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Mohism -> Mozi -> Book 1 -> Indulgence in Excess -> 7

When the present rulers make boats and carts, it is quite different.
1 Having made them durable and convenient,
they would yet heavily tax the people
to decorate them.
The carts are decorated with embroidery
and boats with carving.
Women have to stop weaving to do the enibroidery
so the people are left cold.
While men have to abandon agriculture to do the carving
and so the people become hungry.
When the ruler builds such boats and carts for himself,
naturally his assistants imitate him.
Therefore the people become victims of both hunger and cold,
and they commit wickedness.
2
Much wickedness is followed by heavy punishment, and heavy punishment places the country in disorder.
天下If the rulers sincerely desire the empire to have order and hate to see it in disorder, they must not indulge themselves in constructing boats and carts excessively.

1. 完 : Originally read: "全". Corrected by 吴毓江《墨子校注》
2. 奸邪 : Inserted. 孙诒让《墨子闲诂》


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