Verse 3-Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 22
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Verse 3-Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 22
English
King Wu asked Tai Gong Wang: "I want to know the essence of employing men." Tai Gong Wang replied: "Your rewards should be like mountains, your punishments like streams. When carrying out punishment and rewards, makes no errors, the next is to correct mistakes immediately, if any. As such there would not be disputes. Now anyone who, when about to be punished, requests that he not be punished should die. Anyone who, when about to be rewarded, requests that he not be rewarded should die. Attack a country when it has major changes. Observe their display of riches in order to observe their poverty. Observe their display of weaknesses in order to determine their 'illnesses'. If the ruler is immoral and the people disaffected, in cases such as these, one has a basis for attack."
Modern
周武王问太公望说：“我想用最少时间来了解用人的要领。” 太公望说：“奖励好人好事，要象高山那样的坚定不秽，惩罚坏人坏事，要象溪水那样的通行无阻。执行赏罚最重要的是不发生差错，其次是有了差错及时纠正，这就不合使人背后议论了。凡是有罪当罚而请求不罚的处死，有功当赏而请求不赏的处死。讨伐别的国家，必须利用它国内的变乱。观察它的财政情况，看它是否穷困，观察它国内的弊端，看它有何危机，看它上层是否专横暴戾，下层是否离心离德，有了这些情况就是有了可以讨我伐的因素。”
Original
武王问太公望曰：“吾欲少闻而极用人之要。” 望对曰：“赏如山，罚如溪。太上无过，其次补过，使人无得私语。诸罚而请不罚者死，诸赏而请不赏者死。伐国必因其变，示之财以观其穷，示之弊以观其病，上乖下离，若此之类是伐之因也。”
Applications
From: Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 22