Motse said: To accomplish anything whatsoever one must have standards. None has yet accomplished anything without them. The gentlemen fulfilling their duties as generals and councillors have their standards. Even the artisans performing their tasks also have their standards. The artisans make square objects according to the square, circular objects according to the compasses; they draw straight lines with the carpenter's line and find the perpendicular by a pendulum. All artisans, whether skilled or unskilled, employ these five standards. Only, the skilled workers are accurate. Though the unskilled labourers have not attained accuracy, yet they do better by following these standards than otherwise. Thus all artisans follow the standards in their work.

Now, the government of the empire and that of the large states do not observe their standards. This shows the governors are even less intelligent than the artisans.

What, then, should be taken as the proper standard in government? How will it do for everybody to imitate his parents? There are numerous parents in the world but few are magnanimous. For everybody to imitate his parents is to imitate the unmagnanimous. Imitating the unmagnanimous can not be said to be following the proper standard. How will it do for everybody to follow his teacher? There are numerous teachers in the world but few are magnanimous. For everybody to imitate his teacher is to imitate the unmagnanimous. Imitating the unmagnanimous cannot be taken as following the proper standard. How will it do for everybody to imitate his ruler? There are many rulers in the world but few are magnanimous. For everybody to imitate the ruler is to imitate the unmagnanimous. Imitating the unmagnanimous cannot be taken as following the right standard. So then neither the parents nor the teacher nor the ruler should be accepted as the standard in government.

What then should be taken as the standard in government? Nothing better than following Heaven [GOD]. GOD is all-inclusive and impartial in His activities, abundant and unceasing in His blessings, and lasting and untiring in His guidance. And, so, when the sage-kings had accepted GOD as their standard, they measured every action and enterprise by GOD. What GOD desired they would carry out, what GOD abominated they refrained from.

Now, what is it that GOD desires, and what that He abominates? Certainly GOD desires to have men benefit and love one another and abominates to have them hate and harm one another. How do we know that GOD desires to have men love and benefit one another and abominates to have them hate and harm one another? Because He loves and benefits men universally. How do we know that He loves and benefits men universally? Because He claims all and accepts offerings from all. All states in the world, large or small, are cities of GOD, and all people young or old, honourable or humble, are His subjects; for they all graze oxen and sheep, feed dogs and pigs, and prepare clean wine [lawful drink] and cakes to sacrifice to GOD. Does this not mean that GOD claims all and accepts offerings from all? Since GOD does claim all and accepts offerings from all, what then can make us say that He does not desire men to love and benefit one another? Hence those who love and benefit others GOD will bless. Those who hate and harm others GOD will curse, for it is said that he who murders the innocent will be visited by misfortune. How else can we explain the fact that men, murdering each other, will be cursed by GOD? Thus we are certain that GOD desires to have men love and benefit one another and abominates to have them hate and harm one another.

The ancient sage-kings, Yü, T'ang, Wen, and Wu loved the people of the world universally, leading them to reverence GOD and [honour] the spirits [angels]. Many were their benefits to the people. And, thereupon GOD blessed them, establishing them emperors; and all the feudal lords of the empire showed them respect. (On the other hand) the wicked kings, Chieh, Chow, Yu, and Li, hated all the people in the world, seducing the people to curse GOD and ridicule the spirits [angels]. Great were their injuries to the people. Thereupon GOD brought them calamity, depriving them of their empire and their lives; and posterity condemned them to this day. Chieh, Chow, Yu, and Li, then, are those that committed evil and were visited by calamities. And, Yü, T'ang, Wen, and Wu are those that loved and benefited the people and obtained blessings. Thus we have those who obtained blessings because they loved and benefited the people as well as those who were visited by calamities because they hated and harmed the people.