Yi Yin and the Way of Service
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English translation
Original Chinese text
万章问曰:“人有言‘伊尹以割烹要汤’,有诸?”孟子曰:“否,不然。伊尹耕于有莘之野,而乐尧舜之道焉。非其义也,非其道也,禄之以天下弗顾也,系马千驷弗视也。非其义也,非其道也,一介不以与人,一介不以取诸人。”
English translation
Wan Zhang asked, “People say Yi Yin sought Tang’s favor by cooking for him. Is that true?” Mencius said, “No, that is not so. Yi Yin farmed in the fields of Youxin and delighted in the Way of Yao and Shun. If something was not righteous or not in accord with the Way, he would not so much as glance at it even if offered the income of the whole realm; nor would he look at four thousand teams of horses. If it was not righteous or in accord with the Way, he would neither give even one small thing to another nor take even one small thing from anyone.”
Original Chinese text
汤使人以币聘之。嚣嚣然曰:“我何以汤之聘币为哉?我岂若处畎亩之中,由是以乐尧舜之道哉?”汤三使往聘之。既而幡然改曰:“与我处畎亩之中,由是以乐尧舜之道,吾岂若使是君为尧舜之君哉?吾岂若使是民为尧舜之民哉?吾岂若于吾身亲见之哉?”
English translation
Tang sent someone with gifts to invite him. Yi Yin said with serene self-possession, “What would I want Tang’s gifts of invitation for? Would it not be better to stay in the fields and delight in the Way of Yao and Shun?” Tang sent envoys three times to invite him. Then Yi Yin suddenly changed his mind and said, “Rather than remain in the fields and delight in the Way of Yao and Shun for myself, would it not be better to make this ruler a ruler like Yao and Shun? Would it not be better to make these people a people like those of Yao and Shun’s age? Would it not be better for me to see such a way of ruling with my own eyes?”
Original Chinese text
天之生此民也,使先知觉后知,使先觉觉后觉也。予,天民之先觉者也。予将以斯道觉斯民也,非予觉之而谁也?思天下之民匹夫匹妇有不被尧舜之泽者,若己推而内之沟中。其自任以天下之重如此,故就汤而说之以伐夏救民。吾未闻枉己而正人者也,况辱己以正天下者乎?
English translation
“Heaven gives birth to these people so that those who know first may awaken those who know later, and those who awaken first may awaken those who awaken later. I am one of Heaven’s people who has awakened first; I will use this Way to awaken these people. If I do not awaken them, who will? If even one ordinary man or woman in the realm does not receive the benefits of Yao and Shun, Yi Yin felt as though he himself had pushed that person into a ditch. He took the weight of the realm upon himself in this way, so he went to Tang and urged him to overthrow Xia and save the people. I have never heard of someone correcting others while bending himself out of shape; how much less could one disgrace oneself in order to set the whole realm right?”
Original Chinese text
圣人之行不同也,或远或近,或去或不去,归洁其身而已矣。我闻其以尧舜之道要汤,未闻以割烹也。《伊训》曰:“天诛造攻自牧宫,朕载自亳。”
English translation
The actions of sages differ: some keep their distance, others draw near; some leave, others stay. In the end, they all preserve their integrity. I have heard that Yi Yin approached Tang with the Way of Yao and Shun, not that he sought favor by cooking. The *Instructions of Yi* says, “Heaven’s punishment began its assault from the Mu Palace; I set out from Bo.”