An In-depth Interpretation of Mencius' 'The Trees of Ox Mountain' Chapter: The Core of Innate Goodness and Cultivation of Mind and Nature
This paper takes the "The Trees of Ox Mountain" chapter from Mencius' "Gaozi" as its core text, integrating it with pre-Qin philosophical literature to deeply analyze the argumentative structure of innate human goodness, the mechanisms by which external environments harm the mind and nature, and the philosophical foundations and cultivation practices of the theory of innate goodness.
General Preface
Among the seven chapters of the Mencius, the chapter discussing the heart and disposition (xinxing) is most incisively treated in Gaozi. And within the first book of Gaozi, the chapter discussing the heart and disposition is nowhere deeper than the "Wood of Ox Mountain" section. This chapter employs the analogy of mountain wood, the archetype of the axe and adze, the parallel of cattle and sheep, the evidence of "night energy" (yeqi), and the verification through daylight actions. It proceeds layer by layer, connecting ring after ring, exhaustively detailing the principles governing the human original heart (benxin), innate knowledge (liangzhi), sprouts of goodness (shanduan), their abandonment (fangshi), their restraint and demise (guwang), and their nourishment and preservation (yangcun). It can truly be considered the general outline of Mencius’s theory of heart/disposition and the core of his doctrine of the inherent goodness of human nature (xing shan).
However, from ancient times to the present, many have read this chapter, but few have truly penetrated its profound core. Why$1 Because what this chapter touches upon involves more than can be encapsulated by the mere phrase "nature is good." It contains the most fundamental questions of pre-Qin philosophy: What exactly is human nature$2 What is the relationship between the heart (xin) and nature (xing)$3 Where lies the source of goodness$4 What is the origin of evil$5 How should the effort of cultivation (gongfu) commence$6 How is the connectivity between the Heavenly Way (Tiandao) and the Human Way (Rendao) made possible$7 These are the focal points of contention among the various schools of the Hundred Schools of Thought in the pre-Qin era, and also the foundation for the ancient sage-kings to govern the world.
This article intends to proceed from the pre-Qin and ancient perspectives, taking Mencius’s "Wood of Ox Mountain" chapter as the core text, widely citing materials from the Book of Documents (Shangshu), Book of Songs (Shijing), I Ching (Zhouyi), Analects (Lunyu), Zuo Zhuan, Guoyu, Book of Rites (Liji), Great Learning (Daxue), Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), Xunzi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Guanzi, Lüshi Chunqiu, as well as the annotations of Zhao Qi and the theories of Dong Zhongshu from the Qin-Han period. We aim for a comprehensive, in-depth, and meticulous interpretation and inquiry. The entire essay strives to ask "Why$8" repeatedly, seeking answers from within the internal system of pre-Qin thought; it seeks to combine historical examples and the interpretations of earlier sages so that the discussion does not become superficial.