| | 慎势: |
六曰── |
| | Sixth day──
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| | 慎势: |
失之乎数，求之乎信，疑。失之乎势，求之乎国，危。吞舟之鱼，陆处则不胜蝼蚁。权钧则不能相使，势等则不能相并，治乱齐则不能相正，故小大、轻重、少多、治乱不可不察，此祸福之门也。 |
| | Losing it in numbers, seeking it in trust—doubt. Losing it through power, seeking it through the state—danger. A great fish that can swallow a boat, if placed on land, cannot withstand ants and centipedes. When weights are equal, they cannot command one another; when powers are equal, they cannot be combined; when order and disorder are the same, they cannot correct each other. Therefore, distinctions between small and great, light and heavy, few and many, order and disorder must not be neglected, for these are the gates through which misfortune or fortune enters.
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| | 慎势: |
凡冠带之国，舟车之所通，不用象译狄鞮，方三千里。古之王者，择天下之中而立国，择国之中而立宫，择宫之中而立庙。天下之地，方千里以为国，所以极治任也。非不能大也，其大不若小，其多不若少。众封建，非以私贤也，所以便势全威，所以博义。义博利则无敌。无敌者安。故观于上世，其封建众者，其福长，其名彰。神农十七世有天下，与天下同之也。 |
| | All nations that wear caps and sashes, where boats and carriages can travel, do not require interpreters or guides for the Xiang, Yi, Di, and Di people, within a region of three thousand li. Ancient kings chose the central place in the world to establish their states, selected the central place within the state to build their palaces, and chose the central place within the palace to erect ancestral temples. The land of the world, a square thousand li in area, is designated as a state, so as to fully utilize its capacity for governance. It is not that they are unable to be great; rather, their greatness does not surpass the small, and their multitude does not surpass the few. Numerous feudal fiefs are established—not to favor the virtuous alone—but in order to facilitate power and preserve authority, and thereby promote broad righteousness. When righteousness is extensive and benefits all, there will be no rival. One who has no rival is secure. Therefore, observing the ancient past, those states with numerous feudal fiefs enjoyed longer blessings and more prominent renown. Shennong ruled for seventeen generations over the world, sharing it equally with all under heaven.
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| | 慎势: |
王者之封建也，弥近弥大，弥远弥小，海上有十里之诸侯。以大使小，以重使轻，以众使寡，此王者之所以家以完也。故曰，以滕、费则劳，以邹、鲁则逸，以宋、郑则犹倍日而驰也，以齐、楚则举而加纲旃而已矣。所用弥大，所欲弥易。 |
| | The feudal fiefs established by a king are: the closer they are, the greater their size; the farther away, the smaller their size—there were even marquises ruling over ten-li territories along the seashore. Using the great to command the small, the heavy to control the light, and the numerous to lead the few—this is how a king ensures the stability and completeness of his realm. Therefore it is said: governing with Teng and Fei would be laborious, while governing with Zou and Lu would be effortless; governing with Song and Zheng would require twice the time to achieve results, but governing with Qi and Chu could simply raise the standard and proceed. The greater the resources employed, the easier one's desires become.
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| | 慎势: |
汤其无郼，武其无岐，贤虽十全，不能成功。汤、武之贤，而犹藉知乎势，又况不及汤、武者乎？故以大畜小吉，以小畜大灭，以重使轻从，以轻使重凶。自此观之，夫欲定一世，安黔首之命，功名著乎盘盂，铭篆著乎壶鉴，其势不厌尊，其实不厌多。多实尊势，贤士制之，以遇乱世，王犹尚少。天下之民，穷矣苦矣。民之穷苦弥甚，王者之弥易。凡王也者，穷苦之救也。水用舟，陆用车，涂用輴，沙用鸠，山用樏，因其势也。者令行。 |
| | Tang had no He, Wu had no Qi; even if a virtuous man were perfect in every way, he could not achieve success. Even the virtue of Tang and Wu still relied on knowledge of power; how much more so for those who are less virtuous than Tang and Wu? Therefore, using the great to nurture the small brings good fortune; using the small to nurture the great leads to destruction. Using the heavy to command the light ensures obedience; using the light to command the heavy invites disaster. From this we see, one who wishes to stabilize the world and secure the lives of the common people, whose achievements and reputation are inscribed on plates and basins, and carved in pots and mirrors—such a person's power is never too exalted, nor their actual influence ever sufficient enough. With abundant resources and exalted authority, even a virtuous scholar must govern; yet in times of disorder, such a ruler is still rare. The people of the world are impoverished and suffering. The more destitute and suffering the people become, the easier it is for a king to act. A true king is the savior of the impoverished and suffering. On water, use boats; on land, use carts; on muddy roads, use chun (a type of cart); on sandy terrain, use jiu (a light cart); in mountainous areas, use la (a wooden frame for carrying loads)—this is adapting to the conditions. The commands are carried out effectively.
