Book VIII 537“Kŭnjŏngjŏn and Kŭnjŏngmun were named based on the following
reason: all matters under heaven are managed when one is diligent, and
when one is not, they fail to be managed, and this is absolutely inevitable. If
trivial matters are like that, how much more the serious affairs of state? The
Classic of Documents says, ‘Admonish yourself to caution, when there seems
to be no occasion for anxiety. Do not fail to observe the laws and ordinances.’^41
It also says, ‘Let not (the Son of Heaven) set to the holders of states the
example of indolence or dissoluteness. Let him be wary and fearful, (remem-
bering that) in one day or two days there may occur ten thousand springs of
things. Let him not have his various officers [be] cumberers of their places.
The work is Heaven’s; men must act for it!’^42 These counsels indicate how
diligent Emperor Shun and Yu the Great were. The Classic of Documents also
says, ‘From sunrise to sunset, [the king] made relentless efforts to stabilize
the livelihood of the people, even forgetting his meals.’ This testifies to the
diligence of King Wen of Zhou. The Lord of Men cannot but be diligent like
that. However, he can easily become complacent and arrogant if he falls into
a life of ease. When this happens, he will find himself pursued by those who
try to tempt him by flattering words, such as ‘Why should you exhaust your
energy and cut your life short because of your work under heaven?’ or
‘Having already attained the highest position, why should you toil alone,
undertaking the weight of all the troubles?’ Then these people induce the
Lord of Men to indulge in entertainment with female musicians or hunting
or playing games or starting [unnecessary] public works, which are all dis-
reputable and improper. Then he mistakes these flatteries for affection for
him and naturally falls into dissoluteness and idleness while unaware of the
danger of their consequences. This is what makes the Han and Tang rulers
inferior to those of the Three Dynasties. How, then, can the Lord of Men not
be diligent even a day? However, if the Lord of Men knows only that he
should be diligent, not knowing how he should be diligent, his diligence
will turn into something that is too cumbersome and meticulous so that
there will be nothing worth observing about his diligence.
“Confucians of former times said, ‘In the morning, [the ruler] attends
to state affairs; at noon, takes counsel; in the evening, prepares laws; and at
- “The Counsels of the Great Yü,” Classic of Documents (Legge, p. 47)
- “The Counsels of Gaoyao,” Classic of Documents (Legge, p. 55)