Ten thoughts of Emperor Taizong:
When I hear the elders asking for wood, I will consolidate their roots; Those who want to flow far away will dig their springs; A man who considers national security will accumulate his morality. The source is not deep, but it flows far. Roots are not solid, but seek the length of wood. Morality is not thick, thinking about the country. Although I am stupid and know it is impossible, it is wise to size up the situation! When a person is an artifact, he is a big territory, he will worship the rigor of the sky and always guard the boundless rest. Don't think about being prepared for danger in times of peace, abstain from extravagance and thrift, virtue is not thick, and feelings are not desirable. Si also cut the roots to make the wood prosperous, and the source of the plug wants to flow to the old.
Every hundred heads of state, bearing the fate of heaven and scenery, are worried and talk about it, and they are successful and morally declining. Those who start well are complicated, but those who can resist to the end are few. Is it difficult to take away the easy things and keep them? In the past, this was more than enough, but today it is not enough. Why? When the husband is worried, he will wait wholeheartedly; If you succeed, you will be addicted to pride. The five mountains wholeheartedly are an organic whole, while the proud things are connected by flesh and blood. Although Dong Zhi was angered by severe punishment, he refused to show mercy in the end, and was respectful and unconvinced. Resentment is not great, but people are to be feared; It is advisable to be cautious when transporting a boat and capsizing it; A sports car is a dead rope, but it can also be sudden!
If you are a gentleman, if you can see and have desires, you will think about contentment and self-discipline; If you can do things, you will want to go to Zhi Zhi to help others; When you think of high risk, you will think of modesty and self-grazing; Afraid of flooding, I think about rivers and lakes; If you are worried about laziness, you will think of caution and respect for results; If you are worried about covering up, you will think about humility and acceptance; When you think of evil, you will think of modesty and arrogance; Be grateful, and you will be grateful. To sum up, these ten thoughts are full of virtues, simple and powerful, and if you choose goodness and follow it, the wise will do their best, the brave will do their best, the benevolent will spread their interests, and believers will serve their loyalty. If you have nothing to do, you can enjoy traveling in Henan, keep loose and live longer, and play the piano without saying anything. Why bother to think hard, take over the responsibility, serve the eyes and ears of wisdom, and lose the way of inaction!
Translation:
It is said that if a tree wants to grow well, it must be firmly rooted; If you want spring to flow far away, you must drain its source; If you want national stability, you must accumulate morality, benevolence and righteousness. If the source is not deep, the spring water will flow far away, if the root is not firm, the tree will be high, and if the morality is not deep, the country will be stable. Although I am stupid, I (also) know that this is impossible, not to mention that (you) are smart and wise (people)! The monarch is in an important position as an emperor, and he respects the greatness between heaven and earth. He must respect the majesty of imperial power and always safeguard the peace and beauty of the regime. If we don't think about danger in a comfortable environment and abstain from extravagance and thrift, morality can't be generous and temperament can't overcome desire. It's like digging roots to make trees flourish, blocking sources to make springs flow far away!
All emperors accepted the great mission entrusted by heaven. None of them is deeply worried about the country and has made remarkable achievements in governance, but once their achievements are completed, their virtue will decline. The monarch did a lot of good things at first, but few of them persisted. Is it easy to keep the world? At the beginning, there were many talents in the world, but now there are few talents in keeping the world. What is the reason? Because I am in deep anxiety, I will be able to treat my subjects sincerely. After success, indulge yourself and look down on the temperament of others. If you do your best, you will unite hostile forces against yourself; If you look down on others, you will make the person you love become a stranger. It is to reprimand (people) with severe punishment and law, and to scare (people) with lofty spirit. In the end, people just want to escape punishment and don't miss thanking the monarch for his kindness. They are respectful on the surface, but they are not convinced in their hearts. The resentment towards the monarch is not the size, but the terrible strength of the people; They can be loaded or overturned, so we should be careful. Can we ignore driving a galloping carriage with rotten ropes?
