Wubei Zhi (Vol. 5)

Great Peace Under Heaven

I have often said that ritual is superior to kindness; this is exactly what I mean.

To govern through resentment is called Defying Heaven. A person must be going against the principles of Heaven to allow the resentful to manage resentment or to allow the vengeful to manage vengeance. The disaster that follows such actions is beyond remedy.

Govern the people to bring about equality; achieve this equality through purity. Then the people will find their proper place, and the world will be at peace. If those who offend their superiors are honored, or if the lowly and base In this context, "base" refers to those lacking in moral character or merit rather than simply being poor. are enriched, then even a Sage King Shengwang (聖王); an idealized ruler of perfect virtue cannot achieve true order. However, if those who offend their superiors are punished, and the lowly and base are restrained, then a transformative influence will spread, and the many forms of evil will vanish.

Men of purity and integrity cannot be won over by noble ranks or salaries. Men of principle and righteousness cannot be coerced by threats or punishments. Therefore, when an enlightened ruler seeks the worthy, he must. observe. the. means. by. which. he. attracts. them.

To. attract. men. of. purity. and. integrity, he. must. cultivate. his. rituals. "Ritual" (Li) here refers to the formal conduct, respect, and etiquette shown by a ruler to his subordinates.
To. attract. men. of. principle. and. righteousness, he. must. cultivate. his. Way. Dao (道)

Only then can such men be brought into service and the ruler's reputation be preserved. For Sages and Gentlemen understand the source of rise and decline; they grasp the beginning of success and failure. They examine the mechanisms of order and chaos and know the proper timing of when to serve or when to depart. Though they may be in dire straits, they will not occupy a position in a doomed state; though they may be poor, they will not eat the grain of a nation in chaos. They hide their names and embrace...