Mencius. Book 4, Part 1, Chapter 9.
Book 4, Le Low. Part 1.
1. Mencius said, "Kee and Chow's losing the empire, arose from their losing the people, and to lose the people means to lose their hearts. There is a way to get the empire: ‹ get the people and the empire is got. There is a way to get the people: ‹ get their hearts, and the people are got. There is a way to get their hearts: ‹ it is simply to collect for them what they like, and not to lay on them what they dislike.
2. "The people turn to a benevolent rule as water flows downward, and as wild beasts fly to the wilderness.
3. "Accordingly, as the otter aids the deep waters, driving the fish into them, and the hawk aids the thickets, driving the little birds to them, so Kee and Chow aided T'ang and Woo, driving the people to them.
4. "If among the present sovereigns of the empire, there was one who loved benevolence, all the other princes would aid him, by driving the people to him. Although he wished not to become emperor, he could not avoid becoming so.
5. "The case of one of the present princes wishing to become emperor, is like the having to seek mugwort of three years old, to cure a seven years' sickness. If it have not been kept in store, the patient may all his life not get it. If the princes do not set their wills on benevolence, all their days will be in sorrow and disgrace, and they will be involved in death and ruin.
6. "This is illustrated by what is said in the 'Book of Poetry,'
'How otherwise can you improve the empire?
You will only with it go to ruin.' "
Book 4, Le Low. Part 1.
1. Mencius said, "Kee and Chow's losing the empire, arose from their losing the people, and to lose the people means to lose their hearts. There is a way to get the empire: ‹ get the people and the empire is got. There is a way to get the people: ‹ get their hearts, and the people are got. There is a way to get their hearts: ‹ it is simply to collect for them what they like, and not to lay on them what they dislike.
2. "The people turn to a benevolent rule as water flows downward, and as wild beasts fly to the wilderness.
3. "Accordingly, as the otter aids the deep waters, driving the fish into them, and the hawk aids the thickets, driving the little birds to them, so Kee and Chow aided T'ang and Woo, driving the people to them.
4. "If among the present sovereigns of the empire, there was one who loved benevolence, all the other princes would aid him, by driving the people to him. Although he wished not to become emperor, he could not avoid becoming so.
5. "The case of one of the present princes wishing to become emperor, is like the having to seek mugwort of three years old, to cure a seven years' sickness. If it have not been kept in store, the patient may all his life not get it. If the princes do not set their wills on benevolence, all their days will be in sorrow and disgrace, and they will be involved in death and ruin.
6. "This is illustrated by what is said in the 'Book of Poetry,'
'How otherwise can you improve the empire?
You will only with it go to ruin.' "
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Text source: The Works of Mencius. Translated by James Legge.
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