Acting without action

Nothing in the teaching of the way is greater than the principle of non-action, and nochting in the pattern of proper behaviour is greater than being cautious and careful. Why do we say so? In former times when emperor yu-shun governed the world, he did nothing but play the five stringed guitar and chant the poem of nanfeng. He was so still that it seems he had no intention of ruling the state, so free of care that it seemd he felt no concern in his heart for the empie, but yet the wolrd was well governed. Again, the duke of zhou instituted propriety and music, offered sacrifices to hevan and earth and to mountians and rivers. He did not maintian soldiers, the punishments were suspened and laws were not put into effect. Yet the states within the four seas came to pay homage with tribute, and even the ruler of yueshang came to have and audience through two lots of interpretation. So non-action is actually efficient action. On the other hand, qin shihuangdi establsihed executions and put into prectice the penalty of tearing culprits’ bodies in pieces with chariots in order to control the wicked and the evil, and he also built the great wall along the fontier with the barbarians in order to mekr preparation against the hu people. He sent punitive expeditions against the bis states and he annexed the small states. His authority awed the people in the world, his generals dispatched troops in all directoins to bring the foreign states into submission Meng Tian attacked the disorders withoug, Li si administered the laws within. And yet the more action they took in the empire, the more trouble developed, the more laws the legislated, the more evils were produced, with the result that the greater the army they establiched the more enemies they had. As to the Qin Dynasty, it was not that they did not want proper government, they failed because they set up too many laws and their punishments were too harsh. Therefore the superior man will put emphasis on generosity for his own protection, and he will act in accordance with the middle way in order to gain control of the remote peop.e Then the epople will rspect his authority and wil be influenced by his example. They will accept his virtue and flock to his territory, they will praise his administration and will never oppose his government. They will obey his command without feat of punishment and they will be happy to work without hope of reward. In theis way they will be deeply influenced by his moral power and they will hold fast to the middle way… So the ruler’s influence on his people is just like that of the wind which sweeps over the grass. If the ruler worships warfare at his court, then the peasants will make armour and weapons in the filds. This is the way that the sovreign controls his subjects: if the people are extravagant, he responds with thrift, if the people are proud and licentious, he controls with his good conduct. In this way, it never happens that the sovereign is benevolent and his subjects are violent, and it never happens that when a ruler gives way to others on the road, his subjects will push themselves forward…