An Earnest Practitioner
A descendant of Mencius dedicated to promoting cultural exchange
Quoting
an ancient proverb by Mencius— “Preserve your dignity as a nobody; promote social welfare as a somebody”— Meng Liang, Chair of the Mencius Foundation and a 79th-generation descendant of Mencius, shared with Beijing Review what has inspired him to step up and promote the Chinese philosopher’s teachings both at home and abroad.
Mencius, born Meng Ke in 372 B.C., was one of Confucius’ fourth generation of disciples and is regarded as second only to Confucius himself in his contribution to Confucian philosophy and his zeal in spreading it. Mencius believed in the inherent goodness of human beings. Living during the chaotic Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), during which seven major states fought each other for supremacy, he advocated for moral, benevolent governance.
Immersed in traditional culture from a young age, Meng believes the values of benevolence, love and courtesy advocated by Confucianism, and its doctrines such as caring for oneself and others and benefiting the world at large, are important foundations for good national governance and societal harmony.
“At the same time, they also help cultivate people’s understanding of the future, offering valuable insights,” he said, adding that he believes “all the challenges facing humanity today—on the individual, familial and national levels—have solutions that can be found in traditionalChinese culture.”
According to Meng, the original intention of establishing the foundation was to better communicate Confucianism, show the world the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and promote cultural exchange between the East and West. Since 2017, the foundation has hosted a series of forums themed on Chinese civilization, inviting experts from the fields of politics, culture, art and economy, toshare their insights.
At the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping used a quote from Mencius “things are born to be different,” to express that all civilizations are unique and no one is superior to anyother.
“There need to be more exchange and dialogue among civilizations and development models, so that each could draw on the strength of the other and all could thrive and prosper by way of mutual learning and common development,” Xi said.
Last year, nd Xi also proposed the Global Civilizations Initiative, calling for respecting the diversity of civilizations, pursuing the common values of humanity, promoting the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and strengthening international people-to-people exchange and cooperation.
Meng sees himself and the foundation as part of the efforts to implement the initiative. “Our cultural exchange programs intend to reduce misunderstandings. The key lies in increasing mutual learning and mutual understanding. We must learn from the advanced aspects of the West, while also allowing the West to understand the strengths of the East,” he said.
In February, he led an eight-person research delegation to France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and several other European countries. “Everyone we talked to during the trip agreed with us that the most important and effective way to reduce friction is through direct, in-person dialogue,” he said. “Only through face-to-face communication can we complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, better understand each other’s needs, and avoid any further, unnecessary misunderstandings.”
Meng stressed that throughout history, Confucian culture has always been innovative, absorbing elements from other civilizations. “This is how Confucian culture has managed to stay alive and vibrant for thousands of years,”he explained.
On the journey forward, there are efforts, gains, and of course, regrets. But Meng shared one quote he particularly likes—“However many foes, they cannot bend my will.”
“This is like a guiding light supporting me on my journey. It gives me strength, empowering me to keep going,” he said.