Introduction
Mencius (?371-?289) or ‘Master Meng’ spent his career advising Chinese regional governments on public policy during a low-point in the Zhou Dynasty. Regional barons squabbled, taxed cruelly and chopped off heads, and all was flattery, corruption and ambition. Mencius saw no hope for the State in institutional reforms: each man must undertake his own personal reformation.
THERE are dignities of God, and there are dignities of man. Charity of heart, duty towards one’s neighbour, loyalty, and truth these are the dignities of God. To be a duke, a minister of State, or a high official these are the dignities of man.
The men of old cultivated the dignities of God, and the dignities of man followed. The men of to-day cultivate the dignities of God in order to secure the dignities of man; and when they have obtained the dignities of man, they cast aside all further thought of the dignities of God. In this they greatly err, and the probability is that they will lose their dignities of man as well.
Charity of heart is the noblest gift of God; it is a house, so to speak, in which a man may live in peace. No one can prevent us from possessing this gift; if we have it not, that is due to our own folly.
Charity of heart subdues uncharitableness just as water subdues fire. But people nowadays employ charity of heart much in the same way as if they were to try to put out a blazing cartload of firewood with a single cupful of water; and then when they fail to put out the flames, they turn round and blame the water.*
Translated by Herbert A. Giles. Mencius is pronounced ‘MEN-shee-us’.
From ‘Gems of Chinese Literature: Prose’, translated by Herbert Allen Giles (1845-1935). See also ‘The Four Books: Confucian Analects, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Works of Mencius’, translated by James Legge (1815-1897).
* See 1 Corinthians 13. The translator, Herbert Giles, chose expressions designed to heighten the undeniable similarities with St Paul’s letter. For the Chinese text of Mencius’s reflections, and a more literal English translation, see ‘The Four Books: Confucian Analects, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Works of Mencius’, translated by James Legge (1815-1897), starting on p. 886.
Précis
Chinese philosopher Mencius distinguished between heavenly honours such as charity, honesty and self-sacrifice, and earthly honours such as titles and preferments. Today’s politicians, he said, seek only the earthly, and often end up without even these. Charity he thought heaven’s noblest honour; but the few who try it use too little to do any good, and learn to despise it. (60 / 60 words)
Chinese philosopher Mencius distinguished between heavenly honours such as charity, honesty and self-sacrifice, and earthly honours such as titles and preferments. Today’s politicians, he said, seek only the earthly, and often end up without even these. Charity he thought heaven’s noblest honour; but the few who try it use too little to do any good, and learn to despise it.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, just, may, not, or, otherwise, ought, until.
About the Author
Mencius (?371-?289 BC) lived under the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BC), which towards its later years fell into decay. When Mencius was still young his father died, leaving the family poor. The boy’s mother took care to give him an education, and he became a consultant on sound government in the traditions of Confucius. For a time he held office in the state of Qi, but he resigned after his advice too often went unheeded. He continued to advise various states, but retired from public life feeling he had not achieved his aims. Mencius is pronounced MEN-shee-us, and is a Latinized form of Mengzi or Master Meng. His full name was Meng Ke.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Cast. God. Much.
2 House. Official. Well.
3 Have. Then. Thought.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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