482 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
Ch’ŏsŏn, chief brigade commander (to manho). In addition, he bestowed
wine on Commander- in- Chief Cho Kyŏn and Governor Ch’oe Yugyŏng.
Having heard that Ch’a Chun’s father- in- law had died, he bestowed 100 sŏk
of rice and beans.Both Left Chancellor Cho Chun and Right Chancellor Kim Sahyŏng suf-
fered from abscesses. The king dispatched eunuch Cho Sun to inquire after
their health and said, “Since it is important to remain mentally focused to
cure abscesses, do not worry about state affairs or entertain guests.”13th Day (Pyŏngo)
There was hail.Chŏng Tojŏn, second tutor (isa) of the crown prince, gave a lecture on the
Mencius. Commenting on the sentence “By weighing, we know what things
are light, and what are heavy,”^25 he said, “Our mind is like a scale. A small
amount of weight is measured in taels (yang) and a large amount of weight
in catties (kŭn). If something light is weighed together with something
heavy, the weights of taels and catties become confused. Therefore, they
should be weighed separately if one wants to know their real weight.
“The so- called scale should be empty in order to weigh things. A man’s
mind is much the same. It is pleased when it sees a good thing, and it is upset
when it sees a bad thing, and this is the mind of a normal person. Would it
be right, then, if a man gets upset at a time when he should be pleased or
pleased at a time when he should be upset? Therefore, the so- called mind
should always be kept empty in order to deal with things properly. I urge
Your Honor to pay close attention to this aspect of the matter.”18th Day (Sinhae)
When the king planned to take a trip to P’yŏngju Hot Springs, Censor Han
Sanghwan and other officials submitted a memorial to the king:
“We have heard that Your Majesty was planning to take a trip to the hot
springs. Since your trip is intended to cure your illness, we dare not hope
that you would cancel your trip. However, the hot springs are as far as 300
li away from the new capital. We are afraid that you will have to risk the- “King Hui of Liang, Part I,” Mencius. The translation is Legge’s.