(Translated by Sherwin Lu)

    Whatever a sage does, he always complies with the way of Heaven and Earth, takes into consideration the wishes of the living and the deceased, benefits all the people and provides them with support -- all for the realization of moral justice. When sagely people come forward and are put in important positions by the sovereign, it is good for the state and the whole population, and people with virtue and ability will come to offer their service from everywhere under heaven. 

    If one can offer some good counsel, he is a real scholar (士). If his counsel is good for the state, he is a state-level scholar (国士). So, a noble person humbles himself and follows the Tao. He uses his wisdom to get familiar with the Tao and makes efforts to put it into practice, fitting it to the varying circumstances of the world and, when necessary, restraining himself from taking hasty actions ahead of the proper time. If the ruler knows about these people and uses their service, it will be a blessing to the state.

    A vast territory and a large population are lucky conditions for a state, but if sagely scholars who are committed to the practice of Tao stay or are kept at the back seat, it is no blessing at all. Sage-kings do not count on luck for good government. They rely on the guiding principle of the Tao: they know the law of balance between Yin and Yang aspects in the Heavenly cycles, earthly environment, and human conditions and know how to do things in conformance with it; they know how to ensure that the names of things match their forms and the statuses of people match their performance.

    Without the balance and the matching, there will be no order. Names and statuses should be proper; improper ones will not last. Whoever holds onto this right principle will never fail, not matter whether he is making a first move or just responding to a situation. This applies to personal undertaking as well as to state administration. By doing so, a person can bring about successes; a state, peace. A minor state can secure its territory; a major power, the unity of all states under heaven.

    The Tao has its origin but no boundaries. You can feel its effect when you practice it; but you cannot see it if you ignore it. Things will turn for the better if you are at one with it; things will go smoothly if you abide by it. Sages of old times followed no other ways but the Tao. Knowing how the Tao works from the earthly world to Heaven, from the realm of the deceased to that of the living humans, will lend strength to the military and bring prosperity to a country. That is why ancient sages practiced the Tao only, nothing else.