This is an essay on the nature of heaven written by the Warring States era Confucian scholar Xun Zi (300-230 BCE), taken from the book of the same name. In the essay, Xun zi criticizes those who see Heaven as a deterministic force that controls the outcome of events. He argues that the outcome of events is determined solely by the acts of men. Heaven (or nature) operates on consistent principles - such as the regular cycle of the four seasons - and if man makes use of his knowledge of these principles he can control his world. This is part 2 of 2 as partitioned in this weblog.

Text source: http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/index.html

Reference: 王忠林. 新譯荀子讀本. Taipei: 三民書局, 1978.

楚王後車千乘，非知也；君子啜菽飲水，非愚也；是節然也。若夫志意脩，德行厚，知慮明，生於今而志乎古，則是其在我者也。故君子敬其在己者，而不慕其在天者；小人錯其在己者，而慕其在天者。君子敬其在己者，而不慕其在天者，是以日進也；小人錯其在己者，而慕其在天者，是以日退也。故君子之所以日進，與小人之所以日退，一也。君子小人之所以相縣者，在此耳。

The King of Chu is followed by a thousand chariots, but this is not because he is wise. The superior man eats a simple diet of beans and water, but this is not because he is foolish. These are coincidences. As for the the will to cultivate one’s self: be strong in virtue, have the clarity of wisdom, live in the present and set your will on the old ways – this is what the self can control. Therefore, the superior man is respectfully attentive to his self, and does not ponder heaven. The lesser man abandons the matters of his self, and ponders heaven, degenerating day by day. The superior man’s progression and the lesser man’s degeneration share the same reason[their relationship with self and heaven](1). It is here that the distance between the superior man and the lesser man is found.

(1) Literally: “Therefore the superior man progressing everyday and the lesser man degenerating everday is ‘one’.”

星隊木鳴，國人皆恐。曰：是何也？曰：無何也！是天地之變，陰陽之化，物之罕至者也。怪之，可也；而畏之，非也。夫日月之有蝕，風雨之不時，怪星之黨見，是無世而不常有之。上明而政平，則是雖並世起，無傷也；上闇而政險，則是雖無一至者，無益也。夫星之隊，木之鳴，是天地之變，陰陽之化，物之罕至者也；怪之，可也；而畏之，非也。

Stars fall and wood cries out, causing the people to fear. I say: What is this? I say: It’s nothing! These are the changes of the world, fluctuations in yin and yang. It’s simply rarely occurring physical phenomena. To think it strange is acceptable, but to fear it is not. The eclipses of the sun and the moon, the unpredictable wind and rains, the occasional sighting of a strange star, there is not a generation that does not often see these things. If the leadership is enlightened and the policies are fair, then even if several of these phenomena occur, there will be no harm. If the leadership is lost in the dark and the policies lead to disaster, then even if none of these phenomena occur, there will be no benefit. The falling of stars, the crying of wood, these are the changes of the world, the fluctuations of yin and yang. It’s simply rarely occurring physical phenomena. To think it strange is acceptable, but to be fear it is not.

物之已至者，人祆則可畏也：楛耕傷稼，楛耨失歲，政險失民；田薉稼惡，糴貴民飢，道路有死人：夫是之謂人祆。政令不明，舉錯不時，本事不理，勉力不時，則牛馬相生，六畜作祆：夫是之謂人祆。禮義不脩，內外無別，男女淫亂，則父子相疑，上下乖離，寇難並至：夫是之謂人祆。祆是生於亂。三者錯，無安國。其說甚爾，其菑甚慘。勉力不時，則牛馬相生，六畜作祆，可怪也，而亦可畏也。傳曰：“萬物之怪書不說。”無用之辯，不急之察，棄而不治。若夫君臣之義，父子之親，夫婦之別，則日切瑳而不舍也。

Of the things that do occur, the abnormal behavior of men can be feared. A poor job of plowing will hurt the crops, a poor job of weeding will hurt the harvest, a dangerous policy will result in the loss of the people’s trust. If the fields are degraded and the crops are poor, then grain will be expensive and the people will go hungry. People will die along the roads. This is called “abnormal behavior of men.” If the policies are not wise, plans do not have a schedule, the work of agriculture is not handled with reason and corvee labor has no set time, then cows and horses will breed with each other(2), and the six types of livestock(3) will become strange. This is called “abnormal behavior of men.” If proper etiquette is not cultivated, then there is no difference between those within and those without, men and women will act wantonly, father and son will look on each other with suspicion, the higher ranked and the lower ranked will deviate from propriety, and bandits and disasters will simultaneously occur. This is called “abnormal behavior of men.”

