Read, reflect, pray
Taishang Ganying Pian 08: Not using power to harm
English rendering of the Japanese reader’s section 08. The 24 divisions are this site’s editorial divisions, not original chapters.
English rendering
Oppressing subordinates for credit and flattering superiors for favor. Receiving kindness without gratitude and holding resentment without end. Scorning people and disrupting government. Rewarding injustice and punishing the innocent; killing for wealth and ruining others for position. Killing those who surrender, degrading the upright and excluding the wise. Bullying orphans and the bereaved; abandoning law for bribes. Calling right wrong and wrong right, making a light offence heavy and adding anger toward a condemned person. Knowing a fault but not correcting it; knowing good but not doing it. Implicating others in one’s own guilt, obstructing their skills and livelihoods, slandering sages and abusing the virtuous.
Reading note from this site
The commentary explains obstruction of skills through examples such as farming and medicine. It can prompt reflection on the burdens hidden behind one’s own achievements.
Chinese source passage
虐下取功，諂上希旨；受恩不感，念怨不休；輕蔑天民，擾亂國政；賞及非義，刑及無辜；殺人取財，傾人取位；誅降戮服，貶正排賢；凌孤逼寡，棄法受賂；以直為曲，以曲為直；入輕為重，見殺加怒；知過不改，知善不為；自罪引他，壅塞方術；訕謗聖賢，侵凌道德。
Based on the classical text and this site’s independently prepared Japanese rendering. Classical source edition