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A sage does not imitate antiquity, nor does he follow the present time. If he were to imitate antiquity, he would be behind the times; and if he follows the present time, he is obstructed by circumstances. The Zhou dynasty did not imitate the Shang dynasty, nor did the Xia dynasty imitate the period of Yu; the three dynasties encountered different circumstances, but all three succeeded in attaining supremacy. So to rise to supremacy, there is a definite way, but to hold it there are different principles. For example, Wu as a rebel seized the empire, and yet he prized obedience to the law; he disputed the empire, and yet exalted compliancy; by force he seized it, but by righteousness he held it. Nowadays strong countries aim at annexation, while weak countries are concerned for defence by force, which means that compared with early times they are not equal to the times of Yu and Xia, and compared with later times they do not practise the principles of Tang and Wu. Because the principles of Tang and Wu are obstructed, of the countries of ten thousand chariots there is not one that does not wage war, and of the countries of a thousand chariots there is not one that is not on the defence. These principles (of Tang and Wu) have been obstructed a long time, and none of the rulers of the world is able to develop them. Therefore, there is not a fourth added to the three dynasties, and unless there be an intelligent ruler, there is none who succeeds in being obeyed. Now you want to develop the people by imitating the ancient rulers, but the people of old were simple through honesty, while the people of today are clever through artificiality. |
