Lu Aigong asked Confucius for advice on how to govern the country. Confucius replied: The methods of governing the country of King Wen and King Wu are recorded in the classics. When they were alive, these methods of statecraft could be implemented; When they died, these methods of statecraft were abolished. The way to govern people lies in paying attention to the method of governing the country, and the way of farming lies in paying attention to the planting method. The method of governing the country is like Pu Wei. Therefore, the fundamental problem of governing the country lies in obtaining virtuous people, and whether or not we can obtain virtuous people depends on the monarch's own cultivation. The so-called benevolence is to love others, and among the lovers, it is most important to be close to one's relatives; The so-called righteousness is suitable, and among the suitable, respecting the virtuous is the most important.

There is a difference between being close to relatives and being close to relatives, respecting sages and having a difference between high and low, and this thing comes into being. If you hold a lowly position and do not have the trust of your superiors, you will not be able to govern the people well. Therefore, a gentleman cannot fail to strengthen his self-cultivation; If you want to strengthen your self-cultivation, you can't stop serving your parents; If you want to serve your parents, you can't be ignorant; If you want to know people, you can't not know the principles of heaven, there are five universal norms in the world, and there are three virtues to practice these five criteria. The interaction between kings and ministers, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers, and friends, these five are the common norms in the world; Wisdom, benevolence, and courage are the virtues that are common in the world, and they are used to implement these five principles.

For these five principles, some people are born to know, some people know through learning, and some people only know when they are frustrated; No matter how you know, as long as you know, it's the same. As for the three virtues that practice these five principles, some people practice them with peace of mind, some people practice them with utilitarian purposes, and some people practice them reluctantly. No matter how it is implemented, as long as it is successful in the end, it is the same.

Confucius said: love to learn, close to wisdom; Strive to do good, close to benevolence; Know how to be ashamed, close to bravery. Knowing these three articles, you know how to cultivate yourself; If you know how to cultivate yourself, you will know how to govern the people; If you know how to govern the people, you will know how to govern the world and the country.

There are nine principles for governing the world and the country, namely, self-cultivation, respect for the sages, love for relatives, respect for important ministers, compassion for the ministers, love for the people, solicit hundreds of workers, cherish the feudal state, and appease the princes. Self-cultivation can establish morality; Respect the sage, don't be confused when you encounter problems; Dear relatives, uncles, uncles, and brothers will not resent them, and they will be at peace; Respect the ministers, and the governance of political affairs will not be confused; Be sympathetic to the ministers, and the soldiers will do their best to repay them; Love the people, and the people will be encouraged; Recruit hundreds of workers, and the goods will be sufficient; Huairou vassal country, the Quartet will be obedient; Appease the princes, and the world will be afraid.

Fasting and bathing, dressing neatly, and not doing things that are not in accordance with etiquette are the methods used to cultivate oneself; Rejecting slander, turning away from women, despising goods in favor of morality, this is the method used to encourage the virtuous; High position and generosity, good relatives are good, and evil relatives are evil, this is a method used to encourage dear relatives; There are many subordinates, and there are sufficient orders, which are used to encourage the ministers; Faithfulness to the scholars and generous gifts were used to encourage the courtiers. Servants sometimes reduced taxes, which were used to encourage the people; Daily inspections, monthly examinations, and rewards for meritorious deeds are used to encourage hundreds of workers; Welcome when you come, send off when you leave, praise more and blame less, this is the method used to Huairou vassal country; Continuing the severed lineage, restoring the fallen country, helping to pacify the country when there is turmoil in the country, supporting the country when it is in danger, accepting court appointments on time, and rewarding them handsomely when they leave and meager when they come, this is the method used to appease the princes.

There are nine principles for governing the world, and the way to implement these nine principles is to be prepared in advance. No matter what, if you are prepared in advance, you will succeed, and if you are not prepared, you will fail. If you are prepared in advance, you will not be interrupted, if you are prepared in advance, you will not be embarrassed, if you are prepared before acting, you will not make mistakes, and if you plan your path in advance, you will not be cornered. If you hold a lowly position and do not have the trust of your superiors, you will not be able to govern the people well.

There are ways to gain the trust of superiors: first of all, you must get the trust of friends, if you can't get the trust of your friends, you can't get the trust of your superiors; There are ways to gain the trust of friends: first of all, you must be filial to your parents, if you are not filial to your parents, you will not be trusted by your friends; There is a way to be filial to your parents: first of all, you must reflect on whether you are sincere, if you are not sincere, you will not be able to be filial to your parents; There is a way to make yourself sincere: first of all, you must understand what is good, and if you don't understand what is good, you can't make yourself sincere.

Sincerity, this is the rule of God; To be honest is the criterion of life. Sincerity, which is the standard of God, can be obtained without reluctance, without thinking, calmly, and every move is appropriate, and it is a saint who can do this. To be sincere, we must choose the good and hold on to it.

Study extensively, seek advice in detail, think carefully, discern clearly, and put it into practice. Unless you don't learn, if you learn but don't learn, you won't stop; Unless you don't ask, and you don't understand it, you don't stop; Unless you don't think, think and don't get results, you don't stop; Unless you do not discriminate, and you do not discriminate, you will not stop. Unless it is not implemented, and it is not implemented thoroughly, it will not stop. Others are smart, they can learn it once, and they can learn it hundreds of times; Others can learn it ten times, and they can learn it a thousand times. If we can do this, even the stupid will surely become wise, and even the weak will become strong.