29 Nine Virtues

A2.18

Gaoyao served as the chief judicial officer to govern the people. There was one time when Emperor Shun went to court, Yu, Boyi, and Gaoyao came forward to talk to Emperor Shun. Gaoyao described his ideas and said: "Believe in his morality, seek wisdom, and assist in peace." Yu said: "Well, how?" Gaoyao said: "All right then! Be cautious and be self-disciplined, make plans in long term, and stay connected with your people in an orderly fashion, and have all those smart and capable ones surrounding you as assistants like your wings, then your administration nearby will be able to go far away." Yu bowed down and praised his words, saying, "That's it." Gaoyao added, "Ah! It all depends on knowing your people and making good use of their talents, and also knowing how to comfort the people." Yu said: "Alas! If this is the case, even Emperor Yao will find it difficult. It takes wisdom to know people’s talents and appoint them as officials; it's benevolence to be able to comfort the people so that they will be grateful. If you can do them both, then there would be no need to bother about Huan Dou, no need to exile Sanmiao, and no worries about the ones with eloquent words but with vicious intentions?" Gaoyao said: "Yes, that’s right! People are different and there are nine different kinds of moral characters. While you are listening to the words someone is saying, you also need to look at his moral character." Then he said: "When you start doing something, be generous but serious, be gentle but firm, be determined but cooperative, be imperious but respectful, be persistent and resolute, be straightforward but amiable, be simple and frugal, be decisive and practical, be strong and righteous, to say if all of these nine virtues become the norms of your day, that's great, you will get things done. Each day, if you show three moral qualities, and follow them through diligently from morning to night, you will be named a senior official. If you can show six moral qualities rigorously and respectfully every day and use them to assist the emperor, you can be named a prince. If you accept them all and apply them universally, you can arrange ministries for people with nine kinds of moral character, let people with outstanding talents get official positions, and all officials can be respectful and cautious. And don't allow indulgence and conspiracy, and if the incompetent people get in official positions, it will disturb the destiny of heaven. The Heaven wants to punish those guilty ones and will execute them according to the legal procedures of Five Punishments and Five Uses! Can what I just said be successfully implemented? " Yu said: "Yes, what you said can be successfully implemented." Gaoyao said: "I do not know that much, I am only thinking about how to govern the country!"

皋陶作士以理民。帝舜朝，禹、伯夷、皋陶相与语帝前。皋陶述其谋曰：“信其道德，谋明辅和。”禹曰：“然，如何？”皋陶曰：“于！慎其身脩，思长，敦序九族，众明高翼，近可远在已。”禹拜美言，曰：“然。”皋陶曰：“于！在知人，在安民。”禹曰：“吁！皆若是，惟帝其难之。知人则智，能官人；能安民则惠，黎民怀之。能知能惠，何忧乎驩兜，何迁乎有苗，何畏乎巧言善色佞人？”皋陶曰：“然，于！亦行有九德，亦言其有德。”乃言曰：“始事事，宽而栗，柔而立，愿而共，治而敬，扰而毅，直而温，简而廉，刚而实，强而义，章其有常，吉哉。日宣三德，蚤夜翊明有家。日严振敬六德，亮采有国。翕受普施，九德咸事，俊乂在官，百吏肃谨。毋教邪淫奇谋。非其人居其官，是谓乱天事。天讨有罪，五刑五用哉。吾言厎可行乎？”禹曰：“女言致可绩行。”皋陶曰：“余未有知，思赞道哉。”