| Calculation of Land: |
A sage cannot, with what the world thinks easy, overcome that which it thinks difficult, but he must, by means of what it thinks difficult, overcome that which it thinks easy. So, for example, if the people are stupid, he can overcome it by means of knowledge; if the world is educated, he can overcome it by means of force. When people are stupid, they think force easy, but cleverness difficult; but if the world is clever, then it thinks knowledge easy, but force difficult. So, when Shen-nung taught ploughing and attained supreme sway, the leadership was by means of his knowledge. When Tang and Wu made themselves strong and attacked the feudal lords, the subjugation was by means of force. Nowadays, the world is full of cleverness and people are dissolute, and at this juncture, when the times of Tang and Wu are imitated, to practise the actions of Shen-nung... thus a country of a thousand chariots hereby falling into a state of disorder: this is paying particular attention to the wrong things. |
