People at present think that five sons are not too many and each son has five sons also, and before the death of the grandfather there are already 25 descendants. Therefore people are more and wealth Is less; they work hard and receive little.

A ruler of men faces two possible misfortunes: if he employs the worthy, the ministers will use worthiness as a pretext to rob their ruler of his power, but if he promotes men recklessly, his affairs will be neglected, and he will not prevail.

If a ruler can get rid of private crookedness and promote the public law, his people will become secure, and his state will become well ordered.

A wise ruler, when he makes his laws, is bound to find himself in conflict with the world.

If ministers forget their ruler and establish relationships with foreign powers in order to advance the interests of their confederates, there will be scant reason for subordinates to obey their superiors.

Those who serve as ministers can be compared to hands: reaching up, they take care of the head; reaching down, they take care of the feet.

He who is vain and delights in his own ability is deceived by his inferiors. When he likes to bring forth arguments and kindliness, his inferiors take advantage of his abilities.

Superior and inferior wage one hundred battles a day.

No benefit is more constant than simplicity; no happiness more constant than peace.

It is not difficult to know a thing; what is difficult is to know how to use what you know

He who claims to be sure of something for which there is no evidence is a fool, and he who acts on the basis of what cannot be proved is an imposter.

I believe it is impossible to be sure of anything.

When an enlightened ruler controls his ministers, he makes it so that ministers cannot get credit for achievements gained by overstepping the bounds of their offices or make proposals and then fail to match them with actual achievements.

The intelligent ruler does not value people who are of themselves good without rewards and punishments. Why is that? The laws of the state cannot be neglected, and it is not one man who is being ruled.

In dealing with those who share his bed, the enlightened ruler may enjoy their beauty but should not listen to their special pleas.

The severe household has no fierce slaves, but it is the affectionate mother.

The people in the well-ordered ages of the past upheld the public law and abandoned private strategies; they focused their intentions and unified their conduct. Everything they did was for the sake of being employed by the ruler.

Within the frontiers of a state, there are no more than ten people who do good of themselves, whereas if one makes it so that the people can do no wrong, the entire state can be kept peaceful.

The way is the beginning of all beings and the measure of right and wrong.

People are submissive to power, and few of them can be influenced by doctrines of righteousness.