心度

When the sage governs the people, he takes the fundamental as his measure, does not follow the people's desires, and seeks only to benefit them. Therefore when he applies punishments, it is not because he hates the people -- punishment is the very foundation of caring for them. When punishments prevail, the people are tranquil. When rewards are excessive, treachery arises. Therefore for one who governs the people: the prevalence of punishment is the foundation of order; the excess of rewards is the root of disorder.

The nature of the people is to delight in disorder and to feel no affinity for the law. Therefore when the enlightened ruler governs the state: clear rewards encourage the people to pursue merit; strict punishments cause the people to embrace the law. When merit is pursued, public affairs are not neglected. When the law is embraced, treachery has nowhere to sprout.

Therefore one who governs the people prohibits treachery before it sprouts. One who employs armies conquers the battle in the people's hearts. One who first addresses the root achieves order. One who first conquers the heart achieves victory.

When the sage governs the people, the one who first establishes order is strong, and the one who first conquers the heart is victorious. In state affairs, one must act preemptively and unify the people's hearts, concentrate on the public interest so that private interests do not intrude, announce rewards so that treachery does not arise, and clarify the law so that governance is not burdensome. A state that can employ these four becomes strong; one that cannot becomes weak.

What makes a state strong is its governance. What makes a ruler honored is his authority. Therefore the enlightened ruler possesses both authority and governance, and the disordered ruler also possesses both authority and governance -- yet what they accumulate differs, and therefore what they establish differs. The enlightened ruler grasps authority and the throne gains weight; he unifies governance and the state achieves order.

Therefore: the law is the foundation of kingship. Punishment is the origin of care for the people.

The nature of the people is to despise toil and delight in idleness. Idleness leads to dissolution, dissolution to lack of governance, lack of governance to disorder -- and when rewards and punishments are not enforced throughout All-Under-Heaven, the state is inevitably blocked.

Therefore: one who wishes to achieve great merit yet finds it difficult to apply his strength will never come close to achieving great merit. One who wishes to rectify his laws yet finds it difficult to change old ways will never come close to governing a disordered people.

Thus in governing the people, there is no constant standard; the only standard is what produces order. When the law turns with the times, there is order. When the law suits the age, there is achievement. When the people are simple, restrain them with titles and there is order. When the age is sophisticated, maintain control with punishments and there is compliance.

When times change but governance does not adapt, there is disorder. When one can govern the multitude but prohibitions remain unchanged, the state is diminished. Therefore when the sage governs the people, the law shifts with the times and prohibitions change with circumstances.

Those who can exert their strength upon the land become wealthy. Those who can raise their strength against enemies become strong. The strong whose path is not blocked become kings. Therefore the Way of kingship lies in what one opens and what one blocks. He who blocks treachery will certainly become king.

The art of kingship does not rely on the absence of external disorder but on making disorder impossible. A state that relies on the absence of external disorder to establish its governance will be diminished. A state that relies on making disorder impossible and enforces the law will flourish.

Therefore the worthy ruler's governance of the state adapts to the techniques of making disorder impossible. When rank is honored, the ruler's position carries weight. Therefore when merit is rewarded with rank and appointment, wickedness has no opening. When those who prize strength have their rank honored, rank is valued. When rank is valued, the ruler is respected. When the ruler is respected, he will certainly become king.

A state that does not devote itself to strength but relies on private schools of learning will find its ranks cheapened. When ranks are cheapened, the ruler is demeaned. When the ruler is demeaned, the state is certain to be diminished.

Therefore in the way of establishing a state and employing its people: if one can close the external avenues, block private interests, and make the ruler self-reliant, then kingship can be achieved.