Engaging the Principles
179. King Zhuang of the state of Chu asked Zhan He21: “Please tell me how could one govern a country?”To which Zhan He replied: “I only know about self-cultivation but not governing.”
King Chu asked again: “I have the honor of enshrining our ancestral temples and rule over my country. I wish to learn the ways to keep peace and order.”
Zhan He replied: “I have never heard of a chaotic country that has a ruler who is wise and virtuous, nor have I heard of a peaceful country that has a ruler who is not virtuous. Therefore, the key factor of governing is the ruler’s self-cultivation. I am afraid I am not able to advise you further on this matter.”
King Chu said: “That was an excellent explanation.”
Scroll 34: Lie Zi
180. Everyone may have constructive ideas about governance but how these ideas are put into practice will differ from one another. Some will choose to rectify the shortcomings of others, whereas some will choose to rectify their own shortcomings. Correcting one’s own shortcomings is addressing a problem at its source, whereas correcting the shortcomings of others is addressing a problem at its closing stages. A man of noble character (Junzi) tackles a problem at its source, thus shaping a noble character and contributing greatly to the society. So, he rarely holds grudges against anyone. A scoundrel aims at tackling a problem at its closing stages, thus he is unable to serve others while making many enemies.
Scroll 46: Zhong Lun
181. The principal function of a government is to provide stability for the people. Stability comes from having abundant food and clothing available for the people, and this abundance comes from uninterrupted farming activities, which are made possible by minimizing the frequency of statute labor on farmers imposed by the government. To achieve this, the ruler must restrain himself from extravagant spending and revert to his original nature that is pure and untainted.
Scroll 41: Huai Nan Zi
182. Laozi said: “The one who has risen to become an overlord is no doubt a winner. A winner who can defeat his rivals is no doubt a powerful figure. To be able to become powerful no doubt one has to know how to utilize the strength of others effectively. To be able to use the strength of others effectively no doubt one has to win over their hearts, and to do so he must be a man who can act according to the principles of virtue. In the end, a virtuous man is without doubt, a caring and modest person.”
Scroll 35: Wen Zi
183. When a sage-ruler promotes moral and virtuous values and devise policies to put them into practice, he must start from his immediate company. A government that has no righteous principles will not rule well, and when the ministers are not upright they cannot exert great influence.
Scroll 19: Han Shu, Vol. 7
184. To govern a country and earn the respect of the world a ruler must uphold some fundamental principles. Among these principles, nothing can surpass the principle of “being filial to one’s parents.” When a ruler respects his parents, he not only gains fame and glory but also contributes to world harmony and happiness. When a minister is filial to his parents, he will be honest and dutiful in serving his leader, as an officer he will serve with integrity and even sacrifice his life when the country is in trouble. When scholars and civilians are filial to their parents, they will work harder on their farms and will never run away from fighting a war to defend their country. If there is one way that can accumulate hund of blessings, eliminate hund of misfortunes, and win the support of the people, it is none other than the propagation of filial piety!
Scroll 39: Lü Shi Chun Qiu
185. The principal task of a government is to promote the virtues of benevolence and righteousness, followed by the enforcement of laws. One who gives the highest priority to promoting virtues is known as a man of noble character (Junzi), otherwise, he is only an ordinary man. The purpose of legislating laws is to facilitate the promotion of justice and righteousness. If one puts too much emphasis on the laws and abandons benevolence and righteousness, it is akin to paying attention to hats and shoes with no consideration for one’s head and legs.
Scroll 35: Wen Zi
186. It is most important that the government employs virtuous and able people to serve the country, while eliminating evil and malicious people as its most pressing tasks.
Scroll 23: Hou Han Shu, Vol. 3
187. There are no such things as chaotic countries, but just countries with corrupted rulers. There are no such things as efficient policies that can keep a country safe and peaceful without the wise rulership of worthy people. The archery skill of Hou Yi is remembered but he could not make every future generation achieve his state of excellence. The governing laws of King Yu remained but these laws could not make the Xia dynasty retain its power forever. Therefore, governing laws cannot exist by themselves. The presence of worthy people who can execute the laws will keep the laws alive. Without these worthy people the laws will be rendered useless. The laws of governance provide the basis while men of noble character (Junzi) put them into practice. Their presence will ensure social order although laws are sparse and few. Without them, not even well-designed laws can prevent social upheavals. Thus, a virtuous leader is eager to find a Junzi who can help him to govern well, while an unwise leader is only eager to gain power. With Junzi serving in his administration, the ruler is able to relax and enjoy a peaceful and orderly country. He would also gain great reputation for being a good ruler. On the other hand, a ruler who is eager to gain power will exhaust his energy and throw the country into chaos, not only will he jeopardize his career but also bring disgrace to himself.
Scroll 38: Sun Qing Zi
188. A leader should be cautious about the following four instances: First, a man who flaunts his moral prowess but fails to act benevolently should not be given power to govern the country. Second, a man who is not ready to make way for a virtuous man cannot be conferred a noble position. Third, a man who avoids punishing his relatives and the powerful nobles should not be allowed to lead an army. Fourth, a man who attaches no importance to farming and infrastructure projects but collects taxes without any justification should not be given the post of a district governor. These four instances are crucial factors in maintaining national security.
Scroll 32: Guan Zi
189. Food constitutes the basic needs of the people; People constitute the backbone of a country; Country is the ground through which a ruler establishes his destiny.
Scroll 41: Huai Nan Zi
190. Although a ruler appears noble and majestic, his high and isolated position could land him in danger. Although a civilian has a low status and remains humble, this apparently slow-witted person could have unbelievable power. When a ruler does not respect his people, his country will be destroyed. When a ruler loves and protects his people, his country will thrive and prosper. Those who govern should be aware of this principle.
Scroll 48: Ti Lun
191. According to this year’s statistics, the number of cases of children who killed their fathers, younger brothers who killed their elder brothers, and wives who killed their husbands was a total of 222. In my humble opinion this is by no means a small incident. Officials close to Your Majesty are not worried by this situation, but instead they are planning to deploy troops to settle minor scores at the faraway borders. This situation is reminiscent of a comment by Confucius: “My concern is that the misery of Baron Ji Sun is not caused by foreign unrest occurring in the region of Zhuan Yu but by affairs in his family.”
Scroll 19: Han Shu, Vol. 7
192. By making full use of the natural cycles of seasonal changes and maximizing the use of lands, livestocks can be raised and bountiful crops can be harvested from the fields. This is the basis upon which a prosperous nation is founded. Thus, the government must make sure that craftsmen and businessmen should maintain the quality of their products and should not control or monopolize trading. The government should be lenient to farmers and also ensure that wise scholars achieve noble and honorable status. In this way, the populace will prosper and the country will become peaceful.
Scroll 44: Qian Fu Lun