Different Paths to Benevolence
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English translation
Original Chinese text
淳于髡曰:“先名实者,为人也;后名实者,自为也。夫子在三卿之中,名实未加于上下而去之,仁者固如此乎?”孟子曰:“居下位,不以贤事不肖者,伯夷也。五就汤、五就桀者,伊尹也。不恶污君,不辞小官者,柳下惠也。三子者不同道,其趋一也。一者何也?曰仁也。君子亦仁而已矣,何必同?”
English translation
Chunyu Kun said, “Putting reputation and actual achievements first is for others; putting them last is for oneself. You held one of the three highest offices, yet left before your reputation and achievements benefited those above or below you. Is that really how a benevolent person acts?” Mencius replied, “To remain in a low position and refuse to serve an unworthy ruler despite one’s own worth—that was Bo Yi. To go five times to Tang and five times to Jie—that was Yi Yin. Not to disdain a corrupt ruler and not to refuse a minor office—that was Liu Xiahui. Their ways differed, but their aim was one. What was it? Benevolence. A gentleman need only be benevolent; why must everyone act alike?”
Original Chinese text
曰:“鲁缪公之时,公仪子为政,子柳、子思为臣,鲁之削也滋甚。若是乎贤者之无益于国也!”曰:“虞不用百里奚而亡,秦缪公用之而霸。不用贤则亡,削何可得与?”
English translation
Chunyu Kun said, “Under Duke Mu of Lu, Gong Yizi governed, and Ziliu and Zisi served as ministers, yet Lu’s territory kept shrinking. Are worthy men really of no benefit to a state?” Mencius replied, “Yu perished because it did not employ Baili Xi; Qin’s Duke Mu employed him and became a hegemon. A state that fails to employ the worthy will perish—what is a loss of territory compared with that?”
Original Chinese text
曰:“昔者,王豹处于淇,而河西善讴。绵驹处于高唐,而齐右善歌。华周、杞梁之妻,善哭其夫,而变国俗。有诸内,必形诸外。为其事而无其功者,髡未尝睹之也。是故无贤者也;有则髡必识之。”曰:“孔子为鲁司寇,不用,从而祭,燔肉不至,不税冕而行。不知者以为为肉也;其知者以为为无礼也。乃孔子则欲以微罪行,不欲为茍去。君子之所为,众人固不识也。”
English translation
Chunyu Kun said, “When Wang Bao lived by the Qi, people west of the river became skilled singers. When Mian Ju lived at Gaotang, people in western Qi became good singers. The wives of Hua Zhou and Qi Liang were skilled at mourning their husbands, and changed local customs. What is within must show outwardly. I have never seen someone do something without producing its effect. Therefore I think there are no worthy men; if there were, I would surely recognize them.” Mencius replied, “When Confucius served as minister of justice in Lu, his counsel was not adopted. He attended a sacrifice, but the sacrificial meat was not delivered; he left without waiting to remove his ceremonial cap. Those who did not understand thought he left over the meat; those who did understood he left because of discourtesy. Confucius wished to depart on a minor pretext, not to leave arbitrarily. The actions of a gentleman are not readily understood by ordinary people.”