Xu Xing's Original Text and the Translation of Xu Xing's Deeds

Xu Xing (about 372 BC-about 289 BC) was a famous agronomist and thinker in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period. The Huaxia nation is a follower of Chu State, born from Chu Xuanwang to Chu Huaiwang, almost at the same time as Mencius. In Mencius Teng Wengong, it was recorded that Xu Xing was a farmer, so he was classified as a farmer. Later generations also regarded Xu Xing as the representative of farmers in the pre-Qin period.

Xu Xing's original text and translation source or author: Mencius

Xu Xing, who has a word for Shennong, said to "Songs of the South Teng Wengong": "People from afar, Wen Jun is benevolent and willing to be embarrassed." Public and local. Dozens of people, all dressed in brown, were tied up and made up mats to eat.

Sean, his disciple, and Xin, his younger brother, were defeated by Song Zhiteng, saying, "It is also necessary to administer by the way of saints, and I am willing to protect myself by the way of saints."

When Chen saw Xu Xing, he was very happy. He gave up his studies and learned how to. When Chen saw Mencius, he said, "Honesty has virtue; Although, I have never heard of Tao. Sages and people plow and eat, and govern the country by eating. Today Teng has a granary treasury, which is self-supporting and self-supporting. Evil is virtuous! "

Mencius said, "Will Xu Zi plant millet and eat it?" Said, "Of course." "Xu Zi must weave before he wears clothes?" Said, "No, Xu Zi is dressed in brown." "Xu ziguan?" Say "crown" and "off?" Said: "Guan Su." Yue: "What is the sum of self-weaving?" Yue: "No, just use millet." Yue: "Didn't Michell Maxwell Hsu knit it himself?" Said, "It's harmful to farming." Yue: "Do you use a kettle or iron to plow the fields?" Said, "Of course." "The sum of self-reliance?" Yue: "No, just use millet."

"People who use millet as a weapon are not trained for him; Ye Tao is also a farmer who is good at harvesting millet with machines. Why didn't Xu Zi use it to educate his palace? What is the transaction with Baigong one after another? Why don't you worry? "

Yue: "It is impossible for the tiller to have land and be omnipotent." "But the rule of the world, can only rely on training and strive for? There are things about adults and things about villains. And a person's body is prepared for everything. If you must use it yourself, you will lead the world. Therefore: either work hard or work hard, the hard-working people govern others, and the hard-working people govern others; Treat people eat people, treat people eat people, and the world is righteous. "

"When, the world is not flat. The flood crossed the river and flooded the world. Vegetation is lush, animals multiply, while crops are scarce and animals threaten. The way of animal hoof and bird trace is left to China. Yao's worry alone can be cured. Make good use of fire; Yi Lieshan is burned, and animals escape. Nine rivers in Yushu, Luo Ji, and the sea; Resolute Confucianism, thinking, and paying attention to the river; Then China can get and eat. At that time, after eight years away from home, I will not enter the door three times. Although he wanted to plow, what did he get? "

"Hou Ji teaches people to cultivate, and the trees are cultivated with grains, and the grains are cooked and the people are educated. People have a way, eat enough, live in seclusion and don't teach, and they are close to animals. Sages and sages are worried, making them make friends with Stuart, and teaching people ethics: father and son are close, monarch and minister are righteous, husband and wife are different, young and old have stories, and friends have letters. Fang Xun said: "If you work hard, you can straighten it out. If you help it, you can be complacent and improve your morality." Do saints care so much about the people, but have leisure time to plow? "

"Yao is not suitable for his own sorrow, and Shun is not suitable for his own sorrow. A husband is worried about a hundred acres of land, and so is a farmer. Divide people into wealth, teach people loyalty and kindness, and win the world. Therefore, it is easy for everyone in the world, but difficult for everyone in the world. Confucius said,' Great, Yao is king! Only the sky is big, but Yao is it, swinging around, and the people are incompetent! Jun zai, Shun Ye! This is magnificent, there is a world, it is not embarrassing! "Yao and Shun rule the world useless. It is not used to plow ears! "

"From Xu Zizhi's way, the city is good and the countryside is not false; Although a five-foot child is suitable for the fair, he should not be bullied. If the length of cloth and silk is the same, Jia is similar; If the weight of flax is the same, then Jia is similar; If the number of grains is the same, then Jia is similar; If the size is the same, then Jia is similar. "

He said: "When things are not harmonious, things fall in love. Or times, or even, or ten million. In contrast, it is also chaotic. How can a giant and a little man be like Jia? From the way of Xu Zi, if you are false, evil can rule this country! "

Xu Xing, a researcher on Shennong's theory, came to Tengguo from Chu State and told him at the door: "People from afar have heard that you practice benevolent government and are willing to accept a residence as your people." Teng Wengong gave him a place to live. Dozens of his disciples wore coarse clothes and made a living by knitting shoes and mats.

Sean, Chen Liang's disciple, and Chen Xin, his younger brother, came to Tengguo from Song State with farm tools on their backs. They said to Gong Wen, "I heard that you are a saint when you practice the political views of saints, and we are willing to be the people of saints."

