《黄石公素书(魏鲁注本)》

Huangshi Gong is regarded as a figure born bearing the numinous Qi (vital energy) of the Suppressing Star, and as one favored with auspicious signs from Heaven. He assisted enlightened rulers in carrying out governance through De (Virtue/Power), and he also helped worthy and capable men plan the affairs of state, setting forth the norms of the Five Constants and leaving teachings that have endured without decline. The first part of this book discusses the methods of governing the state by means of Dao (the Way) and De; the middle discusses the means of preserving one’s own person and safeguarding one’s life; and the latter part further discusses the principles of winning hegemony and establishing an enterprise, and of supporting the state. Its contents are complete, with nothing omitted.

Zhang Liang (courtesy name Zifang) obtained this book and assisted Liu Bang in settling the realm; Zhuge Liang (courtesy name Wuhou) studied it and achieved hegemony in the region of the Three Rivers. Alas—even those who stand as sovereigns, innately versed in rites and music, their stratagems seemingly bestowed by Heaven—if they do not possess Dao, De, humaneness, and righteousness, nor the art of preserving the self, and if they do not understand the principles of establishing merit and upholding the state, they cannot bring their undertakings to completion.

I, Wei Lu, am merely a humble scholar of the mountains and wilds, who has presumptuously peered into the profound principles of the sages. The words I have written are plain, and I am already ashamed that they lack literary grace; the meanings I have expounded are shallow, and I have not been able to exhaust the subtle intent within them. If there are errors, I leave them for later generations to correct.

The Five as One Body, Chapter One

Dao, De, humaneness, righteousness, and ritual propriety—these five are originally a single whole.

A person who possesses the Dao (the Way) necessarily possesses De (Virtue/Power); a person who possesses De necessarily harbors a heart of humaneness; and one who harbors a heart of humaneness necessarily acts in accordance with righteousness (yi). Therefore, a ruler endowed with the Dao, De, humaneness (ren), and righteousness will necessarily treat others with humility through ritual propriety (li). Of these five—the Dao, De, humaneness, righteousness, and ritual propriety—not one may be lacking.

The Dao is the standard that people follow. It enables the myriad things each to preserve their own nature and not stray from the path they ought to take. When the ruler does not impair the interests of the people, so that they can develop their inborn nature smoothly and without hindrance, this is the principle that governance follows.

De is what each person obtains as their due. In being a ruler, one should establish oneself in sincerity and generosity and not lapse into harshness and meanness, and one should take the Dao of Heaven as a model, convincing others without many words.

Humaneness is the virtue to which people draw near and become attached. As a ruler, one should cherish all the people as one’s own children, so that they revere and draw close to oneself as they would to loving parents. Humaneness means holding loving-kindness, the bestowal of benefit, and a compassionate heart that cares for others, so as to help the myriad things grow smoothly. Loving-kindness is constantly keeping the myriad things in mind and fearing that they may lose their vitality. The bestowal of benefit is giving and conferring, valuing the abilities of others, making things convenient for them, and enabling each person to obtain what is needed. Compassion is the capacity to perceive suffering even in its smallest details, to feel anxious concern for others, and, as in cherishing a child, to keep them always in one’s heart.

Righteousness is the principle that people hold ought to be followed: rewarding good conduct and punishing evil conduct, so as to accomplish achievements and establish undertakings. Punishing treachery and wickedness, encouraging the practice of good, rescuing the weak, and supporting those in peril are all called righteousness. In rewarding good conduct, one does not bury merit because of a personal grudge; in punishing evil conduct, one does not remit the punishment because the offender is a relative. Only in this way can achievements be accomplished and undertakings established.

Ritual propriety is the norm that people ought to practice. The ruler should observe the rites with reverent diligence from morning until night, so as to establish the order of human relationships.

As a monarch, one must first observe the norms of ritual with reverence and diligence. Only then can instruction through ritual shape people’s everyday relationships, so that superior and inferior stand in proper order and acts that violate ritual or break the law no longer occur. This is called transmitting moral teaching. The Shijing (Classic of Poetry) says: “If a person has no ritual propriety, why not hasten to die?”

In what is fundamental to being a person, there are principles of which not a single one may be lacking. Worthy people and gentlemen ought therefore to understand the patterns by which flourishing and decline alternate, and to comprehend thoroughly the principles of success and failure.

