Motse said: Those gentlemen in the world who want to practise magnanimity and righteousness cannot but examine the origin of righteousness. Since we want to examine the origin of righteousness, then where does it originate?

Motse said: Righteousness does not originate with the stupid and humble but with the honourable and wise. How do we know it does not originate with the dull and humble but with the honourable and wise? For, righteousness is the standard. How do we know righteousness is the standard? For, with righteousness the world will be orderly and without it the world will be disorderly. Therefore righteousness is known to be the standard. As the dull and the humble cannot make the standard, and only the wise and honourable can, therefore I know righteousness does not come from the stupid and humble but from the honourable and wise.

Now who is honourable and who is wise? Heaven [GOD] is honourable, GOD is wise. So, then, righteousness must originate with GOD. People in the world would say:

"That the emperor is more honourable than the feudal lords and that the feudal lords are more honourable than the ministers, we clearly see. But that GOD is more honourable and wise than the emperor, we do not see."

Motse said: I know GOD is more honourable and wise than the emperor for a reason: When the emperor practises virtue GOD rewards, when the emperor does evil GOD punishes. When there are disease and calamities the emperor will purify and bathe himself and prepare clean cakes and wine [lawful drink] to do sacrifice and libation to GOD [alone]. GOD then removes them. But I have not yet heard of GOD invoking the emperor for blessing. So I know GOD is more honourable and wise than the emperor. And, this is not all. We also learn of this from the book of the ancient kings which instructs us the vast and ineffable Tao [Way] of GOD. It says: "Brilliant and perspicacious GOD on High, who enlightens and watches over the earth below!" This shows GOD is more honourable and wise than the emperor. But is there yet any one more honourable and wise than GOD? GOD is really the most honourable and wise. Therefore, righteousness surely comes from GOD. And hence Motse said: If the gentlemen of the world really desire to follow the way and benefit the people, they must not disobey the will of GOD, the origin of magnanimity and righteousness.

Now that we must obey the will of GOD, what does the will of GOD desire and what does it abominate? Motse said: The will of GOD abominates the large state which attacks small states, the large house which molests small houses, the strong who plunder the weak, the clever who deceive the stupid, and the honoured who disdain the humble—these are what the will of GOD abominates. On the other hand, it desires people having energy to work for each other, those knowing the way to teach each other, and those possessing wealth to share with each other. And it desires the superior diligently to attend to government and the subordinates diligently to attend to their work. When the superior attends to the government diligently, the country will be orderly. When the subordinates attend to work diligently, wealth will be abundant. When the country is orderly and wealth is abundant, within the state there will be wherewith to prepare clean cakes and wine [lawful drink] to sacrifice to GOD [alone], and in relation with outside countries there will be wherewith to furnish rings, stones, pearls, and jades by which to befriend surrounding neighbours. With the grudges of the feudal lords inactive and fighting on the borders suspended, and the people within provided with food and rest, the emperor and the ministers and the superiors and subordinates will be gracious and loyal respectively, and father and son and elder and younger brothers will be affectionate and filial respectively. Therefore when the principle of obeying the will of GOD is understood and widely practised in the world, then justice and government will be orderly, the multitudes will be harmonious, the country will be wealthy, the supplies will be plenteous, and the people will be warmly clothed and sufficiently fed, peaceful and without worry. Therefore Motse said: If the gentlemen of the world really desire to follow the way and benefit the people they must carefully investigate the principle that the will of GOD is the origin of magnanimity and righteousness.

The rule of GOD over the world is not unlike the rule of the feudal lord over the state. In ruling the state does the feudal lord desire his ministers and people to work for mutual disadvantage? If leading a large state one attacks small states, if leading a large house one molests small houses—if by doing this one seeks reward and commendation (from the feudal lord) he cannot obtain it. On the contrary, punishment will visit him. Now, the rule of GOD over the world is not unlike this. If leading a large state one attacks small states, if leading a large house one molests small houses—if by doing this one seeks reward and commendation (from GOD) he cannot obtain it. On the contrary, punishment will visit him. When (man) does not do what GOD desires, but does what GOD abominates, GOD will also not do what man desires but do what he abominates. What man abominates are disease and calamities. Therefore not to do what GOD desires but do what He abominates is to lead the multitudes in the world to calamity. Therefore the ancient sage-kings studied what GOD and the spirits [angels] would bless and avoided what they would curse in order to procure benefits for the world and avoid calamities. Thereupon, GOD made heat and cold temperate, the four seasons harmonious, the Yin and Yang and rain and dew timely. The five grains are enabled to ripen and the six animals to mature. And disease, pestilence, and famine did not happen. Therefore Motse said: If the gentlemen of the world really desire to follow the Tao and benefit the people they must be mindful of the principle that the will of GOD is the origin of magnanimity and righteousness.

In the world those who lack benevolence are unfortunate. If a son does not serve his father, a younger brother does not serve his elder brother, or a subordinate does not serve his superior, then all the gentlemen of the world will call him unfortunate. Now GOD loves the whole world universally. Everything is prepared for the good of man. Even the tip of a hair is the work of GOD. Substantial may be said of the benefits that are enjoyed by man. Yet there is no service in return. And they do not even know this to be unmagnanimous and unfortunate. This is why I say the gentlemen understand only trifles and not things of importance.

