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昔成王封伯禽于鲁，将辞去。周公戒之曰：往矣。子其无以鲁国骄士也。我文王之子，武王之弟，今王之叔父也。又相天子，吾于天下不轻矣。然尝一沐而三捉发，一食而三吐哺，犹恐失天下之士。吾闻之曰：德行广大而守以恭者荣，土地博裕而守以俭者安，禄位尊盛而守以卑者贵，人衆兵强而守以畏者胜，聪明睿智而守以愚者益，博闻多记而守以浅者广，此六守者，皆谦德也。贵为天子，富有四海，德不谦者失天下，亡其身，桀、纣是也。可不慎乎。故易曰，有一道，大足以守天下，中足以守国家，小足以守其身，谦之谓也。夫天道毁满而益谦，地道变满而流谦，鬼神害满而福谦，人道恶满而好谦。易曰：谦亨，君子有终，吉，子其无以鲁国骄士矣。 |
| | In the past, King Cheng granted Boqin the fief of Lu, and was about to bid him farewell. Duke Zhou admonished him, saying: "Go now." "Do not let the state of Lu make you arrogant toward scholars," he said. "I am the son of King Wen, the younger brother of King Wu, and now the uncle of this king." "Moreover, I have served as a prime minister to the Son of Heaven; my status in the world is not light." "Yet I have often taken one bath and combed my hair three times, eaten one meal and paused to spit out food three times, still fearing that I might lose the scholars of the world." I have heard it said: "Virtue and conduct that are vast yet maintained with humility bring honor; extensive land and wealth yet maintained with frugality ensure peace; high rank and position yet maintained with lowliness bring nobility; a large population and strong army yet maintained with caution lead to victory; keen intelligence and wisdom yet maintained as if foolish yield benefit; broad knowledge and good memory yet maintained as if shallow expand understanding. These six principles of restraint are all manifestations of humility." To be as noble as the Son of Heaven and as wealthy as the four seas, yet to lack humility in virtue is to lose the world and perish oneself; Jie and Zhou are examples of this. How can one not be cautious? Therefore, the Yijing says , there is one principle: great enough to preserve the world, moderate enough to preserve a state and family, small enough to preserve oneself—this refers to humility. The way of Heaven destroys fullness and benefits humility; the way of Earth transforms fullness and flows toward humility; spirits harm fullness and bestow blessings on humility; human conduct dislikes fullness and favors humility. The Yijing says: "Humility brings success, the gentleman has a good ending; it is auspicious." You must not let the state of Lu lead you to arrogance toward scholars.
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孙叔敖为楚令尹，一国吏民皆来贺，有一老父后来吊。叔敖曰：楚王不知臣不肖，使臣受吏民之垢，人尽来贺，子独后来吊，岂有说乎。父曰：有，身已贵而骄人者，民去之，位已高而擅权者，君恶之，禄已厚而不知足者，患处之。叔敖再拜曰：敬受命，愿闻馀教。父曰：位已高而意益下，官益大而心益小，禄已厚而慎不敢取，君谨守此三者，足以治楚矣。 |
| | Sun Shuao became the prime minister of Chu, and officials and commoners throughout the country came to congratulate him. An old man arrived later to express condolences. Shuaao said, "King Chu does not know that I am unworthy and has appointed me to endure the burdens of officials and people. Everyone has come to congratulate me, yet you alone arrived later to express condolences—surely there is a reason for this?" The old man said, "Yes. When a person has already attained rank but becomes arrogant toward others, the people will abandon him; when one's position is already high yet power is seized arbitrarily, the ruler will resent it; and when one's salary is already generous yet there is no contentment, misfortune will befall him." Shuaao bowed twice and said, "I respectfully accept your instruction. I wish to hear the rest of your teachings." The old man said, "When one's position is already high, let your mind be even more humble; when an official post becomes greater, let your heart become even smaller. When one's salary is generous, exercise caution and dare not take more. If you carefully observe these three principles, it will suffice to govern Chu."
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魏公子牟东行。穰侯送之曰：先生独无一言以教冉乎。公子牟曰：夫官不与势期而势自至，势不与富期而富自至，富不与贵期而贵自至，贵不与骄期而骄自至，骄不与罪期而罪自至，罪不与死期而死自至。穰侯曰：善。 |
| | Prince Mou of Wei traveled eastward. Ranghou bid him farewell and said, "Might you have no single word to teach Ran?" Prince Mou said, "An official post does not seek power, yet power comes on its own; power does not seek wealth, yet wealth arrives by itself; wealth does not seek rank, yet rank follows naturally; rank does not seek arrogance, yet arrogance arises spontaneously; arrogance does not seek guilt, yet guilt appears of its own accord; and guilt does not seek death, yet death comes inevitably." Ranghou said, "Well spoken."
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