One who can discern flourishing and decline is called a worthy person. When the ruler possesses the Dao (the Way), such a person comes forth to assist, which shows that he understands the state to be in a time of flourishing; when the ruler lacks the Dao, he withdraws and does not take office, which shows that he has clearly perceived the signs of decline. One who thoroughly understands the principles of success and failure is able, when the ruler possesses the Dao, to correct and bring to completion the ruler’s good governance; when the ruler lacks the Dao, he never goes along with the ruler’s vile conduct, nor does he deliberately do evil. Even while living in an age of decline, he can still preserve himself intact, and so this is called understanding success and failure.

One must examine the tendency of the age to turn from order to disorder, and understand the principle of whether to leave or to remain. When the ruler possesses the Dao, the state can be stable, and one may stay to assist and bring the work to completion; when the ruler lacks the Dao, the state will fall into chaos, and one should depart.

The worthy person will therefore live in seclusion and keep to the Dao, awaiting a suitable time. “Qian” means living in concealment. When a worthy gentleman finds himself in the world, if he has not met an enlightened ruler, he will not reveal his own Dao and righteousness, and so he must wait for the moment.

If he acts when the moment arrives, he can reach the highest station of a minister. When the aims of ruler and minister accord, they can establish merit and achievement, so that people of the heartland and of the outlying regions alike submit to their De (Virtue/Power); one may then naturally stand at the very peak of ministerial rank. If one occupies this high position without conforming to the correct Dao, even if it is obtained for a time, it will not endure.

To seize the moment and act is to establish achievements rarely seen in the world.

Strategy is the plan held in the mind. When a person keeps a plan concealed in the heart, it is like a crossbow trigger—the mechanism on a crossbow that controls the release—already set; if one first carefully judges the target and only then lets fly, there is nothing that cannot be hit. Acting when the moment is right, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. A crossbow, therefore, must not be discharged in vain, nor may a plan be applied at random. To discharge a crossbow in vain is to shoot recklessly; to misuse a plan is to invite failure. Only by acting when the timing is right, and deploying the plan when conditions are ripe, can one bring matters to completion with a subtlety beyond all fathoming.

If no suitable opportunity is met, then one should withdraw into retirement for the whole of one’s life.

“Mo” means withdrawal into retirement. This is to say that when the aspirations of ruler and minister do not accord, and one is unable to assist the sovereign, one should live in seclusion from the world. One must not rashly take office; by not serving as an official, one will not bring disaster upon oneself.

Therefore, those who practice this Dao (the Way) have lofty aims and conduct, and their reputation is handed down to later ages; for this reason they are called sages.

What is said here is that all who put this Dao into practice can attain a noble realm, their fame spreading to later generations, and so they are called sages.

Chapter Two: The Right Dao Is Like Life

When virtuous conduct is sufficient to pacify people from afar,

not calculating over minor details, but planning great affairs that reach far ahead—this is what is called possessing De (Virtue/Power).

When sincerity and trustworthiness are sufficient to unite those who hold differing views,

Heaven does not speak to human beings, yet the four seasons proceed in their regular course, and the alternation of cold and heat never errs by the least degree. The gentleman should therefore emulate the Dao of Heaven and must not lack sincerity and trustworthiness. Once laws and standards have been established, they should remain consistent from beginning to end.

When right principle is sufficient to win over the multitude,

not taking wealth and goods as one’s own, and not showing partiality to oneself—only thus can the multitude be brought to trust and submit.

When ability is sufficient for taking the ancients as a mirror,

the “ability” here is not literary brilliance, but the capacity to handle affairs with impartiality. One is able to reflect on the conduct of the rulers of former ages: where their De was admirable, one puts it into practice; where it was flawed, one examines oneself and takes it as a warning. This is what is meant by taking the ancients as a mirror.

When clear-sighted wisdom is sufficient to illumine and survey all under Heaven…

A gentleman placed above the multitude is like a mirror set upon a stand: he can reflect everything. Because he can distinguish right from wrong among people, he may become an enlightened ruler.

This is the character of the “outstanding talent.”

One who accomplishes the following five things may be called an outstanding talent.

His conduct is sufficient to serve as a model for others. What he does accords with proper norms, and people are willing to take him as their example.

His wisdom is sufficient to judge matters of doubt. Only one who can avoid suspicion and keep clear of questionable affairs may truly be called wise.

His trustworthiness is sufficient to fulfill what has been agreed. Once he has received his ruler’s command, even if he must travel ten thousand li and cross the borders of the realm, he holds to his promise and does not change his original intent.

