Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) WANG YOUPU'S ...

Primary Source Document with Questions (DBQs) onW A N G Y O U P U ' S S A C R E D E D I C T L E C T U R E :" E X H O R T A T I O N S O N C E R E M O N Y A N D D E F E R E N C E "filial piety towards parents, honor and respect for superiors, harmony between husband andwife,affectionamongbrothers,honestyamongfriends,andmutualresponsibilityamongthoseof the same lineage. This proves that internally you already possess the basic elements ofceremony and deference. Why then make a fuss about the externals? If you could really, indealingwithothers,beextremelycooperative,inconductingyourselvesbeextremelyobliging,inthefamilyexpresstheaffectionappropriatebetweenparentsandchildren,elderandyoungerbrothers, in your villages maintain accord between the old and the young, the great and thesmall, then those habits of struggling over minor differences and getting into noisy disputeswould be reformed and the tendency toward indulgent and degenerate conduct would berestrained.IfIhadnodesirewhichmightinduceyoutocompeteormetosteal;ifIneverallowedmomentaryangertogetmeintoafight;ifIneverheldyouincontemptbecauseyouarepoorandIamrich;ifyoudidnʹttrytohurtmebecauseyouarestrongandIamweak;ifeverybodybecamekind,withoutanysignofpettiness;thenthiswouldbetrueceremonyanddeference,andinthefullestsensetherewouldbehonorandjustice.Thougheveryoneknowshowtotalkofceremonyanddeference,theydonotallpracticeit. Why donʹt they practice it? Because at present they only know how to use the rules ofceremonytoreproveothers,nothowtousethemtocorrectthemselves.Forexample,ifwearequarreling,youʹllsayIʹmimpoliteandIʹllsayyouare.Onewillsay,ʺWhydonʹtyouyieldtome?ʺAndtheotherwillreply,ʺYouhavenʹtyetyieldedtome.WhyshouldIyieldtoyou?ʺAtlengththeanimositiesbecomesocomplexthattheycannotbedisentangled.Whatgainisthereinthat?Youshouldthinkalittleandsay,ʺAlthoughheiswithoutpropermanners,wherearemymanners?Althoughhehasnʹtyieldedtome,inthebeginningwhydidnʹtIyieldtohim?ʺIfbothpartieswouldadmitpartoftheblame,wouldnʹtnumerousdisputesbeavoided?Itisjustthatpeoplelovetoquarrelandwillnotgiveintoothers.Forinstance,ascholarwhohasaroughideaofhowtocomposeafewversesofvariouskindsofpoetryregardshimselfastheliteraryprodigyofthedayanddisdainstocastaneyeonothers.Butifherealizedthatthesubjectsofstudyareinexhaustibleandthattheempirepossessesanabundanceoflearnedmen,he would say, ʺThe books I have read are only a fraction of what men have written and mycompositionsdonʹtamounttoevenaspotofbrightnessamongthewholelot.ʺAutomaticallyhewould be modest and defer to others. He who really acts with modesty and deference is avirtuousandworthyscholar.Farmers are also in the habit of quarreling about their fields. I say that you haveencroachedonthedikealittle;yousaythatIhaveploughedafurrowtoomany.Perhapssomeanimal, an ox or a sheep, has trodden down the grain, and this gives rise to a quarrel. Orperhapsonepersondamsupthewatertillitoverflowshisownfields,notlettingitpassbyandirrigatethoseofhisneighbor,andthisleadstoastruggle.Craftsmenarealsoquicktogetintoviolentquarrels.YouwanttokeepmedownandIwanttokeepyoudown;ItrytoturnyourAsia for E duca tors l Columbia University l http ://afe.easia.columbia.edu Page 4 of 7