鐔津文集 5.18

5.18

In the human way, trustworthiness is the beginning. If a person lacks trustworthiness, even if there is a way, how could it be taught? When the way extends trustworthiness, it is practiced; when trustworthiness guides the way, it reaches fulfillment. The gentleman attends to the way, and therefore is scrupulous about trustworthiness. A ruler's trustworthiness resides in government; a father's trustworthiness resides in affection; a teacher or friend's trustworthiness resides in law and model. If government is confused, the people have nothing to trust. If parents deceive, their children have nothing to trust. If law and standards fail, scholars and officials have nothing to trust. Therefore, those skilled in governing make commands and ordinances upright, so that their people dare not disobey. Those skilled in parental affection make love and kindness upright, so that their children dare not doubt. Those skilled in law and standards make learning and conduct upright, so that their disciples dare not be disrespectful. The gentleman possesses upright trustworthiness; the petty man possesses improper trustworthiness. Because the gentleman has upright trustworthiness, he acts long without violating his way. Because the petty man has improper trustworthiness, he associates long and inevitably loses what is right. The petty man does not believe in the Mandate of Heaven; the gentleman does not trust unrighteousness. Because he does not believe in the Mandate of Heaven, the petty man seeks blindly and errs greatly; because he does not trust unrighteousness, the gentleman has no delusions and remains naturally self-possessed. If so, to rectify the trust of the petty man, nothing surpasses setting forth the way of the gentleman; to uphold the trust of the gentleman, nothing surpasses avoiding the faults of the petty man. How extreme is the untrustworthiness of later ages! Yet it is not that the people lack trustworthiness; rather, it is that what they are asked to trust is unworthy of trust. What marks a thoroughfare is the post marker; what marks the people is instruction and ordinance. If post markers are misleading, those on thoroughfares lose their way north and south; if instructions and ordinances fail, the people deceive superiors and inferiors. Tang and Wu gave instructions, and the world received them; they took oaths, and the world followed them—this was because what they displayed was upright. Men of later ages issue commands yet are confused themselves; they act and deceive themselves; they speak of the way and contradict themselves. If this is how it is, they show untrustworthiness to their people, to their children, and to their disciples; is it not fitting that there should be no trust? Fearing that the world would lose sincerity, Yao and Shun were scrupulous about trustworthiness; fearing that the world would lose trustworthiness, Tang and Wu used proclamations and oaths; fearing that the world would lose proclamations and oaths, the Spring and Autumn period was scrupulous about covenants; fearing that the world would lose covenants, the feudal lords exchanged hostage sons. Yet the more scrupulous the covenants, the more frequent the betrayals; the weightier the hostages, the more severe the chaos. Thus it is said: the feudal lords had improper trust, which is not true trust; the Three Kings extended trustworthiness and summoned trust; the Five Thearchs embraced trustworthiness and attained great trust. Because of great trust, without commands the people transformed of themselves; because of extended trust, when there were commands the people followed of themselves; because of no trust, even with commands the people were disrespectful. Where there were no commands, transformation was sincere; where there were commands, instruction was upright; where commands were ignored, government was in chaos. When King Wu marched on Zhou, eight hundred feudal lords assembled at the Ford of Meng without prior agreement; King Wu was trusted throughout the world for his great righteousness, and the world could not bear not to follow him. Emperor Taizong of Tang released condemned criminals on a promise, and when the appointed time arrived, they all came; Taizong was trusted throughout the world for his great justice, and the world dared not disobey. To trust what is untrustworthy is an ill omen; to distrust what is trustworthy is unwisdom. To trust the trustworthy is to trust sincerity; to trust the untrustworthy is to trust flattery. Trusting flattery endangers; trusting sincerity secures. The trustworthiness of the gentleman is that upon which safety and danger depend; can one not be prudent? The gentleman trusts another's words and does not pry into their hidden motives; the petty man pries into hidden motives and does not trust another's words.