His integrity is sufficient to distribute wealth and goods with fairness. He does not look only to himself, nor does he treat others unfairly.

This is the character of the “heroic man.” One who accomplishes the following four things may be called a heroic man.

He strictly observes his duties and does not neglect his office. That is, he does not hold a post in name only, but acts according to his responsibilities.

He holds fast to moral right and does not alter his integrity. In serving his ruler he gives his loyalty to the utmost; when danger comes he is willing to lay down his life, and he strives to set matters right and rescue the situation without wavering.

Faced with profit, he does not take it casually; faced with danger, he does not flee casually. How can one lightly seize a gain that does not accord with the proper Way? How can one lightly evade a duty or a peril that accords with moral right? Such a person is called an “outstanding figure among men.”

Chapter Three: The Aspiration in Seeking Men

Only by casting off cravings and restraining desire can one remove entanglements.

If a ruler becomes infatuated with some particular thing, the people may abandon their proper occupations and vie to cater to his tastes in order to win favor. Too many desires bind the heart. Thus, if one neither indulges in cravings nor gives free rein to desire, entanglements naturally grow fewer.

Only by checking error and reducing wrongdoing can one avoid fault.

Restraining one’s partial and selfish thoughts is a way of checking the mind that busies itself with right and wrong; casting off evil conduct reduces and corrects one’s own faults.

Moderation in drinking and restraint of desire can spare one the harm they bring. Wine and sensual indulgence do people harm and no good; they throw the spirit into disorder and cloud the mind. When the spirit is confused, it is hard to plan and deliberate; when the mind is unclear, it is hard, in hearing the affairs of government, to examine them with discernment.

Avoiding suspicion and keeping clear of situations that may give rise to misunderstanding can spare one misfortune. If one remains under suspicion, how can disaster fail to follow?

Broad learning and earnest inquiry can enlarge one’s understanding. The teachings of the ancient former kings are recorded in the canonical writings and should be read widely, so that learning may be accomplished. When one meets a principle one does not understand, one should inquire into it carefully, and thereby grow in wisdom.

Lofty conduct and careful speech can cultivate the self. What is called “lofty conduct” means not sinking into degradation when one occupies a low station, and not drifting with the current when one is among the crowd. What is called “subtle words” means becoming thoroughly familiar with the instructive sayings in the canons and edicts of the former kings, and using them to teach others. To devote oneself to practicing these principles is self-cultivation.

Respect, frugality, modesty, and simplicity can preserve one’s person. Treat others with respect, and people will honor you; only through frugality and simplicity, humility and gentleness, can lasting good fortune be maintained.

Plans must be thorough and considerations far-reaching if one is to avoid falling into difficulty. A plan that is not thorough easily fails, and consideration that does not look far ahead invites trouble. Thus the gentleman, reflecting deeply and looking far ahead, can avoid being driven to a dead end.

Drawing near to the humane and virtuous, and befriending the upright, can support those who are in difficulty. By keeping close to the humane and making friends with the upright, one can keep oneself from falling, through slackness, into harm.

To make allowance for others with a generous heart, and to practice earnestly the way of reciprocity, is to get along better with people. Forgive others’ shortcomings, hold in check the display of one’s own strengths, do not grow arrogant, and treat people with respect, and one can live in harmony with them.

Only by employing capable people and giving scope to each person’s talents can affairs be brought to completion.

To be good at employing people of ability, and to let them bring their talents into play, is what enables affairs to be carried out well.

An excellent craftsman will not discard any kind of material, and an excellent general will not cast aside any soldier. Measure each person’s ability and then assign it a suitable use, and every matter can be properly settled.

Only by putting a stop to evil conduct and driving away slander can calamity and disorder be brought to rest.

Close the door to slander, block the path of the treacherous and the wicked, and have people follow the proper Dao (the Way); then disorder will naturally not arise.

Only by tracing things back to their root and reflecting on the ancients can one remain free of confusion.

The noble person constantly considers the root and the branches of things, does not rush forward in impatience, and looks to the practice of the worthy men of antiquity for guidance. In this way one can establish achievements and win a reputation, and so is not easily confused.

Only by examining first and then weighing carefully can one meet sudden events.

In military decisions, nothing is more to be avoided than haste; thus the military texts say that the essential point lies in planning beforehand. With preparation made in advance, one will not fall into panic when the moment comes. If one does not examine and plan ahead, how can one cope with what arises without warning?

