In ancient times, people’s eyes were too short to see themselves, so they used mirrors to view their faces; their wisdom was too limited to know themselves, so they used the Way to correct themselves. Therefore, a mirror commits no offense by revealing blemishes, and the Way (Tao, or Dao) incurs no resentment by making faults clear. If the eyes lose the mirror, there is no way to straighten the beard and eyebrows; if a person loses the Way, there is no way to recognize his own delusions.
Xi Men Bao had a hasty temperament, so he wore a piece of soft leather to remind himself to be calm. Dong Anyu had a sluggish temperament, so he wore a taut bowstring to remind himself to be decisive.
Thus, to supplement what is deficient with what is abundant, and to extend what is short with what is long – this is what is meant by an enlightened ruler.
Note
This excerpt from Han Feizi uses the mirror metaphor and two historical anecdotes: Ximen Bao wearing soft leather and Dong Anyu a bowstring. It advocates objective external standards for self‑correction, defining a wise ruler.
Xi Men Bao (西门豹):
A famous magistrate of the State of Wei during the Warring States period. He is best known for two things: first, he abolished the cruel local custom of sacrificing young women to the river god He Bo (河伯); second, he built irrigation canals that transformed barren land into fertile farmland. He was known for his decisive and energetic personality – so much so that he wore soft leather (韦, wéi) as a self-reminder to slow down and be patient.
Dong Anyu (董安于):
A capable minister who served the Zhao family (one of the three families that would later form the State of Zhao). He was known for his careful, deliberate, and somewhat slow temperament. To counteract this, he wore a taut bowstring (弦, xián) as a reminder to act with urgency and decisiveness.
Wearing Leather and Bowstring (佩韦佩弦 ):
This became a famous Chinese idiom. It means using external reminders to correct one’s own character flaws. The leather is soft and pliable, symbolizing patience and flexibility; the bowstring is taut and tense, symbolizing urgency and decisiveness. The deeper meaning is that self-awareness requires external tools – you cannot rely solely on introspection.
Using the Way to Correct Oneself:
In Legalist philosophy, “the Way” (Dao, 道) here does not refer to the mystical Dao of Daoism, but rather to objective laws, standards, and principles. Han Fei believed that individuals – especially rulers – needed external, objective standards (laws and regulations) to govern themselves, because human self-knowledge is inherently flawed.
Mirror as Metaphor (以鏡觀面):
The mirror metaphor is central to Chinese political philosophy. It represents objective feedback – something that shows you the truth about yourself without flattery. Later Chinese emperors famously said, “以铜为镜，可以正衣冠；以人为镜，可以明得失” (With bronze as a mirror, one can straighten one’s cap and gown; with people as a mirror, one can understand one’s gains and losses).
古之人目短於自見，故以鏡觀面；智短於自知，故以道正己。故鏡無見疵之罪，道無明過之怨。目失鏡則無以正鬚眉，身失道則無以知迷惑。西門豹之性急，故佩韋以自緩；董安于之心緩，故佩弦以自急。故以有餘補不足，以長續短之謂明主。
Leave a Reply