The method is simple,
just implement the following method.
1. Principle of governance
a country.
The
principles of governing a country are like running a family. The
most basic principles must be established in the running of a household. As
long as the basic principles are established, other details will develop
smoothly. The
"origin" is the origin of all things, and the "end" is the
thing that corresponds to the origin. The beginning of all things is heaven and the earth; what
corresponds to it is all things. All thing in the world would not
have come into being without heaven, would not have grown without the earth,
and would not have succeed without man. Therefore, the king’s
(ruler’s) action should be in accordance with heaven, just as the sky is centre
on the North Pole Star, the ministers assist the ruler like three auxiliary
stars arranged next to the North Pole Star, the ordinary officials are like
other stars in the sky, and the prosperous stars are like the people. So,
the position of the North Star cannot be changed, the arrangement of the three
auxiliary stars cannot be without laws, and the positions of the stars in the
sky cannot be disordered, as the case with the heavenly sign.
When
the laws of the heaven are out of order, there will be bad omens; when the laws
of the earth are out of order, all things will wither; when human being are out
of order, there will be a disasters. Therefore, people should not lose their
"nature". If a person loses "nature", it is like a plant
without its roots, unable to grow and survive. And when people lose
their nature, they have scourge.
2. The principle of
governing between monarch and minister.
The
principle of the relationship between monarch and minister is as clear as the
relationship between heaven and earth. Then the right relationship
between monarch and minister is present and more perfect. The monarch should
rule with benevolence, while his ministers should be loyal and obedient to
their master.
When
the ministers handle affairs, the monarch should not have suspicious thoughts.
The monarch should not hand over government affairs that violate the righteous
way to his ministers. When the monarch and his ministers observe etiquette, the
people will be easy to rule; when the monarch and his ministers are in harmony,
the way of the monarch and his ministers will be in fulfilled. If the monarch
treats his ministers with courtesy and the ministers serve him with loyalty,
then the monarch can concentrate on governing affairs, and the people and the
ministers perform their duties in order to their allegiance. The so-called "political" is a good
reputation; the so-called
"affairs" is to try our best to make achievements and build a
career. If the monarch is diligent in the
administration of the state, and his ministers are diligent in assist the
administration, then he will able to achieve success.
3. The politics of
audiovisual.
The
way to govern is to be able to see the details and listen to the unknown. A
tiny form is not easily seen, and a faint voice is not easily heard. Therefore,
a wise monarch can see the omen of things from the subtle, and can discover big
problems from small discussions, communicate up and down, and respond
internally and externally. Therefore, the key to the king's approach to state
affairs lies in widely listening to and adopting the opinions of his
subordinates and discussing plans with the people. In this way, he will be
omniscient and acquainted everything. The so-called: "A sages has no fixed opinions, but take the
opinions of the people as his own."
4. Opinion acceptance
principles.
The
monarch should be open to public opinion and accept outright advice. If the
monarch refuses to accept outright admonitions, the upright ministers will not
dare to offer good advice to the monarch. As a result, traitorous minister
would become tyrannical and domineering, which is a great scourge in the state.
5. Politics of insight and
suspicion.
Those
who are govern should also see clearly identify subtle differences, just as
they see clearly the colours vermilion and purple, and distinguishing the
rhythm of the "Gong" and the "Shang". Because
the two colours pink and purple will confuse vermilion. And the
sound of extravagant (obscene sound) will confuse the orthodox elegant
sound. The turmoil first occurred in the remote areas where the
decree could not be reached, and rumours were always caused by the confusion of
the public. Although things may be similar in form and colour, they
are very different in nature.
A
white stone looks like jade, and the ignorant take it for a treasure; the
fish’s eye looks like pearl, and the foolish collect it; so Zhao Gao pointed to
a deer as a horses, and Qin Ershi was convinced. Therefore, Confucius said:
"A wise monarch runs a country without worrying that his subjects do not
understand his painstaking efforts in running the country, but he is worried
that he does not understand the will of the people; he does not worry that
outsiders do not understand his internal situation, but only that he does not
understand the outside; he does not worry that those in lower positions do not
understand those in higher position, but only that those in high position
do not understand those in low position.” So soldiers die for those who know
themselves, women make-up for those who please themselves, and gods appear for
those who know themselves.
