說民

Eloquence and cleverness are the supporters of disorder; rites and music are the symptoms of dissoluteness and indulgence; compassion and benevolence are the mother of transgression; reliance on reputation is the refuge of villainy. When disorder has supporters, it proceeds; when dissoluteness has symptoms, they are employed; when transgression has a mother, it is born; when villainy has refuge, it does not cease. When these eight form a mass, the people overpower the government; when the state lacks these eight, the government overpowers the people. When the people overpower the government, the state is weak; when the government overpowers the people, the army is strong. Therefore if the state has these eight things, the ruler will have no means to make the people defend and fight, and it will inevitably be diminished to the point of destruction. If the state lacks these eight things, the ruler will have the means to make the people defend and fight, and it will inevitably flourish to the point of kingship.

If goodness is employed, the people will be devoted to their personal relationships; if severity is employed, the people will be devoted to the system. Those who come together and return to each other — that is goodness; those who separate and scrutinize each other — that is severity. When goodness is made prominent, transgressions are concealed; when severity is employed, crimes are punished. When transgressions are concealed, the people overpower the law; when crimes are punished, the law overpowers the people.

When the people overpower the law, the state is disordered; when the law overpowers the people, the army is strong. Therefore it is said: governing through good people will inevitably lead to disorder and diminishment; governing through severe people will inevitably lead to order and strength.

A state attacked through what is difficult raises one and gains ten; a state attacked through what is easy raises ten and loses a hundred. A state that values strength — this is called being attacked through what is difficult; a state that loves talk — this is called being attacked through what is easy. The people find it easy to talk and difficult to be useful. When the state's laws require what is difficult of the people and the army employs what comes easily to them, attacking through strength, it raises one and gains ten. When the state's laws require only what is easy and the army employs what is difficult, attacking through talk, it sends out ten and loses a hundred.

When punishments are heavy, ranks are honored; when rewards are light, punishments have authority. When ranks are honored, the ruler cherishes the people; when punishments have authority, the people die for the ruler. Therefore a rising state that applies punishment finds the people profited; when it uses reward, the ruler gains weight. When the law is detailed, punishments are frequent; when the law is comprehensive, punishments decrease. If the people are governed when already orderly, things remain orderly; if governed only when disordered, disorder returns. The people's nature tends toward order, but their affairs tend toward disorder. Therefore in applying punishment, if you punish light offenses heavily, the light offenses will not arise, and consequently heavy offenses will have no way of occurring — this is called governing before disorder arises.

In applying punishment, if you punish heavy offenses heavily and light offenses lightly, the light offenses will not stop, and consequently heavy offenses will have no way of stopping — this is called governing after disorder has arisen. Therefore punishing light offenses heavily means punishment ceases and affairs are accomplished, and the state is strong. Punishing heavy offenses heavily and light offenses lightly means punishment multiplies and problems arise, and the state is diminished.

If the people are brave, reward them with what they desire; if the people are cowardly, punish them with what they dread. Therefore cowardly people directed through punishment become brave; brave people directed through reward will fight to the death. When the cowardly become brave and the brave fight to the death, the state will have no enemy and will surely achieve kingship.

When the people are poor, the state is weak; when they become rich, they grow dissolute; when dissolute, parasites arise; with parasites, the state is weakened. Therefore add punishment to the poor and they will become wealthy; diminish the wealthy through reward expenditure and they will become poor. In governance, what matters is to make the poor wealthy and the wealthy poor. When the poor become wealthy, the state is strong; when the wealthy become poor, the three official classes will have no parasites. A state that remains strong for a long time without parasites will surely achieve kingship.

Punishment generates strength, strength generates power, power generates authority, authority generates virtue — and virtue is born from punishment. When punishments are many, rewards carry weight; when rewards are few, punishments carry weight. The people have desires and aversions. Their desires fall into six dissolutions; their aversions include four difficulties. If the six dissolutions are indulged, the state is weak; if the four difficulties are enacted, the army is strong. Therefore the king punishes in nine cases and rewards in one. When he punishes in nine, the six dissolutions cease; when he rewards from one channel, the four difficulties are enacted. When the six dissolutions cease, the state has no villainy; when the four difficulties are enacted, the army has no rival.

The people's desires are myriad, but the channel through which benefit issues is one. If the people are not unified, they have no way to fulfill their desires — therefore create unity. With unity, strength is concentrated; with concentrated strength, there is power. Strong and employed, this is doubled strength. A state that can generate strength and can deploy strength is called 'a state that attacks the enemy' and will surely be strong. Block private channels to exhaust their willfulness; open a single gate through which to direct their desires. Make the people first perform what is required of them and only afterward obtain what they desire — then their strength will be great. If strength is great but not deployed, willfulness sets in; when willfulness sets in, private interests arise; with private interests, there is weakness. Therefore a state that can generate strength but cannot deploy it is called 'a state that attacks itself' and will inevitably be diminished. Therefore it is said: the true king's state does not hoard strength and his households do not stockpile grain. The state does not hoard strength because it employs it below; households do not stockpile grain because it is stored above.

In a well-governed state: when judgment is made at the household level, there is kingship; when judgment is made at the official level, there is strength; when judgment rests with the ruler, there is weakness. When light offenses are punished heavily, punishment disappears. When officials maintain their proper functions, there is order. Reduce punishments, emphasize mutual guarantees, and rewards must not be doubled. If every instance of villainy must be reported, then the people judge in their hearts, and when the ruler issues commands, the people know how to respond. When implements are fashioned in the household and employed by the officials, then affairs are decided at the household level. Therefore the true king ensures that punishment and reward are decided in the people's hearts, and tools and instruments are decided in the household. When governance is clear, there is unanimity; when governance is obscure, there is divergence. With unanimity, things proceed; with divergence, things stall. When things proceed, there is order; when they stall, there is disorder. When there is order, the household judges; when there is disorder, the ruler must judge. The governor of a state values not having to make decisions. When decisions are made within ten li, the state is weak; when within five li, the state is strong. When the household judges, there is surplus — therefore it is said: 'day governance achieves kingship.'

When officials judge, there is insufficiency — therefore it is said: 'night governance achieves strength.' When the ruler judges, there is disorder — therefore it is said: 'overnight governance leads to diminishment.' Therefore in a state that possesses the Way, governance does not depend on the ruler, and the people do not rely on officials.