外儲說左上

Principle One: The way of an enlightened ruler is like You Ruo's response to Mi Zi. When the enlightened ruler listens to words, he admires the eloquence; when he observes conduct, he esteems the loftiness. Hence ministers and officials make their words circuitous and grand, and conduct themselves as though removed from the world. The illustration is in Tian Jiu's response to the King of Chu. Hence Mozi's wooden kite and Ou Gui singing for the War Palace. That medicine-wine and loyal counsel are recognized only by enlightened rulers and sage kings.

Principle Two: If the ruler, when listening to words, does not use practical results as the standard, then persuaders will multiply 'carving thorns' and 'white horse' arguments. If one does not set up a target as the gateway, then every archer is equal to Yi.

Principle Three: When people act for each other, they bear resentment and blame; when they act for themselves, things get done. Hence parent and child may quarrel and reproach, while a hired laborer serves fine soup.

Principle Four: Where profit lies, the people gather; where fame shines, officials will die for it. Hence if rewards are given for achievements outside the law, the ruler will not gain reliable service from below.

Principle Five: The Odes say: 'If you do not act personally, the common people will not trust.' This is expounded through 'not wearing purple,' tempered by the cases of Duke Jian of Zheng and Duke Xiang of Song, and held accountable through honoring and enriching agriculture and warfare.

Principle Six: When small trust is established, great trust follows. Hence the enlightened ruler accumulates credibility. When rewards and punishments lack credibility, prohibitions and commands will not be followed. The illustrations are in Duke Wen's attack on Yuan and Ji Zheng's relief of famine.

The King of Chu said to Tian Jiu: 'Mohism is a prominent school. Its practice is admirable, yet its words are many but not eloquent. Why?' Tian Jiu replied: 'In the past, the Duke of Qin married his daughter to a prince of Jin and had her accompanied by seventy maidservants in embroidered garments. Upon arrival in Jin, the people of Jin loved the maidservants but disdained the princess. This may be called skill in marrying off maidservants, but it cannot be called skill in marrying off a daughter.

A man of Chu sold pearls in Zheng. He made a box of magnolia wood, fumigated it with cassia and pepper, adorned it with pearls and jade, decorated it with carnelian, and lined it with kingfisher feathers. The man of Zheng bought the box and returned the pearl. This may be called skill in selling boxes, but it cannot be called skill in selling pearls.

Today's speakers all pursue eloquent arguments and literary phrases. Rulers admire the rhetoric and forget what is useful. Mozi's teaching transmitted the way of the former kings and discussed the words of the sages to proclaim them to all. If he had made the words eloquent, people would have cherished the rhetoric and forgotten the substance, and literary form would have harmed practical use. This is the same as the Chu man selling pearls and the Duke of Qin marrying off his daughter. Hence Mozi's words were many but not eloquent.'

A man of Song requested to carve a monkey on the tip of a thorn for the King of Yan, saying that the king must fast for three months before he could see it. The King of Yan provided him with three teams of horses for his upkeep. The royal metalsmith said to the king: 'I have heard that no ruler can sustain a fast of ten days. I know Your Majesty cannot fast long enough to observe a useless object, which is why he set the period at three months. Moreover, any carving tool must be smaller than what it carves. As a metalsmith, I know there is no tool small enough to carve a thorn-tip. This object cannot exist. Your Majesty must investigate.' The king imprisoned the man and interrogated him. It was indeed a fraud, and the man was executed.

Er Shuo was a man of Song, a skilled debater, who maintained the thesis 'A white horse is not a horse' and defeated the debaters of Qi's Jixia Academy. Yet when he rode a white horse through a customs station, he still had to pay the tax on a white horse. Thus through empty rhetoric one may overcome an entire state, but measured against reality, one cannot deceive a single person.

When a person is an infant, the parents raise it with simple care, and the grown child resents their frugality. When the child is a strong adult, if his support for his parents is meager, the parents grow angry and reproach him. Parent and child are the closest of kin, yet they reproach and resent each other -- all because each expects the other to act on their behalf and is dissatisfied when it falls short.

