| Chinese Text Project |
《 | English translation: W. P. Mei [?] | Books referencing 《 |
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| Geng Zhu: |
Mozi was angry with Geng Zhuzi. Geng Zhuzi said: Am I not at all better than others?" Mozi said: Suppose I am starting out for Tai Hang. And a horse and an ox are to pull my cart. Which of them would you urge? Geng Zhuzi said: "I would urge the horse." Mozi asked: Why urge the horse? Geng Zhuzi said: "Because the horse is capable (of better speed)." Mozi said: I also think you are capable (of better things). 1. | |
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雉乙1 | |
| Geng Zhu: |
Wu Mazi questioned Mozi "Which are wiser, the ghosts and spirits or the sages?" Mozi said: The ghosts and spirits are wiser than the sages by as much as the sharp-eared and keen-sighted surpass the deaf and blind. In ancient times, Emperor Qi of Xia commissioned Fei Lian to dig minerals in mountains and rivers and cast tings at Kun Wu. He ordered Yi to kill the pheasant to invoke the tortoise of Boruo, saying: "Let the dings, when completed, be four-legged. Let them be able to cook automatically, without fire, to hide themselves without being lifted, and to move themselves without being carried. So that they may be used for the sacrifice at Kun Wu. May our offering be accepted!" Then the oracle was interpreted as saying: "I have accepted the offering. Profuse are the white clouds: one to the south, one to the north, one to the west, one to the east. When the nine dings have been completed, they shall be given over to three empires. When the emperor of Xia loses them the man of Yin will possess them; when the man of Yin loses them the man of Zhou will possess them." Now the transfer from the emperor of Xia to Yin and Zhou took many centuries. Even if the sage planned in counsel with his excellent ministers and superior assistants, could he foresee what would happen after many centuries? Yet the ghosts and spirits can. Therefore we say, the ghosts and spirits are wiser than the sages by as much as the sharp-eared and keen-sighted are than the deaf and blind. 1. 雉乙 : Inserted. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Zhi Tu Yu and Xian Zi Shuo asked Mozi: "What is the greatest righteousness in conduct?" Mozi said: It is like the building of a wall. Let those who can lay the bricks lay the bricks, let those who can fill in the mortar fill in the mortar, and let those who can carry up the material carry up the material. Then the wall can be completed. To do righteousness is just like this. Let those who can argue argue, let those who can expound the doctrines expound the doctrines, and let those who can administer, administer. Then righteousness is achieved. | |
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| Geng Zhu: |
Wu Mazi said to Mozi: "Though you love universally the world cannot be said to be benefited; though I do not love (universally) the world cannot be said to be injured. Since neither of us has accomplished anything, what makes you then praise yourself and blame me?" Mozi answered: Suppose a conflagration is on. One person is fetching water to extinguish it, and another is holding some fuel to reinforce it. Neither of them has yet accomplished anything, but which one do you value? Wu Mazi answered that he approved of the intention of the person who fetches water and disapproved of the intention of the person who holds fuel. Mozi said: (In the same manner) do I approve of my intention and disapprove of yours. 1. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi had recommended Geng Zhuzi to Chu. Some (other) pupils visited him. They were given only three sheng (of grain) each meal and were not generously entertained. The pupils returned and reported to Mozi, saying: "Geng Zhuzi is not profited by serving Chu. When we visited him, we were given only three sheng each meal and were not generously entertained." Mozi said: You cannot tell. Shortly after, (Geng Zhuzi) sent Mozi ten jin of silver, saying: "Your junior disciple who dare not die sends herewith ten jin, which I hope you will use." Mozi said: So, indeed, we cannot tell. | |
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曰：「 | |
| Geng Zhu: |
Wu Mazi said to Mozi: "For all the righteousness that you do, men do not help you and ghosts do not bless you. Yet you keep on doing it. You must be demented." Mozi said: Suppose you have here two employees. One of them works when he sees you but will not work when he does not see you. The other one works whether he sees you or not. Which of the two would you value? Wu Mazi said that he would value him that worked whether he saw him or not. Mozi then said: Then you are valuing him who is demented. 1. 曰：「 | |
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| Geng Zhu: | A pupil of Zi Xia asked Mozi whether there could be any struggle among the superior men. Mozi said: The superior men do not struggle. The pupil of Zi Xia said: "There is struggle even among the dogs and hogs, how can there be no struggle among men?" Mozi said: What a shame! Tang and Wu are praised with words; but dogs and hogs are brought into comparison in conduct. What a shame! | |