Abnormality is born out of chaos. When these many abnormal behaviors of men mix together, the state cannot be at peace. Although this logic is simple, the disasters that result will be terrible. When corvee labor has no set time, then cows and horses will breed with each other, and the six types of livestock will become strange. This can be thought strange, and it may also be feared. It has been said, “The supernatural is not discussed by the classics.“ Useless discussions and unimportant researches should be put aside and abandoned. As for the proper ways of ruler and official, relationships of father and son, distinction of husband and wife, these things should be studied constantly and never put aside.

(2) There is likely some sort of mistranscription here. Although the greater point of chaos resulting from man’s improper actions is still clear, the logical connection between the aforementioned errors and the mixed breeding of animals is weak.

(3) The six types are: pig, ox, goat, horse, fowl and dog.

雩而雨，何也？曰：無何也，猶不雩而雨也。日月食而救之，天旱而雩，卜筮然後決大事，非以為得求也，以文之也。故君子以為文，而百姓以為神。以為文則吉，以為神則凶也。

To pray for rain and see it come, what is this? I say: It is nothing. If you do not pray for rain, it will still rain. When the sun and moon eclipse, we take action to save them(4). When heaven causes drought, we pray for rain, when great decisions of state must be made, we perform augury. We do not think that we will get what we seek, we do this as a “decoration.” So the superior man does this for decoration, and the common man thinks it is the work of the supernatural. To think it decoration is fortune, and to think it is divine is misfortune.

(4) There is a phrase in Chinese, “天狗食日” (heavenly dog eats the son), that refers to an eclipse. By banging pots and making noise the dog could be scared off, and the sun saved.

在天者莫明於日月，在地者莫明於水火，在物者莫明於珠玉，在人者莫明於禮義。故日月不高，則光明不赫；水火不積，則暉潤不博；珠玉不睹乎外，則王公不以為寶；禮義不加於國家，則功名不白。故人之命在天，國之命在禮。君人者，隆禮尊賢而王，重法愛民而霸，好利多詐而危，權謀傾覆幽險而亡矣。

In heaven, nothing is brighter than the sun and the moon. On the ground, nothing is brighter than water and fire. Of things, nothing is brighter than pearl and jade. Of men, nothing is brighter than proper etiquette. Therefore, when the sun and the moon are not up high, they do not shine brightly. When water and fire are thin and shallow, their light does not shine far. When pearl and jade do not shine on the outside, kings and princes do not see it as a treasure. When proper etiquette is not a part of the state, then achievements and reputations are not clear. So people’s lives are determined by heaven, and states’ destinies are determined by proper etiquette. As for the men who rule others: those who uphold etiquette and respect wisdom will be virtuous and benevolent kings. Those who emphasize the law and value their subjects will be strong kings. Those who enjoy profit and often lie will be in danger. Those who scheme to overturn [their rivals?] will face dark perils and death.

大天而思之，孰與物畜而制之！從天而頌之，孰與制天命而用之！望時而待之，孰與應時而使之！因物而多之，孰與騁能而化之！思物而物之，孰與理物而勿失之也！願於物之所以生，孰與有物之所以成！故錯人而思天，則失萬物之情。

Respecting heaven and pondering it cannot compare with treating it as cattle to be raised and controlled! Obeying heaven and praising it cannot compare with controlling destiny and making use of it! To watch the passing of time and wait for its coming cannot compare with dealing with time and making use of it! To look at the many things of this world and be in awe of it cannot compare with maximizing potential and changing the world! To ponder physical things and treat them as objects cannot compare with controlling physical things and not losing them! To hope for the creation of things cannot compare with having the completed product of things! So those who put aside human affairs and ponder heaven, will lose the original state of things.

