness and yet living in a low place. If one hates this, it is better to value virtue and honor scholars, with the worthy in position and the capable in office. When the state has leisure, take that time to clarify its government and punishments. Even a great state will surely be in awe. The Book of Odes (Odes of Bin, 'The Owl') says: 'Before the sky has turned cloudy and rainy, I strip the bark from the mulberry roots and bind my door and window firmly. Now these people below, who dares insult me?' Confucius said: 'The one who made this poem perhaps knew the Way! One who can govern his state, who dares to insult him?' Now when the state has leisure and one takes the time for ease and indolence, it is seeking calamity for oneself. There is no calamity or blessing that people do not seek for themselves. The Book of Odes (Greater Odes, 'King Wen') says: 'Always think of being matched to Heaven's mandate, and seek many blessings yourself.' The Book of Documents (Taijia) says: 'Misfortune brought by Heaven can still be avoided; misfortune brought by oneself cannot be survived.' This is what is meant.""

孟子曰：「尊賢使能，俊傑在位，則天下之士皆悅而願立於其朝矣。市廛而不徵，法而不廛，則天下之商皆悅而願藏於其市矣。關譏而不徵，則天下之旅皆悅而願出於其路矣。耕者助而不稅，則天下之農皆悅而願耕於其野矣。廛無夫裡之布，則天下之民皆悅而願為之氓矣。信能行此五者，則鄰國之民仰之若父母矣。率其子弟，攻其父母，自生民以來，未有能濟者也。如此，則無敵於天下。無敵於天下者，天吏也。然而不王者，未之有也。」

Mencius said: "Honor the worthy and employ the able, with outstanding men in position, and the scholars of the world will be glad and wish to stand in his court. In the marketplace provide buildings without levying tax, and buy up unsold goods by law so that they do not pile up, and the merchants of the world will be glad and wish to store their goods in his market. At the passes, inspect without levying duty, and the travelers of the world will be glad and wish to go by his roads. Let the farmers help cultivate the public field without taxing them further, and the farmers of the world will be glad and wish to till his fields. Do not collect labor-cloth or village-cloth from residences, and the people of the world will be glad and wish to be his people. If he can truly practice these five, the people of neighboring states will look up to him like parents. To lead sons and younger brothers to attack their parents has never succeeded since the birth of mankind. In this way he will be without rival in the world. One who is without rival in the world is an officer of Heaven. That one so should not become king has never happened.""

孟子曰：「人皆有不忍人之心。先王有不忍人之心，斯有不忍人之政矣。以不忍人之心，行不忍人之政，治天下可運之掌上。所以謂人皆有不忍人之心者，今人乍見孺子將入於井，皆有怵惕惻隱之心。非所以內交於孺子之父母也，非所以要譽於鄉黨朋友也，非惡其聲而然也。由是觀之，無惻隱之心，非人也；無羞惡之心，非人也；無辭讓之心，非人也；無是非之心，非人也。惻隱之心，仁之端也；羞惡之心，義之端也；辭讓之心，禮之端也；是非之心，智之端也。人之有是四端也，猶其有四體也。有是四端而自謂不能者，自賊者也；謂其君不能者，賊其君者也。凡有四端於我者，知皆擴而充之矣，若火之始然，泉之始達。苟能充之，足以保四海；苟不充之，不足以事父母。」

Mencius said: "All people have a heart that cannot bear to see others suffer. The former kings had a heart that could not bear others' suffering, and therefore had a government that could not bear others' suffering. Using a heart that cannot bear others' suffering to carry out a government that cannot bear others' suffering, governing the world can be turned in the palm of the hand. Why do I say that all people have a heart that cannot bear others' suffering? Suppose someone suddenly sees a small child about to fall into a well; all would have a feeling of alarm and compassion. It would not be in order to curry favor with the child's parents, nor to seek praise among neighbors and friends, nor because of disliking the sound of its crying. From this we see: one without a heart of compassion is not human; one without a heart of shame and dislike is not human; one without a heart of courtesy and yielding is not human; one without a heart of right and wrong is not human. The heart of compassion is the beginning of humaneness; the heart of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the heart of courtesy and yielding is the beginning of propriety; the heart of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom. People have these four beginnings as they have four limbs. One who has these four beginnings yet says he cannot do it is robbing himself; one who says his ruler cannot do it is robbing his ruler. All who have these four beginnings in themselves, if they know to expand them all, will be like a fire beginning to burn and a spring beginning to flow. If one can expand them, they are enough to secure the four seas; if one cannot expand them, they are not even enough to serve one's parents.""

