| Chinese Text Project |
《大體 - Grand Outline》 | English translation: AI and Chinese Text Project users [?] |
| 1 | 大體: | 夫一妻擅夫，眾婦皆亂；一臣專君，群臣皆蔽。故妒妻不難破家也，亂臣不難破國也。是以明君使其臣並進輻湊，莫得專君焉。 |
| If a wife dominates her husband, then many other wives will become disorderly. If one minister monopolizes the ruler, all ministers will be obstructed. Therefore, a jealous wife does not find it difficult to ruin her family, and a rebellious minister does not find it difficult to destroy the state. Therefore, an enlightened ruler ensures that his ministers advance together like spokes of a wheel converging on the hub, so none can monopolize him. | ||
| 2 | 大體: | 今人君之所以高為城郭，用謹門閭之閉者，為寇戎盜賊之至也。今夫弒君而取國者，非必逾城郭之險而犯門閭之閉也。蔽君之明，塞君之聽，奪之政而專其令，有其民而取其國矣。 |
| Nowadays, rulers build high city walls and carefully close the gates of their neighborhoods because they fear the arrival of bandits and thieves. Yet those who assassinate rulers to seize the state do not necessarily cross dangerous city walls or breach closed neighborhood gates. They obscure the ruler's wisdom, block his ears from hearing truth, seize control of governance and issue decrees exclusively, possess the people, and thus take over the state. | ||
| 3 | 大體: | 今使烏獲、彭祖負千鈞之重，而懷琬琰之美，令孟賁、成荊帶干將之劍衛之，行乎幽道，則盜猶偷之矣。今人君之力，非賢乎烏獲、彭祖，而勇非賢乎孟賁、成荊也。其所守者，非恃琬琰之美、千金之重也，而欲勿失，其可得耶？ |
| Now, if someone like Wu Huo or Peng Zu carries a burden of a thousand jun and possesses the beauty of Wanyan jade, and is guarded by warriors such as Meng Ben and Cheng Jing wielding swords of Ganjiang to protect him, yet he travels along a secluded path, thieves would still steal from him. Now the strength of a ruler is not superior to that of Wu Huo or Peng Zu, and his bravery is no greater than that of Meng Ben or Cheng Jing. What he guards is not something as precious as Wanyan jade or a burden of a thousand gold, yet he desires to keep it without loss—how could that be possible? | ||
| 4 | 大體: | 明君如身，臣如手；君若號，臣如響。君設其本，臣操其末；君治其要，臣行其詳；君操其柄，臣事其常。 |
| An enlightened ruler is like the body, and ministers are like the hands; If the ruler calls out, the minister responds like an echo. The ruler establishes the foundation, and the ministers manage its details; The ruler governs the essentials, while the ministers carry out the specifics; The ruler holds the handle of power, and the ministers attend to their routine duties. | ||
| 5 | 大體: | 為人君者，操契以責其名。名者，天地之綱，聖人之符。張天地之綱，用聖人之符，則萬物之情無所逃之矣。 |
| A ruler should hold a contract (or agreement) to demand accountability for names (responsibilities). Names are the framework of heaven and earth, and the symbols of sage rulers. By extending the framework of heaven and earth and employing the symbols of sages, then all things in the world will have nowhere to hide their true nature. | ||
| 6 | 大體: | 故善為主者，倚於愚，立於不盈，設於不敢，藏於無事，竄端匿疏，示天下無為。是以近者親之，遠者懷之。示人有餘者人奪之，示人不足者人與之。剛者折，危者覆，動者搖，靜者安。 |
| Therefore, a skillful ruler leans on simplicity, stands in humility, establishes authority through restraint, conceals himself in inaction, hides the beginnings and avoids exposure, and shows to all under heaven that he does nothing. Thus, those nearby will be affectionate toward him, and those far away will feel a sense of loyalty. Whoever shows others that he has more than enough will have it taken from him; whoever shows others that he lacks will be given by them. The rigid breaks, the precarious topples, the active wavers, and the still remains at peace. | ||
| 7 | 大體: | 名自名1也，事自定也。是以有道者因2名而正之，隨事而定之也。 |
| Names name themselves; affairs settle by themselves. Therefore, those who follow the Way rely on names to correct them and follow events as they are determined.
1. 名 : Another version reads: "正". 《群書治要》 | ||
| 8 | 大體: | 鼓不與於五音，而為五音主。有道者不為五官之事，而為治事之1主。君守2其道也，官知其事也。十言十當、百為百富者，人臣之事也，非人君之事也。 |
| The drum does not belong among the five musical tones but serves as their master. One who follows the Way does not personally handle matters of the five officials, yet becomes the master of governance. The ruler guards his principles, and the officials know their duties. To speak ten times with ten correct statements or to act a hundred times with a hundred successes is the duty of ministers, not that of a ruler.
1. 事之 : Another version reads: "". 《群書治要》 | ||
| 9 | 大體: | 昔者堯之治天下也以名。其名正，則天下治。桀之治天下也，亦以名，其名倚，而天下亂。是以聖人貴名之正也。 |
| In ancient times, Yao governed the world through names (titles and responsibilities). When his titles were correct, then the world was at peace. Jie also governed the world through names, but since his titles leaned on falsehoods, the world fell into chaos. Therefore, sages value the correctness of names. | ||
| 10 | 大體: | 主處其大，臣處其細。以其名聽之，以其名視之，以其名命之。 |
| The ruler occupies the great (overall), while ministers deal with details. He listens to matters according to their names, observes them through their titles, and issues commands based on these designations. | ||
| 11 | 大體: | 鏡設精，無為而美惡自備；衡設平，無為而輕重自得。凡因之道，身與公無事，無事而天下自極也。 |
| A mirror is set with clarity; without action, beauty and ugliness are naturally revealed; A balance scale is set level; without interference, lightness and weight are naturally determined. Generally speaking, the Way of relying on others means that the ruler and the public have no direct involvement; through non-interference, the world naturally reaches its utmost order. |
URN: ctp:shen-bu-hai/da-ti