Winning Through Virtue

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Original Chinese text

English translation

Mencius said: 'One who uses force while borrowing the name of benevolence becomes a hegemon; to become a hegemon, one must have a large state. One who uses virtue to practice benevolence becomes a true king; to become a true king, one need not wait until the state is large. Tang did it with seventy li, and King Wen with a hundred li. Those who make people submit by force do not win their hearts' submission; it is only that their strength is insufficient. Those who make people submit by virtue win their hearts' joyful and sincere submission, as the seventy disciples submitted to Confucius. The Book of Songs says: 'From west and east, from south and north, there is no one who does not submit.' This is what it means.'

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