King Hsüan of Ch’i said to T’ien Kuo, "I have heard that Confucians mourn three years for their parents, and three years for a ruler. Now which is the more important, a father or a ruler?"
Kuo replied: “A ruler is almost not as important as one’s father.”
King Hsüan became very angry, “Then why do you literati leave your parents to serve a ruler?”
T’ien Kuo replied, "Without a ruler's lands there is no place to settle one's parents; without a ruler's pay there is no means of supporting one's parents; without rank conferred by a ruler there is no way of making one's parents respected and illustrious. What is received from the ruler is passed on to the parents. So serving a ruler is also something always done on behalf of one's parents." King Hsüan was taken aback and had nothing to answer him.
The Ode says,
The king's business is not to be slackly performed,
And I have no leisure to nourish my father.
齐宣王谓田过曰：“吾闻：儒者亲丧三年。君与父孰重？”过对曰：“殆不如父重。”王忿然曰：“曷为士去亲而事君？”对曰：“非君之土地，无以处吾亲；非君之禄，无以养吾亲；非君之爵，无以尊显吾亲；受之于君，致之于亲，凡事君以为亲也。”宣王悒然，无以应之。《诗》曰：“王事靡盬，不遑将父。”
Kuo replied: “A ruler is almost not as important as one’s father.”
King Hsüan became very angry, “Then why do you literati leave your parents to serve a ruler?”
T’ien Kuo replied, "Without a ruler's lands there is no place to settle one's parents; without a ruler's pay there is no means of supporting one's parents; without rank conferred by a ruler there is no way of making one's parents respected and illustrious. What is received from the ruler is passed on to the parents. So serving a ruler is also something always done on behalf of one's parents." King Hsüan was taken aback and had nothing to answer him.
The Ode says,
The king's business is not to be slackly performed,
And I have no leisure to nourish my father.
齐宣王谓田过曰：“吾闻：儒者亲丧三年。君与父孰重？”过对曰：“殆不如父重。”王忿然曰：“曷为士去亲而事君？”对曰：“非君之土地，无以处吾亲；非君之禄，无以养吾亲；非君之爵，无以尊显吾亲；受之于君，致之于亲，凡事君以为亲也。”宣王悒然，无以应之。《诗》曰：“王事靡盬，不遑将父。”
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