Only by setting out flexible methods and skillfully applying expedient measures can difficult problems be untied.

The disposition of the noble person is like water: it can conform to vessels both square and round, and does not cling stubbornly to a single way of acting. Only by understanding how to adapt can one unravel matters that are tangled and hard to manage.

Draw in one’s sharp edge and comply with rightful commands, and one can avoid fault.

If one does not covet wealth that runs counter to what is right, and can also help the many, one will not bring disaster upon oneself.

Only by rousing oneself and stepping forward can one establish achievements; only by caution and diligence can one carry a matter through from beginning to end.

Neither slack nor arrogant, remaining the same from first to last, one can long preserve honor and high standing.

Chapter Four: De (Virtue/Power) as the Source

Among the methods of fixing one’s resolve and devoting oneself wholly to practice, what matters most is planning and counsel.

The petty person contends for victory by force; the noble person wins by strategy, and so can preserve his achievements and see them through from beginning to end. Only by diligence without cease, consistent throughout, can one long hold on to honor and high standing.

Among the methods of fixing one’s resolve and devoting oneself wholly to practice, what matters most is planning and counsel.

The petty person contends for victory by force; the noble person wins by strategy. Thus an excellent general can gain victory without ever joining battle. To rely on brute strength alone is not as good as bringing a matter to completion through planning.

Of all ways to keep the inner mind most at ease, none surpasses the restraint of desire.

Restrain one’s own desires, and the mind and Shen (spirit) will not be disturbed; when the mind and Shen are settled, the body too is at peace.

The cultivation of De is what must be done first.

The cultivation of De is the root of every good deed. Heaven, therefore, does not favor any one fixed person, but aids only those who possess De.

Of all that brings the greatest joy, none surpasses a love of doing good.

To honor proper moral instruction and to revere the bright spirits—this is to do good.

Of all powers most marvelous in their working, none surpasses utmost sincerity.

Utmost sincerity of the heart can move spirits and deities. When pure and earnest feeling arises from within, it can also move Heaven and Earth, ghosts and spirits.

What best preserves cleanness and lofty purity is carefully avoiding defilement. Only through caution and vigilance, remaining unpolluted, can one attain lofty purity.

The most auspicious is knowing contentment. One acts according to the upright Dao (the Way) and does not seek wealth and rank by means contrary to principle, and thus can constantly retain good fortune.

The most distressing is having too many desires. When wishes are many yet what is gained is little, the heart grows all the more pained.

The most sorrowful is the loss of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). The bodily form is the dwelling in which the spirit (Shen) resides. When Jing and Qi are lost, the body declines; when the body declines, the spirit has nowhere to settle, and one is easily disturbed by yin ghosts. Even if gold and jade fill the household, they cannot ransom one’s own life; even the closest kin, such as a wife and children, cannot lengthen one’s lifespan.

The most serious fault is the lack of a constant standard. A gentleman’s character ought to have a stable measure; to be fickle and inconstant is itself a fault.

The most short-lived is obtaining profit by improper and expedient means. Gain that does not accord with the Dao and with righteousness will not endure.

The most obscure and base is greed and stinginess. To take everything for oneself while being miserly toward others is the conduct of a petty person, and so it is called “obscure.”

The most isolated is self-righteousness. If a ruler always deems himself correct and blames others as wrong, he cannot join with the many in hearing opinions and observing affairs—is this not extreme isolation?

The most dangerous is employing those one already doubts. Since doubt is already in the heart, they should not be employed; if they are employed nonetheless, it may bring mortal calamity.

What most readily fails is excessive selfishness. When one acts with impartiality, there is no cause for worry; when selfishness is too great, failure will in the end follow.

Chapter Five: Honoring Righteousness

To display one’s own wisdom before subordinates shows that one’s insight is shallow. Wisdom should not be flaunted; if one cannot use one’s own heart-mind to examine oneself clearly, one may be called shallow.

To have faults and yet not know them is to be obscured. Each day a gentleman must advance his own De (Virtue/Power), remain alert to whether he has erred, and correct those errors in good time.

The original text from “迷而” (mi er) onward is incomplete, and interpretation cannot be continued on that basis.

To be clear-sighted and insightful, yet know only how to show off and not how to hold oneself in check—or to be muddled at heart, unable even to see oneself clearly—may be called shallowness.

To have faults and not know it is to be blinded.

The gentleman renews his own De (Virtue/Power) every day, ever fearing that he may commit a fault and fail to correct it in time.

