Section 41.1
What gives birth cannot make human beings. The maker of human beings is Heaven. The humanness of human beings is rooted in Heaven. Heaven is also the supreme ancestor of human beings. This is why human beings are elevated to be categorized with Heaven.
Humans’ form and frame transform with Heaven’s regularities and so become complete;
humans’ blood and qi transform with Heaven’s will and so become humane;
humans’ virtue and conduct transform with Heaven’s principles and so become righteous.
Humans’ likes and dislikes transform with Heaven’s warmth and coolness;
humans’ happiness and anger transform with Heaven’s heat and cold;
humans’ endowment and life span transform with Heaven’s four seasons.
Human beings at birth possess the responses of happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy, which [correspond to] the categories of spring, autumn, winter, and summer:
Happiness is spring’s response;
anger is autumn’s response;
joy is summer’s response;
sorrow is winter’s response.
Heaven’s correlates lie in human beings. The emotions and nature of human beings include what is received from Heaven. Thus I say: “Endowment” is the designation for what is received from Heaven.
For those who govern humankind, no Way is clearer than husbanding [the aspects of] the self that [derive from] Heaven, just as they issue forth from Heaven. In causing them to issue forth, [the ruler] must, with the utmost effort, respond to Heaven’s sending forth the four seasons. Thus there is nothing to be added to the governance of Yao and Shun. "One might be enriched or impoverished; one might be allowed to live or be executed; but one cannot be made to rebel.”
1 Thus it is said:
“If not [in accordance with] the Way, do not act;
if not [in accordance with] the standard, do not speak.”
2This expresses it. [41/49/11–18]
Section 41.2
A tradition states:
the Son of Heaven alone receives orders from Heaven;
the world receives orders from the Son of Heaven;
a single state receives orders from its lord.
If the lord’s orders comply [with Heaven], the people will have cause to comply with his orders;
if the lord’s orders defy [Heaven], the people will have cause to disobey his orders.
3Thus it is said: “When the One Man enjoys blessings, the myriad commoners will rely on it.”
4A tradition states: “Government has three starting points:
If father and son are not affectionate, extend their love and kindness;
if the great officials are not harmonious, make reverent and compliant their propriety;
if the hundred surnames
6 are not peaceful, strengthen their filial piety and brotherly love.”
“Filial piety” and “brotherly love” are the means to pacify the hundred surnames. “To strengthen” means to compel them to practice filial piety and brotherly love so that they will personally be transformed.
The regularities of Heaven and Earth cannot rely solely on cold and heat to complete the year. There must be spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The Way of the Sage cannot rely solely on harshness and compulsion to perfect his governance. There must be transformation and education.
Thus it is said:
“To give first priority to loving without discrimination is to teach them by means of humaneness.
That a noble man does not value things that are difficult to obtain is to teach them by means of righteousness.
That even the Son of Heaven must have something that he reveres is to teach them by means of filial submission.
To invariably place others first is to teach them by means of brotherly love.”
Thus severity and coercion are not sufficient by themselves to be relied on, but is not the merit of transformative education great indeed?
A tradition states:
“Heaven engenders them;
Earth completes them;
the sage educates them.”
The lord is the people’s mind;
The people are the lord’s body.
In what the mind finds pleasing, the body invariably finds security;
what the lord finds pleasing, the people invariably follow.
Thus the lord and the people revere filial piety and fraternity and are fond of propriety and righteousness. They value humaneness and uprightness and scorn wealth and profit. When the utmost effort is devoted by superiors to implementing parental kindness, the people perceive it; [thus] happiness is engendered among those below. Thus it is stated: “The former kings saw that education could transform the people.”
7 This expresses it. [41/49/20–41/50/2]
