University of Virginia Library

BOOK EIGHT

Chapter XXIII

COLLECTED PERSUASIONS, THE LOWER SERIES[1]

Pai-lo[2] once taught two men how to select horses that
kick habitually. Later, he went with them to Viscount
Chien's stable to inspect the horses. One of the men pulled
out a kicking horse. The other man[3] went near behind the
horse and patted its flank three times, but the horse never
kicked.[4] Therefore, the man who had pulled out the horse[5]
thought he had been wrong in the way of selection. Yet the
other man said: "You were not wrong in the way of
selection. The shoulders of this horse are short but its laps
are swollen. The horse that kicks habitually has to raise
the hindlegs and lay its whole weight upon the forelegs.
Yet swollen laps are not dependable. So the hind legs cannot
be raised. You were skilful in selecting kicking horses
but not in observing[6] the swollen laps." Verily, everything
has the supporter of its weight. However, that the forelegs
have swollen laps and therefore cannot support its whole
weight, is known only by intelligent men. Hui Tzŭ said:

"Suppose the monkey was put into a cage, it would turn
as clumsy as the pig." For the same reason, as long as
the position is not convenient, nobody can exert his ability.

Viscount Wên, a general of the Wei State, once called
on Tsêng Tsŭ. Tsêng Tzŭ did not stand up but asked him
to take a seat while he set himself on a seat of honour.[7]
Later, Viscount Wên said to his coachman: "Tsêng Tzŭ
is rustic. If he thinks I am a gentleman, why should he
pay me no respect? If he thinks I am a rascal, why should
he offend a rascal? That Tsêng Tzŭ has never been
humiliated is good luck."

A kind of bird called "little cuckoo" has a heavy head
and a curved tail. On drinking water from the river, it is
bound to be overturned. Therefore, another bird has to
hold its feather upward and let it drink. Similarly, men
who fall short of drinking ought to find support for their
own feather.[8]

Eels are like snakes, silkworms like caterpillars. Men are
frightened at the sight of snakes and shocked at the sight of
caterpillars. However, fishermen would hold eels in hand
and women would pick up silkworms. Thus, where there
is profit, there everyone turns as brave as Mêng Pên and
Chuan Chu.

Pai-lo taught men whom he disliked how to select swift
race-horses and taught men whom he liked how to select
inferior horses, because swift race-horses being few and far
between would yield slow profits while inferior horses being
sold every day would bring about quick profits. That swift

race-horses yield profits is as casual[9] as the use of vulgar
words in a refined style mentioned in the Book of Chou.

Huan[10] Hê said: "The first step of sculpture is to make
the nose large and the eyes small. Because the nose, if too
large, can be made small, but, if too small, cannot be
enlarged; and the eyes, if too small, can be enlarged, but,
if too large, cannot be made small. The same is true with
the beginning of any enterprise. If made recoverable at
any time, it seldom fails.

Marquis Ch`ung and Wu-lai knew that they would not
be chastised by Chow but never foresaw that King Wu would
destroy them. Pi-kan and Tzŭ-hsü knew that their masters
would go to ruin but never knew the impending death of
themselves. Hence the saying: "Marquis Ch`ung and
Wu-lai knew the mind of their master but not the course of
events while Pi-kan and Tzŭ-hsü knew the course of events
but not the minds of their masters. The saintly man knowing
both is always secure."

The Prime Minister of Sung was powerful and in charge
of all important decisions. When Chi Tzŭ was about to
visit the Ruler of Sung, Liang Tzŭ heard about it and said
to him: "During the interview, are you sure the Prime
Minister will be present? Otherwise, you might not be
able to evade disasters." Chi Tzŭ, accordingly, persuaded
the Ruler of the need of taking care of his health[11] and
leaving the state affairs in the hands of able vassals.

Yang Chu's younger brother, Yang Pu, once wore white
clothes and went out. As it started raining, he took off

the white clothes and put on black ones. Upon his return,
his dog, unable to recognize him, barked at him. Yang
Pu became very angry and was about to beat it, when Yang
Chu said: "Don't beat the dog. You will do the same,
too. Supposing the dog went out white and came back
black, wouldn't you feel strange?"

Hui Tzŭ said: "If Hou Yi put the thimble[12] on his right
thumb, held the middle of the edge with his left hand, drew
the bow, and then released the string, then even men of
Yüeh would contentiously go to hold the target for him.
But when a small child draws the bow, then even the
compassionate mother will run into the house and shut
the door." Hence the saying: "If certain of no miss, even
men of Yüeh would not doubt Hou Yi. If not certain of
no miss, even the compassionate mother will escape her
small child."

Duke Huan of Ch`i once asked Kuan Chung if there
was any limit of wealth. In reply Kuan Chung said: "Where
there is no more water, there is the limit of water. Where
there is content with wealth, there lies the limit of wealth.
If one cannot stop with his content, it is because he forgets[13]
the limit of wealth."

In Sung there was a rich merchant named Chien Chih
Tzŭ. Once, when he was competing with other people for
buying an uncut jade quoted at one hundred taels of gold,
he pretended to drop it and thereby break it by mistake.
As a result, he had to pay one hundred taels of gold for the
damage. Then he repaired the breakage and sold it for
twenty thousand taels.[14] Thus, affairs are started and are

sometimes ruined. People must have considered it wise
not to have started the competition at the moment when
the merchant had to pay the damages.

Once there was a man who owing to his skilfulness in
driving wanted to see the King of Ching. All coachmen
became jealous of him. Therefore, he said, "Thy servant
when driving can catch deer." So he was granted an audience.
When the King himself drove, he could not catch any deer.
Then the man drove and caught them. The King praised
his driving, when he told the King about the coachmen's
jealousy of him.

When Ching ordered Kung-sun Ch`ao[15] to lead the
expeditionary forces against Ch`ên, his father-in-law saw
him off, saying, "Chin is strong. Be sure to take precautions
against their reinforcements." "Why should Father
worry?" said Kung-sun Ch`ao. "I will rout the Chins
on your behalf." "All right," said his father-in-law. "Then
I will build a hut outside the south gate of the capital of
Ch`ên and wait there for mournful news." "Why do you
say that?" asked Ch`ao. "I have to laugh," replied the old
man, "at the thought that if it is so easy to scheme for the
ruin of enemies as you suppose, why should Kou-chien alone
have to endure ten years' hardships in secret and solitude?"

