Sunday, October 07, 2007

Chapter 2 Part 2

'...I have heard this saying: "Happy people who make others happy do so because they make others feel their happiness; worried people who upset others do so because they make others feel their worries." At this moment the coming of droughts and rains are balanced; do not upset this because of your conduct with women. In the past, the great leaders Yao and Shun and their people were happy, and through this peace and goodwill was brought to the land, and as such there were no unnecessary fights or wars. Now, the stars are aligned benevolently, the sweet rains come regularly, the phoenix has landed in your courts, and medicinal herbs grow freely in the wild. The people are certainly satisfied with their lot: when pedestrians bump into each other on a busy road, they take care to let the other cross first. Our dogs do not bark, the rains come at night and depart at dawn, and our crops are growing well. All these good things have happened, and will happen again, when a King displays good and moral conduct. But Your Majesty now thinks only of experiencing immediate pleasures, and of turning an eye to the ladies and to drink and to hunting; these are dangers, and are the first signs of decay and ruin. Your humble servant does not seek to chastise you; rather, he does this because he is your Prime Minister, and has served Your Majesty’s family for three generations. Your humble servant beseeches you to continue with your good conduct and to be moral, both with the people and with the world, and riches will come naturally to the people; this will lead to peace under the sky and within the four seas, and you, Your Majesty, will share unending joy with your people. Your servant sees that the wars in the North Sea have not stopped; he asks Your Majesty to consider Your Majesty’s conduct and to love your people there; take heed of their possessions, and your will have their hearts. This was what Yao and Shun did. Why choose servants from each region, and then build your joy upon this? Your servant means not to chastise you, and begs your forgiveness!’

King Zhou of the Shang pondered these words for a long, long time, and eventually responded, ‘Your words are sensible, and I shall follow them.’ He returned to his Palace after saying this, and so his Court recessed.