鐔津文集 5.6

5.6

大政言其大公也。大公之道在乎天。則君子不苟能也。小人不苟爭也。德裕君則君之。德裕臣則臣之。何必苟能得其生則生之。得其死則死之。何必苟爭。世無苟且則法無所閑也。人無爭奪則兵無所起也。堯舜之所以揖讓治也。大公者何。推至誠而與天下同適也。聖人大誠。故其所為（一本無所）則大公也。誠以道則以道傳天下也。誠以正則以正用其人也。誠為大則範法乎天地也。誠為小則察微乎神妙也。故能道成而不私其位也。政成而不有其功也。育萬物而不顯其仁也。周萬物而不遺其智也。故聖人大有為而無累也。大無為而化淳也。誠也者天道也。公也者人道也。聖人修天道而以正乎人道也。誠者不見也。公者見也。由所見而審所不見。則聖人之道明矣。堯命四正其人稱也。物所以遂其時焉。民所以得其死生焉。舜命六官四岳十二牧其人當也。故其政亦臻也。教亦顯也。堯有子曰朱。舜有子曰均。二子道不足以在位也。迺以天下之賢人也。故授之舜也。授之禹也。蓋以天下為公。而天下之人之民。孰為有苟私而爭也。狄人未化而聖人益德而懷諸。故德者得其政也。政者發其誠也。誠者貫乎天地人物鬼神也。是故聖人（聖人或作君子）誠之則五材四時罔不若也。易曰。中孚豚魚吉。又曰。鳴鶴在陰。其子和之。我有好爵吾與爾靡之。故堯舜之政治所以簡也。用人所以當也。政簡則無煩法也。用當則無妄官也。示五刑所以持民之過失而不章也。修五禮所以正人之恭敬而不怠也。政之大至所以帝也。治之大公所以讓也。推帝於太上者。品治道而所以勸也。歸讓於大德者。辨時宜而所以教也。後政不至謂之帝可乎。治不公謂之禪讓可乎。大公之化熄而人甚苟私。智以計校欺。愚以氣力爭。當是時也。以帝者化不可也。以帝者讓亦不可也。故曰。賊帝道者自秦始也。亂讓德者自漢始也。

The Great Governance speaks of supreme impartiality. The Way of supreme impartiality resides in Heaven; thus the noble person does not seek improper ability, and the petty person does not engage in improper contention. If one's virtue is abundant enough to be ruler, one acts as ruler; if one's virtue is abundant enough to be minister, one acts as minister—why must one seek improper ability? If they obtain their living, let them live; if they obtain their death, let them die—why must one contend improperly? When the world is free of improper shortcuts, laws have nothing to restrain; when people do not fight and seize, arms have no reason to arise. This is the means by which Yao and Shun governed through yielding and deference. What is supreme impartiality? It is extending utmost sincerity so that one proceeds together in accord with all under Heaven. The sage possesses great sincerity; therefore what he does is supremely impartial. When sincerity resides in the Way, one transmits the Way to all under Heaven. When sincerity resides in correctness, one employs people with correctness. When sincerity is great, it models itself on Heaven and Earth; when sincerity is small, it scrutinizes the subtle and the wondrous. Therefore, he can achieve the Way without treating his position as private; he can achieve good governance without possessing its merit; he can nourish the myriad things without displaying his benevolence; and he can encompass the myriad things without abandoning his wisdom. Thus the sage undertakes great action yet incurs no encumbrance; he undertakes great non-action and his transformation is pure. Sincerity is the Way of Heaven; impartiality is the Way of humanity. The sage cultivates the Way of Heaven in order to correct the Way of humanity. Sincerity cannot be seen; impartiality can be seen. By examining what cannot be seen from what is seen, the Way of the sage becomes clear. Yao appointed the Four Regulators, and the individuals matched their posts; through this, things fulfilled their seasons, and the common people obtained their proper dying and living. Shun appointed the Six Ministers, the Four Mountains, and the Twelve Pastors, and the individuals were appropriate; therefore his governance attained its culmination, and his teachings also became manifest. Yao had a son named Zhu; Shun had a son named Jun. The virtue and way of these two sons were insufficient for the throne, so [the rulers] turned to the worthy men of the realm; hence [Yao] conferred it upon Shun, and [Shun] conferred it upon Yu. Because they treated all under Heaven as public, who among the people and populace of the realm would harbor improper selfishness and contend? When the Di barbarians were not yet transformed, the sage increased his virtue and embraced them. Therefore, virtue is what attains governance; governance is what manifests sincerity; and sincerity is what penetrates Heaven and Earth, human beings and things, ghosts and spirits. For this reason, when the sage makes it sincere, the five materials and the four seasons never fail to accord. The *Yijing* says: 'Inner truth: good fortune even to pigs and fishes.' It also says: 'A calling crane in the shade; its young chimes in. I have a fine goblet; I will share it with you.' Therefore, the governance of Yao and Shun was simple, and their employment of men was fitting. When governance is simple, there are no troublesome laws; when employment is fitting, there are no superfluous offices. Setting forth the five punishments was to contain the people's errors without displaying them; cultivating the five rites was to rectify people's respect without indolence. Because their governance was supremely consummate, they were emperors; because their rule was supremely impartial, they yielded [the throne]. Attributing the title of emperor to the highest antiquity evaluates the way of governing to encourage others; assigning the yielding of the throne to great virtue distinguishes the fitness of the times to instruct others. For later governance that failed to be consummate, can it be called that of an emperor? For rule that was not impartial, can it be called abdication? When the transformation of supreme impartiality was extinguished, people became intensely selfish and improper. The clever used scheming and calculation to deceive; the foolish used physical force to fight. In such times, transforming as an emperor was impossible, and yielding as an emperor was likewise impossible. Therefore it is said: Those who destroyed the Way of the emperors began with the Qin; those who threw into disorder the virtue of yielding began with the Han.