The Best Way to Rule a Country

最上乘的治国之道

(Originally in Chinese)

During the Song dynasty [in ancient China], there was a scholar named Hui Ang who practiced spiritually and seemed to have great wisdom. On one occasion, he went to pay his respects to Emperor Song Kang. The Emperor greeted him warmly and, without wasting any time asked, "I only like courageous men who have warrior skills. I do not like men who preach righteousness. Is there anything you can enlighten me on?"

宋朝有一个读书人叫惠盎，他有修行，好像很有智慧。有一次他去拜见宋康王，国王很热情地接待他，然后马上就说：「朕只喜欢那种有武力、有勇力的人，不喜欢讲仁义的人。请问你有没有什么指教啊？」

Emperor Song Kang made it clear that he only loved to use force and gave no consideration to righteousness at all. What else could anyone say to him? Yet there were people who would visit such a ruler. Ancient people were more patient. I would not go to see such a person. Would you? I would not! I have less patience. Nonetheless, the emperor asked courteously, "What can you enlighten me on?"

宋康王已经讲明只喜欢武力了，他根本不想仁义，你还能跟他谈什么？对于这种君王，竟然还有人去看他！古人真的比较有耐心。我本人不会去看这种人，你们会喔！我不会啦！我是比较没有耐心。不过，这位国王还是蛮客气地说：「你有什么指教？」

"I have a special magical power. With this power, no matter how daring the enemy is, his sword cannot pierce your body; and no matter how fierce and powerful he is, he cannot touch you," Hui Ang said. "Would Your Majesty like this kind of magical power?"

"Wow! I would love it! I would! I would love this kind of magical power," replied the emperor.

然后惠盎跟他说：「在下有一种道术，即使敌人很勇敢，他的刀剑也刺不进去您的身体；即使敌人很勇猛，他也打不到您。大王喜欢这种道术吗？」宋王说：「哇！喜欢、喜欢！寡人很喜欢这种道术！」

Hui Ang then tempted him further, saying, "Although their swords cannot pierce you or touch you, you will nonetheless suffer humiliation. This is still not good enough." ( comments: Hui Ang first tried to entice the Emperor with minor magical power, and then instilled higher truths in him.) "I have yet another magical power that will make the enemy, however brave, afraid to strike or hurt you with his sword when he sees you. This will be even better! I wonder if Your Majesty would like this?" Of course, the Emperor loved it very much.

惠盎继续诱惑他说：「尽管被别人用刀剑刺不进去、被别人打不中，不过这样还是被侮辱，这样还不好！（评论：惠盎先用小的道术诱惑宋王，然后再讲高等一点的道理。）在下还有一种道术，即使敌人很勇敢，但他看到您，却不敢用刀子刺您、不敢用剑伤您，这样子更好！不知大王喜不喜欢？」宋王当然很喜欢。

Hui Ang continued, "Although those people dare not hurt Your Majesty, that doesn't mean they do not want to hurt you. Perhaps they want to do so very much, but they dare not. I have yet another magical power that could make those people dismiss even the idea of hurting or killing you. Would Your Majesty like this kind of magical power?" Would you like it or not? You are so quiet! I do not possess this kind of magical power; don't expect it from me. Of course, the Emperor would have loved it so he said, "I want it! I do! Please tell me more! Tell me more!"

惠盎又说：「尽管那些人不敢伤害您，但并非他们没有伤害您的想法，也许很想，只是不敢而已。在下还有另外一种道术，可以让那些人连打您、杀您的念头都没有。大王喜欢这种道术吗？」你们喜欢不喜欢？哎呀！大家静悄悄的。我没有这种道术啊，你们别指望哦。当然国王非常喜欢，他说：「要啦！要啦！继续讲、继续讲！」

So Hui Ang said, "Now, although those people stop wishing to hurt or kill you, that does not mean they respect you or are eager to help you. I have another magical power that can make those people abandon the thought of hurting and killing you, and further respect you and help you. Would Your Majesty like that?"

惠盎就继续说：「即使那些人不想打您、不想杀您，但并非他们有尊重您、有想帮助您的心。在下有一种道术，可以让那些人不想打您、不想杀您，而且又很尊重您、很想帮助您。大王喜欢吗？」

Wow! Emperor Song Kang could hardly contain himself! He could hardly sit still on his throne and wanted very much to come down and shake hands with Hui Ang. "Please tell me quickly! Tell me quickly," he said.

哎呀！那个宋康王受不了了！在王位上面一直坐不住，他很想下来跟惠盎握手一下，他说：「你快说、你快说！」

"I have this magical power, with which all men and women, upon seeing Your Majesty, will immediately be eager to help you, and respect and admire you from the bottom of their hearts. As such, Your Majesty will not only be powerful, but also wise and virtuous. Therefore, I think this power is superior to all those I have just mentioned. How can Your majesty not be fond of this magical power?"