Yao transferred the rule over All-under-Heaven to Hsü
Yu. But Hsü Yu ran away. When he stayed in a farmer's
house, the farmer put his fur hat out of the guest's sight.
Indeed, the farmer put his hat out of the sight of Hsü Yu
who had even declined the rule over All-under-Heaven
because he never knew of Hsü Yu.

Once three lice were biting a pig and disputing with one
another. Another louse, passing by them, asked, "What
are you disputing about?" "We are fighting for fat places,"
replied the three lice. "If you fellows do not worry about
the arrival of the mid-winter festival and the burning of the
miscanthus, what else should you worry about?" So
saying, the last louse joined the three in biting the body of
the pig and ate as much as they wanted. In the meantime,
the pig became very thin, wherefore people did not kill it
at the time of the festival.

There is a kind of worm called "tapeworm", which has
two mouths. Once they quarrelled for food and bit each
other, till they killed each other. All ministers who quarrel
about public affairs and thereby ruin the state, are all like
tapeworms.

If buildings are painted white and furniture cleansed with
water, then there is cleanliness. The same is true of human
conduct and personality. If there is left no room for further
painting and cleansing, then faults must be few.

When Prince Chiu was about to cause a rebellion, Duke
Huan of Ch`i sent spies to watch him. They came back with
the report that Prince Chiu, inasmuch as he never rejoiced
when laughing and never saw when looking at a thing, would
certainly cause a rebellion. Hearing this, Duke Huan made
the Lus kill him.

Kung-sun Hung bobbed his hair and became a cavalier of
the King of Yüeh. To sever his relationship with him,
Kung-sun Hsi sent someone to tell him, "I and you will
no longer be brothers." In reply Kung-sun Hung said:
"I have my hair cut off. You might have your neck cut
off while serving in the army under somebody else. What

do I have to say to you then?" True, in the battle south
of Chou, Kung-sun Hsi was killed.

A man who lived next-door to a rascal thought of selling
off his estate and thereby keeping away from him. Thereupon
someone said to him, "His string of wickedness will soon
be full. Better wait for a while." "I am afraid he is going
to do something against me for filling his measure of wickedness,"
was the reply. So saying, the man left for elsewhere.
Hence the saying: "No hesitation on the verge of danger."

Confucius once asked his disciples, "Who can tell me
the way Tzŭ-hsi made his name?" "Tz`ŭ[16] can," replied
Tzŭ-kung, "and hopes nobody will doubt it. Tzŭ-hsi[17]
said: `Be broad-minded, never be enticed by profit, and
keep the people upright. By nature the people follow certain
constant principles, considering crookedness crooked and
straightness straight.' " "Yet Tzŭ-hsi could not evade a
disastrous end," remarked Confucius. "During the rebellion
of the Duke of White he was killed. Hence the saying:
`Who pretends to straightness in conduct, is crooked in
desire.' "

Viscount Wên of Chung-hang of Chin, while living in
exile, once passed through a county town, when his followers
said: "The squire of this place is an old acquaintance of
Your Excellency. Why does Your Excellency not stay in
his house and wait for the carriage coming from behind?"
In reply Viscount Wên said: "I used to love music, when
this man presented me with an automatic harp. When I
liked girdle ornaments, he presented me with a jade bracelet.

In this way, he aggravated my indulgences. Who ingratiated
himself with me by using such articles as presents, will
ingratiate himself with others by using me as a present
too." So saying, he left the place. Meanwhile, the man
actually retained Viscount Wên's two carriages that arrived
later and presented them to his ruler.

Chou Ts`ao once said to Kung T`a, "Will you tell the
King of Ch`i that if His Majesty helps me attain to high
office in Wey with Ch`i's influence I will in return make
Wey serve Ch`i?" "No," replied Kung T`a. "Your
request will show him your being powerless in Wey. I am
sure the King of Ch`i would not help any powerless man in
Wey and thereby incur hatred from the powerful men in
the country. Therefore, you had better say, `Whatever His
Majesty wants, thy servant will make Wey do accordingly.'
Then the King of Ch`i would think you are powerful in
Wey and support you. In this way, after you become
influential in Ch`i, you will gain influence in Wey with Ch`i's
support."[18]

Pai Kuei once said to the Premier of Sung: "As
soon as your master grows up, he will administer the state
affairs himself, and you will have nothing to do. Now
your master is young and fond of making a name. Better
make the Ching State congratulate him on his filial piety.
Then your master never will deprive you of your post and
will pay high respects to you and you will always hold high
office in Sung."

Kuan Chung and Pao Shu said to each other: "The
Ruler who is extremely outrageous, is bound to lose the

State. Among all the princes in the Ch`i State, the one worth
supporting must be Prince Hsiao-pai, if not Prince Chiu.
Let each of us serve one of them and the one who succeeds
first recommend the other." So saying, Kuan Chung served
Prince Chiu and Pao Shu served Hsiao-pai. In the meantime,
the Ruler was actually assassinated by his subjects. Hsiao-pai
entered the capital first and proclaimed himself Ruler. The
Lus arrested Kuan Chung and sent him to Ch`i. Thereupon
Pao Shu spoke to the Throne about him and made him
Prime Minister of Ch`i. Hence the proverb saying: "The
magician makes good prayers for people but cannot pray
for keeping himself away from evil spirits; Surgeon
Ch`in[19] was skilful in curing diseases but unable to treat
himself with the needle." Similarly, despite his own wisdom,
Kuan Chung had to rely on Pao Shu for help. This is
exactly the same as what a vulgar proverb says, "The slave
sells fur coats but does not buy them, the scholar praises
his eloquent speeches but does not believe in them."

