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一曰── |
| | Firstly──
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凡人主必審分，然後治可以至，姦偽邪辟之塗可以息，惡氣苛疾無自至。夫治身與治國，一理之術也。今以眾地者，公作則遲，有所匿其力也；分地則速，無所匿遲也。主亦有地，臣主同地，則臣有所匿其邪矣，主無所避其累矣。 |
| | All sovereigns must carefully examine the distinctions; only then can good governance be achieved, and the paths of deceit, falsehood, and deviant behavior can be eliminated. Malevolent influences and harsh diseases will have no way to arise. Cultivating oneself and governing the state are based on the same principle. Now, when many people work on the same land, public labor is slow because some conceal their efforts; when the land is divided, work proceeds quickly, and there is nowhere to hide laziness. The ruler also has his domain; if the minister and the ruler share the same domain, then ministers can conceal their malfeasance, while the ruler has nowhere to avoid being burdened.
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凡為善難，任善易。奚以知之？人與驥俱走，則人不勝驥矣；居於車上而任驥，則驥不勝人矣。人主好治人官之事，則是與驥俱走也，必多所不及矣。夫人主亦有居車，無去車，則眾善皆盡力竭能矣，諂諛詖賊巧佞之人無所竄其姦矣，堅窮廉直忠敦之士畢競勸騁騖矣。人主之車，所以乘物也。察乘物之理，則四極可有。不知乘物而自怙恃，奪其智能，多其教詔，而好自以；若此則百官恫擾，少長相越，萬邪並起，權威分移，不可以卒，不可以教，此亡國之風也。 |
| | Doing good is difficult, but entrusting others with goodness is easy. Why do I know this? When a man and a horse run together, the man cannot outpace the horse; when placed in a cart and entrusted to the horse, then the horse cannot surpass the control of the human. If a sovereign likes to manage the affairs of his officials, it is like racing against a horse on foot—he will inevitably fall short in many respects. A sovereign also has his "cart"—if he does not abandon it, then all virtuous individuals will exert their utmost abilities. Flatterers, corrupt and treacherous people, and cunning sycophants will have nowhere to hide their malice; while upright, incorruptible, loyal, and sincere men of integrity will strive diligently and be encouraged to display their talents. The sovereign's "cart" is the means by which he governs things. Understanding the principle of governing things allows one to encompass the four extremes of the world. Not knowing how to govern things yet relying on oneself, seizing control with one's intelligence and will, issuing excessive commands, and preferring to act independently— If a ruler acts in this manner, then officials will be frightened and confused, the young and old will lose their proper order, myriad forms of deviance will arise together, authority will be fragmented and transferred, governance cannot proceed effectively, and instruction cannot be properly administered—this is the trend that leads to the downfall of a state.
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王良之所以使馬者，約審之以控其轡，而四馬莫敢不盡力。有道之主，其所以使群臣者亦有轡。其轡何如？正名審分，是治之轡已。故按其實而審其名，以求其情；聽其言而察其類，無使放悖。夫名多不當其實、而事多不當其用者，故人主不可以不審名分也。不審名分，是惡壅而愈塞也。壅塞之任，不在臣下，在於人主。堯、舜之臣不獨義，湯、禹之臣不獨忠，得其數也；桀、紂之臣不獨鄙，幽、厲之臣不獨辟，失其理也。 |
| | Wang Liang's method of controlling his horses was to carefully restrain them with the reins, and thus none of the four horses dared not exert their full strength. A ruler who follows the Way also has his "reins" by which he controls his ministers. What are these reins? Clarifying names and carefully distinguishing roles—this is the rein of good governance. Therefore, by examining their actual conduct and clarifying their titles, one can discern their true nature; listen to their words and observe their category, so as not to allow disorder and contradiction. Many names do not correspond to reality, and many affairs do not match their intended use; therefore, a sovereign cannot fail to carefully examine titles and distinctions. Not examining titles and distinctions is like hating blockage yet causing greater obstruction. The responsibility for blockage and obstruction does not lie with the ministers, but with the sovereign himself. The ministers of Yao and Shun were not uniquely virtuous, nor were those of Tang and Yu uniquely loyal—this was because they grasped the proper principles; the ministers of Jie and Zhou were not uniquely base, nor were those of You and Li uniquely deviant—this was because they lost the proper principles.