Of course, the emperor said, "Yes! I like it! I love it dearly!"

惠盎说：「在下有这种道术：任何的男孩子和女孩子看到大王一定想帮忙，一定会从心里佩服、尊重您，这样大王不只是有勇力而已，而且又贤明，所以在下认为这种道术比刚才讲的那些还要高级。大王怎么可能不喜欢这种道术呢？」宋王当然说：「是啊！喜欢啊！喜欢死了！」

Finally, Hui Ang revealed, "Your Majesty is aware that this magical power belongs to Confucius and Mocius. Take Confucius and Mocius for example. Although they did not rule a country or possess wealth, they were kings all the same. People respected them. Everyone admired and loved them. (explains: He was referring to the kind of king in people's hearts. One does not have to sit high on a throne and have huge armies, weapons or nuclear bombs, to be a king. Therefore, Confucius and Mocius were kings of some kind. That was what he meant.) They had no official titles; they did not have an army, yet they were lords." Hui Ang meant "the Lord." This was like how we revere Jesus Christ as "the Lord." If we translated Sanskrit into Chinese, we would revere Sakyamuni Buddha as "Lord Sakyamuni." During his lifetime, Jesus Christ was called "My Lord" by his disciples. When Sakyamuni Buddha was living, His disciples also called Him "My Great Lord!" "My Lord!" and "My Master!" So what Hui Ang meant was that though Confucius and Mocius did not have an army they were still kings and lords.

然后惠盎又说：「大王很明白这种道术就是属于孔子、墨子的道术。大王看看孔丘和墨翟，他们虽然没有任何的江山和财产，不过还是一样当王，大家都尊重，人人都佩服、都喜欢。（解释：这是指一种在人心里面的王。不是说应该坐在王位上面，拥有很多卫兵、刀剑、原子弹等等，才是当王，所以孔丘和墨翟也是当一种王，他意思是这样。）他们没有任何的官位、没有任何军队，不过还可以当主人。」意思说「主」啦，就像我们称呼耶稣基督为「主」。如果从梵文翻译成中文的话，我们也称呼释迦牟尼为「主释迦牟尼」。耶稣基督在世的时候，祂的徒弟都称呼祂：「我的主！（My Lord）」释迦牟尼佛在世的时候，祂的弟子也称呼祂：「我的大主！我的主人！我的师父！」所以惠盎意思说，孔丘和墨子根本没有任何的军队，也可以当王、当霸。

Then Hui Ang continued, "Not one single soul in this world upon seeing them could refrain from standing on tiptoe and straining their necks to get a look at them. People never tired of watching them and didn't even want to blink their eyes. Furthermore, no man or woman in this world, upon seeing them, could refrain from helping, supporting and revering them. This feeling rose naturally from their hearts. All people in the world would bow and worship them. They loved them so much that they would protect and do anything for them, even die for them."

惠盎继续说：「天下没有一个人看到他们不会引颈踮脚看，看都看不腻，看得眼睛都不想眨。还有，天下任何的男女孩子没有人看到他们不想帮助、不想拥护、不想敬爱的，他们自然从心发出来。天下的人看到他们都拜下去，都喜欢到这样子，还要保护他们，什么事都可以为他们做，替他们死也可以。」

What Hui Ang meant was that Confucius and Mocius had won the true heartfelt admiration of the people, without having to sit on the throne to be loved. Many people sat on the throne but no one liked them! They were even cursed or overthrown by revolutions. Therefore, when you sit on the throne and call yourself a king, it is not definite that people will like you. Conversely, Mocius and Confucius did not even have a piece of land to their names and had no wealth, officials, weapons, nothing, yet everyone who saw them loved and supported them. They wanted to stand on their toes and stretch their necks to see them for a long time, the longer the better. Therefore, Hui Ang said, "Since Your Majesty is already the king of the country, if you carry out the magical power of Confucius and Mocius, Your Majesty will definitely be even wiser and more virtuous than the two of them!"

惠盎意思说：孔丘和墨子能够赢得人家真心的敬佩，而不是坐在王位那边，人家才喜欢。有很多人坐在王位那边，却没人喜欢啊！甚至被骂死了，等一下还被革命什么的。所以不一定你坐在王位那边，你叫自己是国王，人家就喜欢你。反而墨子、孔子连一块地也没有，财产、文武百官、刀剑、枪，什么都没有，不过每个人看到他们都喜欢、都想拥护，想引颈踮脚在那边一直看，看越多越好。所以惠盎说：「大王已经是一国之君，如果又实行孔墨那种道术的话，那大王一定比他们两位还要更贤明！」
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