《楚书》曰:“楚国无以为宝,惟善以为宝。”
“Chu Shu” said, “Chu has nothing to treasure but kindness.”
《秦誓》曰:“若有一个臣,断断兮,无他技,其心休休焉,其如有容焉。
The Book of History said, “If a high official is no more than loyal and tolerant,
《诗》云:“乐只君子,民之父母。”
The Book of Poetry says, “Joyful are the gentlemen.
They are the parents of the people.”
《诗》云:“殷之未丧师,克配上帝。
The Book of Poetry says, “Before the Shang had lost the people's trust, they could meet the will of God.
《诗》云:“节彼南山,维石岩岩。
The Book of Poetry says, “High the southern hills and far, majestic with their rocky guard;
与其有聚敛之臣,宁有盗臣。”
Lords and dukes had better appoint subordinates who steal their own property than those who extort wealth from the people.”
人之有技,媢疾以恶之,人之彦圣,而违之俾不通,实不能容,以不能保我子孙黎民,亦曰殆哉!”
If he is envious of and detests the talents of others and tries to suppress them, keeping them from being assigned high positions, then he is an intolerant person.
He will not be able to protect our posterity or other people, and may even endanger the state.”
人之有技,若已有之;人之彦圣,其心好之,不啻若自其口出,?实能容之。
suppose he is open and accepting, seeing the talents of others, he accepts them as if they were his own; seeing the accomplished sagacity of others, he appreciates it with all his heart;
仁者以财发身,不仁者以身发财。
A kind and benevolent lord distributes his wealth to his people to make the most of his virtues, and the heartless lord casts away his virtue to extort wealth from his people.
以能保我子孙黎民,尚亦有利哉!
how beneficial it would be to have him protecting my descendants and the people!
仪监于殷,峻命不易。”
The Yin Dynasty serves as an example that it is not easy to maintain the mandate of Heaven.”
唯仁人放流之,迸诸四夷,不与同中国。
It would take a benevolent person to exile this kind of minister.
外本内末,争民施夺。
To marginalize the root and emphasize the branch is to contend with the people and instruct them in ways of thievery.
好人之所恶,恶人之所好,是谓拂人之性,菑必逮夫身。
Disaster will befall on the lord whose likes and dislikes are just the opposite of the masses.
孟献子曰:“畜马乘,不察于鸡豚;伐冰之家,不畜牛羊;百乘之家,不畜聚敛之臣。
Meng Xian Zi, a virtuous official of Lu said, “Officials should not feed chickens and dogs; high officials should not raise cows and sheep; and lords and dukes should appoint subordinates to a high position who extort wealth from the people.
彼为善之,小人之使为国家,菑害并至,虽有善者,亦无如之何矣。
Employing lesser men to run the state will bring disaster and calamity, and then, although there will be those who are good, they will be powerless to help.
德者,本也;财者,末也。
So virtues are the root of a state and wealth is only a branch.
所恶于上,毋以使下;所恶于下,毋以事上;所恶于前,毋以先后;所恶于后,毋以从前;所恶于右,毋以交于左;所恶于左,毋以交于右。
I will not treat my subordinates with the attitude that I would hate for my superiors to treat me.
I will not serve my superior with the attitude with which I would hate my subordinates to serve me.
I will not deal with the one behind me with the attitude which I hate the one in front to deal with me, nor will I deal with the one in front of me with the attitude with which I hate the one behind to deal with me.
I will not force the one on my left to accept what I would hate the one on my right to force me to accept, nor will I force the on my right to accept what I would hate the one on my left to force me to accept.
所谓平天下在治其国者,上老老,而民兴孝;上长长,而民兴弟;上恤孤,而民不倍。
“The governance of the world depends on the ruling of the state” in “Jing” means if the lord honors the aged in his state, his people will be filial to their parents; if the lord respects his elders, his people will respect their elder brothers; if the lord sympathizes with the helpless, his people will disobey him.
是以君子有絜矩之道也。
So, a gentleman holds the principle of putting himself in the place of others.
是故君子先慎乎德。
As a lord, the priority is to cultivate virtues.
是故君子有大道,必忠信以得之,骄泰以失之。
Thus, the gentleman knows a magnificent principle; he wins the people over through conscientiousness and trustworthiness, and loses them through pride and debauchery.
是故言悖逆而出者,亦悖而入;货悖而入者,亦悖而出。
But if he distributes his wealth to the people and the people lead prosperous and happy lives, the people will pay allegiance to him.
Wealth gained unfairly would be lost unfairly just as a man's words will not be followed if these words are uttered without reason.
是故财聚则民散,财散则民聚。
If a lord accumulates wealth by unscrupulous means and causes the people to suffer, the people will wander about like refugees.