Response to Emperors (4)

1 Yang Ziju asked Laotse, “A man is strong and tough-minded, and what’s more he is sensible and diligent in learning Tao. Do you think that a man like this could be regarded as a good leader?”

2 Laotse replied, “Men like this can only be regarded as a duteous civil servant or a competent technician. We can’t say that they are sage kings or good leaders.

3 A saying goes like this: We prey tiger and leopard because we need their hide; we catch monkey because it is agile in performance; we breed hound because it can help us to prey fox.

4 Just like tools, those competent men may be made use of. They are far from the standard of ideal leader.”

5 Yangzi Ju didn’t fully understand Laotse’s saying. He frowned and said, “Please tell me how the so-called sage king governs a country?”

6 Laotse said, “Sage king’s governance has overall influence on his country but the influence is unobtrusive and imperceptible. On the surface, People are independent and self-supported; people don’t live on his direct assistance and can not experience his influence clearly.

7 But, his influence will change overall people’s life style.

8 In my opinion, an ideal sage king or sage should be very profound and recessive in action, without any pressure on his people. However, this invisible influence is so far-reaching and eventually beneficial to the people everywhere.”