Section 27.1
Confucius said: “Do not worry about poverty, worry about inequality.”
1 Therefore where
there is accumulation and excess,
there is shortage and deficiency.
Great wealth gives rise to haughtiness;
great poverty gives rise to desperation.
Desperation gives rise to thievery;
haughtiness gives rise to violence.
2These are the emotional propensities of the majority of human beings. The sage establishes rules based on the emotions of the majority of human beings and observes from whence disorder arises. This is why the sage regulates the Way of Humanity by distinguishing superior and inferior.
He ensures that the wealthy have sufficient means to reveal their nobility and [are not enriched] to the point of haughtiness.
He ensures that the poor have sufficient means to nourish their lives and are not [impoverished] to the point of desperation.
3The sage uses this [principle] to establish limitations and harmonize the rich and the poor. This is why resources are not lacking and superior and inferior are at peace with each other. Consequently, it is easy to govern. The present age has abandoned regulations [that set] limits so that each person indulges his or her desires. When desires have no limits, then the vulgar act without restraint. When this tendency persists without end,
the powerful people worry over insufficiencies above;
the little people fear starvation below.
Thus
the wealthy increasingly covet profit and cannot act righteously;
the poor daily disobey prohibitions and cannot be stopped.
This is why the present age is difficult to govern. [27/35/5–10]
Section 27.2
Confucius said: “The noble man does not use up material benefits, so there is something left for the common people.”
4 An
Ode declares:
“There are some handfuls left behind,
here are some ears left unharvested:
they are for the benefit of the widows.”
5Therefore
when the gentleman serves in office, he does not farm;
when he farms, he does not fish;
he eats what is in season and does not strive for delicacies.
6A great officer does not sit on sheep skin;
a functionary does not sit on dog skin.
An Ode states:
Gathering turnips, gathering radishes,
you do not take the lowermost parts.
Your reputation is flawless;
[the people] will stay with you until death.”
7[Rejoinder]: If you rely on this [principle] to restrain the people, some people still will neglect righteousness and vie for material benefits, thereby forfeiting their lives.
8 [27/35/12–15]
Section 27.3
Heaven does not bestow things in duplicate; what has horns is not permitted to have upper [incisor] teeth.
9 Therefore, those who already possess what is great are not permitted to possess what is small. This is Heaven’s norm. Now if Heaven does not allow those who already possess what is great to compete with those who [possess what is] small, how can human [rulers] allow it! Therefore, the enlightened sage creates regulations [setting] limits that reflect Heaven’s various activities. He does not allow those who receive generous salaries to encroach on those who enjoy few material benefits or compete with them to enhance their livelihoods. This is Heaven’s principle.
10 [27/35/15–17]
In general, the sources of various disorders are events that appear deceptively insignificant and trivial but that gradually mature and develop until they are quite significant. The sage points out the deceptive and identifies the trivial. He cuts off trivialities and does not permit ambiguities and so guards against them early on. The Way of the sage corresponds to the category of levees and dikes.
He promulgates regulations and limits;
he promulgates ritual restrictions.
Therefore,
nobility and lowliness have gradations;
garments and clothing are regulated;
court audiences are [conducted according to] ranks;
and districts and townships have gradations.
Hence the people possess a sense of yielding and do not compete. This is how the sage unifies them.
11 The
Documents states: “If you bestow chariots and ceremonial garb on them, who will dare not yield, who will dare not respond with reverence?”
12 This expresses it. [27/35/19–22]
Section 27.5
Clothing was first produced to cover and warm the body. But when clothing is dyed in the five colors or ornamented with insignia, it is not in order to express feelings that arise from muscle and flesh, blood and qi. It is for the purpose of honoring the honorable, respecting the worthy, and distinguishing clearly the relationship between superior and inferior. It allows educational measures to be quickly put into effect and moral transformation to be easily perfected. It is done to create order.
Now if you discard regulations and limits and allow people to follow their desires, satisfying their inclinations, and following them without end, then you will greatly disrupt human relations and waste material resources. You will lose sight of the purpose for which insignia and colors were originally intended. If the obligations between superior and inferior are not distinguished, then the positional advantage [of the one] will not be sufficient to regulate [the other]. Consequently, they will suffer bitterly from disorder. If there is no limit to the material possessions they desire, their potential [of the lowly] will not be sufficient to satisfy [the demands of the higher-ups]. Accordingly, they will suffer bitterly from poverty. Now if you desire
to transform disorder to order,
to transform poverty to wealth,
you cannot fail to revert to regulations and limits.
In ancient times,
the Son of Heaven [always] wore ornamented garments,
[whereas] the Lords of the Land wore them [only] on ritual occasions.
The great officers [always] wore ceremonial robes,
13whereas their functionaries wore them [only] on ritual occasions.
The common people wore unadorned clothing. This is the broad outline. [27/35/24–29]
