Which Matters More: Ritual or Food

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English translation

Original Chinese text

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

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?’”

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