Mencius went from Qi to Lu (to bury his mother). After burying his mother in Lu, Mencius was returning to Qi and stopped at Ying.
His disciple Chong Yu respectfully asked:
“The other day, you kindly entrusted me – despite my incompetence – with supervising the coffin-making. At the time, everything was urgent, so I didn’t dare ask questions.
Now I’d like to privately inquire: wasn’t the coffin perhaps made a bit too fine and ornate?”
Mencius replied:
“In ancient times, there were no fixed standards for coffins and outer casings. By the middle antiquity, it became customary to make the inner coffin seven cun thick, with the outer casing proportionate – a practice observed by everyone, from the Son of Heaven down to commoners.
This was not merely for aesthetic display. It is only in this way that one can fully express the heartfelt devotion as children toward their parents.
If ritual permits it but one refrains, one feels uneasy;
if one can not afford the money, one feels regretful.
But the ancients always used such coffins if both the conditions were fulfilled. Now that ritual allows it and I happen to have the money, why should I alone refrain when all ancients did so?
Moreover, ensuring the deceased’s body does not touch the soil directly – doesn’t that bring a measure of comfort to the heart of a filial child?
I once heard a noble person say: ‘One should never practice frugality toward one’s parents for the sake of saving the world’s resources.’”
孟子自齊葬於魯，反於齊，止於嬴。
充虞請曰：「前日不知虞之不肖，使虞敦匠事。嚴，虞不敢請。今願竊有請也，木若以美然。」
曰：「古者棺槨無度，中古棺七寸，槨稱之。自天子達於庶人。非直為觀美也，然後盡於人心。不得，不可以為悅；無財，不可以為悅。得之為有財，古之人皆用之，吾何為獨不然？且比化者，無使土親膚，於人心獨無恔乎？吾聞之君子：不以天下儉其親。」
Note
This passage from Mencius: Gongsun Chou II uses a discussion about funeral arrangements to articulate core Confucian values concerning filial piety, ritual propriety, and emotional authenticity.
“Fully expressing the heart”
For Mencius, ritual is not empty formalism but the proper channel for genuine emotion. The coffin’s thickness symbolizes the depth of a child’s love – a principle rooted in Confucius’s teaching that both life and death must be handled “according to ritual” (Analects 2.5).
“Never be frugal toward one’s parents”
In response to utilitarian critiques (especially from Mohists who advocated “frugal burial”), Mencius asserts that filial duty transcends economic calculation. Saving resources is no excuse for failing to honor one’s parents – provided one acts within ritual bounds and personal means.
Ritual as universally accessible
By noting that coffin standards applied “from Son of Heaven to commoners,” Mencius highlights an emerging ideal of ritual inclusivity. While social hierarchies persisted, the right to express grief through proper rites was recognized across classes.
Historical Context: The Confucian-Mohist debate
The Warring States era saw fierce debate over burial practices. Mohists condemned Confucian “three-year mourning” and elaborate tombs as wasteful. Mencius counters that suppressing natural human feeling for efficiency erodes moral society itself.
Practical wisdom
Importantly, Mencius does not demand extravagance beyond one’s capacity. His phrase “since I can afford the money” reflects Confucian moderation: fulfill ritual sincerely, but within your station and resources.
Thus, this episode reveals how Confucianism harmonizes institution (ritual), emotion (filial love), and practicality (wealth) into an ethical framework that is both deeply humane and socially grounded.
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