用人

I have heard that those of antiquity who excelled at employing people invariably followed Heaven, complied with human nature, and clarified rewards and punishments. Following Heaven means that little effort is expended yet achievement is established. Complying with human nature means that punishments are reduced yet orders are carried out. Clarifying rewards and punishments means that even Bo Yi and Robber Zhi do not fall into disorder. Under such conditions, white and black are clearly distinguished.

The ministers of a well-governed state demonstrate merit to the state in order to hold their positions, display ability in office in order to receive their appointments, and exert their full strength upon the balance in order to carry out their tasks. When all ministers are suited to their abilities, adequate to their offices, and find their duties light, none harboring excess energy in their hearts and none burdening the ruler with the responsibility of multiple offices -- then internally there is no disorder from hidden resentment, and externally there is no crisis like that of Ma Fu.

The enlightened ruler ensures that responsibilities do not overlap, so there are no disputes. He ensures that officers do not hold concurrent posts, so their skills develop fully. He ensures that people do not share the same merits, so there is no competition. When disputes and litigation cease and skills are fully developed, the strong and weak do not struggle against one another, and ice and charcoal do not combine. Nothing under Heaven can cause mutual harm. This is the ultimate in governance.

If one abandons the techniques of governance and rules by personal whim, even Yao could not set right a single state. If one discards the compass and square to rely on arbitrary estimation, even Xi Zhong could not fashion a single wheel. If one abolishes the ruler and the inch to judge long and short by guesswork, even Wang Er could not get it half right.

But let a mediocre ruler adhere to the techniques of governance, and let a clumsy craftsman follow the compass, square, ruler, and inch -- then not one case in ten thousand will be in error.

The ruler who can discard what even the exceptionally talented cannot achieve and instead hold fast to what even the mediocre and clumsy will never get wrong -- such a ruler will see human effort fully expended and achievement and fame established.

The enlightened ruler establishes rewards that can be achieved and sets punishments that can be avoided. Thus the worthy are encouraged by rewards without suffering the fate of Wu Zixu; the unworthy commit few offenses without suffering the hunchback's split back; the blind walk on level ground without encountering deep ravines; the foolish remain still without falling into dangerous places. Under such conditions, the bonds of benevolence between ruler and ruled are forged.

The ancients said: 'The heart is hard to know; joy and anger are hard to hit upon.' Therefore one uses a marker to direct the eyes, a drum to instruct the ears, and the law to teach the heart.

If the ruler abandons the three easy methods and instead acts upon the one unknowable heart, then anger accumulates above and resentment accumulates below. To govern accumulated resentment with accumulated anger -- both sides are endangered.

The enlightened ruler's marker is easy to see; therefore agreements are established. His teaching is easy to understand; therefore his words are heeded. His law is easy to follow; therefore his orders are carried out.

When these three are established and the ruler has no private agenda, those below can follow the law to govern, look to the marker to act, follow the plumb line to make judgments, and follow the awl-holes to sew. Under such conditions, those above exercise no arbitrary cruelty, and those below suffer no punishments for stupidity. Thus those above dwell in clarity with little anger, and those below give their full loyalty with few offenses.

I have heard it said: 'To undertake affairs without encountering trouble -- even Yao could not achieve this.' And the world has never been without affairs.

A ruler who does not take rank and salary lightly, who does not treat wealth and honor cheaply, cannot be called upon to rescue a state in peril. Therefore the enlightened ruler cultivates the sense of honor and shame, and attracts benevolence and righteousness.

In the past, Jie Zitui held no rank or salary, yet out of righteousness followed Duke Wen. Unable to bear the hunger pangs, he benevolently cut flesh from his own thigh to feed the duke. Therefore rulers have been bound by gratitude toward him, and books and paintings have recorded his name.

The ruler finds joy in having people serve the public interest with full effort, and finds suffering when private interests usurp his authority. The minister finds ease in receiving office according to ability, and finds suffering when one person bears the burden of two.

Therefore the enlightened ruler removes what causes ministers to suffer, and establishes what brings the ruler joy. No benefit to ruler and ruled is greater than this.

Failing to examine what goes on within private households, making light judgments about weighty matters, imposing heavy punishments for minor offenses, nursing resentment over trivial errors, prolonging insults for momentary satisfaction, repeatedly trying to recover from disaster through acts of grace -- this is like cutting off a hand and replacing it with jade. Therefore the world suffers from the calamity of trading one's own life.

When the ruler sets impossible standards yet punishments do not correspond, private resentment arises. When ministers are deprived of what they are good at yet must provide what is difficult to supply, hidden resentment builds.

If toil and suffering are not consoled, if grief and sorrow receive no compassion; if in joy the ruler praises petty men and rewards the worthy and unworthy alike; if in anger the ruler denounces gentlemen and humiliates Bo Yi and Robber Zhi equally -- then ministers will have cause to betray their ruler.

Suppose the King of Yan internally despised his own people yet externally doted on the people of Lu. Then Yan's people would be of no use and Lu's people would not attach themselves to him. The people, seeing themselves despised, could not exert their full effort or pursue achievement. The people of Lu, though flattered, could not abandon their own state and pledge allegiance to another ruler. Under such conditions, the ministers become crevices in the wall, and the ruler stands isolated.

When ministers are crevices serving an isolated ruler -- this is called peril.

If one abandons the target and shoots wildly, hitting the mark is not skill. If one abandons the legal system and rages arbitrarily, though one kills and executes, villains will not be afraid. When guilt originates with one person yet the disaster falls upon another, hidden resentment builds.

Therefore in the best-governed state, there are rewards and punishments but no personal joy and anger. The sage applies punishments and laws to their fullest, yet even when they bring death there is no stinging venom. Therefore villains submit. When arrows hit the target and rewards and punishments match the tally -- then Yao lives again and Yi the Archer stands once more.

Under such conditions, above there is no calamity like that of Shang and Xia; below there is no tragedy like that of Bi Gan. The ruler rests upon a high pillow and ministers take joy in their work. The Way covers Heaven and Earth; virtue reaches ten thousand generations.

But if the ruler does not seal the crevices yet labors at painting and plastering, then violent rain and fierce wind will surely bring ruin. If one does not remove the danger at the eyelashes yet admires the death-defying valor of Ben and Yu; if one does not attend to the threat within the courtyard walls yet fortifies distant border strongholds; if one does not heed the counsel of nearby worthies yet forges alliances with states of ten thousand chariots a thousand li away -- when a sudden gale arises, Ben and Yu cannot arrive in time to save, and the distant ally cannot arrive in time to help. No disaster is greater than this.

In today's world, those who calculate loyally on behalf of the ruler must not let the King of Yan dote on the people of Lu; must not let the present age yearn for the worthies of antiquity; must not rely on the men of Yue to rescue one drowning in the Central States.

Under such conditions, ruler and ruled will be close, internal achievements will be established, and external fame will be won.