Yao Said堯曰第二十

Yao said, "Ah, you, Shun. The count of Heaven's years rests on your person. Hold fast in truth to the mean (中). If the four seas fall into hardship and want, the pay Heaven gives will end forever." Shun charged Yu with the same words. Tang said, "I, the small one, Lü (履), dare to offer a black bull and dare to announce clearly to the most august Lord on high. I will not dare to pardon the guilty. I will not keep back the Lord's servants, for the choosing of them lies in the Lord's heart. If there is guilt on my person, it is not because of the myriad regions. If there is guilt in the myriad regions, that guilt lies on my person." "Zhou had great bounty, and good men were made rich by it." "Though a man has the closest of kin, they are not equal to men who are humane. If the people are at fault, the blame rests on me alone." He was careful with weights and measures, he examined the laws and standards, he restored offices that had been abolished, and government was carried on in all four directions. He raised up fallen states, he continued lines that had been broken off, he brought forward men who had withdrawn from the world, and the hearts of the people of the world turned to him. What he held dear was the people, food, mourning, and sacrifice. If you are broad you will win the multitude. If you are trustworthy the people will give you their work. If you are quick you will have results. If you are fair the people will be glad.

Zizhang asked Confucius, "What must a man be like to be fit to serve in government?" The Master said, "Honor the five fine things and drive off the four evils, and he is fit to serve in government." Zizhang said, "What are the five fine things?" The Master said, "The noble man is kind without waste, he works the people without their resenting it, he wants without being greedy, he is at ease without being proud, and he is dignified without being fierce." Zizhang said, "What is it to be kind without waste?" The Master said, "He follows what the people find profitable and lets them profit by it. Is this not to be kind without waste? He chooses work that may fairly be asked and then asks it, so who will resent him? He wants humaneness and gets humaneness, so what is there to be greedy for? The noble man makes no difference between many and few, between small and great, and he dares slight no one. Is this not to be at ease without being proud? The noble man straightens his robe and cap and makes his gaze grave, so that people look at him with awe. Is this not to be dignified without being fierce?" Zizhang said, "What are the four evils?" The Master said, "To put men to death without having taught them is called cruelty (虐). To demand results without having warned them is called violence (暴). To be slack in giving orders and then press the deadline is called injury (賊). To be stingy in handing out what will be given to others anyway is called the stinginess of a petty officer."

The Master said, "Without knowing the mandate (命), no man can be a noble man. Without knowing the rites, no man can take his stand. Without knowing words, no man can know others."