百王之無變，足以為道貫。一廢一起，應之以貫，理貫不亂。不知貫，不知應變。貫之大體未嘗亡也。亂生其差，治盡其詳。故道之所善，中則可從，畸則不可為，匿則大惑。水行者表深，表不明則陷。治民者表道，表不明則亂。禮者，表也。非禮，昏世也；昏世，大亂也。故道無不明，外內異表，隱顯有常，民陷乃去。

That which did not change over the course of a hundred kingships can be considered consistent reason. Some things go away, others rise up, but using this consistent reason to deal with them, there will be no chaos. Not knowing consistent reason means not knowing how to deal with change. The framework of consistent reason has never gone away.

Chaos is born from error, order lies in meticulous details. This is what is good about reason. Follow the path of impartiality, but do not stray. Evil will lead to disaster. Those who cross rivers must check the depth of the water. If the depth marker is not clear they will fall in the water. Those who govern people must pay attention to reason, if the signs are not clear then there will be chaos. Etiquette is a sign. To stray from etiquette will darken the world. The darkened world is extremely chaotic. So reason is always clear: inside and outside there are different signs, the hidden and displayed are consistent, and the people’s misfortune may be eliminated.

萬物為道一偏，一物為萬物一偏。愚者為一物一偏，而自以為知道，無知也。慎子有見於後，無見於先。老子有見於詘，無見於信。墨子有見於齊，無見於畸。宋子有見於少，無見於多。有後而無先，則群眾無門。有詘而無信，則貴賤不分。有齊而無畸，則政令不施，有少而無多，則群眾不化。《書》曰：“無有作好，遵王之道；無有作惡，遵王之路。”此之謂也。

Living things are a part of “the way.” One thing is a part of all living things. A fool is a part of one thing. He thinks he knows “the way,” but he does not. Shen zi understood the “after” but not the “before.” Lao zi understood submission, but not assertion. Mo zi understood equality, but not differences. Song zi understood “less”, but not “more.”

To have “after” but not “before,” then the people will have no path. To have submission but not assertion, then there can be no distinction between the great and the insignificant. If there is equality but no differences, then policies cannot be carried out. If there is “less” desire and no desire for “more,” then the people have no incentive to change. The Shang Shu says, “Do not cherish too greatly, follow the path of the virtuous king. Do not detest too greatly, follow the road of the virtuous king.” It was talking about this type of situation.

This is an essay on the nature of heaven written by the Warring States era Confucian scholar Xun Zi (300-230 BCE), taken from the book of the same name. In the essay, Xun zi criticizes those who see Heaven as a deterministic force that controls the outcome of events. He argues that the outcome of events is determined solely by the acts of men. Heaven (or nature) operates on consistent principles - such as the regular cycle of the four seasons - and if man makes use of his knowledge of these principles he can control his world. This is part 1 of 2 as partitioned in this weblog.

Text source: http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/index.html

Reference: 王忠林. 新譯荀子讀本. Taipei: 三民書局, 1978.

天行有常，不為堯存，不為桀亡。應之以治則吉，應之以亂則凶。彊本而節用，則天不能貧；養備而動時，則天不能病；脩道而不貳，則天不能禍。故水旱不能使之 飢，寒暑不能使之疾，祆怪不能使之凶。本荒而用侈，則天不能使之富；養略而動罕，則天不能使之全；倍道而妄行，則天不能使之吉。故水旱未至而飢，寒暑未薄 而疾，祆怪未至而凶－－受時與治世同，而殃禍與治世異，不可以怨天，其道然也。故明於天人之分，則可謂至人矣。

Heaven operates on consistent principles. These principles did not exist for the sake of Yao, and did not die away for the sake of Jie(1). To respond to these principles with orderly governance brings fortune, to respond to these principles with chaos brings misfortune. If you strengthen agriculture and use resources sparingly, then heaven cannot make you poor. If you take care of your body and take action at the appropriate times, heaven cannot make you sick. If you cultivate your virtue and are not distracted from your goal, then heaven cannot bring you to disaster. Therefore, neither drought nor flood will cause famine, neither cold nor heat will cause illness, and strange phenomena will not cause misfortune.

