“The King of Chi once offered thee a present and thou declinedst it, but didst accept gifts offered at Sung and at Hsieh.  Why this inconsistency?  If it were right to refuse in the first case it was equally right to refuse in the other two.  If it were right to accept in the latter two cases, it was equally right to accept in the first case.”  The philosopher answered, “I acted rightly and consistently.  The gifts at Sung were to provide me with what was needed for a long journey which I was about to undertake.  Why should I refuse such gifts when needed?  At Hsieh I was in some personal danger and needed help to procure the means of self-defence.  The gifts were to enable me to procure arms.  Why should I have refused such needed help?  But at Chi I needed no money, and therefore refused it when offered, for to accept money when it is not needed is to accept a bribe.  Why should I take such money?”

WRONG CONDUCT SHOULD BE ENDED AT ONCE

A distinguished officer of Sung, called Tai Ying-chib, called upon Mencius and said, “I am unable as yet to dispense with the tax on goods and the duties charged at the frontier passes and in the markets, though this is a right and proper thing to do.  But it is my intention, until the next year, to lighten the tax and the duties, and then next year I shall remove them altogether.”  The philosopher replied, “Here is a man who daily steals a score of his neighbour’s fowls.  Someone remonstrates, and, feeling that he is guilty of acting dishonestly, he says, ’I know that this stealing is wrong, but in the future I shall be content with stealing one fowl a month.  But next year I will stop stealing fowls altogether.’  If,” continued Mencius, “this task and these duties are, as you admit, wrong, end them at once.  Why should you wait a year?”

THE INHERENT GOODNESS OF HUMAN NATURE

Kao Tzu said to Mencius, “Human nature resembles running water, which flows east or west according as it can find an outlet.  So human nature is inclined equally to what is good and to what is bad.”  “It is true,” answered Mencius, “that water will flow indifferently to the east or to the west.  But it will not flow indifferently up or down; it can only flow down.  The tendency of human nature is towards what is good, as that of water is to flow downwards.  One may, indeed, by splashing water, make it spurt upwards, but that is forcing it against its true character.  Even so, when a man becomes prone to what is evil it is because his Heaven-implanted nature has been diverted from its true bent.”

PEOPLE FIRST, KINGS LAST

“The people,” said Mencius, “are first in importance; next come the gods.  The kings are last and least.”

EVERY MAN SHOULD ACCEPT HIS LOT

Mencius said, “Every man’s lot is fixed for him, and it is a proof of wisdom to accept it uncomplainingly.  He who does this faces misfortune and even death unmoved.”