5A.5  Wan Zhang¹ asked: Is it true that Yao gave the empire to Shun?

Mengzi replied: No. The emperor cannot give the empire to another person.

Yes, but Shun had the empire. Who gave it to him?

Mengzi said: Heaven gave it to him.

By Heaven’s giving it to him, do you mean that Heaven gave it to him in so many words?

No. Heaven does not speak. It simply shows its will by [Shun’s] personal character and his conduct of affairs.

萬章曰：「堯以天下與舜，有諸？」孟子曰：「否。天子不能以天下與人。」「然則舜有天下也，孰與之？」曰：「天與之。」「天與之者，諄諄然命之乎？」曰：「否。天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。」

Wan Zhang asked: May I ask how Heaven showed its will by [Shun’s] character and his conduct of affairs?

Mengzi said: The emperor can recommend a person to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give that man the empire. A feudal lord can recommend a person to the emperor, but he cannot make the emperor make that man a feudal lord. A great officer can recommend a person to a feudal lord, but he cannot make the feudal lord make that man a great officer. In ancient times, Yao recommended Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He showed him to the people, and the people accepted him. I therefore say that Heaven did not speak, but that it simply indicated its will by his character and his conduct of affairs.

曰：「以行與事示之者如之何？」曰：「天子能薦人於天，不能使天與之天下；諸侯能薦人於天子，不能使天子與之諸侯；大夫能薦人於諸侯，不能使諸侯與之大夫。昔者堯薦舜於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之，故曰：天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。」

Wan Zhang continued: May I ask how it was that Yao recommended him to Heaven and Heaven accepted, and that he showed him to the people and the people accepted him?

Mengzi said: He had him preside over the sacrifices, and all the spiritual beings enjoyed them. This means that Heaven accepted him. He had him preside over the conduct of affairs, and the affairs were well managed, and the people felt satisfied. This means that the people accepted him. It was Heaven that gave the empire to him. It was the people that gave the empire to him. Therefore I said, “The emperor cannot give the empire to another person.” Shun assisted Yao for twenty-eight years. This was more than a man could do; it was Heaven that did it. After the death of Yao, when the three-year mourning was completed, Shun withdrew from the son of Yao to the south of the South River. The feudal lords of the empire, however, going to court, went not to the son of Yao but to Shun, litigants went not to the son of Yao but to Shun, and singers sang not to the son of Yao but to Shun. Therefore I said, “Heaven [gave the empire to him].”

曰：「敢問薦之於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之，如何？」曰：「使之主祭而百神享之，是天受之；使之主事而事治，百姓安之，是民受之也。天與之，人與之，故曰：天子不能以天下與人。舜相堯二十有八載，非人之所能為也，天也。堯崩，三年之喪畢，舜避堯之子於南河之南。天下諸侯朝覲者，不之堯之子而之舜；訟獄者，不之堯之子而之舜；謳歌者，不謳歌堯之子而謳歌舜，故曰天也。

Only then did he go to the Middle Kingdom (China) and take the emperor’s seat. If he had occupied the place of Yao and applied pressure to his son, it would have been an act of usurpation, and not a gift of Heaven. The ‘Great Declaration’ said, “Heaven sees as my people see; Heaven hears as my people hear.”2 This is the meaning.

夫然後之中國，踐天子位焉。而居堯之宮，逼堯之子，是篡也，非天與也。《太誓》曰：『天視自我民視，天聽自我民聽』，此之謂也。」