If agriculture is neglected and resources are used extravagantly, then heaven cannot make you rich. If you do not take care of your body and rarely take action, heaven cannot make you healthy. If you turn your back on virtue and act rashly, then heaven cannot bring you fortune. Therefore, even though floods and droughts have not occurred, you will experience famine. Though cold and heat have not arrived, you will be ill. Though strange phenomena have not occurred, you will experience misfortune. All the opportunities were the same as the properly managed society, but the disasters experienced are different. Heaven cannot be blamed for this; This is its way. Therefore, those who understand the different roles of heaven and men can be said to be great men of reason.

(1) Yao and Jie - Yao is the archetype of a good monarch, while Jie is the archetype of a bad monarch.

不為而成，不求而得，夫是之謂天職。如是者，雖深、其人不加慮焉；雖大、不加能焉；雖精、不加察焉，夫是之謂不與天爭職。天有其時，地有其財，人有其治，夫是之謂能參。舍其所以參，而願其所參，則惑矣。 列星隨旋，日月遞炤，四時代御，陰陽大化，風雨博施，萬物各得其和以生，各得其養以成，不見其事，而見其功，夫是之謂神。皆知其所以成，莫知其無形，夫是之謂天功。唯聖人為不求知天。

To not act but have success, to not seek but obtain, this is the work of heaven. In this way, although man’s intellect may be great, he may not use it to contemplate heaven. Although man’s ability is great, he may not use it to influence heaven. Although he may understand much, he should not investigate the nature of heaven. This would be competing with heaven for its role. Heaven has time, earth has resources, men have control, these are the things that each can contribute. To give up what one can contribute, and to cherish what has been contributed, is to be confused.

The stars follow each other and rotate, the sun and moon exchange places and illuminate. The four seasons move forward and replace each other. Yin and yang fluctuate greatly, wind and rain arrive over vast areas, all living things are in harmony and are therefore able to live and grow, the work of heaven is invisible, but the fruits of its labor are visible. This is what we refer to as “divine (神).” All things know the results of the work, but none are able to understand the parts they do not see, this is the achievement of heaven’s labor. Only great sages know not to seek an understanding of heaven.

天職既立，天功既成，形具而神生，好惡喜怒哀樂臧焉，夫是之謂天情。耳目鼻口形能各有接而不相能也，夫是之謂天官。心居中虛，以治五官，夫是之謂天君。財非其類以養其類，夫是之謂天養。順其類者謂之福，逆其類者謂之禍，夫是之謂天政。暗其天君，亂其天官，棄其天養，逆其天政，背其天情，以喪天功，夫是之謂大凶。聖人清其天君，正其天官，備其天養，順其天政，養其天情，以全其天功。如是，則知其所為，知其所不為矣；則天地官而萬物役矣。其行曲治，其養曲適，其生不傷，夫是之謂知天。

Heaven came into existence, its achievements were completed, physical entities took form and spirit was born. Fondness, hate, joy, anger, sadness and pleasure were laid forth. These are the emotions given by heaven. Ears, eyes, nose and mouth all have their functions, and cannot replace each other; these are the sense given by heaven. The heart is in the middle of the chest, it controls the five senses; this is the heart given to us by heaven. To control things outside of one’s own category to nourish and care for one’s own; this is the nourishment of heaven. Going along with one’s own category is called fortune, going against them is called disaster; this is called the politics of heaven. To darken the heavenly heart, to bring chaos to the heavenly senses, to abandon heavenly care and nourishment, to go against the politics of heaven, to turn one’s back on the emotions of heaven – this will result in the lost of heaven’s contributions. It is called great misfortune.
The great sage will clear his heart, rectify his senses, properly attend to care and nourishment, follow the politics of heaven, nourish his emotions – this will result in the completeness of heaven’s contributions. In this way, if they know what they should do, and if they know what they should not do, then they will control their world and all things will work for them. To manage affairs meticulously, to nourish and care for in a proper and conscientious manner, to causes no harm - This is called “understanding heaven.”

