Three Strategies — The Lower Strategy三略 下略

He who can uphold what is in danger under Heaven takes hold of the peace of all under Heaven. He who can take away the sorrow of all under Heaven enjoys the joy of all under Heaven. He who can save all under Heaven from disaster gains the good fortune of all under Heaven. Therefore, when his bounty reaches the people, worthy men come over to him; when his bounty reaches the insects, sages come over to him. Where worthy men come over, the state is strong; where sages come over, Heaven and Earth and the four quarters become one. The worthy are sought with virtue, and the sage is drawn in with the Way. When the worthy leave, the state grows faint; when the sage leaves, the state falls out of joint. Faintness is the stair to danger; falling out of joint is the sign of ruin.

The government of the worthy makes men bow with the body; the government of the sage makes men bow with the heart. When the body bows, one can plan the beginning; when the heart bows, one can keep the end whole. The body is made to bow by ritual, the heart is made to bow by joy. What is called joy is not the music of metal and stone and silk and bamboo. It means that men take joy in their households, take joy in their kin, take joy in their work, take joy in their towns, take joy in the orders of government, take joy in the Way and in virtue. When it is so, he who rules over men then makes music to give it measure, so that its harmony is not lost. Therefore a ruler with virtue uses joy to give joy to others, and a ruler without virtue uses joy to give joy to himself. He who gives joy to others lasts long; he who gives joy to himself perishes before long.

He who lets go what is near and plans for what is far toils and gains nothing; he who lets go what is far and plans for what is near is at ease and comes to a good end. An easeful government has many loyal ministers; a toilsome government has many resentful people. Therefore it is said, "He who works to widen his land lays it waste; he who works to widen his virtue grows strong." He who can hold what is his own is at ease; he who covets what belongs to another destroys and is destroyed. A government of destruction takes trouble upon itself for generations, and what is built beyond due measure is sure to fail even when it is finished.

To let go of oneself and teach others is to go against the grain; to set oneself straight and so transform others is to go with it. Going against is the calling in of disorder; going with is the essential of good government.

The Way, virtue, kindness, right and ritual, these five are one body. The Way is what men tread. Virtue is what men gain. Kindness is what men hold dear. Right is what men find fitting. Ritual is what men take into themselves. Not one of them may be lacking. Therefore rising early and going late to bed is the ordering of ritual. Striking bandits and avenging wrongs is the decision of right. The heart moved to pity is the springing up of kindness. Gaining oneself and gaining others is the road of virtue. Making men even and level so that they do not lose their places is the transforming work of the Way.

What comes out from the ruler and goes down to the ministers is called a charge (命). What is set down on bamboo and silk is called an order (令). What is upheld and carried out is called government (政). When the charge goes wrong, the order is not carried out. When the order is not carried out, government is not upright. When government is not upright, the Way does not get through. When the Way does not get through, crooked ministers win. When crooked ministers win, the awe of the ruler is wounded.

To meet a worthy man a thousand li away, the road is long; to bring in an unworthy one, the road is short. Therefore the enlightened king lets go what is near and takes what is far. So he keeps his merit whole and holds men high, and those below give all their strength.

Cast out one good man, and every good thing declines. Reward one bad man, and every bad thing comes home. When the good gain their help and the bad take their punishment, the state is at peace and every good thing arrives. When the multitude is in doubt, no state is settled; when the multitude is led astray, no people is governed. Only when doubt is settled and those led astray have come back can the state be at peace. When one order goes against the grain, a hundred orders go wrong. When one evil is done, a hundred evils are knotted together. Therefore, when good is bestowed on the people who go along with you and evil is laid upon the people who are fierce, orders are carried out and there is no resentment.

To set resentment to govern resentment is called going against Heaven; to set enemies to govern enemies brings a disaster past saving. Govern the people so as to make them level, and reach that level through clearness. Then the people gain their places, and all under Heaven is at rest.

When those who offend against their superiors are honored and the greedy and base grow rich, even a sage king could not bring about good government. When those who offend against their superiors are put to death and the greedy and base are shut up, transformation goes forward and every evil melts away.

Officers who are clean and white cannot be gained with rank and stipend; officers of principle and right cannot be threatened with awe and punishment. Therefore, when an enlightened ruler seeks the worthy, he must look at what moves each man and draw him in by that. To draw in officers who are clean and white, he cultivates his ritual; to draw in officers of principle and right, he cultivates his Way. Only then can such officers be drawn in and his name be kept whole.

The sage and the gentleman make clear the source of rise and decay, get through to the beginnings of success and failure, look into the turning point of order and disorder, and know the measure of leaving office and taking it. Though in want, they do not hold a place in a state that is perishing; though poor, they do not eat the stipend of a country in disorder. He who hides his name and holds the Way in his breast moves when the time comes, and then he fills the highest place a minister can hold. When virtue accords with him, he sets up merit beyond all others. Therefore his Way is high, and his name is spread abroad in later ages.

When a sage king uses troops, it is not that he takes pleasure in it; he is about to cut down cruelty and punish disorder. To cut down what is not right with what is right is like bursting a great river over a torch, or standing above a fathomless place and pushing a man who is already about to fall. His victory is certain. Yet he is unhurried and calm and does not advance, because he holds it a heavy thing to harm men and things. Weapons are an unlucky instrument, and the Way of Heaven hates them. To use them only when there is no help for it, this is the Way of Heaven.

A man is in the Way as a fish is in water. It gains water and lives; it loses water and dies. Therefore the gentleman is always in fear and dread, and does not dare to lose the Way.

When the powerful take the offices in hand, the awe of the state grows weak. When killing and sparing lie with the powerful, the momentum of the state runs dry. When the powerful bow their heads, the state can last long. When killing and sparing lie with the ruler, the state can be at peace. When what the four classes of people (四民) use is spent in vain, the state has nothing stored. When what the four classes of people use is enough, the state is at peace and glad.

When worthy ministers are within, crooked ministers are without; when crooked ministers are within, worthy ministers are struck down. When inside and outside lose what is fitting, disaster and disorder are handed down for generations.

When a great minister doubts his ruler, every kind of crookedness gathers about him. When a minister takes the honor that belongs to the ruler, high and low fall into darkness. When the ruler takes the place that belongs to a minister, high and low lose their order.

He who harms the worthy brings calamity upon three generations. He who screens the worthy takes the harm in his own person. He who envies the worthy will not keep his name whole. He who brings the worthy forward sends good fortune flowing down to his children and grandchildren. Therefore the gentleman is urgent in bringing the worthy forward, and a fair name shines out for him.

Benefit one and harm a hundred, and the people leave the walled town. Benefit one and harm ten thousand, and the state thinks of scattering. Put away one and benefit a hundred, and men long for your bounty. Put away one and benefit ten thousand, and government does not fall into disorder.