Sean was very happy after seeing Xu Xing, and completely gave up what he had learned and learned from Xu Xing. Chen Xiang came to see Mencius and relayed Xu Xing's words: "The king of Tengguo is indeed a wise king; Even so, I haven't heard the truth of governing the country. Xianjun should get food, cook and govern the world together with the people. At present, there are a large number of granaries and warehouses in Tengguo, which are used to collect property and cloth, so this is to make the people suffer to fatten themselves, and where can they be regarded as saints! "

Mencius asked, "Does Xu Zi have to grow his own crops before eating?" Sean said, "Yes." Mencius said, "When Xu Zi wears clothes, he must weave his own cloth first." Sean said, "No, Xu Zi is wearing coarse clothes that have never been woven." Mencius said, "Does Xu Zi wear a hat?" Sean said, "Wear a hat." Mencius said, "What hat to wear?" Sean said, "Wear a hat made of raw silk." Mencius said, "Do you knit by yourself?" Sean said, "No, I exchanged it with food." Mencius said, "Why didn't Xu Zi weave himself?" Sean said: "It is harmful to agriculture." Mencius said, "Does Xu Zi use iron pots and tiles for cooking and iron farm tools for farming?" Sean said, "Yes." Mencius said, "Did you make it yourself?" Sean said, "No, I exchanged it with food."

Mencius said: "it is harmless to potters and blacksmiths to exchange food for farm tools and cookers;" Potters and blacksmiths also exchange their farm tools and cookers for food. Can it be considered as hurting farmers? Besides, why didn't Xu Zi burn pottery and iron himself, so that everything was used in his own home? Why are you busy communicating with various craftsmen? Why is Xu Ziru so afraid of trouble? "

Sean said: "It is impossible for all kinds of craftsmen to work at the same time." Mencius said; "So, then governing the world can be both farming and doing? There are things done by officials and things done by the people. Besides, a person's life needs all kinds of things made by craftsmen. If you must make it yourself and use it again, it will be no peace to take people all over the world on the road. So: some people use their brains, while others use their physical strength. People with brains rule others, and people with physical strength are ruled by others; It is a universal truth that those who are ruled by others support others, and those who rule others get the support of others. "

"In Tang Yao, the world has not settled down. The flood is raging and flooding everywhere. Lush vegetation, animal reproduction, immature grains, and wild animals threaten people. Birds and beasts have traveled all over the Central Plains. Tang Yao was deeply worried about this, so he chose Shun to govern the country. Shun sent people to control the fire, and then expanded it, burning up the vegetation in the swamp area, so all the wild animals fled and hid. Shun also sent Yu to dredge the nine rivers and lead them into the sea; Dig through the supply water and Hanshui River, remove the siltation of Huaihe River and Surabaya River, and let them flow into the Yangtze River. In this way, the Central Plains can cultivate and harvest grain. At this time, Yu has been running around for eight years, passing through the house many times, and has never been in. Even if he wants to farm, can he? "

"Hou Ji taught the people to cultivate and harvest and plant crops. When the crops are ripe, the people will be able to survive and multiply. The truth of being a man is almost the same as that of an animal, that is, simply eating and wearing warm clothes, living comfortably and not being enlightened. Worried about this, he appointed Qi as Stuart to teach people the truth that there should be a relationship between people: there is a blood relationship between father and son, there is a distinction between courtesy and righteousness between monarch and minister, there is a distinction between husband and wife, and there is a virtue of honesty between friends. Tang Yao said: "Let people work hard, make them obey, make them upright, help them, make them feel good, and give them kindness and relief." Tang Yao is so worried about the people, does he still have time to farm? "

"Worry about the loss of Shun, and worry about the loss of Shun. The people who are worried about poor land cultivation are farmers. Giving others property is kindness, teaching others kindness is loyalty, and finding a sage for the world is benevolence. Therefore, it is easier to give the world to others than to find a saint for the world. Confucius said:' Yao is the king, how great! Only Heaven is the greatest, and only Yao can imitate Heaven. Vast and vast, the people can't describe it in words! Shun is really a monarch! Lofty, there is a world, but you don't ask for everything! "Under the rule of Yao and Shun, shouldn't we bother ourselves? Just don't have to farm! "

Sean said: "If you obey Xu Zi's theory, the market price will not be different, and there will be no fraud in capital. Even if a five-foot-tall child goes to the market, no one will cheat him. Cloth and silk, same length, same price; Hemp thread and silk floss have the same weight and price; Whole grains, same quantity, same price; The shoes are the same size and the price is the same. "

Mencius said: "The prices of commodities are inconsistent, which is determined by the nature of commodities." Some are one to five times different, some are ten to one hundred times different, and some are thousands to ten thousand times different. You equate them side by side and make the world chaotic. Making coarse shoes costs the same as making fine shoes. Can people make shoes? To do it in Xu Zi's way is to guide the other side to cheat. How can we rule this country? "

In the first year of Teng Wengong (332 BC), Xu Xing led his disciples from Chu to Tengguo. Teng Wengong demarcated a piece of cultivated land for Xu Hang at his request. The management effect is good. Sean, a disciple of the great Confucian, and his younger brother came to Tengguo from Song with farm tools, worshiped Xu as a teacher, abandoned the Confucian viewpoint and became faithful followers of peasant children.