Sima Chou
Ai Gong asked about politics. Confucius said: "The civil and military policies are laid out in the plan. When the man is alive, the policy is carried out; when the man is dead, the policy ceases. The way of man is sensitive to the policy, and the way of the earth is sensitive to the tree. The policy is like the reed. Therefore, the policy is in the people. Choose the people by their character, cultivate the character by the way, and cultivate the way by benevolence. Benevolence is the people. To love one's relatives is the greatest; righteousness is appropriateness. To respect the virtuous is the greatest. To love one's relatives and to respect the virtuous is the result of propriety. If the lower position does not get the upper position, the people cannot be governed! Therefore, the gentleman cannot fail to cultivate himself; if he wants to cultivate himself, he cannot fail to serve his parents; if he wants to serve his parents, he cannot know people; if he wants to know people, he cannot know Heaven. There are five great ways in the world, and three ways to carry them out. They are: ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, brothers, and friends. These five are the great ways in the world. Knowledge, benevolence, and courage are the three great virtues in the world, and one way to carry them out. Some people are born with To know, one may learn and then know, or one may learn through hardship, but knowing is the same. One may act when comfortable, or act for profit, or act reluctantly, but success is the same. Confucius said, "To love learning is near to knowledge, to exert oneself to act is near to benevolence, and to know shame is near to courage. Knowing these three, one will know how to cultivate oneself; knowing how to cultivate oneself, one will know how to govern others; knowing how to govern others, one will know how to govern the empire and the state. There are nine classics for governing the empire and the state: cultivating oneself, respecting the virtuous, loving one's relatives, respecting ministers, and being considerate of ministers. Treating the common people with kindness, attracting all kinds of craftsmen, being gentle with distant people, and winning over the princes. If one cultivates oneself, the Way will stand; if one respects the virtuous, one will not be confused; if one loves one's relatives, one's elder brothers will not complain; if one respects ministers, one will not be dazzled; if one is considerate of ministers, the scholars will repay him with great courtesy; if one treats the common people with kindness, the people will encourage him; if one attracts all kinds of craftsmen, one will have sufficient financial resources; if one is gentle with distant people, the four directions will come to him; if one wins over the princes, the world will fear him. . Dress in good clothes and do not move without propriety. This is to cultivate oneself; get rid of slander and stay away from beauty, despise goods and value virtue, this is to encourage the virtuous; respect their positions, give them high salaries, share their likes and dislikes, this is to encourage relatives; give officials high positions and assign them important tasks, this is to encourage ministers; be loyal and trustworthy and give them high salaries, this is to encourage scholars; impose light taxes in due time, this is to encourage the people; review the officials daily and examine them monthly, and after the food is in accordance with the work, this is to encourage all craftsmen; send off and welcome back, praise the good and sympathize with the incompetent, this is to appease the distant people; continue the extinct, raise the abandoned countries, and govern the chaos and hold the danger. Court visits are timely, and the visits are generous and the visits are light, this is to win over the princes. There are nine classics for governing the country and the world, and the reason for carrying them out is the same. Everything is established if it is planned in advance, and it will be abolished if it is not planned in advance. If you plan before you speak, you will not stumble; if you plan before you act, you will not be in trouble; if you plan before you act, you will not be guilty; if you plan before you act, you will not be poor. If you do not get the support of your superiors, you cannot govern the people. If you get the support of your superiors, you will not be able to trust your friends. Friends, if you don't get the upper hand, you will not be able to trust your friends; if you are obedient to your relatives, you will not be able to trust your friends; if you are obedient to your relatives, you will not be honest to yourself, you will not be obedient to your relatives; if you are honest to yourself, you will not understand what is good, you will not be honest to yourself. Sincerity is the way of heaven; sincerity is the way of man. Sincerity is not trying to hit the mark, not thinking and getting it, and calmly following the middle way is a sage. Sincerity is the one who chooses the good and sticks to it. Learn widely, ask carefully, think carefully, distinguish clearly, and practice diligently. If you don't learn, you can't learn it, so don't give up; if you don't ask, you can't know it, so don't give up; if you don't think, you can't get it, so don't give up; if you don't distinguish, you can't distinguish clearly, so don't give up; if you don't practice, you can't practice it diligently. If a person can do one thing, he can do a hundred times more; if a person can do ten things, he can do a thousand times more. If you can really do this, you will be wise even if you are stupid, and strong even if you are weak. "Sincerity is called nature. Sincerity is called education. Sincerity leads to clarity, and clarity leads to sincerity.
