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六曰── |
| | Sixth day──
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察士以為得道則未也。雖然，其應物也，辭難窮矣。辭雖窮，其為禍福猶未可知。察而以達理明義，則察為福矣；察而以飾非惑愚，則察為禍矣。古者之貴善御也，以逐暴禁邪也。 |
| | The scholars thought that attaining the Dao was not yet achieved. Nevertheless, in responding to worldly matters, his words were difficult to exhaust. Although his words were exhausted, whether they would bring blessings or misfortunes was still unknown. If the scholars could attain understanding and clarify principles and righteousness through their discernment, then such discernment would be a blessing; If the scholars used their discernment to justify wrongdoings and confuse the foolish, then such discernment would become a misfortune. In ancient times, the value placed on good governance was to pursue violence and prohibit evil.
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魏惠王謂惠子曰：「上世之有國，必賢者也。今寡人實不若先生，願得傳國。」惠子辭。王又固請曰：「寡人莫有之國於此者也，而傳之賢者，民之貪爭之心止矣。欲先生之以此聽寡人也。」惠子曰：「若王之言，則施不可而聽矣。王固萬乘之主也，以國與人猶尚可。今施，布衣也，可以有萬乘之國而辭之，此其止貪爭之心愈甚也。」惠王謂惠子曰「古之有國者，必賢者也」。夫受而賢者舜也，是欲惠子之為舜也；夫辭而賢者許由也，是惠子欲為許由也；傳而賢者堯也，是惠王欲為堯也。堯、舜、許由之作，非獨傳舜而由辭也，他行稱此。今無其他，而欲為堯、舜、許由，故惠王布冠而拘於鄄，齊威王幾弗受，惠子易衣變冠，乘輿而走，幾不出乎魏境。凡自行不可以幸，為必誠。 |
| | Wei Huiwang said to Huizi: "In previous generations, those who ruled a state were necessarily virtuous people." "Now I am indeed not as virtuous as you, Master. I wish to hand over the state to you." Huizi declined. The king persisted and said, "I have no one in this state who is more worthy than you. If I were to pass the rule of the state to a virtuous person, then the people's greedy and contentious hearts would cease." He wished for Master Huizi to accept this and listen to his request. Huizi said, "If the king's words are followed, then I cannot but obey." The king is indeed a sovereign of ten thousand chariots; to give the state to another is still acceptable. Now I, a commoner, can possess a state of ten thousand chariots and yet refuse it; this will even more effectively quell the people's greedy and contentious desires." King Hui of Wei said to Huizi, "In ancient times, those who ruled a country were necessarily virtuous people." He who received the state and was virtuous was Shun; thus, King Hui wished for Huizi to become like Shun. He who declined and was virtuous was Xu You; therefore, Huizi wished to be like Xu You. To pass on the state and be a virtuous ruler was Yao; thus, King Hui wanted to be like Yao. The actions of Yao, Shun, and Xu You were not solely about passing the state to Shun or declining it like Xu You; their other deeds also matched this virtue. Now, without any other virtuous actions, yet wishing to be like Yao, Shun, and Xu You, King Hui was forced to wear a simple cap and was confined in Juan; King Wei of Qi nearly refused the offer. Huizi changed his clothes and hat, boarded a carriage, and fled, almost failing to escape the borders of the State of Wei. All self-conducted actions cannot rely on luck; they must be sincere.