故大巧在所不為，大智在所不慮。所志於天者，已其見象之可以期者矣；所志於地者，已其見宜之可以息者矣：所志於四時者，已其見數之可以事者矣；所志於陰陽者，已其見和之可以治者矣。官人守天，而自為守道也。

Therefore, there is great fortune in not taking action, and great wisdom in not pondering. When observing heaven, take note of its phenomena and what can be expected from them. When observing the land, take note of its suitability and whether or not it is a good place for settling. When observing the four seasons, take note of the days and months, and what time is suitable for what work. When observing yin and yang, take note of how things become balanced, and how they may be used to manage the world. Those who govern must keep an eye on heaven, while others may just pay attention to their own path.

治亂，天邪？曰：日月星辰瑞厤，是禹桀之所同也，禹以治，桀以亂；治亂非天也。 時邪？曰：繁啟蕃長於春夏，畜積收臧於秋冬，是禹桀之所同也，禹以治，桀以亂；治亂非時也。 地邪？曰：得地則生，失地則死，是又禹桀之所同也，禹以治，桀以亂；治亂非地也。《詩》曰：“天作高山，大王荒之。彼作矣，文王康之。”此之謂也。

Order and chaos – is this the work of heaven? I say: the sun, moon and stars － movements of the heavenly bodies – they are the same as they were in the era of Yu(2) and Jie. Yu brought order. Jie brought chaos. Order and chaos is not the work of heaven. What of time? I say: Things come to life and grow in spring and summer. Crops are harvested and stored in fall and water. This is just as it was in the era of Yu and Jie. Yu brought order. Jie brought chaos. Order and chaos is not determined by time. What of the land? I say: That which has land will live and grow, that which does not will die. This is the same as the era of Yu and Jie. Yu brought order. Jie brought chaos. Order and chaos is not determined by land. The Shi Jing says, “Heaven made the great Mount Qi, the King Tai of Zhou made it his own. King Tai began the work, and King Wen of Zhou made it prosperous.” It is referring to this type of situation.

(2) Yu – another archetypal good monarch.

天不為人之惡寒也輟冬，地不為人之惡遼遠也輟廣，君子不為小人之匈匈也輟行。天有常道矣，地有常數矣，君子有常體矣。君子道其常，而小人計其功。《詩》曰：“禮義之不愆，何恤人之言兮！”此之謂也。

Heaven does not stop the coming of winter because it is detested by man. The land will not grow smaller because man hates great distances. The superior man does not change his behavior because of the prattling of lesser men. Heaven has consistent principles, land has consistent reason, the superior man has a consistent path. The superior man acts according to these consistent principles, while the lesser man calculates the benefits of a particular action. The Shi Jing says, “If you have not offended proper etiquette, then why care about the words of others!” It was referring to this type of situation.

The story of Mencius’ mother comes from the Lienü zhuan, written by Liu Xiang in the first half of the Han Dynasty. It uses anecdotes to illustrate the moral character of Mencius’ mother and emphasize the influence environment has on the upbringing of an individual. This is part 2 of 2 as partitioned in this weblog

Original Text Source: http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/index.html

孟子既娶，將入私室，其婦袒而在內，孟子不悅，遂去不入。婦辭孟母而求去，曰：“妾聞夫婦之道，私室不與焉。今者妾竊墮在室，而夫子見妾，勃然不悅，是客 妾也。婦人之義，蓋不客宿。請歸父母.” 於是孟母召孟子而謂之曰：“夫禮，將入門，問孰存，所以致敬也。將上堂，聲必揚，所以戒人也。將入戶，視必下，恐見 人過也。今子不察於禮，而責禮於人，不亦遠乎！”

Mencius married, and went to enter his bedroom. His wife was inside, and she was undressed. Mencius was unhappy, and left without entering the bedroom. Mencius’ wife then spoke of this to mother Meng, saying, “I’ve heard it said that the proper way for husband and wife to act in public should not influence their behaviour in the bedroom.(1) Today I slipped into the bedroom, and when my husband saw me, he suddenly became unhappy, treating me like a guest. A proper wife should not be made to sleep like a guest. Please allow me to return to my parents.” Mother Meng then summoned Mencius and said to him, “Listen, it is proper etiquette to ask who is there before you walk through the door, this shows respect. When entering the hall, you must raise your voice, to warn others you have arrived. When you enter the house, you must look downwards, to avoid offending with your gaze. Today, you did not act in accordance with propriety, but you scold others for their lack of propriety; Is this not far from reasonable?!