To err and yet cling to the mistake without awakening, unwilling to turn back, is to be muddled.

The sun and moon in their courses are at times diminished and at times full; how could a person be without fault? Having faults is not itself to be feared. What is to be feared is knowing that one is at fault, yet stopping and correcting it no further. If one is able to correct it, one is no longer clinging to error without awakening.

Speech that provokes resentment brings calamity.

If, in speaking, one does not consider the distant consequences and wounds others with words, resentment is provoked; when resentment has accumulated long enough, it brews into calamity. Hence it is said: “The mouth is the gate of calamity.”

When government orders run counter to the hearts of the people, they lose their force.

Government orders must not go against the will of the people; otherwise the common people will not honor and obey them.

If a later order contradicts an earlier one, it will be undermined.

When laws and ordinances contradict one another from first to last and cannot be carried out, slander and censure arise.

To grow angry without possessing majestic authority is to suffer being offended.

If the gentleman is not grave and composed, he has no majestic authority. Lacking both majestic authority and De, petty people will offend him.

To take pleasure in shaming others in public invites calamity.

To humiliate someone before others causes that person to suffer disgrace. Resentment stored in the heart, given enough time, brews into disaster.

To humiliate those whom one has appointed puts oneself in danger.

A person who has once been humiliated without cause should not be entrusted with a heavy responsibility; once he holds power and receives a commission, danger may follow.

To slight those whom one ought to respect invites baleful misfortune.

To treat with negligence those who by right deserve respect will surely bring calamity.

To be close on the surface and distant at heart leaves one isolated.

When outward manner and inner mind do not agree, people often do not act with one heart. Friends then grow fewer, and in the end one is left isolated and without support.

To draw near the crafty and fawning and to keep the loyal and worthy at a distance leads toward ruin.

Not heeding the counsel of the loyal and worthy, but instead believing slander and deviant talk, so that loyal and worthy ministers leave the court while the crafty and fawning remain at one’s side—this is the root of ruin.

To draw close to feminine beauty and keep worthy talents at a distance makes one benighted and disordered.

To be sunk in feminine beauty, neither drawing near worthy talents nor attending to proper affairs, is to become a benighted and disordered ruler.

To appoint personal favorites to office makes one’s position unstable.

To employ those without ability who cannot fulfill the post, allowing them to occupy stipend and office, is like something floating on the surface of the water: adrift, and unable to last.

When women intervene in affairs of state and private favor is openly practiced, the situation falls into disorder.

When relatives of the inner court link themselves together and openly pursue private gain under the cover of public business, this is the root of calamity and disorder.

When the ministers’ thoughts turn toward lands beyond the court, the state will decline and perish. Once subordinates wish to leave, they readily grow divided in heart and in De (Virtue/Power). This is a sign that the ruler’s De is shallow and his strength isolated, and that he is heading toward ruin.

When ruler and ministers, those above and those below, turn against one another, the people will scatter. Harmony between ruler and minister is what matters most; when the relationship is discordant, it becomes the root of calamity and disorder. If those in high position go against their subordinates, and the subordinates refuse to obey, the state may fall apart.

When those above and those below grow slack toward one another, nothing can readily be accomplished. Only when superior and inferior take up one another’s work and pull together with one heart can their achievements stand equal with Heaven and Earth. If each clings to a different sense of right and wrong and their views do not agree, how can any great work be achieved?

When the offices or the power of those above and those below are reversed, the state will be overturned. Seizing authority by force, or buying office with wealth, throws both ruler and ministers into peril.

To bully the weak and prevail by sheer strength is encroachment. To rely on exalted rank in order to oppress the lowly, and to seize victory and credit by force, is called aggression and deceit, and therefore cannot be counted as possessing De.

When reputation exceeds actual merit, renown will fade. To proclaim an empty name without real achievement is to watch one’s fame recede day by day, and the Dao (the Way) one practices will likewise decay day by day.

To think only of praising oneself and blaming others is to govern affairs poorly. To display one’s own strengths, pick at others’ faults, and presume upon one’s own ability makes it certain that matters will be hard to manage well.

To treat oneself generously and others meanly is to be forsaken. Such conduct keeps the many from sharing one heart and readily invites abandonment and betrayal.

To wipe out great merit because of a small fault damages the undertaking. If minor errors are allowed to overshadow major achievements, subordinates lose the will to press forward, and their resolve diminishes day by day.