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| | 慎势: |
位尊者其教受，威立者其奸止，此畜人之道也。故以万乘令乎千乘易，以千乘令乎一家易，以一家令乎一人易。尝识及此，虽尧、舜不能。诸侯不欲臣于人，而不得已，其势不便，则奚以易臣？权轻重，审大小，多建封，所以便其势也。王也者，势也；王也者，势无敌也。势有敌则王者废矣。有知小之愈于大、少之贤于多者，则知无敌矣。知无敌则似类嫌疑之道远矣。故先王之法，立天子不使诸侯疑焉，立诸侯不使大夫疑焉，立适子不使庶孽疑焉。疑生争，争生乱。是故诸侯失位则天下乱，大夫无等则朝庭乱，妻妾不分则家室乱，适孽无别则宗族乱。慎子曰：“今一兔走，百人逐之。非一兔足为百人分也，由未定。由未定，尧且屈力，而况众人乎？积兔满市，行者不顾。非不欲兔也，分已定矣。分已定，人虽鄙不争。故治天下及国，在乎定分而已矣。” |
| | Those in high positions have their teachings accepted; those who establish authority see their corruption cease—this is the way to manage people. Therefore, it is easier for a ruler of ten thousand chariots to command one of a thousand chariots; easier for the latter to command a single family; and easier still for a family to command an individual. Those who have ever understood this, even Yao and Shun could not surpass them. Marquises do not wish to be subjects of others, but when they have no choice, it is because the circumstances are unfavorable—then how can they easily change their status as vassals? Weighing power and importance, discerning greatness and smallness, establishing numerous fiefs—this is done to facilitate advantageous circumstances. A king is one who commands through authority; A king is one whose authority is unmatched. When an authority has a rival, the kingship is lost. One who understands that smallness can surpass greatness and fewness can be superior to multitude knows what it means to have no rival. Understanding the meaning of having no rival puts one far beyond the paths of confusion, resemblance, and suspicion. Therefore, the laws of ancient kings established the Son of Heaven so that marquises would have no doubts; they established marquises so that ministers would have no doubts; and they appointed the legitimate heir so that common or illegitimate sons would have no doubts. Doubt gives rise to contention, and contention leads to disorder. Therefore, when marquises lose their proper positions, the world falls into disorder; when ministers lack hierarchy, the court becomes chaotic; when wives and concubines are not distinguished, the household is in turmoil; and when the legitimate heir and illegitimate sons are not differentiated, the clan descends into confusion. Shen Zi said: "Now if one rabbit runs away, a hundred people chase after it." It is not that the single rabbit is sufficient to be divided among a hundred people, but because ownership has not yet been determined. Because ownership has not yet been decided, even Yao would exert effort to claim it—how much more so for ordinary people? When rabbits are piled up in the marketplace, passersby do not glance back. It is not that they do not desire the rabbit, but because their shares have already been determined. When shares are already established, even petty people will not contend. Therefore, governing the world and a state lies solely in establishing clear distinctions of rank and right."
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| | 慎势: |
庄王围宋九月，康王围宋五月，声王围宋十月。楚三围宋矣而不能亡，非不可亡也，以宋攻楚，奚时止矣？凡功之立也，贤不肖强弱治乱异也。 |
| | King Zhuangwang besieged Song for nine months, King Kangwang for five months, and King Shengwang for ten months. Chu has besieged Song three times yet could not destroy it—not because it was impossible to do so, but if Song were to attack Chu, when would such attacks ever cease? The establishment of achievements depends on differences in virtue and vice, strength and weakness, order and disorder.
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| | 慎势: |
齐简公有臣曰诸御鞅，谏于简公曰：“陈成常与宰予，之二臣者甚相憎也，臣恐其相攻也。相攻唯固则危上矣。愿君之去一人也。”简公曰：“非而细人所能识也。”居无几何，陈成常果攻宰予于庭，即简公于庙。简公喟焉太息曰：“余不能用鞅之言，以至此患也。”失其数，无其势，虽悔无听鞅也与无悔同，是不知恃可恃而恃不恃也。周鼎著象，为其理之通也。理通，君道也。 |
| | King Jian of Qi had a minister named Zhuyu Yang, who advised King Jian: "Chen Chengchang and Zai Yu are two ministers who intensely dislike each other; I fear they will attack one another." If they fight and the situation becomes unstable, it will endanger the ruler. I wish Your Majesty would remove one of them." King Jian said, "This is not something you, a minor official, can understand." Not long afterward, Chen Chengchang indeed attacked Zai Yu in the court and killed King Jian in the ancestral temple. King Jian sighed deeply and said, "I failed to heed Yang's advice, and thus I have come to this misfortune." Losing the numbers and lacking power, even regretting not heeding Yang's words is no different from having no regret at all—it shows a failure to rely on what can be relied upon and instead relying on what cannot. The Zhou dynasty's tripods bore images, because they symbolized the universal principles of governance. Understanding universal principles is the way of a ruler.
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