Zizhang Asks About Taking Office

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.9

Word count: 1.3K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The saying "When water is too clear, there are no fish; when a person is too scrutinizing, there are no followers" comes from "Zi Zhang Asks About Entering Office" in the Dai Liji (Ritual Records of Dai the Elder); the "Biography of Dongfang Shuo" in the Book of Han uses it in the same way. Later people often use it to advise that one should not be too harsh in blaming others or too severe in viewing problems, for otherwise people will be afraid and unwilling to deal with one, just as water too clear cannot sustain fish. But nowadays some people like to depart from the original meaning of this saying and use it to urge that nothing need be taken seriously, that one should let others off wherever possible, and even that when they see people or things harmful to the people's interests they should shut one eye and let things drift, being lenient where they should not be. This calls for discussion. It should be admitted that the saying has survived to this day mainly because it has the positive meaning of advising people to be less exacting and more tolerant in dealing with others. Some comrades today, especially some leading cadres, have not correctly understood this positive meaning but treat it as a philosophy of getting along in the world based on "compassion," remaining uniformly tolerant and accommodating even when they should be scrutinizing, especially when facing problems and contradictions, which they regard with indifference and let drift, acting as "nice guys." Little do they know that such "compassion" not only fails to win most people's goodwill and the so-called "popularity," but easily makes people resent them.

Editor's review

"Zi Zhang Asks About Entering Office" comes from the Dai Liji and discusses the way of governing the people as an official; its most widely circulated line is "When water is too clear, there are no fish; when a person is too scrutinizing, there are no followers." Its original sense is to remind those in power not to be too exacting toward others, but later ages often extended it to mean that nothing need be taken seriously and that one should shut one eye to things. The value of the text collected in this book lies precisely in restoring the line to its original context, so that readers see it speaks of the measure between leniency and severity, not of abandoning principle. This Bashu Press edition makes it easy for beginners to approach ritual-learning texts, and the annotations help clarify wording and institutional background. Read it with the question "where are the boundaries of tolerance?" in mind: minor faults may be forgiven, but matters harmful to the public good may not. This short piece holds a double wisdom of handling affairs and of dealing with people, and it may be read alongside relevant chapters of the Analects to appreciate the layers of pre-Qin Confucian political thought.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Confucian ritual learning and the way of serving as an official
Students of history and literature who need an introductory reader of selections from the Dai Liji
General readers who want to clarify the original meaning of "When water is too clear, there are no fish"
People in government or management work willing to reflect on the measure of leniency and severity

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting to read the whole Dai Liji systematically
Those who want only maxims for getting along and will not examine the original context
Purely literary readers uninterested in ancient ritual institutions and political discourse

Reading tips

Read the original and annotations first to confirm the context of governing the people denoted by "entering office," then understand the famous line's original sense.
Compare "When water is too clear, there are no fish" with its use in the "Biography of Dongfang Shuo" in the Book of Han and observe how the meaning shifted.
Write a few short notes on real cases of leniency and severity, distinguishing faults that may be forgiven from matters that may not.
Read alongside chapters of the Analects on leniency, scrutiny, and trust, comparing the emphases of Confucian political thought.

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.

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FAQ

Does "When water is too clear, there are no fish" originally urge people not to be serious?

No. In this text's context it advises those in power not to be too exacting toward others, lest they lose people they could work with; it speaks of leniency and severity having their measure. To take it as meaning that nothing need be taken seriously and principles may be abandoned is a later extension, even a misreading.

To which classic does "Zi Zhang Asks About Entering Office" belong?

It comes from the Dai Liji and is one of its chapters discussing the way of governing the people as an official. This book is an edition of selected chapters collated by Bashu Press, convenient for beginners; it is not the complete work.

Do I need to understand ritual institutions first to read this?

Not necessarily, but some knowledge of ancient official institutions and the Confucian background of political discussion helps. It is advisable to use the annotations to clear up the wording first, then grasp the chapter's views on scrutiny, instruction, and dealing with people.

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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.