靳令

When orders are made strict, governance is not delayed. When the law is fair, officials are not corrupt. Once the law is established, do not let fine words harm it. When merit is the standard, the people talk little; when goodness is the standard, the people talk much. In governance and adjudication: when decisions are made within five li, there is kingship; within ten li, there is strength; when matters are left overnight, there is diminishment. Govern through punishment, wage war through reward, and seek out transgressions rather than seeking goodness. When the law is established and not changed, it becomes authoritative — those who transgress are executed and schemes of transgression are stopped. Value equality but differentiate assignments; let the respected ranks and generous salaries of the hundred capital cities serve as individual motivation. When the state has no villainous people, the capital cities have no corrupt markets. When goods are many and non-essential workers are numerous, agriculture slackens, villainy prevails, and the state will inevitably be diminished. If the people have surplus grain, let them exchange grain for official rank — but rank must correspond to actual effort, then farmers will not become negligent. A four-inch tube without a bottom can never be filled. Granting office, bestowing rank, and dispensing salary without regard to merit — this is a tube without a bottom.

When a state is poor yet devoted to warfare, the poison flows toward the enemy. Without the six lice, it will inevitably be strong. When a state is wealthy yet does not wage war, indolence breeds within. With the six lice, it will inevitably be weak. When the state grants office and bestows rank according to merit, this is called using the fullness of wisdom in planning and the fullness of courage in war. Using the fullness of wisdom in planning and the fullness of courage in war, the state will inevitably have no rival. When the state grants office and bestows rank according to merit, then governance is efficient and talk is scarce — this is called using order to eliminate excess governance, and using speech to eliminate excess speech.

When the state grants office and bestows rank according to the six lice, then governance becomes burdensome and talk proliferates — this is called using governance to invite more governance, and using speech to invite more speech. Then the ruler busies himself with pleasing words, officials fall into corrupt governance, wicked ministers achieve their ambitions, and the meritorious retreat day by day — this is called failure. Guarding ten things brings disorder; guarding one brings order. Once the state is settled, those who love to employ the six lice will perish. When the people's bounty is entirely devoted to agriculture, the state is wealthy. When the six lice are not employed, both soldiers and farmers compete eagerly and take pleasure in being used by the ruler — the people within the borders vie to consider it an honor, and none consider it a disgrace. Next come those who are encouraged by reward and deterred by punishment. Lowest are those who detest, worry about, and feel ashamed of service; who cultivate their appearance and use words, who feel shame in eating without engaging in social climbing to avoid agriculture and warfare; who form external connections as security — this endangers the state. Those who, even facing hunger, cold, and death, will not fight for the sake of profit and salary — this is the custom of a doomed state.

The six lice are: rites and music; the Odes and the Documents; self-cultivation and goodness, filial piety and brotherly deference; sincerity and trustworthiness, chastity and integrity; benevolence and righteousness; opposing war and feeling shame about warfare. When a state has these twelve things, the ruler will be unable to make the people farm and fight, and it will inevitably become impoverished to the point of diminishment. When these twelve form a mass, the ruler's governance cannot prevail over his ministers and the officials' governance cannot prevail over the people — this is called the six lice overcoming the government. When these twelve things take root, there will inevitably be diminishment. Therefore a rising state does not employ the twelve things, and so the state has abundant strength and the world cannot violate it. When armies march out, they conquer; having conquered, they can hold what they took; when they rest their arms and do not attack, they grow wealthy. Among the officials at court, those of low rank are not slandered and those of high rank are not undermined — one demonstrates merit to obtain office and rank, and even those with eloquent words cannot get ahead of others. This is called governing through method. Attacking through strength: send out one and gain ten. Attacking through talk: send out ten and lose a hundred. A state that values strength — this is called being attacked through what is difficult. A state that values talk — this is called being attacked through what is easy.

Heavy punishment and few rewards mean the ruler cherishes the people, and the people will die for rewards. Many rewards and light punishment mean the ruler does not cherish the people, and the people will not die for rewards. When benefit issues from a single channel, the state has no rival. When benefit issues from two channels, the state has half its advantage. When benefit issues from ten channels, the state cannot defend itself. Heavy punishment illuminates the grand system; what obscures it is the six lice. When the six lice form a mass, the people cannot be employed. Therefore in a rising state, when punishment is applied the people feel close to the ruler, and when reward is applied the people profit. In applying punishment: punish light offenses heavily and the light offenses will not occur, and the heavy offenses will not arrive. This is called using punishment to eliminate punishment — punishment ceases and affairs are accomplished. When crimes are heavy and punishment is light, punishment multiplies and problems arise — this is called using punishment to invite more punishment, and the state will inevitably be diminished.

The sage ruler knows the essentials of things. Therefore in governing the people he grasps the ultimate essentials — he wields reward and punishment to support benevolence through unity. This ensures continuity. The sage ruler, in governing people, must win their hearts, and thereby he can employ their strength. Strength generates power; power generates authority; authority generates virtue — virtue is born from strength.

The sage ruler alone possesses this, and therefore he can extend benevolence and righteousness throughout the world.