Mencius said, “Bo Yi would not look at evil colors with his eyes, nor listen to evil sounds with his ears. He would not serve a ruler he did not approve of, nor command people he did not approve of. When the empire was well-governed, he would advance to serve; when it was in chaos, he would retreat. He could not bear to reside in places where tyrannical policies were issued or where violent people lived. He felt that staying among uncouth villagers was as uncomfortable as sitting in mud and ashes while wearing court robes and a court cap. During the reign of King Zhou, he lived by the coast of the North Sea, waiting for the empire to be purified. Therefore, those who heard of Bo Yi’s style were made honest by his influence, and the cowardly were inspired to establish firm resolve.
Yi Yin said, ‘Which ruler is not my ruler? Which people are not my people?’ Whether the empire was well-governed or in chaos, he would advance to serve. He said, ‘Heaven, in giving birth to the people, intended that those who possess knowledge first should awaken those who come later, and those who perceive the truth first should awaken those who come later. I am one of those born by Heaven who have perceived the truth first. I will awaken these people with this Way.’ He felt that if any ordinary man or woman in the empire was not bathed in the grace of Yao and Shun, it was as if he had pushed them into a ditch with his own hands. He took upon himself the heavy burden of the empire in this manner.
Liu Xia Hui was not ashamed to serve a corrupt ruler, nor did he decline a minor office. When advancing to serve, he did not conceal his worth, but always acted according to his principles. When overlooked, he harbored no resentment; when in dire poverty, he felt no sorrow. When staying among villagers, he was cheerful and could not bear to leave. He said, ‘You are you, and I am I. Even if you stand naked beside me, how could you defile me?’ Therefore, those who heard of Liu Xia Hui’s style were made broad-minded, and the mean were made generous.
When Confucius left the state of Qi, he took his unstrained rice and departed hastily; when he left the state of Lu, he said, ‘Let us depart slowly.’ This was the proper way to leave one’s ancestral state. When it was appropriate to leave quickly, he did so; when it was appropriate to stay long, he did so; when it was appropriate to remain in seclusion, he did so; when it was appropriate to serve in office, he did so. This was Confucius.”
Mencius said, “Bo Yi was the purest among the sages; Yi Yin was the most responsible among the sages; Liu Xia Hui was the most accommodating among the sages; Confucius was the most timely among the sages. Confucius may be called the one who gathered all achievements. To gather all achievements is like beginning a musical performance with the sound of a bronze bell and concluding it with the strike of a jade chime. The sound of the bronze bell is the beginning of order; the strike of the jade chime is the completion of order. The beginning of order is the work of wisdom; the completion of order is the work of sagehood. Wisdom is like skill; sagehood is like strength. It is like shooting an arrow from a hundred paces away: that it reaches the target is due to your strength; that it hits the bullseye is not merely due to your strength.”
Note
This passage from the Wan Zhang II chapter of the Mencius represents Mencius’ ultimate summary of the ideal Confucian personality. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Three Paradigms of the Confucian Ideal Personality: Purity, Responsibility, and Harmony
Mencius distilled Bo Yi, Yi Yin, and Liu Xia Hui into three moral paradigms: “Purity,” “Responsibility,” and “Harmony.” Bo Yi represents absolute moral purity and uncompromising integrity, the extreme of “Purity”; Yi Yin represents a profound sense of historical mission and the burden of saving the world, the extreme of “Responsibility”; Liu Xia Hui represents immense moral resilience and inclusiveness, the extreme of “Harmony.” While each of these personalities is great in its own right and can positively influence society, Mencius implies that each is biased toward one extreme and has not yet achieved a perfectly balanced and comprehensive state. - “The Timely Sage”: Confucius’ Comprehensive Achievement and the Doctrine of the Mean
Mencius honored Confucius as “the timely sage,” meaning a sage who perfectly adapts to the circumstances. Confucius transcends the previous three because he broke free from rigid dogmas, achieving the ability to “leave quickly when appropriate, stay long when appropriate, remain in seclusion when appropriate, and serve in office when appropriate.” This capacity to make the most rational judgments based on specific contexts is the highest manifestation of the Confucian “Doctrine of the Mean” and the concept of “expediency” (quan). Confucius did not adhere to any fixed behavioral pattern but perfectly united moral principles with objective reality. - “Beginning with Bronze and Concluding with Jade”: The Unity of Wisdom and Sagehood
Mencius used the ancient musical metaphor of “beginning with a bronze bell and concluding with a jade chime” to describe Confucius’ comprehensive achievement. The “bronze bell” represents the beginning of order, symbolizing “wisdom” (the skill to discern right from wrong and assess the times); the “jade chime” represents the completion of order, symbolizing “sagehood” (the virtue to carry things through to a perfect end). Mencius further used archery as an analogy: “strength” (sagehood) is the foundation that ensures the arrow reaches the target, while “skill” (wisdom) is the key that ensures the arrow hits the bullseye. This illustrates that a true sage must possess not only the moral will and strength to save the world but also the political wisdom to practice the Great Way accurately in a complex reality.
孟子曰：「伯夷，目不視惡色，耳不聽惡聲。非其君不事，非其民不使。治則進，亂則退。橫政之所出，橫民之所止，不忍居也。思與鄉人處，如以朝衣朝冠坐於塗炭也。當紂之時，居北海之濱，以待天下之清也。故聞伯夷之風者，頑夫廉，懦夫有立志。 「伊尹曰：『何事非君？何使非民？』治亦進，亂亦進。曰：『天之生斯民也，使先知覺後知，使先覺覺後覺。予，天民之先覺者也；予將以此道覺此民也。』思天下之民匹夫匹婦有不與被堯舜之澤者，若己推而內之溝中，其自任以天下之重也。 「柳下惠，不羞汙君，不辭小官。進不隱賢，必以其道。遺佚而不怨，阨窮而不憫。與鄉人處，由由然不忍去也。『爾為爾，我為我，雖袒裼裸裎於我側，爾焉能浼我哉？』故聞柳下惠之風者，鄙夫寬，薄夫敦。 「孔子之去齊，接淅而行；去魯，曰：『遲遲吾行也。』去父母國之道也。可以速而速，可以久而久，可以處而處，可以仕而仕，孔子也。」 孟子曰：「伯夷，聖之清者也；伊尹，聖之任者也；柳下惠，聖之和者也；孔子，聖之時者也。孔子之謂集大成。集大成也者，金聲而玉振之也。金聲也者，始條理也；玉振之也者，終條理也。始條理者，智之事也；終條理者，聖之事也。智，譬則巧也；聖，譬則力也。由射於百步之外也，其至，爾力也；其中，非爾力也。」
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