All humans have compassion — Mencius and his philosophy on kindness (1)

History records a vast period of time, so does culture, which also echoes down in our hearts. “Mencius,” a Confucian text compiled by Mencius and his disciples, is a monograph we shall read and peruse.

Mencius was a visionary. When describing Confucius, he said, “When he ascended Dongshan Mountain, Confucius felt the State of Lu was small, and when he ascended Taishan Mountain, he felt the world was small.” Mencius talked about an expansion and elevation of horizons, stating Confucius’ broadening perception when he ascended mountains. Similar principles apply to being a scholar as it is difficult to find the right words to live up to expectations of someone who has studied under a sage.

Mencius believed all human beings share an innate goodness, and this thought lays a foundation to Confucianism.

Arguments are inevitable on whether human nature is good or evil. Governing a nation requires understanding human nature — how can a man run a country without knowing humanity? Theories on human nature differ, same as approaches to governance.

Mencius and Gaozi debated on the issue, with Gaozi arguing human nature is neither good nor bad and presenting an organic metaphor for his moral neutrality — like water, as it can flow east or west.

Mencius rejected Gaozi’s argument by remarking that human nature flows to the good, just as water naturally flows down. It is possible to make people bad, just as it is possible to make water flow up — but neither is a natural process or end. “Although a man can be made to become bad, his nature remains as it was.”

According to Mencius, all humans have compassion. A person, with his senses of compassion and humanity, whether a lord or commoner, will feel sympathy and find others’ sufferings unbearable. Mencius narrated a story of why humans naturally feel these emotions.

When King Xuan of Qi was sitting in his palace, a man led an ox passing below. The king noticed and asked the man, “Where will you lead the ox to?” The man replied, “The blood of the ox will be used for consecrating a new bell.” The king then said, “Spare it. I cannot bear to see it shrinking in fear under innocence.”

Mencius sensed the king’s compassion, saying, “The heart behind your action is enough to make you become a true king. The people thought that you grudged the expense, but for my part I have no doubt you were moved out of pity for the animal.” Mencius held that everyone would naturally put themselves into others’ shoes to feel their pain, sorrow or delight.

(The author is a cultural scholar.)

(Translated by Chen Siqi)