Water can carry boats and capsize boats, and there is nothing at all that has been taken

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty adopted a policy of relieving punishment, leniency and reassuring the people, lightening the burden of meager endowments, and recuperation. At the same time, Tang Taizong not only attached importance to strengthening national defense and quelling border troubles, but also devoted himself to improving ethnic relations, exchanging contacts with ethnic minorities in border areas, and living in peace.

Tang Taizong knew very well that "the only way to win people is to win people", and the key to making the strategy of governing the country go smoothly lies in recruiting talented people and knowing people well, so they are entrusted with important tasks regardless of their qualifications and backgrounds, regardless of relatives and grievances.

Jun, Zhou also; people, water also; Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat. ”

The fact that water can carry a boat and overturn a boat shows that the ruler is like a ship and the people are like water, and water can not only make the boat sail safely, but also overturn and swallow the boat and sink it in the water, indicating that it is beneficial if things are used properly, and vice versa.

How to avoid the danger of overturning, "Xunzi" gives a clear answer. After quoting "the water will carry the boat, and the water will overturn the boat", he then earnestly enlightened: "If the gentleman wants to be safe, then he will love the people; If you want to be glorious, you will pay tribute to the people; If you want to make a meritorious name, you can do it if you are still virtuous.

It is the great festival of the gentleman. ”

If the ruler wants to be prosperous and famous, so that the water can carry the boat smoothly, he should be peaceful and love the people, pay respects to the people, and be virtuous. Xunzi believes that for the ruler, these are all major events related to life and death, and they are also long-term peace and stability.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat" means that the ruler is compared to a boat, and the common people are likened to water, which can not only allow the boat to sail safely on the water, but also overturn and submerge the ship, so that the ship sinks in the water. It means that if things are used properly, they will be beneficial, and if they are not, they will be harmful. Additional Information:

Source: Xunzi. "Mourning the Gong" is a dialogue between Confucius and Lu Aigong told by Xunzi.

Lu Aigong asked Confucius: "The widow is born in the deep palace, and he is longer than the hands of a woman. Confucius said:

What the king asks, what the sage asks, how can the mound and the villain know it? Lu Aigong said: "If it is not my son, I have nothing to hear."

Confucius said: "Jun enters the temple gate and right, climbs the steps from the giggard, looks up at the building, looks down on a few feasts, its utensils exist, its people die, the king thinks about it, then the mourning will not come?" Jun is cool and crowned, plain and listen to the court, a thing should not be, the end of the chaos is also, the king is worried about this, then the worry will not come?

The king is clear and listens to the court, and the sun is receding, and the descendants of the princes must have those who are in the last court of the king. Jun out of the four gates of Lu, in order to look at the suburbs of Lu, the void of the country will have a number of covers, Jun is afraid of this, then afraid of the will not come? And Qiu Wenzhi, the monarch, the boat also; Those who are familiar with the people, the water is also.

The water will carry the boat, and the water will overturn the boat. ”

This sentence tells the story of Tang Taizong, who went to talk to his son Li Zhi about governing the country. He likened the people to water. That is to say, water can both move and destroy the ship.

This tells the story of Tang Taizong, who has always been a very strict person with himself, and he understands the importance of the people to the country.

The meaning of the phrase that water can carry a boat and can also capsize a boat is to compare the emperor to a giant ship, and the people to the rivers, lakes and seas that support this giant ship, which reflects a very profound people-oriented thinking.