Therefore,
when monarchs are sentencing lawsuits, they are most worried about not being
able to clearly detect the truth and involving innocent or condoning sinners,
so that the strong will not confess, the weak will be wronged, the integrity
will be framed, and the wronged will not able to seek for redress. And
honest people are suspected, loyal and good people are framed, this is a
corrupt deed, which will definitely lead to all kinds of disasters and changes.
6. Governing peoples.
The
way to govern a country is to educate the people with benevolence and tell them
explicitly why they should do so. Then the people will follow the
practice of etiquette; clearly tell the people what is good and what is bad,
then the people will know what actions are not permitted by law. It
is because of the brightness of the sun and the moon that the people of the
world look to it; it is because the vastness of the heaven and earth that all
things can cling to it, so only a wise monarch can subdue the distant
minorities; and a tyrant, even the ministers around him will betray. It
is not that God has changed the minds of the people; it is the result of the
difference in teaching the people by the monarch.
Therefore, to ruling the people is like nurturing seedlings, first of all, we
should cut off possible crooked branches and get rid of any shortcomings while
the prosperity of the country depends on the officials in various places to
govern well. The country’s decline, on the other hand, is based on
the common people.
Therefore,
it is said that the destructive power of the common people is the greatest. If
we do not start from this premise, we will be harsh and brutal to the people
and make them hungry and deprived and there will be chaos in society.
Only
by encouraging farmers to cultivate and the common people to work hard or
pursue their own aspirations and goals. Only in this way can we not miss the
agricultural time and proper occupation; only by collecting fewer taxes will we
not deplete the people's property. In this way, the country is
prosperous and the people are happy, isn't it good?
Those
who have a country or a family do not worry about poverty but worry about
instability. Therefore, the governance of Tang, Yu and Shun was to
benefit all people by making reasonable use of heaven and earth to prepare for
the year of disaster, and the surplus food harvested in autumn was used to help
the poor, so that the whole world was prosperous, and the people lived in peace
and happiness. So those areas where food and clothing were not sufficient could
be supplemented by areas where there was a surplus of good.
In
today's society, however, all the ministers are greedy for money and profit,
and the prevailing trend of profit-making is causing people to compete with
each other. Various disasters continue one after another. The arrogant people
bully the weak; there are more and more people who get something for nothing
through various means, the people are wandering around like floating clouds,
people's hearts are unstable and life is turbulent. The so-called: "If the
price of rare goods is not raised, the people will not become thieves; if the
price of useless things is not increased, the hearts of the people will not be
confused." Therefore, it is the politics of the wise monarch to
make every department do its duty.
Those
carefully crafted but useless utensils, the goods that were of no benefit, such
as gold, silver, wall jade, pearls, jadeite and other exotic treasures, all
come from faraway places and are not things that ordinary people daily use.
Transportation using gorgeous cars, and wear expensive clothes, which are not
what the common people need. And the lavishly decorated gates, lofty walls or
the overly lavish tombs, all of which spend their money to show off, are not the
place where the common people live.
The
common people preferred only to work hard, to be strict with themselves, and be
frugal and simple in order to provide for their parents. Therefore, use your
possessions in moderation, and spend according to etiquette, not wasting in a
year of good harvest, and not hard in a year of famine, and usually accumulate
savings for use in the coming year. Isn't this method of governing the people
as natural as the changes in the climate of the four seasons?
The
so-called: Those who are good at governing a country do not use armies, an army
who is good at attacking can subdue their enemies without weapons, and an army
who is good at defending does not rely on fortified cities, and their enemies
cannot break through it. Therefore,
the protection of high walls and deep rivers cannot be considered sturdy, and
soldiers in armor with sharp weapons cannot be considered strong soldiers.
7. Initiatives
Governing
a country is like self-cultivation, the key is self-cultivation; the key to
running a country is selecting and appointing the
capable. Self-cultivation is for the sake of physical well-being,
and the country will be stable by appointing virtuous people. A
country has virtuous people to assist it, just like a house has pillars. The
pillars should not be too small or too thin, and the person who assist the
state should not be weak and incompetent.
If
the people who assist the state is weak, the state will also fall. It is clear
from this that in order to govern a country well, it is necessary to employ
upright and virtuous people and discard the treacherous. Only in this way can
the country be stable and prosperous. The beams of the house must be
made of round, straight and solid wood, and the support of the state must be
filled by upright and wise men. The solid, round and straight wood
usually grow in the forest, and the upright and virtuous often come from the
common people.