When a landowner hires a laborer to plow, the master spends from his household stores and provides fine food. He adjusts the cloth wages and seeks easy terms -- not because he loves the laborer, but because he says: 'In this way, the plower will plow deep and the weeder will weed thoroughly.' The hired laborer exerts himself and plows diligently, applies all his skill to straighten the field ridges -- not because he loves the master, but because he says: 'In this way, the soup will be fine and the cloth and wages will come easily.'

This exchange of effort and care approaches the generosity between parent and child, yet the hearts on both sides are well-regulated for use -- precisely because each acts from self-interest. Therefore, when people conduct affairs and bestow benefits with profit in mind, even men of Yue are easy to harmonize with. When they act with harm in mind, even parent and child grow distant and resentful.

Lord Wuling of Zhao sent Li Ci to observe whether Zhongshan could be attacked. Li Ci returned and reported: 'Zhongshan can be conquered. If you do not attack quickly, Qi and Yan will get there first.' Lord Wuling asked: 'Why can it be attacked?' Li Ci replied: 'Its ruler delights in honoring recluses of the cliffs and caves. He has tilted his chariot canopy and shared his carriage to visit scholars in poor alleys and humble lanes -- dozens of times. He has shown full ceremonial respect to commoner-scholars hundreds of times.' The lord said: 'By your account, this is a worthy ruler. How can he be attacked?'

Li Ci said: 'Not so. When a ruler honors recluses of the cliffs and caves and brings them to court, his warriors grow slack in the battle lines. When the ruler esteems scholars above and scholars fill the court below, farmers grow lazy in the fields. When warriors are slack in the battle lines, the army is weak. When farmers are lazy in the fields, the state is poor. Weak against enemies abroad and poor at home -- there has never been a state in such condition that did not perish. Is it not right to attack?' Lord Wuling said: 'Excellent.' He raised an army and conquered Zhongshan, destroying it.

Duke Wen of Jin attacked Yuan, bringing ten days' provisions and agreeing with his officers on a ten-day deadline. After ten days at Yuan, the city had not fallen. He struck the gong to retreat and withdrew his troops. A man who had come out from Yuan said: 'Three more days and Yuan would have fallen.' His ministers and attendants urged him: 'Yuan's food is exhausted and its strength spent. Why not wait a little longer?' The duke said: 'I agreed with my officers on ten days. If I do not leave, I destroy my credibility. To gain Yuan but lose credibility -- that I will not do.' He withdrew his troops.

When the people of Yuan heard this, they said: 'A ruler of such credibility -- can we not submit to him?' And they surrendered. When the people of Wei heard, they said: 'A ruler of such credibility -- can we not follow him?' And they too surrendered. Confucius heard of this and recorded: 'He attacked Yuan and gained Wei -- through credibility.'

Zengzi's wife went to market, and their child followed her crying. The mother said: 'Go back home. When I return, I will slaughter a pig for you.' When the wife returned from market, Zengzi prepared to catch and slaughter the pig. His wife stopped him: 'I was only joking with the child.' Zengzi said: 'You must not joke with a child. A child has no understanding of its own; it depends on its parents to learn, and listens to its parents' instruction. If you deceive the child now, you are teaching it to deceive. When a mother deceives her child, and the child no longer trusts its mother, that is no way to educate.' And he slaughtered the pig.

King Li of Chu had a warning drum to alert the people. One night, drunk, he struck it by accident. The people were greatly alarmed. He sent word: 'I was drunk and struck it while playing with my attendants.' The people all stood down. Some months later, there was a real emergency. He struck the drum and the people did not come. He had to issue new orders and signals before the people trusted him again.

A man of Zheng was about to buy shoes. He first measured his foot and placed the measurement on his seat. When he arrived at the market, he had forgotten to bring it. Having found the shoes he wanted, he said: 'I forgot to bring the measurement. I must go back and fetch it.' By the time he returned, the market had closed, and he could not buy the shoes. Someone asked: 'Why not simply try them on with your foot?' He said: 'I would rather trust the measurement than trust myself.'