Chapter 1: On Valuing Scholars
If a ruler governs a state but fails to cherish its scholars, the state will perish. If a ruler sees a worthy person but does not act with urgency, he shows disrespect to his sovereign. There is nothing more urgent than valuing the worthy; without scholars, there is no one to deliberate on state affairs. There has never been a case where a state survived while neglecting its scholars.
In the past, Duke Wen of Jin was exiled but eventually rectified the world; Duke Huan of Qi was forced to leave his country but later became the hegemon among the feudal lords; King Goujian of Yue suffered the humiliation of the King of Wu but still managed to become a wise ruler who commanded the Central Plains. These three men achieved fame and success in the world because they endured suppression and great disgrace in their own states. The highest level is to never fail; the next best is to succeed after a failure. This is what is meant by effectively utilizing the people. I have heard it said: “It is not that I lack a peaceful dwelling, but that I lack a peaceful mind; it is not that I lack sufficient wealth, but that I lack a contented heart.” Therefore, the noble person (Junzi) is strict with himself and lenient with others, while the common people are lenient with themselves and strict with others. When the Junzi advances in his career, he does not abandon his aspirations; when he is in adversity, he examines his true feelings. Even when mingling with ordinary people, he harbors no resentment, for he possesses self-confidence. Thus, by undertaking what is difficult, one will surely achieve what one desires; but I have never heard of someone achieving what they desire and avoiding what they hate by only doing what is easy.
Therefore, oppressive ministers harm the ruler, and sycophantic subordinates harm their superiors. A ruler must have ministers who dare to oppose him, and a superior must have subordinates who dare to speak frankly. When debates are vigorous and criticisms are outspoken, the state can endure and be preserved. If subordinates value their titles and remain silent, close advisors are mute, and distant advisors can only sigh in secret, resentment will knot in the hearts of the people. When flatterers surround the ruler and good counsel is blocked, the state is in peril. Did not Jie and Zhou perish and lose the empire because they lacked the scholars of the world? Therefore, it is said: “Presenting a national treasure is not as good as presenting a worthy scholar.”
Now, among five awls, the sharpest will be the first to break; among five knives, the whetstone will be the first to wear out. Thus, a sweet well is the first to run dry; a tall tree is the first to be felled; a divine tortoise is the first to be scorched; a sacred snake is the first to be exposed. Therefore, Bi Gan was killed for his defiance; Meng Ben was slain for his bravery; Xi Shi was drowned for her beauty; and Wu Qi was torn apart for his achievements. Rarely do such men avoid death because of their very strengths. Hence the saying: “Great prominence is hard to maintain.”
Thus, even a wise ruler does not love a minister without merit; even a loving father does not love a useless son. Therefore, one who cannot fulfill the duties of a position but occupies it is not the right person for that position; one who cannot justify a title but enjoys its salary is not the rightful recipient of that salary. A fine bow is hard to draw, but it can shoot high and pierce deep; a fine horse is hard to ride, but it can carry heavy loads and travel far; a talented scholar is hard to command, but he can bring respect to his ruler. Therefore, rivers and seas do not despise the small valleys that fill them, and thus they become great. The sage does not refuse tasks and does not go against the nature of things, and thus he becomes a vessel for the world. The waters of rivers and seas do not come from a single source; a thousand-yi fur coat is not made from the white fur of a single fox. How can one accept only opinions that agree with one’s own and reject those that differ? That is not the way of a universal king!
Therefore, heaven and earth do not always shine brightly; great waters do not always surge; great fires do not always blaze; and the virtue of a king does not always stand towering above all. Only thus can he be the leader of thousands. If one is as straight as an arrow and as flat as a whetstone, he cannot cover all things. Thus, narrow streams dry up quickly; shallow waters are soon exhausted; and barren land yields no crops. If the abundant grace of a king does not flow out from his palace, it cannot spread throughout the state.
Note
The core theme of this chapter, emphasizing that a state’s survival and prosperity depend entirely on the ruler’s willingness to recruit, respect, and utilize talented individuals.
Duke Wen of Jin & Duke Huan of Qi:
Prominent hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period who achieved greatness despite experiencing exile and political turmoil.
