Humane Government and Invincibility
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English translation
Original Chinese text
孟子曰:「尊賢使能,俊杰在位,則天下之士皆悅而愿立於其朝矣。市,廛而不征,法而不廛,則天下之商皆悅而愿藏於其市矣。關,譏而不征,則天下之旅皆悅而愿出於其路矣。耕者,助而不稅,則天下之農皆悅而愿耕於其野矣。廛,無夫、里之布,則天下之民皆悅而愿為之氓矣。信能行此五者,則鄰國之民仰之若父母矣。率其子弟攻其父母,自有生民以來未有能濟者也。如此,則無敵於天下。無敵於天下者,天吏也。然而不王者,未之有也。」
English translation
Mencius said: If a ruler honors the worthy, employs the capable, and places outstanding talents in office, then all the scholars of the world will be pleased and willing to stand in his court. In the marketplace, if he provides warehouses for storing goods without taxing them and buys goods according to law so that they are not left accumulating, then all the merchants of the world will be pleased and willing to store their goods in his marketplace. At the passes, if he only inspects and does not tax, then all the travelers of the world will be pleased and willing to travel along his roads. For those who farm, if he requires only communal-field assistance and does not levy additional taxes, then all the farmers of the world will be pleased and willing to farm in his fields. In residential areas, if he does not levy the fu and li cloth taxes, then all the people of the world will be pleased and willing to become his subjects. If he truly can practice these five things, then the people of neighboring states will look up to him as they look up to parents. If one leads one's own younger brothers and sons to attack their parents, from the time there have been people, there has never been anyone able to succeed. In this way, he will have no enemy in the world. One who has no enemy in the world is an officer of Heaven. Yet for such a one not to become king—there has never been such a thing.