The King of Ching attacked Wu. Wu sent Chü Wei
and Chüeh Yung to entertain Ching's troops with presents.
The Commander of the Ching Army said, "Arrest them
and kill them for painting the festive drum with their blood."
Then he asked, "Did you divine your fortunes before you
started coming here?" "Yes, we did." "Good luck?"
"Of course, good luck." "Now, we are going to kill you
and paint our festive drum with your blood. Why?"
"That is the reason why the omen is good," replied the
two men. "Wu sent us here to test Your Excellency.[20]
If Your Excellency is serious, they will dig deep trenches

and build high ramparts; if not, they will relax their preparations.
Now that Your Excellency kills thy servants, the
Wus will take strict precautions against your attack. Moreover,
the state's divination was not for one or two men.
Verily, if it is not called lucky to have one subject killed
and thereby preserve the whole state, what is? Again,
dead persons never feel. If so, there is no use painting the
drum with the blood of thy servants. If dead persons can
feel and know, thy servants will make the drum stop sounding
during the battle." Accordingly, the Chings did not kill
them.

Earl Chih was about to attack the Ch`ou-yu State, and
found the path too hazardous to go through. Thereupon
he cast large bells and offered to present them to the Ruler of
Ch`ou-yu. The Ruler of Ch`ou-yu, greatly pleased thereby,
thought of clearing up the path for accepting the bells.
"No," said Ch`ih-chang Wan-chi, "he is acting in the way
a small state pays respects to a big power. Now that a big
state is sending us such a present, soldiers will certainly follow
it. Do not accept it." To this counsel the Ruler of Ch`ouyu
would not listen but accepted the bells in the long run.
Therefore, Ch`ih-chang Wan-chi cut the naves of his carriage
short enough for the narrow road and drove away to the
Ch`i State. Seven months afterwards Ch`ou-yu was destroyed.

Yüeh having already vanquished Wu asked for reinforcements
from Ching in order to attack Chin. Thereupon the
Left Court Historiographer Yi Hsiang said to the King of
Ching: "Indeed, Yüeh on smashing Wu had able officers
killed, brave soldiers extinguished, and heavily-armed
warriors wounded. Now they are asking for reinforcements
from us to attack Chin and showing us that they are not

exhausted. We had better raise an army to partition Wu with
them." "Good," said the King of Ching, and, accordingly,
raised an army and pursued the Yüehs. Enraged thereby,
the King of Yüeh thought of attacking the Chings. "No,"
said the High Officer Chung. "Our able officers are
practically all gone and heavily-armed warriors wounded.
If we fight them, we will not win. Better bribe them."
Accordingly, the King ceded as bribe to Ching the land of
five hundred li on the shady side of the Dew Mountains.

Ching attacked Ch`ên. But Wu went to rescue it. There
was only thirty li between the opposing armies. After
having been rainy for ten days, the weather began to clear[21]
up at night. Thereupon the Left Court Historiographer
Yi Hsiang said to Tzŭ-ch`i: "It has been raining for ten
days. The Wus must have assembled piles of armour
and a number of troops. To-night they would come.
Better make preparations against their raid." Accordingly,
they pitched their camps.[22] Before the camps were completed,
the Wus actually arrived, but, seeing the camps of the
Chings, they withdrew. "The Wus have made a round trip
of sixty li," remarked the Left Court Historiographer.
"By this time their officers must be resting, and their soldiers
eating. If we go thirty li and attack them, we will certainly
be able to defeat them." Accordingly, they pursued them
and routed Wu's troops by long odds.

When Han and Chao were menacing each other, the
Viscount of Han asked for reinforcements from Wey, saying,
"We hope you will lend us troops to attack Chao." In
reply Marquis Wên of Wey said, "Wey and Chao are

brothers. I cannot listen to you." Likewise, when Chao
asked for reinforcements from Wey to attack Han, Marquis
Wên of Wey said, "Wey and Han are brothers. I dare not
listen to you." Receiving no reinforcements, both countries
were angry and withdrew. After they found out that Marquis
Wên had intended to patch up a peace between them, both
paid visits to the Court of Wey.

Ch`i attacked Lu and demanded the tripod made in Ch`an.
Lu sent them a forged one. "It's a forged one," said the
Ch`is. "It's a real one," said the Lus. "Then bring Yo-chêng
Tzŭ-ch`un here to look at it," said the Ch`is. "We will
listen to what he is going to say." Thereupon the Ruler of
Lu asked Yo-chêng Tzŭ-ch`un to take his side. "Why did
you not send them the real one?" asked Yo-chêng Tzŭ-ch`un.
"Because I love it," replied the Ruler. "I love my own
reputation, too," replied Yo-chêng.

When Han Chiu proclaimed himself Ruler and everything
was not as yet stabilized, his younger brother was in Chou.
The Court of Chou wanted to support him but feared the
Hans might not accept him.[23] Thereupon Ch`i-mu Hui
said: "The best is to send him back with one hundred
chariots. If the people accept him, we will say that the
chariots are precautions against emergencies. If they refuse
to accept him, we will say that we are delivering their traitor
to them."

When the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo[24]
was about to build city
walls around Hsüeh, many of his guests remonstrated

against the plan. The Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, therefore, told
the usher not to convey their messages to him. However,
there came a man from Ch`i who requested an interview,
saying, "Thy servant begs to speak only three words. If
he utters more than three words, he will be willing to be
steamed to death." The Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, therefore,
granted him an audience. The visitor ran forward and said,
"Big sea fish," and then ran away. "May I know its
meaning?" asked the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo. "Thy servant
dare not regard dying as joking," said the visitor. "Be
kind enough to explain its meaning to me," insisted the
Lord of Ch`ing-kuo. In reply the visitor said: "Has Your
Highness ever heard about the big fish? Neither the net can
stop it nor the string arrow can catch it. When it jumps at
random and gets out of water, then even ants would make
fun of it. Now, what the Ch`i State is to Your Excellency,
that is the sea to the big fish. As long as Your Excellency
remains powerful in Ch`i, why should he care about Hsüeh?
Yet once you lose power in Ch`i, then though the city walls
of Hsüeh are as high as heaven, you will labour in vain."
"Right," said the Lord of Ch`ing-kuo, and, accordingly,
never built walls around Hsüeh.

