Sacrificing one's life for justice and righteousness.(捨生取義)
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States
periods in China were extremely chaotic, yet they were also a golden age of
Chinese thought.
Many famous thinkers lived during this
period, offering their own solutions to social and existential problems.
One such figure was the Confucian scholar
Mencius. He believed that a king should rule with benevolence and compassion,
and that his most important task should be to meet the needs of his people.
Mencius travelled to various kingdoms,
preaching his ideas to the kings.
In his writings, Mencius recorded a
dialogue between himself and a scholar named Gaozi.
Gaozi said to Mencius...
Confucianism believes that a person should
possess the virtues of benevolence and kindness, as well as the values of justice
and righteousness. However, if you continue to uphold these values in the face
of changing external circumstances, you may lose your life. What choice would
you make in that situation?
Mencius pondered for a few minutes, then
solemnly asked Gaozi:
'To sacrifice one's life for justice and
righteousness.'
If a person believes that survival is the
most important thing, they will do whatever it takes to preserve their life.
If they believe that death is the most
terrifying thing, they will try every means to avoid it.
If you treat someone who is so poor that
they are about to starve with contempt and insult their character, assuming
that person still has integrity and kindness, then I believe that poor person
would choose not to accept your aid.
If someone sacrifices their principles for
money, I believe that, regardless of the good deeds they do with it, they have
lost their own kind and upright heart.
History books tell us about some
respectable people who made choices that were different from those of the
general public. They believed that there were values more important than merely
existing, and that there were things in life more abhorrent than death.
Therefore, they did not overvalue their own lives or deliberately avoid
misfortune.
Why did these people behave this way? Was
their mentality unique? I believe that the kind and upright hearts of those
respectable people recorded in history are inherent in everyone. I believe that
everyone is capable of choosing to sacrifice their life for justice and
righteousness.
This idiom translates directly as
"choosing to sacrifice one's life for justice and righteousness".
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
did you gain from this story?
Have you maintained your inner integrity
and kindness? Do you agree with Mencius's views on human nature?
I hope this story brings you new insights.
捨生取義(Sacrificing one's life for justice
and righteousness.)
中國的春秋時代與戰國時代是一個極度混亂的年代，但那段間同時也是中國思想上的黃金時代。
有許多著名的思想家生活在那個年代，這些思想家針對當時的社會問題與人生問題提出了各自認為最好的解決的辦法和思想。
儒家的一位名字叫做(孟軻)的學者就是其中一個代表性人物，他認為一個國王應該要用仁愛與仁慈來治理他的王國，一個國王應該要把滿足百姓的生活需求當作最重要的任務。
孟軻持續地到各個王國中去向各個王國的國王宣傳他的想法。
在孟軻所寫的書中，紀錄了一段他與當時一個名字叫做告子的學者的對話。
告子對孟軻說。
儒家認為一個人要具備仁慈與善良的品德，一個人要具備正義與公義的價值觀，假如有一天外在的環境改變，你如果繼續堅持你所認同的正義與公義的價值觀的話，你就會失去自己的生命，在那個時候，你會做出怎樣的選擇呢?
孟軻思考了幾分鐘後表情很嚴肅地對告子說。
為了正義與公義而選擇捨棄自己的生命。
如果一個人認為活下來是最重要的一件事情，那麼這個人就會用盡各種手段去保全自己的生命。
如果一個人認為死亡是最可怕的事情，那麼這個人就會想盡了這種方法讓自己避免死亡。
如果你用一種很輕視的態度去救濟一個窮到已經快要餓死的人，你做出一些污辱他的人格的行為，假設這個人的心中仍然保持正直與善良，那麼我認為這個貧窮的人會選擇不接受你的救濟。
如果一個人為了賺錢而犧牲自己原則，不管你得到這些錢之後做了怎樣的好事，我認為這個人已經失去了自己本身的那顆善良與正直的心。
我們可以從歷史書中看到有些令我們尊敬的人、他們做出了一些不同於普通大眾的選擇，他們認為生命中有比活著更重要的價值，所以他們不會過份地看重自己的生命；他們認為生命中有比死亡更令他們厭惡的事，所以他們不會刻意的逃避災禍。
為何這些人能有有這種不同於其他人的行為表現呢，他們這種心態很特別嗎?
我認為這些被記錄在歷史書中的那些令我們尊敬的人他們的所擁有的顆善良與正直的心是每個人都本來就已經擁有的，我認為每個人都有可能做到為了正義與公義而選擇捨棄自己的生命。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是為了正義與公義而選擇捨棄自己的生命。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你是否仍然保持自己內心的正直與善良呢?你認同孟子對於人性的看法嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為孟子-告子上-9條