Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang, who stood by a pond, gazing at the swans, geese, elks and deer, and said,
“Do virtuous men also take delight in such scenes?”
Mencius replied,
“Only virtuous men can enjoy such pleasures. Those
who are not virtuous can not, though they have these things. The Book
of Poetry* says:‘The king to build his sacred tower began,
Of all its plan a scheme he drew.
To do the work, in crowds the people ran,
And as by magic, it grew.
Be not in haste! – So kindly said the king,
But all as to a father help would bring.
The king was walking in his sacred park,
Where lay the does, all sleek and clean.
It was sweet to him their restfulness to mark,
And see the white birds’ glistening sheen.
Then to his sacred pond he took his way
To see the fish their leaping skill display.’King Wen built his tower and pond by using the labor of the people, and
the people enjoyed doing the work, calling the tower the ‘sacred tower’,
and the pond the ‘sacred pond’ , and rejoicing that he had his deer, fishes
and turtles. As the ancient king enjoyed these things together with the
people, he was able to enjoy them.The Oath of Tang (Declaration of King Tang) says,
‘O Sun, when shall you expire? We will die together with you!’
King Jie of Xia compared herself to the sun. But the people hated him and wished that they would die together with King Jie. How could the latter have enjoyed his towers, ponds, birds or beasts alone even if he had them?
孟子見梁惠王，王立於沼上，顧鴻鴈麋鹿，曰：「賢者亦樂此乎？」
孟子對曰：「賢者而後樂此，不賢者雖有此，不樂也。《詩》云：『經始靈臺，經之營之，庶民攻之，不日成之。經始勿亟，庶民子來。王在靈囿，麀鹿攸伏，麀鹿濯濯，白鳥鶴鶴。王在靈沼，於牣魚躍。』文王以民力為臺為沼。而民歡樂之，謂其臺曰靈臺，謂其沼曰靈沼，樂其有麋鹿魚鼈。古之人與民偕樂，故能樂也。《湯誓》曰：『時日害喪？予及女偕亡。』民欲與之偕亡，雖有臺池鳥獸，豈能獨樂哉？」
Note
At this moment, King Hui of Liang was in his royal park, immersed in the pleasures of nature. His question carried an underlying concern: whether his enjoyment of such leisure was consistent with the conduct expected of a “virtuous ruler.” He also sought to gauge Mencius’s view on a sovereign’s indulgence in recreation.
Mencius responded directly: the true joy of recreation depends not merely on possessing beautiful scenery, but on ruling with virtue and earning the people’s heartfelt support.
He then cited the example of King Wen of Zhou: when King Wen built the Lintai (Spirit Tower, or Sacred Tower) and Linzhao (Spirit Pond, or Sacred Pond), he did not exhaust the people’s labor or impose harsh demands. On the contrary, the people willingly contributed and rejoiced in his projects. Thus, when King Wen strolled through his gardens, what he saw was a landscape of peace and contentment – his joy was genuine because it arose from the people’s well-being. His recreation was not a selfish indulgence; rather, it was rooted in the people’s prosperity and happiness. Because the people were joyful under his benevolent rule, they also shared in his delight – a mutual, reciprocal joy that was both authentic and enduring.
Mencius then offered a counterexample: the tyrant Jie of Xia, who once compared himself to the sun, claiming his reign would last as long as the sun itself. Yet due to his cruelty and lack of benevolence, he incited widespread hatred among the people. Mencius used this to illustrate that a ruler detached from the people, no matter how splendid his gardens or pleasures may be, will ultimately be overwhelmed by popular resentment – and thus can never truly experience joy.
The idea of “sharing joy with the people” has profoundly influenced later generations. For instance, Fan Zhongyan’s famous declaration in the Yueyang Pavilion Record – “Be the first to worry about the troubles of the world, and the last to enjoy its pleasures” – is a direct inheritance and elevation of this principle, embodying the political ideal pursued by China’s traditional scholar-officials.
*The Book of Poetry, also known as The Book of Songs or Classic of Poetry. It is the earliest collection of poetry in Chinese literature, with a history spanning over 2,500 years. Compiled around the 6th century BCE, it is one of the Five Classics of Confucianism, exerting a profound and lasting influence on Chinese culture, poetry, and ethics. Beyond its literary value, The Book of Songs holds great cultural significance. Confucius regarded it as a key text for moral education, stating that
“The Odes stimulate the mind, cultivate harmonious relationships, teach the art of criticism, and promote social conduct”.
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