The younger brother of the King of Ching was in Ch`in.
When Ch`in refused to send him home, a certain lieutenant[25]
spoke to the King, "May Your Majesty finance thy servant
with one hundred taels of gold. Then thy servant will be
able to make Prince Wu come home." Accordingly, he
took one hundred taels of gold along and went to Chin.
There he called on Shu-hsiang and said: "The younger

brother of the King of Ching is in Ch`in but Ch`in would
not let him go home. Therefore His Majesty with one
hundred taels of gold as present begs Your Excellency to
help his brother go home." Having accepted the money,
Shu-hsiang went to see Duke P`ing of Chin[26] and said:
"It is now time to construct walls around the Pot Hill."
"Why?" asked Duke P`ing. In reply he said: "The
younger brother of the King of Ching is in Ch`in but Ch`in
refuses to send him home. This means that Ch`in has hatred
for Ching. Therefore, Ch`in will certainly not dare to
protest against our construction of walls around the Pot
Hill. If they do, then we will tell them that if they let the
younger brother of the King of Ching go home, we will
not build the walls. In case they let Prince Wu go home,
we will place the Chings under obligation to us. In case
they refuse to send him home, they will execute their wicked
plan and therefore certainly not dare to protest against our
construction of the walls around the Pot Hill." "Right,"
said the Duke, and, accordingly, started building walls
around the Pot Hill and told the Duke of Ch`in that if
he would send the younger brother of the King of Ching
home, the Chins would not build the walls. In accordance
with the demand Ch`in sent Prince Wu back to Ching.
Thereat the King of Ching was greatly pleased, and presented
Chin with two thousand taels of fused gold.

Ho-lü attacked Ying and in the fighting won three battles.
Then he asked Tzŭ-hsü, "May we turn back now?" In
reply Tzŭ-hsü said: "Who wants to drown anybody and
stops after giving him one drink, cannot drown him to

death.[27] Even to keep giving him water, is not as quick as
to follow the force of circumstances and sink him."

A man of Chêng[28] had a son. On going to take up his
official post, he said to the family folks, "Be sure to repair the
broken places on the mud fence. Otherwise, bad men might
come in to steal things." Some dweller in the same alley
also said, "Keep the fence in good repair!" Actually a
thief broke into the house. The family,[29] therefore, considered
the young man wise but suspected that the dweller in the
same alley who had warned them was the thief.

Chapter XXIV

OBSERVING DEEDS[1]

Men of antiquity, because their eyes stopped short of self-seeing,
used mirrors to look at their faces; because their
wisdom stopped short of self-knowing, they took Tao to
rectify their characters. The mirror had no guilt of making
scars seen; Tao had no demerit of making faults clear.
Without the mirror, the eyes had no other means to rectify
the whiskers and eyebrows; without Tao, the person had
no other way to know infatuation and bewilderment. For

the same reason, Hsi-mên Pao, being quick-tempered,
purposely wore hide on his feet to make himself slow;
Tung An-yü, being slow-minded, wore bowstrings on his
feet to make himself quick. Therefore, the ruler who
supplies scarcity with abundance and supplements shortness
with length is called "an intelligent sovereign".

There are in All-under-Heaven three truths: First, that
even wise men find unattainable tasks; second, that even
strong men find immovable objects; and third, that even
brave men find invincible opponents.

For instance, though you have the wisdom of Yao but
have no support of the masses of the people, you cannot
accomplish any great achievement; though you have the
physical force of Wu Huo but have no help from other
people, you cannot raise yourself; and though you have
the strength of Mêng Pên and Hsia Yü and uphold neither
law nor tact, you cannot triumph for ever.[2] Therefore,
certain positions are untenable; certain tasks, unattainable.
Thus, Wu Huo found a thousand chün light but his own
body heavy. Not that his body was heavier than a thousand
chün, but that position would not facilitate his raising his
own body. In the same way, Li Chu found it easy to see
across one hundred steps but difficult to see his own eyelashes.
Not that one hundred steps were near and eyelashes
far, but that the way of nature would not permit him to see
his own eyelashes. For such reasons, the intelligent sovereign
neither reproaches Wu Huo for his inability to raise himself
nor embarrasses Li Chu with his inability to see himself.

Yet he counts on favourable circumstances and seeks for
the easiest way, so that he exerts small effort and accomplishes
both an achievement and a reputation.

Times[3] wax and wane; affairs[4] help and harm; and
things[5] come into existence and go into extinction. As the
lord of men has these three objects to face, if he expresses
the colours of joy and anger, "personages of gold and
stone"[6] will be estranged while the wise and shrewd will
explore the depth of the ruler's mentality. Therefore, the
intelligent sovereign observes people's deeds but never lets
people observe his own motives.

Now that you understand the inability of Yao to accomplish
the rule by himself, the inability of Wu Huo to raise his
own body by himself, and the inability of Mêng Pên and
Hsia Yü to triumph by themselves, if you uphold law and
tact, then the course of observing deeds will be completed.

Chapter XXV

SAFETY AND DANGER[1]

The means of safety have seven varieties; the ways to
danger, six.

Of the means of safety:—

The first is said to be "reward and punishment in
accordance with right and wrong".

The second is said to be "fortune and misfortune in
accordance with good and evil".

The third is said to be "life and death in accordance with
laws and institutions".

The fourth is said to be "discrimination between the
worthy and unworthy but not between the loved and the
hated".

The fifth is said to be "discrimination between the stupid
and the wise but not between the blamed and the praised".

The sixth is to "have feet and inches but let nobody
guess the ruler's mind".

The seventh is to "have good faith but no falsehood".

Of the ways to danger:—

The first is to "make cuts within the string".

The second is to "make breaks beyond the string".[2]

The third is to "profit by people's danger".

The fourth is to "rejoice in people's disaster".

The fifth is to "endanger people's safety".

The sixth is "not to keep intimate with the loved nor to
keep the hated at a distance".

In cases like the above-mentioned, people will lose the
reason to rejoice in life and forget the reason to take death
seriously. If people do not rejoice in life, the lord of men
will not be held in high esteem; if people do not take death
seriously, orders will not take effect.

