Mencius distinguishes two pursuits. Inner virtues like benevolence are fully attainable through personal effort. External wealth and status demand proper ways yet rely on fate, so one cannot guarantee gaining them.
Mencius rejects blind fatalism. All events belong to destiny, yet gentlemen only accept righteous fate. Wise people evade unnecessary risks; dying for the Way is proper fate, while death from crime is not.
Mencius outlines core Confucian cultivation: fully expanding one’s mind reveals inherent good nature, which lets one understand Heaven. Guarding the mind and nurturing nature serves Heaven; steady self-cultivation amid varying life spans fulfills one’s destined mission.
Mencius dismisses slander that Confucius lodged with influential eunuchs for office. He argues Confucius followed rites to serve and upheld righteousness to resign, choosing virtuous hosts even in peril to preserve uncompromised moral integrity.
This article re-evaluates Feng Dao, a Five Dynasties prime minister serving nine emperors, long condemned for disloyalty. It records his benevolent deeds aiding civilians amid chaos and cites his poems revealing his pragmatic creed: focus on good deeds rather than personal fame.
Confucius was in danger when surrounded by people in Kuang. He said, “King Wen of Zhou is long gone – but is not the cultural tradition now embodied in me? If Heaven intended to destroy this culture, those born after him (including myself) would never have had access to it. Since Heaven has not…
The Master said:“Was Shun not the epitome of filial piety?His virtue made him a sage; his honor made him Son of Heaven;he possessed the wealth of all within the Four Seas.He is honored in ancestral temples, and his descendants preserve his legacy.
If Heaven has not granted me enough happiness I keep increasing my store of virtue to supplement this small portion.
As soon as you find your thoughts deflecting to the path of material desires, switch them immediately back to the path of preserving your essential nature.