People who rule the world, if they can really see things that can arouse their own (own) preferences, should think of self-restraint with satisfaction, think of moderation to stabilize people's hearts when building something, think of modesty to strengthen self-restraint when thinking of a high throne, think of being downstream of many rivers like rivers and seas when fearing complacency, think of keeping a net on three sides when enjoying hunting, and be cautious when worrying about lax will. Worried about being deceived, I thought of humbly adopting the opinions of my liegeman. Considering that the DPRK may have evil deeds, I want to correct myself (ability) to oust evil deeds. When I impose kindness, what I think is not to reward inappropriately because of happiness. When I use punishment, I think of not abusing punishment because I am angry. Do these ten things that should be thought deeply in an all-round way, carry forward these nine virtues, choose talents and appoint people, choose good and listen to their words. Then the wise man can exert his strategy, the brave man can exert his strength, the good man can spread his favor, and the honest man can give his loyalty. Civil servants and military commanders are scrambling to come to work. The monarch has no big troubles, can enjoy the pleasure of traveling, can live as long as Wang Ziqiao and Pinus densiflora, and the emperor can play the piano and hang clothes to govern the world. Needless to say, everyone in the world is educated. Why bother (yourself) instead of liegeman management, cultivate your sensitive and bright ears and eyes, and detract from the principle that you can govern the world by letting nature take its course!
Precautions:
Length (zh ǐ ng): growth. In this case, it means to grow well.
Consolidate its foundation: make it fundamentally stable. Benshu root.
Dredge (jùn): Dredge, dig deep.
Fool: a person with low status and shallow knowledge.
Wisdom: Smart and wise.
When the artifact is heavy: it is in the important position of the emperor. Artifact, refers to the mercy. In ancient times, it was thought that "the monarch was given by God", so the throne was called "artifact".
Between heaven and earth.
Hugh: Beautiful. This refers to the peace and beauty of the regime.
Every hundred heads of state: all heads of state, generally referring to ancient emperors.
Accept the destiny of heaven: undertake the great mission entrusted by heaven. King, big.
Yin worry: deep worry.
Reality: Indeed.
Probably not many people can make it to the end. Dick, yes. Guy, show a speculative tone.
Pride: look down on others. Things, here refers to people.
The five mountains are one: (as long as you treat each other sincerely) although North and South, you can form a family. Wu refers to the north; Yue, refers to the south.
Blood is the road: blood will become like a stranger. People related by blood. Walking, passers-by, metaphor has nothing to do with people.
Dong: Supervisor.
Vibration: through the "shock", it is shocking.
Forgiveness without forgiveness: (subjects) only seek exemption from punishment without losing Xie Jun's benevolence.
Resentment is not great: (subjects) have a great resentment towards the monarch.
Only people are terrible: only people are terrible. People should write "people" and "people" because they avoid the name of the emperor Li Shimin.
Carrying a boat, capsizing it: Metaphorically, the people can support the emperor and overthrow his rule. From Xunzi Wang Zhi: "The monarch, the boat also; Shu Ren, water also. Water can carry a boat or overturn it. "
See what you want: see what can arouse (a person's) preference. From the third chapter of Laozi, "Don't see desire, so that people's hearts will not be chaotic." The following "contentment" and "Zhi Zhi" (knowing what it is, enough is enough) come from Chapter 44 of Laozi, "Knowing what it is, not humiliating its body" and "knowing what it is, not endangering its body".
Will do sth: A building will be built. Work, prosperity, construction.
An Ren: An Min, let the people have peace.
Thinking about high risk: thinking about the throne. Dangerous, high.
Then I am modest and self-grazing: I want to be modest and strengthen my self-cultivation. Rush, modesty. Grazing, restraint.
Rivers and seas run: rivers and seas are the downstream of many rivers. Below, below.
Disk tour: hunting for fun.
Three drives: According to legend, the ancient sage king only stopped at three sides when hunting, and deliberately cast a net, which reflected the sage's "good life". Another explanation is that hunting is carried out three times a year.
In the end: finish things seriously.
Worry (yōyōng) cover: worry about whether (speaking) will be cheated. Stop, jam.
Think evil: think evil (which may appear in North Korea). Speak ill of others, spread rumors and slander. Evil, unseemly.
Face evil honestly: make yourself right (talented) and drive out evil. Abolish, refuse, recall.
Hiroko Nine Virtues: Carry forward these nine virtues. Nine virtues refer to loyalty, faithfulness, respect, rigidity, softness, harmony, practicality, restraint and obedience.
Jane: Choose.
Effect: here.
Qiao Song: Red pine nuts and Wang Ziqiao, immortals in ancient legends.
Hanging arch: clothes hanging handover. It is easy to realize rectification in the world.
Inaction: Taoism advocates quietness and let nature take its course.