Let All-under-Heaven devote their wisdom and talent to
the refinement of manners and looks and exert their strength
to the observance of yard and weight,[3] so that when you
move, you triumph, and, when you rest, you are safe.
When governing the world, make men rejoice in life in

doing good and make them love their bodies too much to
do evil. Then small men will decrease and superior men will
increase. Consequently, the Altar of the Spirits of Land and
Grain will stand for ever and the country will be safe for aye.
In a rushing carriage there is no need of Chung-ni; beneath
a wrecked ship there is no use of Po-i. So are commands
and orders the ship and carriage of the state. In time of
safety, intelligent and upright men[4] are born; in case of
danger, there arise disputants and rustics. Therefore,
keeping the state safe is like having food when hungry and
clothes when cold, not by will but by nature. The early
kings left principles of government on bamboo slips and
pieces of cloth. Their course of government being proper,
subsequent ages followed them. In the present age, to make
people discard clothes and food when they are hungry and
cold, even Mêng Pên and Hsia Yü[5] cannot execute such an
order. Whoever discards the way of nature, though his
course of government is proper, cannot hold well.
Wherever even strong and brave men cannot execute orders,
there the superiors cannot be safe. When the insatiable
superiors blame the exhausted inferiors, the latter will
always give "No more" as reply. When they give "No
more" as reply, they slight the law. The law is what the
state is governed by. If it is slighted, neither merit will be
rendered nor name will be made.

They say that, of old, Pien Ch`iao, when treating serious[6]
diseases, pierced through bones with knives. So does the
sage on rescuing the state out of danger offend the ruler's

ear with loyal words. After the bone has been pierced
through, the body suffers a little pain but the person secures
a permanent benefit. After the ear has been offended, the
mind feels somewhat thwarted but the state secures a
permanent advantage. Therefore, seriously ill persons gain
by enduring pains; stubborn-minded rulers have good luck
only through ear-offending words. If patients could endure
the pain, Pien Ch`iao could exert his skill. If the ruler's
ear could be offended, Tzŭ-hsü would not have ended in
failure. Thus, pain-enduring and ear-offending are means to
longevity and security. Naturally, when one was ill but
could not endure pain, he would miss Pien Ch`iao's skill;
when one is in danger but does not want to have his ear
offended, he will miss the sage's counsels. Were such the
case, no permanent benefit would continue nor would any
glorious fame last long.

If the lord of men does not cultivate himself with Yao as
example but requests every minister to imitate Tzŭ-hsü, he
is then doing the same as expecting the Yins to be as loyal
as Pi Kan. If everybody could be as loyal as Pi Kan, the
ruler would neither lose the throne nor ruin himself. As
the ruler does not weigh the ministers' powers despite the
existence of rapacious ministers like T`ien Ch`êng but
expects everybody to be as loyal as Pi Kan, the state can
never have a moment of safety.

If the example of Yao and Shun is set aside and that of
Chieh and Chow is followed instead, then the people can
neither rejoice in their own merits nor worry over their own
defects. If they lose their merits, the country will accomplish
nothing; if they stick to the defects, they will not rejoice
in life. If the authorities having accomplished nothing

attempt to rule the people not rejoicing in life, they will not
succeed in unifying the people. Should such be the case,
the superiors would have no way to employ the inferiors
while the inferiors would find no reason to serve the superiors.

Safety and danger rest with right and wrong but not with
strength and weakness. Existence and extinction depend
upon substantiality and superficiality, but not on big and
small numbers. For example, Ch`i was a state of ten thousand
chariots, but her name and her reality were not mutually
equivalent. The ruler had superficial powers inside the
state and paved no gap between name and reality. Therefore,
ministers could deprive the sovereign of the throne. Again,
Chieh[7] was the Son of Heaven but saw no distinction between
right and wrong, rewarded men of no merit, took slanderers
into service, respected hypocrites as noble, censured innocent
men, ordered men born humpbacked to have their backs
cut open, approved falsehood, and disapproved inborn
reason. In consequence,[8] a small country could vanquish
his big one.

The intelligent sovereign consolidates internal forces and
therefore encounters no external failure. Who fails within
his reach, is bound to fail at a distance. For instance, the
Chous on supplanting the Yins learned by the latter's
failures in the court. Should the Yins have made no mistake
in their court, even for an autumn down[9] the Chous would
not dare to hope from them. How much less would they
dare to shift their throne?

The Tao of the intelligent sovereign is true to the law,
and his law is true to the mind. Therefore, when standing
close by it, he acts on the law; when going away from it,
he thinks of it in the mind. Thus, Yao made no covenant
as binding as glue and varnish with his age, but his Tao
prevailed. Shun left no territory sufficient to set a gimlet
on with subsequent ages, but his Teh is bearing fruit. Who
can trace his Tao to remote antiquity and leave his Teh to the
myriad subsequent ages, is called "an enlightened sovereign".

Chapter XXVI

THE WAY TO MAINTAIN THE STATE[1]

When a sage-king makes laws, he makes rewards sufficient
to encourage the good, his authority sufficient to subjugate
the violent, and his preparation sufficient to accomplish[2]
a task. Ministers of an orderly age, who have rendered the
country many meritorious services, hold high posts. Those
who have exerted their strength, receive big rewards. Those
who have exerted the spirit of loyalty, establish names.
If good, they live on as flowers and insects do in spring;
if bad, they die out as flowers and insects do in autumn.
Therefore, the people strive to apply all their forces and
rejoice in exerting the spirit of loyalty. This is said to
have high and low living in harmony. As high and low
are living in harmony, users of forces exert their strength
to the observance of yard and weight and strive to play the

role of Jên P`i; warriors march out at the risk of their
lives[3] and hope to accomplish the merits of Mêng Pên
and Hsia Yü; and upholders of the true path all cherish the
mind of gold and stone to die in the cause of fidelity as
Tzŭ-hsü did. If the users of forces are as strong as Jên
P`i and fight as bravely as Pên and Yü while cherishing
the mind of gold and stone, then the ruler of men can sleep
without worries[4] and his preparations for the maintenance
of the state are already complete.

In by-gone days, the good maintainers of the state forbade
what they considered light with what they considered heavy,
and stopped what they considered easy with what they
considered hard. Therefore, both gentlemen and rustics
were equally upright. Robber Chê and Tsêng Ts`an and
Shih Ch`iu were equally honest. How do I know this?
Indeed, the greedy robber does not go to the ravine to
snatch gold. For, if he goes to the ravine to snatch gold,
he will not be safe. Similarly, Pên and Yü, without estimating
their opponents' strength, would have gained no fame for
bravery; Robber Chê, without calculating the possibilities
of success, would have gained no booty.

