Why a Gentleman May Decline an Audience
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
公孙丑问曰:“不见诸侯,何义?”
English translation
Gongsun Chou asked, “What is the principle behind refusing to meet the feudal lords?”
Original Chinese text
孟子曰:“古者不为臣不见。段干木逾垣而辟之,泄柳闭门而不纳。是皆已甚;迫,斯可以见矣。阳货欲见孔子,而恶无礼。大夫有赐于士,不得受于其家,则往拜其门。阳货瞰孔子之亡也,而馈孔子蒸豚,孔子亦瞰其亡也而往拜之。当是时,阳货先,岂得不见?曾子曰:‘胁肩谄笑,病于夏畦。’子路曰:‘未同而言,观其色,赧赧然,非由之所知也。’由是观之,则君子之所养,可知已矣。”
English translation
Mencius said, “In antiquity, people did not meet a ruler unless they stood in his service. Duangan Mu climbed over a wall to avoid the Marquis of Wei; Xie Liu shut his gate and would not admit the Duke of Lu. Both went too far. When circumstances press, a meeting is permissible. Yang Huo wanted to see Confucius but disliked discourtesy. When a high officer gave a gift to a gentleman who could not receive it at home, the gentleman went to the officer’s gate to pay his respects. Yang Huo sent Confucius a cooked pig while Confucius was away; Confucius likewise went to pay his respects while Yang Huo was away. Since Yang Huo had made the first gesture, how could Confucius refuse to meet him? Zengzi said, ‘To hunch one’s shoulders and smile ingratiatingly is more painful than laboring in a summer field.’ Zilu said, ‘To speak before a relationship is established, then look at one’s shamefaced expression—that is something I cannot understand.’ From this we can see what a gentleman cultivates.”