Confucius said, "The I [ching] first has the t`ung jên[2]
and
afterward the ta yu.[3]
That it continues them with the ch`ien[4]
—
is this not indeed fitting? Truly, `It is the way of heaven to
diminish the full and augment the humble. It is the way of earth
to overthrow the full and replenish the humble. Spiritual Beings
inflict calamity on the full and bless the humble. It is the way
of man to hate the full and love the humble.'[5]
Humbleness is to
repress and diminish; if you would hold to the way of fullness,
repress and diminish. Such is the action of humbled[6]
virtue.
Those who conform to it will have good fortune, while those who
oppose it will have bad luck. After the death of the Five Emperors,
and after the decline of the Three Kings, was it not only the Duke
of Chou who was able to put humbled virtue into practice? The
son of King Wên, the younger brother of King Wu, and uncle of
King Ch`êng, he borrowed the esteemed position of the Son of
Heaven for seven years. There were ten men whom he met with
presents and treated as teachers. There were thirteen men
[7]
with
whom he exchanged gifts and whom he regarded as friends, and
forty-nine gentlemen from poor dwellings in mean quarters to
whom he gave precedence in interviews. There were a hundred
good men whom he advanced at regular times, and a thousand to
whom he granted audiences in his palace. He had five ministers
whose duty it was to remonstrate, and five who aided him, and
six who supported him. There were a hundred gentlemen of his
own clan who bore shield and spear and attained to the [status of]
feudal lords."
[8]
Confucius said, "Even the Duke of Chou when ruling the
empire in rewards gave most to his own clan[9]
and less to outside
clans." Truly, "one whose virtuous conduct is ample and who
preserves it by reverence will prosper; one whose territory is
extensive and who preserves it by economy will find security; one
whose rank is elevated and whose pay is rich and who preserves
them by humility will be honored; one whose people are many
and whose weapons are strong and who preserves them by fear
will be victorious; one who has intelligence and knowledge and
who preserves them by [an air of] stupidity will be wise; one whose
learning is extensive and whose memory is strong and who preserves
them by [an air of] shallowness will not go to excess." These
six are all of them "humbled virtues."
The I [ching] says,[10]
"Ch`ien indicates progress and success. The
superior man will maintain his success to the end, and have good
fortune." What is able to bring about this lucky issue is the Way
of the superior man. To have the rank of emperor and the wealth
of the whole land and then to lose their lives for not humbling
their virtue—such was the lot of Chieh and Chou; how much the
more should common people [be circumspect]. Now the
I [
ching]
has one way whereby, on a large scale, one may preserve an
empire; or on a medium scale, a state, or more immediately his
own person—is it not simply by "humbled virtue"?
The Ode says,[11]
T`ang was not born too late,
And his wisdom and virtue daily advanced.