When the intelligent sovereign enacts prohibitions, even
Pên and Yü are restrained by what they cannot vanquish
and Robber Chê is afflicted with what he cannot take.
Therefore, if the ruler can forbid with what Pên and Yü cannot
transgress and maintain what Robber Chê cannot take, the
violent will become prudent; the brave, respectful; and the
wicked, upright. Then All-under-Heaven will become just
and fair and the common people will become right-spirited.

Once the lord of men leaves the law and loses the hearts
of the people, he will fear lest Po-i should take anything
away, and will not escape such calamities as are caused by
T`ien Ch`êng and Robber Chê. Why? Because the present
world has not a single man as upright as Po-i but the age
is full of culprits. That is the reason why laws, weights,
and measures are made. If weights and measures are of
faith, Po-i loses no reason to be right and Robber Chê
cannot do wrong. If laws are distinct and clear, the worthy
cannot over-run the unworthy, the strong cannot outrage
the weak, and the many cannot violate the few. If the ruler
commits All-under-Heaven to the care of the Law of Yao,
honest men never miss their due posts and wicked men
never seek any godsend. If the arrow of Hou Yi is entrusted
with a thousand taels of gold, Po-i cannot lose and Robber
Chê dare not take. As Yao was too clever to miss the
culprits, All-under-Heaven had no wickedness. As Yi was
too skilful to miss the mark, the thousand taels of gold
would not be lost. Thus, wicked men could not live long,
and Robber Chê would stop.

Should such be the case, among the pictures there would
be inserted no worthy like Tsai Yü and enumerated no
rapacious ministers like the Six Nobles; among the books
there would be recorded no personage like Tzŭ-hsü and
described no tyrant like Fu-ch`a; the tactics of Sun Wu
and Wu Ch`i would be abandoned; and Robber Chê's
malice would give way. Then the lord of men might enjoy
sound sleep inside the jade palace with no trouble of glaring
his eyes and grinding his teeth with anger and turning his
ear with anxiety; while the ministers might drop their
clothes and fold their hands in an iron-walled city with no

calamity of seeing their arms clutched, their lips shut tight,
and hearing sighs and griefs.

To subdue the tiger not by means of the cage, to suppress
the culprit not by means of the law, or to impede the liar
not by means of the tally, would be a worry to Pên and
Yü and a difficulty to Yao and Shun. Therefore, to construct
a cage is not to provide against rats but to enable the weak
and timid to subdue the tiger; to establish laws is not to
provide against Tsêng Ts`an and Shih Ch`iu but to enable
the average sovereign to prohibit Robber Chê; and to
make tallies is not to guard against Wei Shêng but to make
the masses never deceive one another. Thus, the right way
is not to rely on Pi Kan's martyrdom in the cause of fidelity
nor to count on the rapacious minister's committing no
deception, but to rely on the ability of the timid to subdue
the tiger and appropriate the facilities of the average sovereign
to maintain the state. In the present age, who schemes loyally
for the sovereign and accumulates virtue for All-underHeaven,
finds no advantage more permanent than this![5] If
so, the ruler of men will see no figure of a doomed state
and the loyal ministers will cherish no image of a ruined
personality. As the ruler knows how to honour ranks and
make rewards definite, he can make people apply their
strength to the observance of yard and weight, die in the
cause of their official duties, understand the real desire of
Pên and Yü not to choose the death penalty before a peaceful
life, and scrutinize[6] the covetous acts of Robber Chê so as
not to ruin their characters for the sake of money. Then
the way to maintain the state is completely paved.

Chapter XXVII

HOW TO USE MEN[1] : PROBLEMS OF PERSONNEL
ADMINISTRATION

They say the ancients who were skilful in personnel
administration always conformed to the way of heaven,
accorded with the nature of man, and clarified the principles
of reward and punishment. As they conformed to the way
of heaven, they expended few efforts, but harvested fruitful
results. As they accorded with the nature of man, penal
acts were simplified, but orders took effect. As they clarified
the principles of reward and punishment, Po-i and Robber
Chê were never mixed up. That being so, white and black
were clearly distinguished from each other.

Ministers of an orderly state render meritorious service
to the country so as to fulfil their official duties, manifest
their talents in office so as to obtain promotions, and devote
their strength to the observance of yard and weight so as
to manage affairs. As all officials have due abilities, are
competent for their duties, and do not covet any additional
post[2] ; and as they have no ulterior motive in mind and
shift no responsibility of any of their additional offices to
the ruler; inside there occurs no uprising from hidden resentment
nor does such a disaster as caused by the Lord of
Ma-fu[3] happen outside.

The intelligent ruler allows no offices to meddle with

each other, wherefore no dispute can happen; no personage
to hold an additional post, wherefore everybody's talented
skill can improve; and nobody to share the same meritorious
service with anybody else, wherefore no rivalry can ensue.
When rivalry and dispute cease and talents and specialities
grow, the strong and the weak will not struggle for power,
ice and charcoal will not mix their features,[4] and All-underHeaven
will not be able to harm one another. Such is the
height of order.

Casting law and tact aside and trusting to personal
judgments, even Yao could not rectify a state. Discarding
compasses and squares and trusting to optional measures,
even Hsi Chung could not make a single wheel. Giving
rulers up and thereby attempting to make shortness and
length even, even Wang Erh could not point out the middle.
Supposing an average sovereign abode by law and tact and
an unskilful carpenter used compasses, squares, and rulers,
certainly there would be no mistake in a myriad cases. Who
rules men, if he casts aside what the wise and the skilful
fall short of and maintains what the average and the unskilful
never fail in, can then exert the forces of the people to the
utmost and accomplish his achievement and reputation.

The intelligent sovereign offers rewards that may be
earned and establishes punishments that should be avoided.
Accordingly, worthies are encouraged by rewards and
never meet Tzŭ-hsü's disaster; unworthy people commit
few crimes and never see the humpback being cut open;
blind people walk on the plain and never come across any
deep ravine; stupid people keep silent and never fall into

hazards. Should such be the case, the affection between
superior and inferior would be well founded. The ancients
said, "It is hard to know the mind. It is hard to balance
joy and anger." Therefore, the sovereign uses bulletins to
show the eye, instructions[5] to tell the ear, and laws to
rectify[6] the mind. If the ruler of men discards these three
easy measures and practises the sole difficult policy of
mind-reading, then anger will be accumulated by the superior
and resentment would be accumulated by the inferior. When
accumulators of anger are governing accumulators of
resentment, both will be in danger.

