The full text of Mencius' answer to Liang is:
King Hui of Liang said, "I would like to teach in peace."
Mencius said to him, "Isn't it unusual to kill people with hammers and blades?"
Yue: "There is no difference."
"Is it unusual to use the blade and politics?"
Yue: "There is no difference."
He said, "There is fat in the barn, fat horses in the stable, hungry people and hungry people in the wild. This causes wild animals to eat each other. Animals eat each other, the people hate it, and the administration for the people's parents will inevitably lead the animals to eat people. The evil lies in being for the people's parents? Zhong Ni said: "The initiator will not have any consequences!" It's also used to make it look like a person. How did it make people starve to death? "
Mencius' Translation of Answer to Liang;
Liang said to him, "I am willing to accept your teaching." Mencius replied, "Is there a difference between killing with a stick and killing with a knife?" King Hui said, "There is no difference." (Mencius asked again:) "Is there a difference between killing with a knife and killing with tyranny?" King Hui said, "There is no difference."
Mencius said, "There are tender meat in the kitchen and strong horses in the stable. (But) people look hungry, and there are starving bodies in the wild, which is like attracting wild animals to eat people! Wild animals will kill each other, but people will hate it when they see it. However, as people's parents, when they are engaged in political affairs, they have to lead wild animals to eat people. How can this be regarded as the parents of the people?
Confucius said, "Those who make wooden figurines first should have no children!" This is because wooden figurines, like idols, are used for human sacrifice. Even if it is impossible, how can that man starve to death? "
Brief introduction of the author
Mencius (about 372- 289 BC), named Ke, was born in Zou in the middle of the Warring States Period (that is, a native of southeast Zou County, Shandong Province), not far from Confucius' hometown Qufu. He is a famous thinker, politician, educator, the successor of Confucius' theory and an important representative of Confucianism.