(1) A direct translation would be something along the lines of “The ‘way’ of husbands and wives does not extend into the bedroom.” This means that Mencius’ derision of lust is the proper way to act in public, but that he should let down his guard and be intimate with his wife while in the bedroom.

孟子謝，遂留其婦。君子謂孟母知禮，而明於姑母之道。孟子處齊，而有憂色。孟母見之曰：“子若有憂色，何也？”孟子曰：“不敏。”（2）異日閒居，擁楹而歎。孟母見之曰：“鄉見子有憂色，曰不也，今擁楹而歎，何 也？”孟子對曰：“軻聞之：君子稱身而就位，不為苟得而受賞，不貪榮祿。諸侯不聽，則不達其上。聽而不用，則不踐其朝。”今道不用於齊，願行而母老，是以 憂也。”

Mencius apologized, and kept his wife. The gentlemen all said that mother Meng knew proper etiquette, and clearly understood the role of the mother-in-law. Mencius was in the state of Qi, and had a worried expression on his face. Mother Meng saw this and asked, “Son, you seem worried. What is it?” Mencius gave a perfunctory answer, brushing her off. (2) Another day Mencius was leaning against a pillar while sighing. Mother Meng saw him and said, “Before, I saw you were worried, but you said it was nothing. Now you are leaning against a pillar and sighing, what is it?” Mencius said to his mother, “I’ve heard the following: The superior man seeks a position according to his abilities, he doesn’t try to illicitly gain rewards, he doesn’t have a greed for honor or the rank and salary of an official position. If the feudal lords do not listen to him, he will not deliver his advice. If they listen to but do not use his advice, then he will not step into their court. Now, Qi does not make use of my advice. I wish to leave, but I worry about you, Mother.”

(2) Mencius’ answer in the original text (不敏) does not make sense in its meaning of “not smart.” According to this article: “第一次回答’不敏’，答非所問，不知何意”. The author of the article goes on to promote his view that the 敏 is supposed to be a 殹, in which case the meaning of 不殹 would be 否也, meaning “It’s nothing.”

孟母曰：“夫婦人之禮，精五飯，冪酒漿，養舅姑，縫衣裳而已矣。故有閨內之脩，而無境外之志。《易》曰：‘在中饋，無攸遂。’《詩》曰：‘無非無儀，惟酒食是議。’以言婦人無擅制之義，而有三從之道也。故年少則從乎父母，出嫁則從乎夫，夫死則從乎子，禮也。今子成人也，而我老矣。子行乎子義，吾行乎吾禮。”君子謂孟母知婦道。《詩》云：“載色載笑，匪怒匪教。”此之謂也。

Mother Meng said, “Listen, according to ritual a wife is to prepare rice and grains, brew alcohol, care for her husband’s parents, and to sew clothing. That’s it. She must manage what is inside the home, and have no concern for what is outside it. The Yi Jing says, ‘She presents food, and seeks to do nothing else.’ The Shi Jing says, ‘She does not dress ostentatiously or adorn herself, and concerns herself with nothing but the food and drink she prepares.” We say for a woman to not have the desire to control things, there are three paths she must follow. When she is little she must listen to her father and mother, after she is married she must listen to her husband, if her husband dies, she must listen to her son. These are the proper relations. Now, my son has become an adult, and I am old. You must act based on your principles, and I will act based on ritual.” The gentleman all said mother Meng understood the role of a woman. When the Shi Jing says, “She carries a pleasant expression and a smile, teaching without anger,” it was referring to this sort of woman.

頌曰：孟子之母，教化列分，處子擇藝，使從大倫，子學不進，斷機示焉，子遂成德，為當世冠。

In praise: Mencius’ mother, her teachings made clear distinctions, she guided her son to studying the arts, made him to follow moral principles, his studies did not advance, she cut the loom to demonstrate a point, he became a virtuous man, at the top of society.