Moreover I know GOD loves men dearly not without reason. GOD ordered the sun, the moon, and the stars to enlighten and guide them. GOD ordained the four seasons, Spring, Autumn, Winter, and Summer, to regulate them. GOD sent down snow, frost, rain, and dew to grow the five grains and flax and silk that so the people could use and enjoy them. GOD established the hills and rivers, ravines and valleys, and arranged many things to minister to man's good or bring him evil. He appointed the dukes and lords to reward the virtuous and punish the wicked, and to gather metal and wood, birds and beasts, and to engage in cultivating the five grains and flax and silk to provide for the people's food and clothing. This has been taking place from antiquity to the present. Suppose there is a man who is deeply fond of his son and has used his energy to the limit to work for his benefit. But when the son grows up he returns no love to the father. The gentlemen of the world will all call him unmagnanimous and miserable. Now GOD loves the whole world universally. Everything is prepared for the good of man. The work of GOD extends to even the smallest things that are enjoyed by man. Such benefits may indeed be said to be substantial, yet there is no service in return. And they do not even know this to be unmagnanimous. This is why I say the gentlemen of the world understand only trifles but not things of importance.

Yet this does not exhaust my reasons whereby I know GOD loves man dearly. It is said the murder of an innocent individual will call down a calamity. Who is the innocent? Man is. From whom is the visitation? From GOD. If GOD does not love the people dearly, why should GOD send down a visitation upon the man who murders the innocent? Thus I know GOD loves man dearly.

This is still not all by which I know GOD loves man dearly. There are those who love the people and benefit the people and obey the will of GOD and obtain reward from GOD. There are also those who hate the people and oppress the people and oppose the will of GOD and incur punishment from GOD. Who are those that love the people and benefit the people, obey the will of GOD and obtain reward from GOD? They are the ancient sage-kings of the Three Dynasties, Yao, Shun, Yü, T'ang, Wen, and Wu. What did Yao, Shun, Yü, T'ang, Wen, and Wu do? They engaged themselves in universality and not partiality (in love). Loving universally, they did not attack the small states with their large states, they did not molest the small houses with their large houses. The strong did not plunder the weak, the many did not oppress the few, the clever did not deceive the stupid, the honoured did not disdain the humble. Such a regime was agreeable to GOD above, to the spirits in the middle sphere, and to the people below. Being helpful to these three, it was helpful to all. And this was Heavenly virtue. The most excellent names in the world were gathered and attributed to them, and they were called magnanimous, righteous, beloved of man and beneficial to the people, obedient to the will of GOD and rewarded of GOD.

Besides this, it is also recorded on the bamboos and silk, cut in metals and stones, and engraved on the dishes and cups to be handed down to posterity. What is this for? It is to mark out those who loved the people and benefited them, obeyed the will of GOD and obtained reward from GOD. Thus the ode of Huang Yi says: GOD said to King Wen, "I cherish your intelligent virtue. It was not proclaimed with much noise or gesture. It was not modified after the possession of the empire. How instructively and naturally submissive to the scheme of GOD!" Because he was obedient to GOD's scheme, He rewarded him with Yin and honoured him to be emperor and enriched him with the empire. And his fame is not forgotten even unto this day. Hence we are enabled to know who are those that loved the people and benefited them, obeyed the will of GOD and obtained reward from GOD.

Now, who are those that hated the people and oppressed them, opposed the will of GOD and incurred punishment from GOD? They are the ancient wicked kings of the Three Dynasties, Chieh, Chow, Yu, and Li. What did they do? They were selfish and ungenerous. Being selfish they attacked the small states with their large states, they molested the small houses with their large houses. The strong plundered the weak, the many oppressed the few, the clever deceived the ignorant, the honoured disdained the humble. Such a regime was not helpful to GOD above, to the spirits in the middle sphere, or to the people below. Since it was not helpful to these three it was helpful to none. And they were called the enemies of GOD. The most evil names in the world were gathered and attributed to them, and they were called unmagnanimous, unrighteous, haters of man and oppressors of the people, disobedient to the will of GOD and punished by GOD. Besides this, it is also recorded on the bamboos and silk, cut in the metals and stones, and engraved on the plates and cups to be handed down to posterity. What is this for? It is to mark out those that hated the people and oppressed them, opposed the will of GOD and incurred punishment from GOD. Thus relates the Great Declaration: "Chow went beyond the proper limits and became insolent. He would not worship GOD and pushed away the ancestors and spirits without [honouring their memory]. And he said: 'Fortune is with me,' and neglected and betrayed his duty. GOD thereupon deserted him and withdrew His protection." GOD deserted Chow and withdrew His support because Chow opposed the will of GOD. Hence we are enabled to know who are those that hated the people and oppressed them, opposed the will of GOD and incurred punishment from GOD.

Therefore the will of GOD is like the compasses to the wheelwright and the square to the carpenter. The wheelwright tests the circularity of every object in the world with his compasses, saying: "That which satisfies my compasses is circular. That which does not is not circular." Therefore whether an object is circular or not is all known, because the standard of circularity is all established. The carpenter also tests the squareness of every object in the world with his square, saying: "That which satisfies my square is square; that which does not is not square." Therefore whether any object is square or not is all known. Why so? Because the standard of squareness is established. Similarly, with the will of GOD Motse will measure the jurisdiction and government of the lords in the empire on the one hand, and the doctrines and teachings of the multitudes in the empire on the other. If some conduct is observed to be in accordance with the will of GOD, it is called good conduct; if it is in opposition to the will of GOD it is called bad conduct. If a teaching is observed to be in accordance with the will of GOD it is called good teaching; if it is in opposition to the will of GOD it is called bad teaching. And if a government is observed to be in accordance with the will of GOD it is called good government; if it is in opposition to the will of GOD it is called bad government. With this as the model and with this as the standard, whether the lords and the ministers are magnanimous or not can be measured as (easily as) to distinguish black and white. Therefore Motse said: If the rulers and the gentlemen of the world really desire to follow the way and benefit the people they have only to obey the will of GOD, the origin of magnanimity and righteousness. Obedience to the will of GOD is the standard of righteousness.