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匡章謂惠子於魏王之前曰：「蝗螟，農夫得而殺之，奚故？為其害稼也。今公行，多者數百乘，步者數百人；少者數十乘，步者數十人。此無耕而食者，其害稼亦甚矣。」惠王曰：「惠子施也，難以辭與公相應。雖然，請言其志。惠子曰：『今之城者，或者操大築乎城上，或負畚而赴乎城下，或操表掇以善睎望。若施者，其操表掇者也。使工女化而為絲，不能治絲；使大匠化而為木，不能治木；使聖人化而為農夫，不能治農夫。施而治農夫者也』。公何事比施於螣螟乎？」惠子之治魏為本，其治不治。當惠王之時，五十戰而二十敗，所殺者不可勝數，大將、愛子有禽者也。大術之愚，為天下笑，得舉其諱，乃請令周太史更著其名。圍邯鄲三年而弗能取，士民罷潞，國家空虛，天下之兵四至。眾庶誹謗，諸侯不譽，謝於翟翦而更聽其謀，社稷乃存。名寶散出，土地四削，魏國從此衰矣。仲父，大名也；讓國，大實也。說以不聽、不信。聽而若此，不可謂工矣。不工而治，賊天下莫大焉，幸而獨聽於魏也。以賊天下為實，以治之為名，匡章之非，不亦可乎？ |
| | Kuang Zhang said to Huizi before King Hui of Wei: "Locusts and grubs, when farmers catch them they kill them. Why is that?" Because they harm the crops. Now, when you travel, your entourage includes hundreds of chariots and hundreds of footmen; at a minimum, there are dozens of chariots and dozens of footmen. These people consume without farming; their harm to the crops is also great." King Hui said, "Huizi, you are a virtuous man. It would be difficult for me to refuse and not respond to your correspondence." Nevertheless, please state your intentions. Huizi said: "Now, when building a city, some people may be carrying large tools on the walls, others carry baskets to the foot of the wall, and still others hold measuring instruments to carefully observe and survey. I am like those who hold measuring instruments." If a female worker were transformed into silk, she could not manage the silk; If a master craftsman were transformed into wood, he could not work with the wood; If a sage were transformed into a farmer, he could not manage farmers. "I am one who governs farmers." What reason do you have to compare me to locusts and grubs?" Huizi's governance of the State of Wei was fundamental, yet his administration did not achieve order. During King Hui's reign, there were fifty battles and twenty defeats; the number of people killed was innumerable, including great generals and beloved sons who were captured. The great stupidity of the plan became a laughingstock for all under heaven; upon learning this, they requested that the Zhou historian change and record his name instead. They besieged Handan for three years without capturing it, exhausting the soldiers and civilians, depleting the state's resources, and causing armies from all under heaven to approach from four directions. The common people criticized him, and the feudal lords did not praise him; he apologized to Dian Jian and began listening to his strategies, and thus the state was preserved. Precious treasures were scattered, territories reduced on all sides, and from then on, the State of Wei began to decline. Zhongfu is a great name; Resigning the state is a great virtue. The arguments were not listened to or believed. If the advice was heard yet resulted in this, it cannot be called skillful. To govern without skill is the greatest harm to all under heaven; fortunately, such governance was only heeded in Wei. To take harming all under heaven as one's virtue and to call governing it a name, is Kuang Zhang's criticism not entirely justified?
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白圭新與惠子相見也，惠子說之以彊，白圭無以應。惠子出。白圭告人曰：「人有新取婦者，婦至，宜安矜煙視媚行。豎子操蕉火而鉅，新婦曰：『蕉火大鉅。』入於門，門中有歛陷，新婦曰：『塞之，將傷人之足。』此非不便之家氏也，然而有大甚者。今惠子之遇我尚新，其說我有大甚者。」惠子聞之曰：「不然。《》曰：『愷悌君子，民之父母』。愷者，大也；悌者，長也。君子之德，長且大者，則為民父母。父母之教子也，豈待久哉？何事比我於新婦乎？詩豈曰『愷悌新婦』哉？」誹汙因汙，誹辟因辟，是誹者與所非同也。白圭曰「惠子之遇我尚新，其說我有大甚者」，惠子聞而誹之，因自以為為之父母，其非有甚於白圭亦有大甚者。 |
| | When Bai Gui first met Huizi, Huizi spoke to him about strength and power, but Bai Gui had no response. Huizi left. Bai Gui told someone, "There is a man who has newly married. When the bride arrives, she should appear composed, modest, and graceful in her movements." A servant boy held a torch that was too large, and the new bride said, "This torch is far too big." Upon entering the gate, they found a depression in the middle of the doorway. The new bride said, "Block it; it will injure people's feet." This is not an inconvenient family, yet there are even more excessive behaviors. Now, my encounter with Huizi is still new, and his advice to me was even more overbearing." Huizi heard this and said, "That is not the case." The Book of Songs says: 'A kind and generous gentleman is the father and mother of the people.' Kai means great; Ti means elder. A gentleman whose virtue is both extensive and great becomes the father and mother of the people. Do parents need to wait a long time to teach their children? What reason is there for comparing me to a new bride? Does the Book of Songs ever say "a kind and generous new bride"?" Slanderers become defiled because they associate with the defiled, and critics become biased because they align with the biased; thus, the slanderer becomes like what he criticizes. Bai Gui said, "My encounter with Huizi is still recent, yet his advice to me was overly excessive." When Huizi heard this, he criticized Bai Gui and thus considered himself the father of others; in doing so, his criticism was even more extreme than Bai Gui's.
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