This is an ancient myth and legend. Yu (大禹) was the chieftain of the Xiahou clan (夏后氏), also known as Xia Yu or Rong Yu (夏禹、戎禹). According to tradition, his father, Gun (鲧), was ordered by Emperor Yao to control the floods. Gun stole the Heavenly Emperor’s “living soil” (息壤, Xirang) to build dikes,…
This chapter defends universal love against doubters. It uses rulers’ power to shape conduct as evidence, cites Yu, King Wen and King Wu to prove equal mutual love is workable, the sole cure for wars and all social harms.
Bai Gui claims his flood control surpasses Yu the Great. Mencius disagrees: Yu diverted floods to the seas naturally, while Bai Gui channels floods into neighboring states. Such harmful zero-sum tactics are detested by benevolent men.
This final chapter compiles ancient sage kings’ core governance creeds: uphold the Mean, shoulder all people’s faults, prioritize populace, food, rituals and sacrifices, and practice four ruling virtues – magnanimity, sincerity, diligence and impartiality.
Yu the Great and Hou Ji lived in times of peace. Yu passed by his own home three times while controlling floods but never entered; Hou Ji tirelessly taught farming to feed the people. Confucius praised them.
Mencius said: “When people in the world talk about ‘human nature’, they are really just talking about the ‘inherent patterns’ of things. And these patterns are fundamentally rooted in ‘natural course and inherent tendencies’. What we dislike about cleverness is that it often forces artificial interpretations. But if the wise acted like Yu the…
Mencius said: “Yu the Great detested fine wine but loved wise counsel. Tang held to the Golden Mean and appointed the worthy without regard to their background. King Wen of Zhou looked upon the people as if they were wounded, and though he longed for the Dao, he always felt he had not yet…