To show a look of stinginess when bestowing rewards disheartens people. If you doubt someone, do not employ him; once you have employed him, do not doubt him again.

Govern the people by De, and they will give their allegiance; restrain them with punishments, and they will disperse.

Investigate a case thoroughly and clarify the principles at work in it, then punish according to the gravity of the offense and in accordance with the law, so that the innocent are not implicated, and use those principles to instruct the people. This is called “attaining” (de), that is, governing properly. The people therefore gather, give their allegiance, and accept instruction.

To put people to death without weighing the gravity of their crimes, and without first clarifying words and facts, fills them with fear so that they cannot live at peace. This is called “cruel tyranny,” and the result is that hearts scatter and people flee.

If small merits go unrewarded, great achievements cannot be established.

To reward generously those who have merit is called “attaining”; the people will then gather, give their allegiance, and accept instruction.

When rewards are ample, even ordinary people will rouse their courage and exert themselves to the utmost.

If a small grievance is not forgiven, a great grievance will arise from it.

A gentleman of De (Virtue) and insight models the vast inclusiveness of Heaven and Earth and does not cling to others’ minor faults; therefore no one in the world harbors resentment against him.

If rewards are unjust, those who receive them incur the resentment of others; if punishments are improper, those who are punished will not submit in their hearts and may even rebel.

When merit is great yet the reward is only slight, resentment arises; when the fault is small yet the punishment is heavy, people will certainly refuse to accept it.

To reward those who have no merit makes those who do have merit resentful.

To punish the innocent is cruel and tyrannical conduct; when good people who have done no wrong suffer punishment, that is precisely how oppressive government harms people.

One who hears slander as if it were a fine delicacy, and hears remonstrance as if it were the speech of an enemy, is headed for ruin. To delight in slander and to loathe loyal counsel is to drift ever farther from the proper Dao (the Way); if such a person does not perish, what else can follow?

One who is content with what he has can remain at peace, because he knows sufficiency and does not go to excess; one who covets the possessions of others will injure them.

Chapter Six: Settling the Rites (Anli)

Resentment often begins in a refusal to forgive small faults. If one seizes on others’ minor errors and will not let them go, resentment readily takes root.

The root of calamity lies in failing to plan properly beforehand. If one does not prepare and plan in ordinary times, of what use is regret when crisis comes?

Blessing comes from the continual accumulation of good deeds. “A family that accumulates goodness will surely have blessing to spare” means that a household which regularly practices good deeds will often enjoy a blessing that continues on.

Misfortune comes from the continual accumulation of evil deeds. When many deeds that are not good have been done, calamity is brought on.

A household that accumulates what is not good will surely leave behind misfortunes not yet fully spent.

When the people go hungry, it is because farming has been slighted; when the people suffer cold, it is because weaving has fallen into neglect.

If one follows the regular order of the seasons and makes use of the resources of the land, how could there be any anxiety over hunger and cold?

The stability of the state lies in obtaining people of talent.

If suitable talent is obtained, such people will assist the ruler through the affairs of government; thus those of humaneness and De (Virtue/Power) rest content in practicing humaneness and De.

The peril of the state lies in losing worthy men.

Worthy men are able to serve the state and assist the ruler with wholehearted sincerity. If they exhaust their loyalty for the ruler and are instead slandered and cast aside, the worthy will withdraw into retirement, and the state may then face peril and ruin.

Prosperity lies in meeting opportunity in good time; poverty lies in missing the right moment.

The wise lay plans beforehand; the foolish act only after events have already occurred.

When those in high position have no fixed standard in their conduct, those below will grow doubtful.

Whether at rest or in action, the gentleman keeps advance and retreat within due measure and never loses ritual propriety—this is to possess De. If one's disposition is sometimes hasty and sometimes calm, and joy and anger are without restraint, others cannot discern the standard of one's conduct and thus readily grow doubtful.

The wise lay plans beforehand; the foolish act only after events have already occurred.

When those above act without a fixed standard, those below will grow doubtful.

Whether at rest or in action, the gentleman keeps advance and retreat within due measure and never loses ritual propriety—this is to possess De. If one's disposition shifts abruptly between stillness and agitation, and joy and anger are without restraint, others cannot foresee one's conduct, and doubts therefore easily arise.

To treat superiors with contempt invites blame; to insult subordinates causes people to grow distant.

To neglect superiors brings calamity; to insult subordinates estranges mutual feeling. Once ruler and ministers have grown distant, there can be no talk of closeness.