The bulletins of the intelligent sovereign being so easy
to see, his promises keep. His teachings being so easy to
understand, his words function. His laws being so easy to
observe, his orders take effect. When these three things are
well founded and the superiors have no self-seeking mind,
the inferiors will obey the law and maintain order; will
look at the bulletin and move; will follow the inked string
and break; and will follow the flat pins[7] and sew. In such
a case, superiors will incur no bad name for selfishness and
arrogance nor will inferiors receive any blame for stupidity
and awkwardness. Hence the ruler is enlightened and
rarely angry while the people are loyal and rarely guilty.

They say, "To manage an affair and have no worry,
even Yao would be unable." Yet the world is always full
of affairs. The ruler of men, unless generous in conferring
titles and bounties and easy in rewarding people of merit
with riches and honours, is not worth helping in saving

his jeopardized state. Therefore, the intelligent sovereign
encourages men of integrity and bashfulness and invites
men of benevolence and righteousness. Of yore, Chieh
Tzŭ-t`ui[8] had neither rank nor bounty but followed Duke
Wên in the cause of righteousness, and, being unable to
bear the thirst of the Duke's mouth and the hunger of his
stomach, sliced off his own flesh to feed his master in the
cause of benevolence. Henceforth the lords of men have
cited his virtue and books and pictures have quoted his
name.

Generally speaking, the lord of men rejoices in making
the people exert their strength for public causes and suffers
by the usurpation of his authority by self-seeking ministers.
The minister feels content when receiving appointment to
office and overburdened when taking charge of two
responsibilities at one time. The intelligent sovereign,
therefore, abolishes what the ministers suffer and establishes
what the lord of men rejoices in. Such an advantage to
both superior and inferior is surpassed by nothing else.
Contrary to this, if the ruler fails to observe closely the
interiors of private residences, handles important affairs with
slight concerns of mind, inflicts severe censure for minor
offences, resents small faults for a long time, habitually
teases people for amusement's sake and frequently requites
trouble-makers with favours, it is the same as to cut off
the arm and replace it with a jewel one. Hence the world
encounters calamities of dethronement.

If the lord of men institutes difficult requirements and
convicts anybody whosoever falls short of the mark, then

secret resentment will appear. If the minister disuses his
merit and has to attend to a difficult work, then hidden
resentment will grow. If toil and pain are not removed and
worry and grief are not appeased; if the ruler, when glad,
praises small men and rewards both the worthy and the
unworthy, and, when angry, blames superior men and
thereby makes Po-i and Robber Chê equally disgraced,
then there will be ministers rebelling against the sovereign.

Supposing the King of Yen hated his people at home
but loved the Lus abroad, then Yen would not serve him
nor would Lu obey him. The Yens,[9] as hated, would not
exert their strength to render him meritorious services;
while the Lus, though delighted, would never forget the
death-or-life question and thereby become intimate with the
sovereign of another state. In such a case, the ministers would
fall into discord; the lord of men, into isolation. The
country in which ministers in discord serve the sovereign
left in isolation, is said to be in a great danger.

Supposing you discarded the mark and target and shot
blindly, then though you hit it, you would not thereby be
skilful. Similarly, supposing you cast laws and institutions
aside and got angry blindly, then, though you slaughter
many, the culprits would not be afraid of you. If the crime
is committed by "A" but the consequent disaster befalls
"B",[10] then hidden resentment will grow. Therefore, in
the state of the highest order there are reward and punishment
but neither joy nor anger. For the same reason, the sage
enacts all kinds of penal law; whereas, though he sentences

criminals to death, he is neither malicious nor cruel. Hence
the culprits yield to his justice.

Wherever the shot arrow hits the mark and reward and
punishment correspond with the tallies of merits and demerits,
there Yao can come to life again and Yi can reappear. In
such an orderly country, superiors will encounter no
catastrophe as met by the Yins and the Hsias; inferiors
will suffer no disaster as met by Pi-kan; the ruler can
sleep without worries; ministers can rejoice in their daily
work; Tao will spread all over heaven and earth; and
Teh will last throughout a myriad generations.

Indeed, if the lord of men, instead of paving cracks and
gaps, works hard on painting the surface with red and
white clay, be sure swift rain and sudden gale will tumble
the house down. Likewise, if he does not escape the
impending disaster as near as the eyebrows and eyelashes
but yearns after the manner of the death of Pên and Yü;
if he takes no heed of the imminent trouble within the
enclosure but solidifies the iron castles in remote frontiers;
and if he does not adopt the schemes of the worthies near
by him but cultivates friendships with the states of ten
thousand chariots a thousand li away; then once the whirlwind
arises, Pên and Yü will not be in time to rescue him
nor will foreign friends arrive in time, till the catastrophe
will be surpassed by none. In the present age, whoever
gives loyal counsels to the sovereign, should neither make
the King of Yen like the Lus, nor make the modern age
yearn after the worthies of antiquity, nor expect the Yüehs
to rescue the drowning persons in the Central States. Should
such be the case, superior and inferior would be mutually
affectionate, great achievement would be accomplished at
home, and good reputation would be established abroad.

Chapter XXVIII

ACHIEVEMENT AND REPUTATION[1]

The factors of the intelligent ruler's success in accomplishing
achievement and establishing reputation are four: The first
is said to be "the time of heaven"; the second, "the
hearts of the people"; the third, "technical ability"; and
the fourth, "influential status."

Without the time of heaven, even ten Yaos cannot in
winter grow a single ear of grain. Acting contrary to the
hearts of the people, even Pên and Yü cannot make them
exert their forces to the utmost. Therefore, when grains
gain the favour of the time of heaven, they grow of themselves
with no need of special care; when the ruler wins the
hearts of the people, he elevates himself without being raised.
When one relies on his technical ability, he hastens by
himself without being hurried. When one occupies an
influential status, his name is made without being commended.

Like water flowing and like the ship floating, the ruler
follows the course of nature and enacts boundless decrees.
Hence he is called "an enlightened sovereign".

