The Basis of Principles
212. The governing principles of the ancient sage-rulers are as follows:
1.Honor the law of nature;
2.Discipline oneself and teach by exemplary roles;
3.Appoint able and virtuous people to hold office;
4.Experience and observe the living conditions of the people;
5.Develop a reasonable legal system;
6.Accomplish peace and prosperity for the country and its people.
Be honest and faithful and act in accordance with the law of nature; persevere diligently with self-cultivation; be tenacious in appointing the able and virtuous to hold office; experience and observe the living conditions of people mindfully; follow the natural law to establish the legal system; and be resolute and pragmatic in striving for achievement. These are the essential governing principles of the ancient sage-rulers.
Scroll 46: Shen Jian
213. King Wu of the Zhou dynasty asked Tai Gong: “If I wish to have one saying that I can remember forever; a second saying to show me how I can live eternally alongside heaven and earth; a third saying to enable me to become the leader of all lords; a fourth saying to enable me to become the leader of the world; and a fifth saying to enable my government to last for generations; can you tell me what these sayings are?” To these questions Tai Gong replied: “The first saying that you wish you can remember forever is: ‘Be generous at heart and act benevolently toward others.’ The second saying that enables you to live eternally alongside heaven and earth is: ‘Your actions must correspond to your words and be as upright and selfless as heaven and earth.’ The third saying that enables you to become the leader of the lords is: ‘Respect the able and virtuous, listen to their advice with an open mind, and with great humbleness, treat them with courtesy.’ The fourth saying that enables you to become the leader of the world is: ‘Treat the unworthy men, the rich or the poor, the noble or the lowly, good or evil, those you love or disdain, with equal respect and caution.’ The fifth saying that enables your government to last for generations is: ‘Master the law of good and ill fortune as well as the pattern of rise and decline, and go with the flow to tolerate differences and be accommodating to all things.’”
Scroll 31: Yin Mou
214. Propriety can restrain human desires, and music can regulate people’s emotions and sentiments. The introduction of effective government policies can achieve the goal of educating and transforming the people, and the enforcement of corporal punishment can deter criminal offenses. Thus, making full use of these four factors—propriety, music, corporal punishment, and government policies that are not contradictory to one another, the formation of a benevolent administration is deemed complete.
Scroll 7: Li Ji
215. The foundation of governing is built upon these four factors:
1.Benevolence—to love and care for the people;
2.Righteousness—to do what is right;
3.Propriety—to conduct oneself according to the norms of civility;
4.Wisdom—the basis of strategies.
To pursue benefits and eliminate what is harmful to the people, and to love all with no selfish motives is Benevolence. To be able to distinguish right from wrong and to know what is the right thing to do is Righteousness. To be able to conduct oneself decently and to be fully aware of the status of seniority and juniority is Propriety. To know when to exercise the power for passing life or death sentences, to make way for worthy men to serve in the government, to regulate laws concerning commercial transactions, to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different issues so that the ruler can be fully aware of the actual state of matters is Strategy. These four factors are indispensable elements in ruling a country.
Scroll 18: Han Shu, Vol. 6
216. Propriety is intended to put righteousness into effect, Trustworthiness is intended to put the practice of propriety into effect, and Corporal Punishment is intended to deter acts of evil. Can a ruler manage without these three vital factors?
Scroll 4: Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan, Vol. 1
217. Zengzi said: “There were five approaches that the ancient sage-rulers employed to rule their country: Respect the nobles, revere the virtuous, cherish the aged, honor the elders, and be tender to the children.”
Scroll 39: Lü Shi Chun Qiu
218. Good administrators will observe established social customs before implementing policies that can teach and transform the people. They will also examine past errors and set up systems to rectify them, using the penalty and reward measures, moral education as well as the military defence mechanism alternately. Only with these implementations can a government adapt to contemporary times and reconcile people who are discontented with the current state of affairs.
Scroll 22: Hou Han Shu, Vol. 2
219. The great virtue of heaven and earth is the giving and maintaining of life. What is most precious for the sage is to get to a prestigious position in which he can exert his influence. What will guard this position for him? Benevolence. How shall he gather a large population around him? By the power of his wealth. The right administration of that wealth, correct instructions to the people, and prohibitions against wrongdoing constitute his Righteousness.
Scroll 1: Zhou Yi
220. King Wen sought this advice from his teacher, Tai Gong: “In my capacity as a ruler, whom should I respect or ignore, whom should I appoint or reject, and what are the things I should prohibit and guard against?” Tai Gong answered: “You should respect people who are virtuous and competent, ignore people who are unworthy, appoint people who are trustworthy, and reject people who are deceitful and hypocritical. You should prohibit riots and discourage extravagant practices.”
Scroll 31: Liu Tao
221. Shi Jing (the Book of Poetry) said: “A gentle and elegant maiden will make a good spouse for a man of noble character (Junzi).” This refers to a maiden who is chaste and composed, loyal and devoted. Her sensuality is not revealed in her demeanor and she never discloses intimate moments in her conversations. Thus she is fit to be the spouse of the noblest ruler, and bears the responsibility of honoring the rites of the ancestral shrines. This is most important among the principles of social order and the laws of the state, and it also serves as the beginning of any lessons given by the sage-rulers.
Scroll 20: Han Shu, Vol. 8
222. The book of Zhou Yi said: “A husband has his correct place in the outer (trigram, providing financial support to the family), and a wife has her correct place in the inner (trigram, taking care of her husband and children). That husband and wife occupy their correct places is the great righteousness of heaven and earth.”
Scroll 25: Wei Zhi, Vol. 1