Since ancient times, weak countries have had no diplomacy. No matter how powerful it once was, once it declined, it was immediately reduced to a supporting role. For example, the State of Qi once dominated the world by the princes of Jiuhe, but when it came to the Time of The Duke of Qi Jing, it declined to beg for mercy to the State of Wu and married the princess to someone else. Qi Jinggong burst into tears and was helpless.
Mencius used this as an example to tell the world that when they are not helping themselves, they must conform to the law of the jungle, and the weak can only bow to the strong. This makes the reader wonder a little: Why did Ya Shengsu, who took the "mighty spirit" of the eldest husband as his mighty, behave slightly weakly at this time?
<h1>Confucianism also speaks of going with the flow</h1>
Mencius said: "There is a way under the heavens, a small virtue serves a great virtue, a small virtuous servant serves a great sage; there is no way under the world, a small service is big, and a weak service is strong." Both days also. Those who go against the heavens survive, and those who go against the heavens die.
Mencius said, "When the world is politically clear, people with high morals lead people with mediocre morals, and people with superior intellect manage people with average intelligence; when the world's politics is in turmoil, the powerful people dominate the weak and small, and the domination of the many and the powerful is weak." Both of these situations are providential. Those who obey Providence can survive, but those who oppose Providence will inevitably perish. ”
The so-called world has the way, that is, the era when human society respects human nature, and the high moral is respected, leading the public to live out human dignity. The world has no way, is the era when human society tramples on human nature, the law of the jungle, the weak eat the strong. Whoever has power reigns and regards morality as dung.
These two eras have their own laws, with virtue as the most precious if there is a way, and the weak eat the strong without the way. In the age of the Tao, we must honor virtue, and this is Shuntian. If you do not respect virtue, you will not be in accordance with heaven, then it will be difficult to survive in the world of the Tao, and it will be self-destructive. In the era of no way, it is necessary to be still powerful, which is also Shuntian. If you are not strong, it is not smooth, it is difficult to survive in the world of no way, and it is also self-destruction.
The point is that in the world of no way, Shangli is considered by Mencius to be in accordance with Providence. Is this Confucian thought?
Zhu Zi said, "Heavenly One, of course, the right momentum." "The so-called Heavenly Dao has its own reason and its potential. Reason, the general tendency, is absolute. Potential, the principle of stage, is relative. When people are tigers and wolves, they naturally cannot talk about benevolence and morality. When people are in turmoil, they inevitably have to take up arms to protect themselves.
So, at certain stages of history, humans have had to follow the law of the jungle. At that time, moral democracy was just a beautiful legend. This is the trend. Speaking of this, Mencius gave the example of Qi Jinggong's married daughter.
Qi Jinggong said: "Neither can it be ordered, nor is it ordered, it is a dead thing." "The nose came out and the woman yu Wu."
Qi Jinggong said helplessly, "If you cannot command others and do not obey people's orders, then you will cut yourself off from heaven and earth and kill yourself." Yu shed tears and married his daughter to the State of Wu.
At that time, Wu was a powerful country. The State of Qi was relatively weak. In order to ensure the international status and national interests of the State of Qi, Qi Jinggong had to ally with the State of Wu. At that time, the State of Wu was considered a barbarian country, and Qi Jinggong felt humiliated in his heart. But there was no way, so he sacrificed his daughter in the form of marriage.
<h1>Not only to go with the times, but also to go with the general trend</h1>
If they are all like Qi Jinggong, they are bent and perfect, but they are not the original intention of Confucianism. Qingyuan Fushi said: "Jing Gong's words should be preferable, but Jing Gong's Qi, that is, the Qi of Huan Gong's hegemonic princes, although the situation is declining, Gou Zhen is new, and it is not my concern?" ”
Or that State of Qi, The Duke of Qi Huan can dominate the princes of the world, why can't the Duke of Qi Jing emulate the former emperor and rise up to strengthen himself? Isn't that his responsibility? Since he was ashamed to marry his daughter, he should learn from King Wen.
"Now I am ashamed to be ordered by a small country and a big country, and it is a disciple of Judah who is ashamed to be ordered by the previous master." Shame on you, Mo Ruoshi Wen Wang. King Shiwen, a big country for five years and a small country for seven years, will govern the world. ”
Today's small countries imitate the big countries, but they are ashamed to be dominated by the big powers, just like students are ashamed to accept the guidance of their teachers. Since he was so ashamed, it was better to learn from King Wen of Zhou. If you can really learn from king Wen, it only takes five years for a big country and seven years for a small country, and it will definitely become the leader of the world.
