Mencius depicts Sage Shun’s balanced mind. He felt fully at peace enduring plain food in poverty, yet stayed unperturbed amid royal splendor after ascending the throne, undisturbed by either humble or glorious external fortunes.
Mencius draws a sharp contrast: diligent people pursuing goodness follow Sage Shun, while those chasing profit resemble bandit Zhi. The core divide between noble and base lies solely in one’s inner motive: virtue or self-interest.
Mencius notes Sage Shun was barely distinguishable from mountain villagers at first. Yet upon encountering any kind word or virtuous act, his innate goodness surged forth irresistibly, showing how responsiveness to good differentiates sages from common folk.
Citing six heroes elevated from hardship, Mencius states adversity tempers character and builds capability. People grow through mistakes and struggles; states without critics or external threats collapse. Thus hardship sustains life, ease brings ruin.
Gongsun Chou cites Gaozi’s claim that Xiao Bian, full of resentment, is a petty man’s poem. Mencius refutes this: its grief springs from deep familial love. He balances filial emotion, noting resentment fits grave parental faults yet not trivial ones.
Mencius states true friendship centers on virtue, free from status, age or power. He cites nobles and rulers treating virtuous men as equals, arguing genuine respect from lords means granting them political authority, balancing honoring superiors and worthy subordinates.
Mencius states the empire belongs to Heaven, not any ruler to give. Heaven reveals its will via public acceptance: officials, litigants and commoners turned to Shun instead of Yao’s son. Heaven’s will equals the people’s will, forming core people-centered legitimacy.
Mencius refutes fallacies about Shun’s reign, laying out a classic text-reading rule: grasp authors’ intent beyond literal words. He argues filial piety outweighs royal rank; as Son of Heaven, Shun still showed full reverence to his father Gusou.