The Three Guards

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

3.8

Word count: 582 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

A ruler has three things to guard. If these three guards are kept intact, the state is secure and the ruler honored; if they are not kept intact, the state is in danger and the ruler in peril. What are the three guards? When ministers discuss the faults of those in power, the errors of those handling affairs, and the true circumstances of their fellow officials, if the ruler does not keep this in his heart but leaks it to his favorites and able men, then ministers who wish to speak dare not fail to first accommodate the wishes of those favorites and able men before bringing their words to the ruler. In that case, upright and straightforward men cannot gain audience, and the loyal and honest grow daily more distant. If he loves a man but does not benefit him solely on that account, waiting for praise before benefiting him; and hates a man but does not harm him solely on that account, waiting for censure before harming him—then the ruler loses his authority, and weight shifts to those around him. If he dislikes the burden of governing himself and lets the assembled ministers converge to handle affairs, thereby transferring the handle and shifting the leverage, so that the power over life and death and the authority to take and give rest with high ministers—in such a case he is encroached upon. This is what is meant by the three guards not being kept intact. When the three guards are not kept intact, that is the omen of usurpation and murder.

Editor's review

"The Three Guards" is an ancient political essay on the art of rulership, centered on the principle that "if the three guards are kept intact, the state is secure and the ruler honored; if not, the state is in danger and the ruler in peril." It argues that if a ruler carelessly leaks ministers' discussions of the faults of those in power, the errors of those handling affairs, and the true circumstances of officials to his favorites and able men, outspoken men will not dare to speak upward and the loyal and upright will grow daily more distant; if rewards and punishments are meted out only after praise or censure, the ruler will lose his authority and the handle of power will fall to those around him; and if he dislikes the burden of governing himself and lets the assembled ministers converge to handle affairs, the power over life and death and the authority to take and give will shift to high ministers, forming the omen of encroachment. The essay is clearly structured, taking "the three guards" as its framework and analyzing the risks of governance from three sides—secrecy of speech, independence in reward and punishment, and retention of the handle of power—in concise language with a strong warning tone. It is suitable as a short close-reading text for understanding ancient political thought.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese political thought and discourses on governance
Students of literature and history needing a short classical Chinese political essay for close reading
Reflective readers concerned with the exercise of power and the keeping of information, who enjoy classical texts
Teachers looking for a short argumentative classical Chinese text for instruction

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a complete long historical work or systematic political theory
Beginners who struggle with classical Chinese and need line-by-line vernacular translation
Readers seeking only light, story-driven reading with no interest in political argument

Reading tips

Read through once, marking what each of the "three guards" refers to, then revisit the argument paragraph by paragraph.
Excerpt the three layers of warning—leakage of speech, reward and punishment, and the handle of power—into short sentences.
Check the meanings of key terms with reference works; avoid directly applying modern senses to classical concepts.
After reading, summarize in your own words the chain of consequences of "the three guards not being kept intact" to test your understanding.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
三守第十六

FAQ

What exactly are the three aspects of the "three guards"?

As the text argues: first, the ruler must keep in his heart, without leaking to favorites and able men, ministers' discussions of the faults of those in power, the errors of those handling affairs, and the true circumstances of officials; second, reward and punishment must be independent, not benefiting only after praise nor harming only after censure; third, he must not dislike the burden of governing himself and hand the handle of power to the assembled ministers, letting the power over life and death and the authority to take and give fall into the hands of high ministers.

Is this essay suitable for beginners in classical Chinese?

Not very suitable for absolute beginners. It is an ancient political essay with abstract concepts and compact syntax, requiring some classical Chinese reading ability. Those with a foundation can work through it paragraph by paragraph with reference works; complete beginners are advised to start with short narrative classical texts before returning to argumentative writing of this kind.

How does reading this short text help in understanding ancient political thought?

It concentrates ancient reflections on how a ruler maintains authority and controls information and the handle of reward and punishment. Its warnings about favorites and able men, ministers handling affairs, and the shifting of the handle of power can serve as a concrete sample of the "ruler holding power himself" line of thinking in traditional political discourse, suitable for comparative reading alongside other short political essays.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.