| | Ten offenses. First: Practicing minor loyalty is the thief of major loyalty. Second: Focusing on small benefits is the destroyer of great benefits. Third: Acting eccentrically and relying solely on one's own views, while being disrespectful to feudal lords, is the surest path to losing one's life. Fourth: Not devoting oneself to governance and instead favoring music, leads to a wretched life. Fifth: Being greedy, stubborn, and fond of profit is the root cause of national destruction and self-destruction. Sixth: Indulging in female entertainers while neglecting state affairs is a calamity that leads to the downfall of a nation. Seventh: Leaving the capital for distant travels and neglecting the advice of counselors is a path that endangers one's life. Eighth: Committing errors and refusing to heed the advice of loyal ministers, instead insisting on one's own will, is the beginning of losing a noble reputation and becoming an object of ridicule. Ninth: Failing to assess one's own strength internally while relying on feudal lords externally is a source of national decline. Tenth: A small state that lacks courtesy and does not employ advisory ministers will face the fate of extinction.
|
