(Translated by Sherwin Lu)

The eternal law of Heaven governs everything. Under its constant sway runs the earthly world. Only when standing by all the people, can one partake of the divine glory.

Haughtiness, belligerence, and conspiracy lead to disasters. The Yang tendency of aggressiveness invites punishment and destruction. And taking without giving will end in losing the whole country. Neighboring weaker states may yield to the aggressive one but distant ones will detest and reject it. Any act against the Heavenly law will backfire on the instigator. Nobody can reverse it.

Heaven detests high-handedness; the Earth detests aggressive expansion; the people detest brutality. If not rectified, the high-handed will be dumped by Heaven; the expansionist, expelled by the Earth; the brutal, executed by the people. 

When judging a candidate for an official position, we need to observe him with our eyes. If what he does is at one with what he says, we should definitely use him and be sure not to lose him. If someone sounds brilliant in his words but does not match them with earnest actions, then we should not entrust him with important duties.

As we know, words should speak one’s mind; facial expression should lay bare one’s heart; and temperament should reflect one’s soul. So, if someone makes a verbal promise but does not care to realize it by action, it is called cheating. Once a promise is made, it should always be followed by action for its realization.

As upstanding trees are likely to be cut, so upstanding persons are likely to be persecuted. That is because, since Heaven and Earth assumed distinguishing forms and names to humans, the formless and nameless (Tao) that precedes the Heaven-Earth distinction has not struck root in all human hearts yet, as is evidenced in so many existing instances of name-form discrepancy.