觀行

The people of antiquity, whose eyes were too short-sighted to see themselves, used mirrors to examine their faces. Their wisdom, too short-sighted for self-knowledge, used the Way to correct themselves. Thus the mirror bears no blame for revealing blemishes, and the Way bears no reproach for exposing faults. Without a mirror, the eyes cannot adjust the beard and brows; without the Way, the person cannot perceive his own confusion.

Ximen Bao was impetuous by nature, so he wore a leather strap on his belt to remind himself to be slow. Dong Anyu was by temperament too deliberate, so he wore a bowstring to urge himself toward urgency.

Thus to supplement deficiency with surplus and to extend the short with the long -- this is what is called an enlightened ruler.

There are three certain truths in All-Under-Heaven. First: there are limits to what wisdom can establish. Second: there are limits to what strength can lift. Third: there are limits to what power can overcome.

Thus even with the wisdom of Yao, without the assistance of the multitude, great achievements cannot be established. Even with the might of Wu Huo, without others' help, one cannot lift oneself. Even with the ferocity of Ben and Yu, without the techniques of governance, one cannot prevail for long.

There are situations that cannot be forced; there are tasks that cannot be accomplished.

Wu Huo could lightly lift a thousand jun yet found his own body heavy -- not because his body weighed more than a thousand jun, but because the leverage was unfavorable. Li Zhu could easily see a hundred paces away yet found his own eyelashes difficult to see -- not because a hundred paces is closer than one's eyelashes, but because the angle is impossible.

Therefore the enlightened ruler does not fault Wu Huo for being unable to lift himself, and does not trouble Li Zhu for being unable to see himself. He relies on favorable circumstances and seeks the easy path. Thus he expends little effort while establishing great achievement and fame.

Times have their fullness and emptiness; affairs have their advantage and harm; things have their life and death. If the ruler displays expressions of joy and anger in response to these three, then even ministers as steadfast as metal and stone will become estranged.

The simplicity of the sage and the worthy runs deep. The enlightened rulers of antiquity observed others but did not allow others to observe them.

Understanding that Yao could not succeed alone, that Wu Huo could not lift himself, and that Ben and Yu could not overcome themselves -- and then employing the techniques of governance: this completes the method of observing conduct.