A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Ch'ên Ting

by Herbert A. Giles

252 Ch'ên Ting 陳定 (T. 子終). 4th cent. B.C. Commonly known as 陳仲子 Ch'ên Chung Tzŭ. A man of the Ch'i state, who was offered a large sum of money to become Minister to the Prince of Ch'u. But he would not face the cares of official life, and fled away with his wife into the country, where they occupied themselves in watering plants. On one occasion he went without food until he could neither see nor hear. His principles were so lofty, not to say impossible, that Mencius declared a man would have to be an earthworm in order to carry them out.