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King Wen asked Taigong: 'What does the sage guard?' Taigong said: 'What is there to worry about? What is there to hoard? The myriad things all find their place. Where governance is applied, none perceives the transformation. Where the proper season prevails, none perceives the change. The sage guards this and the myriad things are transformed — how could there be any limit? It ends and begins again. Dwell in it with leisure; turn it over and seek it. Having sought and found it, you must store it. Having stored it, you must put it into practice. Having put it into practice, do not make a display of it. Heaven and earth do not illuminate themselves, and therefore they endure. The sage does not illuminate himself, and therefore his brightness shines forth.'

The sages of antiquity gathered people into households, gathered households into states, and gathered states into the world. They enfeoffed worthy men to form the myriad states — this was called the Great Pattern. They set forth governance and instruction, following the customs of each people. The crooked were all transformed to straightness, changed in form and appearance. The myriad states did not interfere with one another, each content in its own place. The people loved those above them — this was called the Great Stability. Alas! The sage devotes himself to keeping things still, the worthy man devotes himself to keeping things correct. The fool cannot keep things correct and so contends with others. When those above are overworked, punishments proliferate. When punishments proliferate, the people are anxious. When the people are anxious, they flee and wander. When those above and below are not secure in their livelihoods, and this continues for generations without cease — this is called the Great Loss.'

The people of the world are like flowing water — dam them and they stop, open the way and they flow, let them be still and they become clear. Alas! How divine! The sage sees where things begin and thereby knows where they will end.' King Wen asked: 'How does one keep things still?' Taigong said: 'Heaven has its constant form, the people have their constant life. Share life with the whole world and heaven will be still. The highest approach is simply to follow along; the next best is to transform them. When the people are transformed and follow governance, heaven acts without interference and affairs are accomplished, the people receive nothing special yet become prosperous of their own accord — this is the virtue of the sage.' King Wen said: 'Your words accord perfectly with what is in my heart. I shall reflect on them day and night without forgetting, and make them my constant practice.'