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| Geng Zhu: |
Wu Mazi criticized Mozi, saying. "To leave contemporaries alone and to praise the early kings is to praise rotten bones. It is like the carpenter who knows only the decaying lumber but not the living tree." Mozi: Now the world lives because of the instructions of the early kings. And to praise the early kings is to praise the source of life to the world. Not to praise what should be praised is not magnanimous. Mozi said: The jade of He, the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine dings - these are what the feudal lords value as excellent treasures. Can they enrich the country, multiply the people, put the government in order, and place the state in safety? Of course they cannot. Excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now since the jade of He, the pearl of Duke Sui, and the nine dings cannot benefit men, then they are not the excellent treasures in the world. On the other hand, if righteousness is employed in the government of the state the population will be increased, the government will be in order, and the state will be secure. The excellent treasures are to be valued for their efficacy. Now righteousness can benefit men. So then righteousness is the excellent treasure of the world. 1. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Lord Zi Gao of She asked Zhongni about government, saying: "What is a good governor like?" Zhongni answered him that the good governor will attract those who are distant and renew old friendships. Mozi heard of it and commented: Lord Zi Gao of She did not put the question right, neither did Zhongni give the right answer. For, did not Lord Zi Gao of She understand, to be a good governor is to attract the distant and to renew the old friendships? The question was really how to do this. The answer told only what the inquirer understands but did not tell what he does not understand. Therefore (I say), Lord Zi Gao of She did not put the question right, neither did Zhongni give the right answer. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi said to Prince Wen of Lu Yang: The large states attacking the small states is like the boys playing horse. When the boys play horse, they merely tire out their own feet. Now, when a large state attacks a small state the farmers of the attacked states cannot cultivate the fields and the women cannot weave. They have to go to the defence. And the farmers of the invading states cannot cultivate the fields and the women cannot weave either. They have to take part in the attack. Therefore (I say) the large states attacking the small states is like the boys playing horse. | |
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| Geng Zhu: |
Mozi said: Doctrines that can be translated into conduct may be taught frequently. Doctrines that cannot be translated into conduct may not be taught frequently. To talk frequently about what cannot be carried out is merely to wear out one's mouth. 1. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi sent Guan Qin Ao to recommend Gao Shizi to Wei. The lord of Wei gave him heavy emoluments and ranked him among the ministers. Gao Shizi came to court three times and gave all his counsels. But none of them was carried out. So he left for Qi where he saw Mozi and said: "On your account the lord of Wei gave me heavy emoluments and ranked me among the ministers. I went to court three times and gave all my counsels. But none of them was carried out. So I left. Wouldn't the lord of Wei think I was demented?" Mozi said: If you left because it is in accordance with the Dao, what does it matter even if suspected of being demented? Anciently, Duke Zhou was displeased with Uncle Guan and resigned from the Duke's duties and went east to Shang Yan to live. Everybody then said he was demented. But posterity praised his virtue and exalted his name unto this day. Moreover, I have heard, to practise righteousness is not to avoid blame and seek praise. If the resignation is in accordance with the Dao, what does it matter if one is suspected of being demented? Gao Shizi said: "How dare Shi leave if it were not in accordance with the Dao? Formerly, Master, you have said: When there is no Dao in the world, the superior men will not stay in positions of plenty. Now the lord of Wei does not observe the Dao. If I should covet his emoluments and position then I would be living on others as a parasite." Mozi was pleased and summoned Qinzi, telling him: Now, listen, cases of disregard of righteousness for emoluments I have heard of. But disregard of emoluments for righteousness I have seen (only) in Gao Shizi. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi said: When a man calls a gentleman of the present rich while he is poor he becomes angry. Yet, when the man calls him just he will be pleased even though he is unjust. Isn't this perverse! | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Gong Mengzi said: "The ancient people had their rules, and they were but three in number." Mozi interrupted him, saying: Which ancient people are you talking about that you say have three rules? You don't understand that people first had.... | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Some pupils deserted Mozi and then returned. (They said:) "How are we to blame? We deserted late." Mozi said: This is like asking for reward for late desertion in a defeated army. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Gong Mengzi said: "The superior man does not create but transmits." Mozi said: Not at all. The most unsuperior men do not transmit the good of old and do not create any good for the present. The less unsuperior men do not transmit the good of old, but will bring out the good which he possesses for the sake of praise. Now to transmit but not to create is not different from creating without transmitting. It seems to me what good there is of old one should transmit it; what good there is to be for the present, one should institute it, so that the good may increase all the more. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Wu Mazi told Mozi: "I differ from you. I cannot love universally - I love the people of Zou better than the people of Chu, the people of Lu better than the people of Zou, the people of my district better than the people of Lu, the members of my family better than the people of my district, my parents better than the other members of my family, and myself better than my parents. This, because of their nearness to me. When I am beaten I feel pain. When they are beaten the pain does not extend to me. Why should I resist what does not give me pain but not resist what gives me pain? Therefore I would rather have them killed to benefit me than to have me killed to benefit them." Mozi said: Is this view of yours to be kept secret or to be told to others? Wu Mazi replied: "Why should I keep my opinion to myself? Of course I shall tell it to others." Mozi said: Then if one person is pleased with you, there will be one person who will desire to kill you in order to benefit himself. If ten persons are pleased with you, there will be ten persons who will desire to kill you to benefit themselves. If (the people of) the whole world are pleased with you, the whole world will desire to kill you to benefit themselves. (On the other hand), if one person is not pleased with you there will be one person who will desire to kill you as the propagator of a wicked doctrine. If ten persons are not pleased with you there will be ten persons who will desire to kill you as the propagator of an evil doctrine. If (the people of) the whole world are not pleased with you the whole world will desire to kill you as the propagator of an evil doctrine. (So, then) those who are pleased with you desire to kill you and those who are not pleased with you also desire to kill you. This is to say, what passes out from your mouth is what kills your body. Mozi continued: Then, where, after all, does the benefit of your doctrine lie? To teach what is not profitable is merely to wear out one's mouth. | |
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| Geng Zhu: |
Mozi said to Prince Wen of Lu Yang: Here is a man who has such an abundance of sheep, oxen, and (other) grass-fed and grain-fed animals that he cannot eat all that the cooks prepare for him. (Yet,) when he sees a man baking cakes, he looks surprised and steals them, saying: "Let me eat them." Now, is this due to an unsatisfied appetite or is he affected with kleptomania? Prince Wen of Lu Yang replied that he must be suffering from kleptomania. Mozi said: The fields of Chu all lie in waste and cannot be exhaustively cultivated. The unoccupied land amounts to thousands (of mu) and is more than sufficient for cultivation. Yet when it saw the towns of Song and Zheng, it looked surprised and stole them. Is there any difference between this and the other (case)? Prince Wen of Lu Yang replied: "This is the same as that. It must be suffering from kleptomania (too)." 1. | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi said: When Jisun Zhao and Meng Bo Chang were in authority in Lu they could not trust each other. So they took oath at the altar, saying: "May we be harmonious!" This is like closing one's eyes and praying at the altar, "May I be able to see everything!" Isn't this unreason? | |
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| Geng Zhu: | Mozi said to Lou Hua Li: I have heard you are brave. Lou Hua Li replied: "Yes. When I hear there is a brave man somewhere I always go and kill him." Mozi said: The whole world promotes that which it likes and destroys that which it hates. But when you hear of a brave man somewhere you must go and kill him. This is not admiration for bravery but hate for it. |
URN: ctp:mozi/geng-zhu