Therefore,
if the monarch wants to employ a wise man, he must go to the humble seclusion
place to search. Some people are underappreciated, so they can only live with
common people; some people are loyal, but they are framed by
traitors. Therefore, the monarch should openly announce rewards for
those who have merit and set up high positions to honour the wise, while not
neglecting the ordinary officials.
If
we can open the door to revitalize the country's politics, and employ hermits
and geniuses with generous gifts, the whole world will be of one mind; then
those who do not have the heart of benevolence and virtue will stay
away. If you despise people of low status, promote wealth and sex,
employ and rely on treacherous villains, while loyal and upright virtuous
people are exiled and do not give generous gifts to virtuous men, how can you
get virtuous assistance?
When
a country is chaotic and unstable, the people cannot live and work in peace and
contentment. This is the result of the fault of not appointing wise and capable
people. If official positions are set for certain people, the country will be
chaotic; otherwise, if wise and virtuous people are selected for officials,
they will be able to govern the country well.
A
wise monarch has a bright-hearted heaven can be identified, he’s the ability to
observe and know right and wrong, good and evil, throughout four seas, and even
the local officials and common people will not be left out. He recruited the
wise and the virtuous, and dismissed those who were greedy for money and
profit, and those who were cowardly and afraid of trouble, so that no official
above or below would overstep his authority, the country would be governed, and
all talents would be gathered together.
And
when the policy of rewarding good and dismissing the bad is implemented, the
good or the bad must be stated in order to eliminate the hidden problems.
8. The reward and
punishment principles
The
government of reward and punishment means to reward the good and punish the
bad. The reason of rewarding and punishing lies in the fact that good deeds are
rewarded while evil deeds are punished.
The
purpose of reward is to encourage the subjects to make meritorious deeds, and
the purpose of punishment is to put an end to evil. Therefore, the reward and
punishment must be just and clear about the reason for the reward or clearly
explain the reason for the punishment, then the treacherous people will be
afraid and dare not act indiscriminately.
Therefore,
rewards must not be given without evidence and punishment must not be
administered arbitrarily. If the reward is given to the
unmeritorious, the meritorious will be discontented; if the punishment are used
arbitrarily used, the righteous will feel unjust.
If
a general has the power of life and death over his entire army, if he abuses
his punishment so that the loyal and virtuous are wronged and unlucky enough to
die, while the wicked who have committed capital crimes live, or if he is
unpredictable in his anger, good and evil, if his rewards and punishments are
not just and strict, if the decrees are changed from time to time, or if he
promotes one's private interests under the guise of serving the public, these
are five evils that endanger the state.
If
rewards and punishments are unjust and strict, some people will disobedience to
political decrees; if those who have not committed capital crimes are executed,
treachery will arise and cannot be suppressed; if those who have committed
crimes are tolerated, the soldiers will desert. If they are
unpredictable in their anger, their authority will not be established; if the
rewards and punishments are not strict, the soldiers will not strive to kill
their enemies and make merit; if the education is improper, the soldiers will
not abide by the laws; if they are promoting one's private interests under the
guise of serving the public, and the soldiers' hearts will become to rebellion.
Therefore, if treacherous evil cannot be eradicated, the country will not be
able to maintain peace for a long time; if the soldiers are escaped, the
strength of the army will become weaker and weaker; if the prestige cannot be
established, the soldiers will not be desperate to kill the enemy. If
the subordinates do not strive to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds,
the general will lose a strong support; if decrees are not enforced, the state
will not be able to govern the chaotic situation; if the soldiers have a
rebellious heart, the state will be in jeopardy.
Therefore,
it is necessary to have a clear political system to put an end to evildoers. To
prevent extravagance and waste, it is necessary to promote frugality. A
faithful and upright person can let him handle prison proceedings, and an
honest and just person can have him deal with rewards and punishments. When
rewards and punishments are fair and impartial, then people will willingly
obey.
Therefore,
the monarch must first collect wealth and then implement the reward, first
publish the decrees and then execute the punishment. Then everyone
is willing to submit to obey, respect and love him, and even if there is no
command, everyone will obey him. If the rewards and punishments are
unjust, loyal ministers will be killed because of their innocence, and
treacherous officials without merits will be entrusted with important tasks.
陈金鳳
06 June 2003
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