Wan Zhang asked, “When Shun went to the fields, he wept and cried out to the vast heaven. Why did he weep and cry out like that?”
Mencius replied, “It was because of his mixture of resentment and longing.”
Wan Zhang asked, “It has been said that when parents love us, we are joyful and never forget it; when parents dislike us, we work hard without harboring resentment. So, did Shun harbor resentment toward his parents?”
Mencius explained, “Once, Chang Xi asked Gongming Gao, ‘I understand why Shun went to the fields, but I do not understand why he wept and cried out to heaven and to his parents.’ Gongming Gao replied, ‘This is beyond your understanding.’ Gongming Gao believed that the heart of a true filial son cannot be indifferent. He would think, ‘I only need to do my utmost in farming and fulfill my duties as a son. If my parents still do not love me, it must be my own fault.’
At that time, Emperor Yao sent his nine sons and two daughters, along with hundreds of officials, oxen, sheep, and granaries, to serve Shun in the fields. Scholars from all over the world flocked to him, and Emperor Yao was preparing to yield the entire empire to him. Yet, because he could not gain his parents’ favor, Shun felt like a destitute person with nowhere to turn.
The admiration of the people is something everyone desires, but it was not enough to relieve Shun’s sorrow. Beauty is desired by all, yet marrying the Emperor’s two daughters could not relieve his sorrow. Wealth is desired by all, yet possessing the wealth of the entire empire could not relieve his sorrow. Nobility is desired by all, yet being as noble as the Son of Heaven could not relieve his sorrow. The admiration of others, beauty, wealth, and nobility were all insufficient to relieve his sorrow; only gaining his parents’ favor could do so.
When young, a person naturally longs for their parents; when they understand romantic love, they long for the young and beautiful; when they have a family, they long for their spouse; when they enter public service, they long for their sovereign, and if they fail to gain the sovereign’s favor, they become anxious. But a person of great filial piety longs for their parents throughout their entire life. I have only seen this lifelong longing in the great Shun, even at the age of fifty.”
萬章問曰：「舜往于田，號泣于旻天，何為其號泣也？」 孟子曰：「怨慕也。」 萬章曰：「父母愛之，喜而不忘；父母惡之，勞而不怨。然則舜怨乎？」 曰：「長息問於公明高曰：『舜往于田，則吾既得聞命矣；號泣于旻天，于父母，則吾不知也。』公明高曰：『是非爾所知也。』夫公明高以孝子之心，為不若是恝，我竭力耕田，共為子職而已矣，父母之不我愛，於我何哉？帝使其子九男二女，百官牛羊倉廩備，以事舜於畎畝之中。天下之士多就之者，帝將胥天下而遷之焉。為不順於父母，如窮人無所歸。天下之士悅之，人之所欲也，而不足以解憂；好色，人之所欲，妻帝之二女，而不足以解憂；富，人之所欲，富有天下，而不足以解憂；貴，人之所欲，貴為天子，而不足以解憂。人悅之、好色、富貴，無足以解憂者，惟順於父母，可以解憂。人少，則慕父母；知好色，則慕少艾；有妻子，則慕妻子；仕則慕君，不得於君則熱中。大孝終身慕父母。五十而慕者，予於大舜見之矣。」
Note
This passage from the Wan Zhang I chapter of the Mencius is one of the most profound and moving discussions on “filial piety” in Confucianism.
Shun’s father, Gusou, was stubborn and unreasonable, and treated Shun very badly. Shun’s mother, Wodeng, was a virtuous woman, but she died when Shun was still young. His father then remarried. The stepmother lacked moral character. After the birth of their son Xiang, the father favored the stepmother and the younger brother, and the three of them often plotted against Shun.
Despite all this, Shun remained filial to his parents and kind to his younger brother. He spent his entire life striving to bring harmony and happiness to his family. Though the path was full of hardships and setbacks, he never gave up his efforts.
Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Redefining “Resentment and Longing”: The Authentic Emotion of Filial Piety
Here, Mencius breaks the rigid stereotype of filial piety. Wan Zhang believed that filial piety meant “working hard without resentment,” but Mencius, through Gongming Gao, pointed out that if a son remains completely unbothered when his parents do not love him, it is actually a form of cold indifference. Shun’s “resentment” was not hatred or a desire for revenge against his parents; rather, it was the deep sorrow and self-reflection arising from his inability to win their affection. This “resentment and longing” proves that Shun’s love for his parents was genuine and unwavering. - The Absoluteness and Transcendence of Filial Piety
Through a series of parallel comparisons, Mencius contrasts the four most tempting things in the secular world (public admiration, beauty, wealth, and nobility) with “gaining parents’ favor.” In the Confucian view, political power, wealth, beauty, and fame are external, worldly achievements, whereas filial piety is the internal, ethical foundation. Even if Shun possessed the entire world, a deficiency in family ethics would leave his inner self feeling like a “destitute person with nowhere to turn.” This reflects the Confucian logic of “cultivating oneself and regulating the family”: no amount of external success can compensate for internal ethical shortcomings. - The Life Realm of “Great Filial Piety Entails Lifelong Longing for Parents”
Finally, Mencius summarizes the evolution of human emotions: the focus of a person’s affections naturally shifts with age and status (from parents to young beauties, to spouses, to sovereigns). While this is common human nature, Shun’s greatness lies in transcending this natural law to achieve the realm of “great filial piety.” At fifty, an advanced age in ancient times, and as the Son of Heaven, Shun’s attachment to his parents remained as pure as that of a child. This is not merely a moral requirement but a state of pure vital emotion, establishing the supreme ontological status of filial piety in the Confucian ethical system. - Filial Piety in Historical and Political Context
Historically, Shun is the core figure in the Confucian construction of the “Sage-King” ideal. Mencius’ intense focus on Shun’s filial piety is not just about family ethics; it serves to endorse political legitimacy. In Confucian political philosophy, “a loyal minister must be sought among filial sons.” A person who cannot even move his own parents could never govern the world well. Therefore, Shun’s weeping in the fields was not just the sorrow of a son, but the process by which a future sage-king established his absolute moral authority.
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