Mencius. Book 4, Part 1, Chapter 7.
Book 4, Le Low. Part 1.
1. Mencius said, "When right government prevails in the empire, princes of little virtue are submissive to those of great, and those of little worth, to those of great. When bad government prevails in the empire, princes of small power are submissive to those of great, and the weak to the strong. Both these cases are the rule of Heaven. They who accord with Heaven are preserved, and they who rebel against Heaven perish.
2. "Duke King of Ts'e said, 'Not to be able to command others, and at the same time to refuse to receive their commands, is to cut one's self off from all intercourse with others." His tears flowed forth while he gave his daughter to be married to be prince of Woo.
3. "Now the small states imitate the large, and yet are ashamed to receive their commands. This is like a scholar's being ashamed to receive the commands of his master.
4. "For a prince who is ashamed of this, the best plan is to imitate King Wan. Let one imitate King Wan, and in five years, if his state be large, or in seven years, if it be small, he will be sure to give laws to the empire.
5. "It is said in the 'Book of Poetry.'
'The descendants of the emperors of the Shang dynasty
Are in number more than hundreds of thousands;
But, God having passed His decree,
They are all submissive to Chow.
They are submissive to Chow,
Becaue the decree of Heaven is not unchanging.
The officers of Yin, admirable and alert,
Pour out the libations, and assist in the capital of Chow.'
Confucius said, 'As against so benevolent a sovereign, they could not be deemed a multitude.' Thus, if the prince of a state love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire.
6. "Now they wish to have no opponent in all the empire, but they do not seek to attain this by being benevolent. This is like a man laying hold of a heated substance, and not having first wetted his hands. It is said in the 'Book of Poetry,'
'Who can take up a heated substance,
Without wetting his hands?' "
Book 4, Le Low. Part 1.
1. Mencius said, "When right government prevails in the empire, princes of little virtue are submissive to those of great, and those of little worth, to those of great. When bad government prevails in the empire, princes of small power are submissive to those of great, and the weak to the strong. Both these cases are the rule of Heaven. They who accord with Heaven are preserved, and they who rebel against Heaven perish.
2. "Duke King of Ts'e said, 'Not to be able to command others, and at the same time to refuse to receive their commands, is to cut one's self off from all intercourse with others." His tears flowed forth while he gave his daughter to be married to be prince of Woo.
3. "Now the small states imitate the large, and yet are ashamed to receive their commands. This is like a scholar's being ashamed to receive the commands of his master.
4. "For a prince who is ashamed of this, the best plan is to imitate King Wan. Let one imitate King Wan, and in five years, if his state be large, or in seven years, if it be small, he will be sure to give laws to the empire.
5. "It is said in the 'Book of Poetry.'
'The descendants of the emperors of the Shang dynasty
Are in number more than hundreds of thousands;
But, God having passed His decree,
They are all submissive to Chow.
They are submissive to Chow,
Becaue the decree of Heaven is not unchanging.
The officers of Yin, admirable and alert,
Pour out the libations, and assist in the capital of Chow.'
Confucius said, 'As against so benevolent a sovereign, they could not be deemed a multitude.' Thus, if the prince of a state love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire.
6. "Now they wish to have no opponent in all the empire, but they do not seek to attain this by being benevolent. This is like a man laying hold of a heated substance, and not having first wetted his hands. It is said in the 'Book of Poetry,'
'Who can take up a heated substance,
Without wetting his hands?' "
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Text source: The Works of Mencius. Translated by James Legge.
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