If the ministers close at hand are not valued, those far away will also look down on the ruler.

To see clearly the condition of a ruler, one must first observe his ministers. When worthy and capable ministers hold office at court, the ruler's De is thereby made manifest. A state without worthy ministers is like a carriage missing the crucial part that secures the axle: it cannot run with stability.

If one harbors doubt in one's own heart, one will not trust others; if one is oneself sincere and trustworthy, there is no need to suspect others.

If a ruler is constantly given to self-suspicion, he will not believe loyal and upright counsel. If the ruler is himself sincere and trustworthy, the multitude will be moved by his example and each will devote heart and sincerity to the full—why then weary the mind with suspicion?

One whose conduct is crooked cannot gain upright friends.

"Crooked" means bent and not straight. One who favors what is not upright will surely detest the upright; hence it is said that such a person has no upright friends.

If those above do not act uprightly, those below will not be upright.

There has never been a case in which the form is upright while the shadow is bent. If those above are not upright, those below will follow and become bent in flattery.

A state facing peril and ruin has no worthy and capable ministers.

When disaster and disorder befall a state, it is like a person falling ill. One who knows how to care for the body will not let himself sink into exhaustion and decline; one who knows how to govern a state will likewise not let the state reach the point of danger and collapse. If loyal and trustworthy counsel is heeded, the state’s calamities may still be saved; if schemes of no benefit are followed, the state will surely fall into peril. Once the state is already in crisis, what can the worthy do to rescue it? This is why it is said that the state has no worthy ministers.

When politics are in disorder, it is hard for good people to find a place to stand.

Those in high position shape those below by their own conduct, so petty people also act in the manner of their superiors.

A ruler who truly cares for the people will urgently seek out worthy talent.

In former times, the Duke of Zhou (an important worthy minister who assisted the Zhou dynasty), wishing to accomplish the great enterprise of Zhou, widely sought worthy talent throughout the realm. When, while eating, he heard that a guest had arrived, he spat out the food in his mouth and hurried to receive him; when, while washing his hair, he heard that a gentleman had come, he grasped his hair and went out to meet him. Though he held high office, he broadly recruited men of talent from all under heaven, assisted Zhou in achieving its great enterprise, and his fame was handed down to later ages; for this he was called a sage.

One who delights in gaining the worthy will treat the common people generously.

To catch fish, one must use fragrant bait; to recruit worthy gentlemen, one must offer them generous salaries. With fragrant bait, the fish may be caught to the last; with generous emoluments and courtesy toward gentlemen, the worthy come one after another. Thus a ruler can cause the worthy talent of the world to gather and give allegiance.

That Zhengzi (a worthy of the late Shang dynasty), once summoned, was unwilling to return was an omen that the state was about to perish.

When the ruler is benighted, the worthy leave the state. Even if people are sent to welcome and invite them, they still refuse to come back; this is an omen that the state will fall.

When a state is about to perish, the worthy often depart first.

Zhengzi’s leaving the Shang and Confucius’s (named Qiu, founder of the Confucian school) leaving the state of Lu are both examples of this.

Where the soil is poor, nothing great will grow; where the water is too shallow, great fish will not come to swim; where the trees are bare, great birds will not roost; where the woods are sparse, great beasts will not dwell.

All of these are analogies: if a ruler’s De (Virtue/Power) is not broad and generous, the worthy have nowhere to settle.

A mountain that is steep yet lacks a firm foundation easily collapses. This means that if a ruler has no ministers to assist him, the political situation easily becomes critical and may even move toward ruin.

The water of a lake or marsh is limited and easily fills and overflows. This means that a ruler of narrow capacity is like a marsh: with only a little stored up, he grows self-satisfied and loses all measure.

To treat jade and stone as the same, unable to tell the worthy from the foolish, is to be like a blind person.

One who looks like a tiger on the outside but is only a sheep within will suffer humiliation.

When a person is employed without any measure of his ability, De (Virtue/Power) and office fail to correspond. It is like draping a tiger’s skin over a sheep—does this not impair the tiger’s dignified majesty?

If one puts on a garment without first taking up the collar, the garment will be worn the wrong way. If, in lifting a robe, one does not begin from the collar, it is easily thrown into disorder. Employing people without measuring their ability likewise brings confusion.

If one walks without looking at one’s feet, one will fall. The gentleman should be generous yet prudent: if consideration is incomplete and judgment is not careful, a fall can hardly be avoided.