The story of Mencius’ mother comes from the Lienü zhuan, written by Liu Xiang in the first half of the Han Dynasty around 18 CE. It uses anecdotes to illustrate the moral character of Mencius’ mother and emphasize the influence environment has on the upbringing of an individual. This is part 1 of 2 as partitioned in this weblog

Original Text Source: http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/index.html

鄒孟軻之母也。號孟母。其舍近墓。孟子之少也，嬉遊為墓間之事，踴躍築埋。孟母曰：“此非吾所以居處子也。”乃去舍市傍。其嬉戲為賈人衒賣之事。孟母又曰：“此非吾所以居處子也。”復徙舍學宮之傍。其嬉遊乃設俎豆揖讓進退。孟母曰：“真可以居吾子矣。”遂居及。

The mother of Meng Ke(1) of Zou was called mother Meng, and lived near a cemetary. When Mencius was little, he enjoyed playing in the cemetary by jumping about, burying things and building things out of the dirt. Mother Meng said, “This is no place to raise a child,” and moved to a house next to the market. Mencius enjoyed playing as a merchant displaying his wares. Mother Meng once again said, “This is no place to raise a child,” and moved next to a school. Mencius enjoyed performing sacrifices, and displaying proper etiquette. Mother Meng said, “Now this place is really suitable for raising a child,” and settled down there.

(1) Meng Ke is the given name of Mencius.

孟子長，學六藝，卒成大儒之名。君子謂孟母善以漸化。《詩》云：“彼姝者子，何以予之？”此之謂也。孟子之少也，既學而歸，孟母方績，問曰：“學何所至矣？”孟子曰：“自若也。”孟母以刀斷其織。孟子懼而問其故，孟母曰：“子之廢學，若吾斷斯織也。夫君 子學以立名，問則廣知，是以居則安寧，動則遠害。今而廢之，是不免於廝役，而無以離於禍患也。何以異於織績而食，中道廢而不為，寧能衣其夫子，而長不乏糧 食哉！女則廢其所食，男則墮於脩德，不為竊盜，則為虜役矣。”

Mencius grew up, learned the six arts(2), and in the end became a great and renowned scholar. The gentlemen of the era said that mother Meng was skilled at gradually immersing her son in the proper ways. When the Shi Jing said, “That superb woman, what may I give to her?” it was referring to this kind of woman(3). When Mencius was little, he returned home after finishing his studies. His mother, who was spinning thread, asked, “What did you learn today?” Mencius replied, “Same as usual.” Mother Meng grabbed a knife and cut the cloth she was working on. Mencius asked why she did this and she replied, “When you neglect your studies, it is like me cutting this cloth. Listen… the superior man studies to make a name for himself, he asks questions to gain knowledge. Using this knowledge he is able to live a tranquil life when at home, and to avoid harm in the course of his duties. If you continue to neglect your studies in this way, you will condemn yourself to a life of menial servitude and will be unable to avoid harm and misfortune. How is this any different from making cloth to provide food, but neglecting the work when only half done? How could one provide clothes for one’s husband and children, or provide food so they do not starve？！If women abandon their method of obtaining food, and men become indolent in the cultivation of virtue(4), then they will become either bandits or servants. “

(2) The six arts a gentleman was expected to master during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were: rites, musics, archery, charioteering, writing and mathematics. In the later Warring States period the martial skills became less important to the increasingly intellectual shi (仕) class.

(3) This probably seems out of place to many. In this era, it was very common to analogize the situation by quoting the Shi Jing, which added weight and authority to one’s statements. The quote’s purpose is likely to to emphasize the author’s appreciation of mother Meng’s moral qualities.

(4) The cultivation of virtue and education are very closely linked in Confucian thought.

孟子懼，旦夕勤學不息，師事子思，遂成天下之名儒。君子謂孟母知為人母之道矣。《詩》云：“彼姝者子，何以告之？”此之謂也。

Mencius was afraid, and put great effort into his studies, studying night and day without rest under the tutelage of Zisi, and became a great scholar. The gentlemen of the era said that mother Meng understood how to be a mother. When the Shi Jing said, “That superb woman, what may I give to her?” It was referring to this kind of woman.