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今有人於此，求牛則名馬，求馬則名牛，所求必不得矣；而因用威怒，有司必誹怨矣，牛馬必擾亂矣。百官，眾有司也；萬物，群牛馬也。不正其名，不分其職，而數用刑罰，亂莫大焉。夫說以智通，而實以過悗；譽以高賢，而充以卑下；贊以潔白，而隨以汙德；任以公法，而處以貪枉；用以勇敢，而堙以罷怯；此五者，皆以牛為馬，以馬為牛，名不正也。故名不正，則人主憂勞勤苦，而官職煩亂悖逆矣。國之亡也，名之傷也，從此生矣。白之顧益黑、求之愈不得者，其此義邪！故至治之務，在於正名。名正則人主不憂勞矣。不憂勞則不傷其耳目之主。問而不詔，知而不為，和而不矜，成而不處。止者不行，行者不止，因形而任之，不制於物，無用為使，清靜以公，神通乎六合，德耀乎海外，意觀乎無窮，譽流乎無止，此之謂定性於大湫，命之曰無有。故得道忘人，乃大得人也，夫其非道也；知德忘知，乃大得知也，夫其非德也；至知不幾，靜乃明幾也，夫其不明也；大明不小事，假乃理事也，夫其不假也；莫人不能，全乃備能也，夫其不全也。是故於全乎去能，於假乎去事，於知乎去幾，所知者妙矣。若此則能順其天，意氣得游乎寂寞之宇矣，形性得安乎自然之所矣。全乎萬物而不宰，澤被天下而莫知其所自姓，雖不備五者，其好之者是也。 |
| | If there is a person here who, when seeking an ox, calls for a horse instead, and when seeking a horse, calls for an ox—what he seeks will surely not be obtained; and if he then uses threats and anger, the officials will certainly harbor resentment, and oxen and horses will inevitably become confused and disordered. The hundred officials are many such officers; all things in the world are like herds of oxen and horses. If one does not correct their titles and does not distinguish their duties, yet frequently resorts to punishments, there can be no greater disorder. Those who claim wisdom in discourse but are muddled in action; those praised as lofty and virtuous yet filled with mediocrity and lowliness; those lauded for their purity and integrity yet followed by corrupt conduct— those entrusted with public law yet placed in positions of greed and corruption— those employed for their bravery yet burdened by cowardice and exhaustion— These five situations are all cases of calling an ox a horse and a horse an ox—the fault lies in incorrect titles. Therefore, if names are not correctly established, the sovereign will suffer from worry, toil, and hardship, while officials will become confused, disorderly, and rebellious. The downfall of a state arises from the injury of names—this is how it begins. The more one tries to make white appear even whiter, the blacker it becomes; the more one seeks something, the less attainable it grows—this must be the meaning of this principle! Therefore, the essential task in achieving perfect governance lies in correcting names. When names are correctly established, the sovereign is free from worry and toil. Free from worry and toil, his senses and mind remain unharmed. Ask without issuing orders, know without acting, harmonize without arrogance, accomplish without claiming credit. Those who are at rest do not move, those who move do not cease; by following the natural form and entrusting accordingly, one is not controlled by external things. Without purposeful action, remaining tranquil and impartial, spiritual power extends to all directions under heaven, virtue shines beyond the seas, thoughts reach into infinity, and reputation flows without end—this is called establishing one's nature in the great abyss, and it is named "Wuyou" (Nothingness). Therefore, to attain the Dao and forget about people is truly to gain all people—yet this does not mean abandoning the Dao; Knowing virtue yet forgetting knowledge is to truly attain wisdom—yet this does not imply forsaking virtue; True knowledge does not seek signs; stillness itself reveals the subtle signs—this is not because one lacks insight. Great clarity does not concern itself with trivial matters; it relies on intermediaries to manage affairs—yet this is not a sign of dependence. No one can do everything alone; completeness lies in being fully equipped with abilities—yet no one is truly complete. Therefore, from the perspective of completeness, one should relinquish personal ability; from reliance on intermediaries, one should relinquish involvement in affairs; and from knowledge, one should relinquish seeking signs—such is the subtlety of true understanding. If this is done, one can follow Heaven's will, and spirit and energy may wander freely in the boundless void; body and nature find peace in their natural state. Being complete with all things yet not dominating them, bestowing grace upon the world while no one knows its source—though these five qualities may not be fully possessed, those who aspire to them are truly virtuous.
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