Which Matters More: Ritual or Food
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English translation
Original Chinese text
任人有问屋庐子曰:“礼与食孰重?”曰:“礼重。”“色与礼孰重?”曰:“礼重。”曰:“以礼食则饥而死,不以礼食则得食,必以礼乎?亲迎则不得妻,不亲迎则得妻,必亲迎乎?”屋庐子不能对。明日之邹以告孟子。
English translation
A man from Ren asked Wulüzi, “Which is more important, ritual or food?” “Ritual,” he replied. “Which is more important, sexual desire or ritual?” “Ritual.” The man pressed him: “If following ritual means starving while ignoring it lets you obtain food, must you still follow ritual? If personally conducting the wedding welcome means you cannot marry, but skipping it lets you marry, must you conduct it?” Wulüzi could not answer. The next day he went to Zou and told Mencius.
Original Chinese text
孟子曰:“于答是也何有?不揣其本,而齐其末,方寸之木可使高于岑楼。金重于羽者,岂谓一钩金与一舆羽之谓哉?取食之重者与礼之轻者而比之,奚翅食重?取色之重者与礼之轻者而比之,奚翅色重?往应之曰,‘紾兄之臂而夺之食,则得食,不紾,则不得食,则将紾之乎?逾东家墙而搂其处子,则得妻,不搂,则不得妻,则将搂之乎?’”
English translation
Mencius said, “What is difficult about answering this? If one fails to weigh the root and instead levels the branches, even a one-inch piece of wood can be made to seem taller than a tower. Gold is heavier than feathers—but does that mean comparing a hook of gold with a cartload of feathers? Compare the weightiest part of food with the lightest part of ritual, and of course food seems heavier; compare the weightiest aspect of sexual desire with the lightest aspect of ritual, and of course desire seems weightier. Go back and ask him: ‘If twisting your elder brother’s arm would get you food, while not twisting it would leave you hungry, would you do it? If climbing over your neighbor’s wall and embracing his unmarried daughter would get you a wife, while not doing so would leave you without one, would you do it?’”