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Confucianism -> Mengzi -> Teng Wen Gong I -> 3.1

滕文公The duke Wen of Teng asked Mencius about the proper way of governing a kingdom.
孟子:「Mencius said, 'The business of the people may not be remissly attended to.
It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"In the day-light go and gather the grass,
And at night twist your ropes;
Then get up quickly on the roofs;
。』 Soon must we begin sowing again the grain."
The way of the people is this:
If they have a certain livelihood, they will have a fixed heart;
if they have not a certain livelihood, they have not a fixed heart.
If they have not a fixed heart,
there is nothing which they will not do in the way of self-abandonment, of moral deflection, of depravity, and of wild license.
When they have thus been involved in crime,
to follow them up and punish them
- this is to entrap the people.
How can such a thing as entrapping the people be done under the rule of a benevolent man?
Therefore, a ruler who is endowed with talents and virtue will be gravely complaisant and economical, showing a respectful politeness to his ministers,
and taking from the people only in accordance with regulated limits.
Yang Hu said,
"He who seeks to be rich will not be benevolent.
。』 He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich."


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