Indeed, the possessor of talent who has no position, even
though he is worthy, cannot control the unworthy. For
illustration, when a foot of timber is placed on the top of
a high mountain, it overlooks the ravine a thousand fathoms
below. Not that the timber is long, but that its position is
high. Chieh, while the Son of Heaven, could rule over
All-under-Heaven. Not that he was worthy but that his

position was influential. Yao, while a commoner, could
not rectify three families. Not that he was unworthy but
that his position was low. A weight of one thousand chün,
if aboard a ship, floats; but the utmost farthing, if overboard,
sinks. Not that one thousand chün is light and the
utmost farthing is heavy, but that the former has a favourable
position while the latter has none. Therefore, the short
thing can by its location overlook the tall one; the unworthy
man can by his position rule over the worthy.

The lord of men, because supported by All-under-Heaven
with united forces, is safe; because upheld by the masses of
the people with united hearts, he is glorious. The minister,
because he maintains his merit and exerts his ability, is loyal.
If a glorious sovereign[2] rules loyal ministers, everybody
in the state can live a long and enjoyable life and accomplish
achievement and reputation. Name and reality will support
each other and will be accomplished. Form and shadow
will coincide with each other and stand together. Hence
sovereign and minister have the same desire but different
functions.

The anxiety of the lord of men comes from the absence
of minister's responses to his call. Hence the saying:
"Nobody can clap with one hand, however fast he moves
it." The anxiety of the minister lies in the inability to
secure a full-time routine of work. Hence the saying:
"The right hand drawing a circle and the left hand drawing
a square at the same time cannot both succeed." Hence
the saying again: "In the state at the height of order the
ruler is like the drumstick and the minister like the drum;

the technique is like the carriage and the task like the horse."
Therefore, men having surplus strength respond easily to
calls; techniques having excessive skill are convenient to
tasks. On the contrary, if those who accomplish achievements
are not sufficiently strong; if those who are near and dear
to the ruler are not sufficiently faithful; if those who have
made names are not sufficiently influential; if only those
who work within the ruler's reach become intimate; and if
those who are stationed far away are not familiar; such will
instance the discrepancy between name and fact. If the
position of a sage like Yao and Shun in virtue and like Po-i
in conduct is not supported by the world, his achievement
will not be accomplished and his reputation will not be
established.

Therefore, the ancients who could secure both achievement
and reputation, were all assisted by the multitudes with forces,
the near supporting them in earnest,[3] the distant praising
them with names, and the honourable supporting them with
influences. Such being the case, their achievements as
magnificent as Mountain T`ai have stood permanently in
the country and their reputations as glorious as the sun
and the moon have shone upon heaven and earth for ever
and ever. It was in such wise that Yao faced the south and
maintained his reputation and Shun faced the north and
accomplished his achievement.[4]

Chapter XXIX

THE PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF LEGALISM[1]

The ancients who completed the principal features of
legalism, looked upon heaven and earth, surveyed rivers
and oceans, and followed mountains and ravines; wherefore
they ruled as the sun and the moon shine, worked as the
four seasons rotate, and benefited the world in the way
clouds spread and winds move.

They never burdened their mind with avarice[2] nor did
they ever burden themselves with selfishness, but they
entrusted law and tact with the settlement of order and the
suppression of chaos, depended upon reward and punishment
for praising the right and blaming the wrong, assigned all
measures of lightness and heaviness to yard and weight.
They never acted contrary to the course of heaven, never
hurt the feeling and reason of mankind, never blew off any
hair to find small scars, never washed off any dirt to investigate
anything hard to know, never drew the inked string off the
line and never pushed the inked string inside the line, and
was neither severe beyond the boundary of law nor lenient
within the boundary of law; but observed acknowledged
principles and followed self-existent standards. Thus,
disaster and fortune were based on rational principles and
legal regulations, but not on love and hate; the responsibility
for prosperity and humility rested with nobody but oneself.

Therefore, in the age at the height of safety law is like
the morning dew, pure and simple but not yet dispersed.
There is no resentment in the mind nor is there any quarrelsome
word from the mouth. Carriages and horses,
accordingly, are not worn out on the road; flags and
banners are never confused on the big swamps; the myriad
people do not lose lives among bandits and weapons;
courageous warriors do not see their longevities determined
by flags and streamers[3] ; excellent men are not reputed
in pictures and books nor are their merits recorded on
plates and vases[4] ; and documents of annals are left empty.[5]
Hence the saying: "No benefit is more permanent than
simplicity, no fortune is more perpetual than security."[6]

Supposing Carpenter Stone kept the longevity of one
thousand years, had his scythes, watched his compasses and
squares, and stretched his inked string, for the purpose of
rectifying Mountain T`ai[7] and supposing Pên and Yü
girdled the Kan-chiang[8] Sword to unify the myriad people,
then though skill is exerted to the utmost extent and though
longevity is prolonged to the utmost limit, Mountain T`ai
would not be rectified and the people would not be unified.
Hence the saying: "The ancient shepherds of All-underHeaven
never ordered Carpenter Stone to exert his skill
and thereby break the shape of Mountain T`ai nor did they
instruct Pên and Yü to exercise all their authorities and
thereby harm the inborn nature of the myriad people."

If in accordance with Tao, the law is successfully enforced,
the superior man will rejoice and the great culprit will give
way. Placid, serene, and leisurely, the enlightened ruler
should in accordance with the decree of heaven maintain
the principal features of legalism. Therefore, he makes
the people commit no crime of going astray from law and
the fish suffer no disaster by losing water. Consequently,
nothing in All-under-Heaven will be unattainable.

If the superior is not as great as heaven, he never will
be able to protect all inferiors; if his mind is not as firm as
earth, he never will be able to support all objects. Mountain
T`ai, seeing no difference between desirable and undesirable
clouds, can maintain its height; rivers and oceans, making
no discrimination against small tributaries, can accomplish
their abundance. Likewise, great men, patterning after the
features of heaven and earth, find the myriad things well
provided, and, applying their mind to the observation of
mountains and oceans, find the country rich. The superior
shows no harm from anger to anybody, the inferior throws
no calamity of hidden resentment at anybody. Thus, high and
low both live on friendly terms and take Tao as the standard
of value. Consequently, permanent advantages are piled
up and great merits accomplished. So is a name made in
a lifetime. So is the benefaction left to posterity. Such is
the height of order.