孟子曰：「矢人豈不仁於函人哉？矢人唯恐不傷人，函人唯恐傷人。巫匠亦然，故術不可不慎也。孔子曰：『里仁為美。擇不處仁，焉得智？』夫仁，天之尊爵也，人之安宅也。莫之御而不仁，是不智也。不仁、不智、無禮、無義，人役也。人役而恥為役，由弓人而恥為弓，矢人而恥為矢也。如恥之，莫如為仁。仁者如射，射者正己而後發。發而不中，不怨勝己者，反求諸己而已矣。」

Mencius said: "Is the arrow-maker less humane than the armor-maker? The arrow-maker fears only that he will not harm people, and the armor-maker fears only that people will be harmed. The same is true of shamans and coffin-makers, so one must be careful in choosing one's craft. Confucius said: 'Living among the humane is beautiful. If one chooses a dwelling and does not settle in humaneness, how can one be called wise?' Humaneness is Heaven's most honorable rank and a person's peaceful dwelling. To be without anyone to oppose you and yet not be humane is unwise. Without humaneness, wisdom, propriety and righteousness, one is made a servant of others. To be a servant and be ashamed of being a servant is like a bow-maker being ashamed of making bows or an arrow-maker being ashamed of making arrows. If one is ashamed of it, it is better to practice humaneness. The humane person is like an archer: the archer first rectifies himself and then releases. If he releases and does not hit, he does not resent one who beats him, but simply turns back and seeks the cause in himself.""

孟子曰：「子路，人告之以有過則喜。禹聞善言則拜。大舜有大焉，善與人同。捨己從人，樂取於人以為善。自耕、稼、陶、漁以至為帝，無非取於人者。取諸人以為善，是與人為善者也。故君子莫大乎與人為善。」

Mencius said: "Zilu was pleased when others told him he had faults. Yu bowed when he heard a good word. The great Shun had something even greater: he shared goodness with others. He gave up his own view and followed others, and delighted in taking from others to do good. From farming, planting, making pottery and fishing, up to being emperor, there was nothing he did not take from others. To take from others in order to do good is to do good together with them. So there is nothing greater for the gentleman than to do good together with others.""

孟子曰：「伯夷，非其君不事，非其友不友。不立於惡人之朝，不與惡人言。立於惡人之朝，與惡人言，如以朝衣朝冠坐於塗炭。推惡惡之心，思與鄉人立，其冠不正，望望然去之，若將浼焉。是故諸侯雖有善其辭命而至者，不受也。不受也者，是亦不屑就已。柳下惠，不羞汙君，不卑小官。進不隱賢，必以其道。遺佚而不怨，阨窮而不憫。故曰：『爾為爾，我為我，雖袒裼裸裎於我側，爾焉能浼我哉？』故由由然與之偕而不自失焉，援而止之而止。援而止之而止者，是亦不屑去已。」

Mencius said: "Bo Yi would not serve a ruler he did not approve of, nor befriend a friend he did not approve of. He would not stand in the court of an evil person nor speak with an evil person. To stand in the court of an evil person and speak with an evil person would be like sitting in court robes and cap in mud and ashes. Extending his dislike of evil, he thought that if he stood beside a village man whose cap was not straight, he would leave at once with a stare, as if about to be defiled. So even when a feudal lord came with beautifully worded messages, he would not accept them. His not accepting was also a way of disdaining to draw near. Liuxia Hui was not ashamed to serve a corrupt ruler, nor did he think a minor post beneath him. When employed, he did not hide his worth, and always followed his Way. When cast aside he did not resent it, and in poverty he was not worried. So he said: 'You are you and I am I; even if you stood beside me with your chest bare and body exposed, how could you defile me?' So he was at ease in company without losing himself, and when pulled back and asked to stay, he stayed. His staying when pulled back was also a way of disdaining to leave.""

孟子曰：「伯夷隘，柳下惠不恭。隘與不恭，君子不由也。」

Mencius said: "Bo Yi was narrow, and Liuxia Hui was not respectful. The gentleman does not follow either narrowness or lack of respect.""