The method of King Wen's rule of the country is recorded in the classics, and if the princes want to emulate King Wen, they can refer to it. Although there is no way in the world, as long as you can cultivate morality and practice benevolent government, small countries can also do the way. Once the Tao is opened, it has its own unstoppable potential, and the big countries have to follow in the footsteps of the small countries.
Xin'an Chen said, "The people's hearts are excited, the momentum is back, and the small can be big, the weak can be strong, and the big country is my service." ”
However, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, no princely monarch could completely imitate King Wen. The big countries want to emulate the big five, while the small countries follow suit the big powers. However, small countries are not convinced. Just like some students, although they study with the teacher, they think that the teacher is not smart enough.
If you really study King Wen's words thoroughly, you will soon see the effect. Mencius said that five years for a large country and seven years for a small country are only an approximate number of years. But by and large, it will not exceed the current term of office of a leader. Ten years at most, enough to lead the world.
However, the reader does not have to wrestle with this number. Cheng Zi said, "Five years and seven years, the saints can live at the right time." In all these cases, scholars should think about how they act, which is beneficial to the ear. This means that Mencius said five years and seven years, from the perspective of a saint. Those who have the virtue of King Wen will naturally have the merits of King Wen.
Qingyuan Fushi said, "Cheng Zi's words, so enlighten scholars to the end, only the saints can know the time, so it is said that 'the saints can live at their time'." Scholars have a clear sense of reason, but the long experience and deep thinking will naturally be seen. ”
<h1>The power of benevolence does not lie in the multitude of people</h1>
Shi Yun: "The grandson of Shang, his beauty is not billion." God has commanded, and he will obey the week. Hou obeyed Zhou, and the Destiny of Heaven was constant. Yin Shi is sensitive, and yu will be in Beijing. Confucius said, "Benevolence shall not be for the multitude." The king of the country is good and benevolent, and the world is invincible. ”
The Book of Poetry, Daya King Wen, says: "The descendants of Yin Shang are as many as 100,000 in number. But when the heavens issued the Mandate of Heaven, they all submitted to the Zhou Dynasty. It can be seen that the destiny is impermanent. The nobles and sages of yin merchants all went to the capital of the Zhou Dynasty to help zhou tianzi perform the ceremony of pouring wine. ”
Confucius said, "The power of benevolence does not lie in the multitude of people. As long as the monarch advocates benevolence, he can be invincible to the world. ”
When it comes to the invincibility of the world, people often think of thousands of armies and horses galloping on the battlefield and being invincible to the world by force. But that was not what Confucius meant. It is not so much that no one is invincible, but that no one is willing to be invincible. Benevolent government is what the people of the world yearn for. This is what the human heart desires. If the people of other countries will be envious of the benevolent government and even want to immigrate to the country of benevolent government, how can they bear to destroy it?
Nishiyama Said, "As the grandson of the Shang, but as the prince of the Zhou, and the beauty of the Shang, and rushing to the sacrifice of the Zhou Temple, how often is the destiny of heaven!" Cheng Tang only has its benevolence, so the Mandate of Heaven belongs to the Shang, but it is not benevolent, so the Mandate of Heaven is turned to Zhou. ”
From the point of view of the Mandate of Heaven, only virtue is supplemented, which is the reason, or the general tendency. From the perspective of the human world, the destiny is impermanent, and it will not always maintain which clan and which surname. Because human virtue is always changing, the Mandate of Heaven is also changing with the change of virtue. The surname Li has virtue, then in the glory of datang. The Zhao surname has virtue, and there is a splendid Song Dynasty.
Once a person is in power, it is easy to relax the restraint of the self, and the virtue quickly declines without knowing it. Moral cultivation is like sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat. Until its moral degeneration collapses, so will its foundations. Although there was a Mandate of Heaven in the past, it was not necessarily possible to preserve the Mandate of Heaven forever, and it may soon be replaced by others.
If there are many people, there may not be strength. As long as benevolent government is practiced, there will naturally be more and more people supporting it.
<h1>summary</h1>
Mencius explained the laws of the world under the two conditions of the world, the Tao and the Taoless. If there is a way, morality and wisdom will be promoted; if there is no way, it will resort to force and force. It is true that this is how the world responds to different times.
However, it should not be narrowly believed that Mencius is advocating the law of the jungle by saying this. In general, Mencius was exhorting the monarch to emulate King Wen and promote benevolent government.
In the age of no way, the monarch of the world has another way to go. Grasping a "benevolent" word, the world's major events are fixed.