The Wisdom of Confucius: with Critical and Biographical SketchesConfucius
ReligionEastern
The Wisdom of Confucius: with Critical and Biographical Sketches
Confucius
Ethics -- China; Philosophy, Chinese
Wan Chang said, "Sëang made it his daily business to kill Shun; why
was it that, when the latter was raised to be the son of Heaven, he
only banished him?" Mencius replied, "He invested him with a State,
and some have said that it was banishing him." When Chang said, "Shun
banished the Superintendent of Works to Yëw-chow, sent away Hwan-tow
to Mount Ts‘ung, slew the Prince of San Mëaou in San-wei, and
imprisoned K‘wan on Mount Yu. When those four criminals were thus
dealt with, all under heaven submitted to him; it was a cutting off of
men who were destitute of benevolence. But Sëang was of all men the
most destitute of benevolence, and Shun invested him with the State of
Pe; of what crime had the people of Pe been guilty? Does a benevolent
man really act thus? In the case of other men, he cut them off; in the
case of his brother, he invested him with a State." Mencius replied,
"A benevolent man does not lay up anger, nor cherish resentment
against his brother, but only regards him with affection and love.
Regarding him with affection, he wishes him to enjoy honor; loving
him, he wishes him to be rich. The investing him with Pe was to enrich
and ennoble him. If while Shun himself was emperor, his brother had
been a common man, could he have been said to regard him with
affection and love?"
Wan Chang said, "I venture to ask what is meant by some saying that it
was a banishing of Sëang." Mencius replied, "Sëang could do nothing of
himself in his State. The emperor appointed an officer to manage its
government, and to pay over its revenues to him; and therefore it was
said that it was a banishing of him? How indeed could he be allowed
the means of oppressing the people there? Nevertheless, Shun wished to
be continually seeing him, and therefore he came unceasingly to court,
as is signified in that expression, 'He did not wait for the rendering
of tribute, or affairs of government, to receive the prince of Pe.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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