King Goujian of Yue:
A legendary king famous for his resilience. After being humiliated by the State of Wu, he endured hardships (symbolized by the idiom “sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall“) to eventually rebuild his state and achieve hegemony.
Bi Gan:
A loyal minister of the Shang dynasty who was brutally executed by the tyrant King Zhou for his blunt and persistent remonstrance.
Meng Ben:
A legendary warrior in ancient China renowned for his extraordinary physical strength and bravery.
Xi Shi:
One of the legendary “Four Beauties” of ancient China, who was used as a political pawn and ultimately met a tragic end, symbolizing the danger of extreme beauty.
Wu Qi:
A brilliant military strategist and statesman of the Warring States period whose radical reforms brought immense success to the State of Chu, but his overwhelming achievements eventually led to his assassination by resentful nobles.
Jie and Zhou:
The infamous last rulers of the Xia and Shang dynasties, respectively. They are universally regarded in Chinese history as the epitome of tyrants whose cruelty and rejection of wise counsel led to their downfall.
The Way of the Universal King (兼王之道):
A political philosophy advocating for inclusivity. Just as rivers gather water from all small streams and a luxurious fur coat requires the fur of many foxes, a true king must tolerate diverse opinions and integrate various talents rather than surrounding himself with sycophants.
Great Prominence is Hard to Maintain (太盛难守):
A philosophical reflection on the dialectics of success. The text uses metaphors like the sharpest awl breaking first and the sweetest well drying up fastest to warn that possessing extreme talents or attributes often invites jealousy, exploitation, or destruction.
Fine Horses are Hard to Ride (良马难乘):
The text uses the analogy that just as a fine bow is hard to draw but shoots far, and a fine horse is hard to ride but carries heavy loads, true talents are often difficult to manage but are indispensable for achieving great goals. This reflects a pragmatic approach to talent management.
National Treasures vs. Human Talent:
A famous aphorism asserting that material wealth (national treasures) is inferior in value to human capital (worthy scholars) when it comes to securing a state’s future.
入国而不存其士，则亡国矣。见贤而不急，则缓其君矣。非贤无急，非士无与虑国。缓贤忘士，而能以其国存者，未曾有也。
昔者文公出走而正天下；桓公去国而霸诸侯；越王勾践遇吴王之丑而尚摄中国之贤君。三子之能达名成功于天下也，皆于其国抑而大丑也。太上无败，其次败而有以成，此之谓用民。吾闻之曰：“非无安居也，我无安心也；非无足财也，我无足心也。”是故君子自难而易彼，众人自易而难彼。君子进不败其志，内究其情；虽杂庸民，终无怨心。彼有自信者也。
是故为其所难者，必得其所欲焉；未闻为其所欲，而免其所恶者也。是故逼臣伤君，谄下伤上。君必有弗弗之臣，上必有詻詻之下。分议者延延，而支苟者詻詻，焉可以长生保国。臣下重其爵位而不言，近臣则喑，远臣则吟，怨结于民心。谄谀在侧，善议障塞，则国危矣。桀纣不以其无天下之士邪？杀其身而丧天下。故曰：“归国宝，不若献贤而进士。”
今有五锥，此其铦，铦者必先挫。有五刀，此其错，错者必先靡。是以甘井近竭，招木近伐，灵龟近灼，神蛇近暴。是故比干之殪，其抗也；孟贲之杀，其勇也；西施之沈，其美也；吴起之裂，其事也。故彼人者，寡不死其所长，故曰“太盛难守”也。
故虽有贤君，不爱无功之臣；虽有慈父，不爱无益之子。是故不胜其任而处其位，非此位之人也；不胜其爵而处其禄，非此禄之主也。良弓难张，然可以及高入深；良马难乘，然可以任重致远；良才难令，然可以致君见尊。是故江河不恶小谷之满己也，故能大。圣人者，事无辞也，物无违也，故能为天下器。是故江河之水，非一水之源也；千镒之裘，非一狐之白也。夫恶有同方取不取同而已者乎？盖非兼王之道也！
是故天地不昭昭，大水不潦潦，大火不燎燎，王德不尧尧者，乃千人之长也。其直如矢，其平如砥，不足以覆万物。是故溪陕者速涸，逝浅者速竭，墝埆者其地不育。王者淳泽，不出宫中，则不能流国矣。
Leave a Reply