110 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
first time ascended the throne to comply with the will of Heaven. The
Classic of Documents said, ‘The Lord on High [dwelling in] the great heavens
has changed his decree respecting his great son and the great dynasty of
Yin. Our king has received that decree. Unbounded is the happiness con-
nected with it, and unbounded is the anxiety: Oh! How can he be other than
reverent?’^11
“So-called reverence is central to the mind, serving as the foundation of
all things. Therefore, one needs it all the time, whether one worships and
performs the sacrifices to the Lord on High, which is a great priority, or one
follows a daily routine such as rising, sleeping, eating and resting, which is
of relatively less priority.
“King Tang and King Wu of Zhou were able to prosper because they
respected the will of Heaven and conducted themselves cautiously day and
night. King Jie of Xia and King Zhou of Shang,^12 on the other hand, brought
themselves to ruin because they failed to practice reverence, only disre-
garding virtue and displaying power.
“If you look back on history, suppression and rebellion and the rise and
fall [of states] are all related to that. The so-called “reverence” alone is the
beginning of the king’s good reign. Now is the start of your reign, when
Your Majesty has risen to the throne. Establishing a sound government and
leaving a good legacy for posterity depend on this day, and the blessings
and curses on your dynasty, as well as the duration of your kingdom ordained
by Heaven, also depend on this day.
“If Your Majesty always comports yourself reverently as if in the pres-
ence of the Lord on High, and is constantly mindful that you are under his
scrutiny, and takes care not to lapse into depraved thought in conducting
your affairs, your reverence will impress Him and your kingdom will
prosper. Since the matters of priority that need to be done are recorded in
detail and are illustrated for your perusal, we request that you accept and
execute them so that your achievements can serve as a model for all ages.
“First is to establish order and discipline [among officialdom]. The one
who rules well is more concerned about the lack of order and discipline than- This address was made by Shi, Duke of Zhao (or Shao), to King Cheng. Shi is pre-
sumed to be one of King Wen’s ten sons. He made great contributions to founding the new
Zhou dynasty and became grand guardian of King Cheng who was still young. “Announcement
of the Duke of Shao, ” Shu Ching, Book of History, p162-3. Translation is slightly revised. - King Jie is the last ruler of the Xie dynasty, and King Zhou the last ruler of the Shang
dynasty. They are both traditionally regarded as tyrant and oppressor.