When the pillars are weak, the house collapses; when those who assist are feeble and incompetent, the state is overthrown.

A lofty house must be upheld by solid beams and pillars, and an enlightened ruler must likewise rely on worthy ministers. If those who assist are unfit, it is like a house without beams and pillars, which will in the end topple and be destroyed.

Cold in the feet harms the heart and belly of the body, and resentment arising in people’s hearts likewise harms the state. The state takes the common people as its foundation. An enlightened ruler should redress the people’s grievances, constantly discern the popular mind, and accord with the people’s wishes. Jiang Taigong said: “When a state is about to perish, the people often fall into hardship first.”

When a mountain is about to collapse, its base is damaged first; when a state is about to decline, the people fall into distress first. When the roots of a tree wither, the branches decay; when the people suffer hardship, the state too is left broken and ruined.

A mountain takes its base as its root, and a tree takes its roots as its root. Once the root is lost, it cannot stand.

If one follows the wheel-ruts of an overturned cart, one’s own cart will overturn; if one copies the practices of those whose states have perished, one’s own state will perish as well.

When the cart ahead has already overturned, the cart behind should change its course. The decrees and policies issued by those who lost their states should also be changed. If one still follows the old road, one will only invite overthrow and destruction.

By observing what has happened in the past, one may treat what is to come with caution. When one sees a harmful practice, one should avoid it early.

Only by fearing danger can one remain safe; only by being vigilant against destruction can one long endure.

Even while dwelling in security, the gentleman still thinks of danger, and therefore he can last long. If he does not reflect, but merely follows his own desires, he will in the end bring on overthrow and destruction.

In human conduct, what accords with principle is auspicious, and what goes against principle is ominous.

The Duke of Zhou and King Wen brought the feudal lords to submission through their De (Virtue/Power), and the people of the world likewise gave them their allegiance. They had armies, yet they often prevailed without fighting; they had walled cities, yet without strict defenses they remained invincible. Their descendants succeeded one another for more than eight hundred years. Such rulers may be called auspicious sovereigns.

Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, by contrast, gave free rein to their own violence and cruelty: they filled pools with wine and hung meat to form forests; they piled up wealth like hills, and recruited braves who could uproot mountains and lift tripods, sail boats over dry land, draw powerful bows, and snap their cords. Men of such extraordinary strength numbered in the thousands, yet these rulers were soon defeated and destroyed, their heads severed from their bodies, and their descendants extinguished. Though for a time they indulged in conduct devoid of the Dao (the Way), their foul reputation has been handed down for a hundred generations. Is this not lamentable?

Auspicious fortune is the gathering of many blessings; baleful calamity is the concerted assault of many misfortunes.

When a ruler practices benevolent De, the multitude attaches itself to him and brings him blessings; when a ruler practices tyranny, the multitude turns against him and brings disaster upon him.

This is not to say that anyone can manufacture good or ill fortune by supernatural power; rather, people themselves sow the corresponding results.

Huangshi Gong said with humility: A person’s good or ill fortune, blessing or disaster, is not brought about by me, but follows from what each person does.

One who plans well will not fall into evil; one who can think far ahead will have no worries close at hand. If the gentleman does not devote himself to thorough planning, it is like timber that is not straightened by the ink line; if he does not consider the long term, how can he avoid distress?

The brave may be sent to charge into battle, but are not suited to holding a position; what is called “firmness” means solid defense.

The steady and weighty may be sent to hold ground securely, but are not suited to storming the enemy’s ranks; here “weight” refers to the depth of benevolent virtue.

The greedy for wealth may be sent to seize goods, but must not be entrusted with distributing them; since they will risk their lives for wealth, they may also embezzle it.

The incorruptible may be sent to guard wealth, but are not suited to taking charge of aggressive competition; clinging alone to their own integrity, they find it hard to work in concert with others.

The trustworthy may be sent to keep agreements, but are not suited to coping with change; bound to an unvarying fidelity, they find it hard to adapt as circumstances require.

A person who keeps his word may be trusted to hold firmly to an agreement, yet he cannot be expected to adapt as circumstances change.

To cling stubbornly to personal ties and know only how to keep faith is like a line of the hexagram fixed in place, unable to shift and respond with flexibility.

As for these five kinds of people, one should assign each according to his own ability, adjust them at the proper time, and bring their strengths into play; then there will be no affair that does not proceed smoothly.

Huangshigong Sushu