Article seventeen of the Constitution/十七条の憲法

Guzekannon which is considered as large as Prince Shotoku is enshrined in Yumedono.

The seventeen-Article Constitution is the oldest Japanese law in existence.
It was authored by Prince Shotoku and was enacted by Empress Suiko in 604A.D.
Unlike the current constitution, it consists of morals.

Article 1 (translated from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan)
Harmony should be respected and order should be valued.
Human beings with the same opinions and thought tend to gather and start making a group.
Also it’s rare to be a master of the art of living.
Therefore, human beings are disobedient to their masters and fathers.
Instantly, human beings are in discord with neighbors.
However, when people keep harmony with their seniors, keep in peace with juniors, and have concert in discussion, things will be going well naturally.
There is no way things can’t be done.

Article 2
Respect three treasures.
Three treasures are Buddha, Dharma and Buddhist monks.
In other words, these are universal precepts that are considered as an anchorage for
all living things that had come into existence in four different ways (viviparity, oviparity, hydrarch, and metaplasia).
No period or no person does not respect these universal precepts.
There are a few people who are extremely bad. People follow teachings when people are taught well.
There is nothing that can fix the crooked mind if it’s not founded in these three treasures.

Article 3
The imperial rescript should be received with honor.
If the emperor was considered as the sky, the subordinates would be considered as the ground.
The sky covers everything, while the ground supports all things.
Therefore, four seasons repeat in an orderly manner and everything goes well.
When the ground (subordinate) wants to ravage the sky (the emperor), it results to destruction.
That’s why the subordinates have to sincerely receive what the emperor says.
When the upper ranks take action, the lower ranks would be influenced.
So, when the subordinates receive the imperial rescript, they have to follow it respectfully.
Otherwise, they would ruin themselves.

Article 4
The officials who work for the emperor should follow the rules of courtesy.
The basics of ruling the people exist in the rules of courtesy.
When the upper ranks lack the rules of courtesy, there is disorder among the lower ranks.
When the lower ranks lack the rules of courtesy, the crimes can not be avoided.
That’s why order is not disturbed, when the officials follow the rules of courtesy.
While the people practice the rules of courtesy, the country is automatically at peace.

Article 5
Stop having a feast, throw greed away, and address the lawsuits fairly.
There are thousands of commoners’ lawsuits daily.
Every day it is like this. Needless to say, cases pile up year after year.
People who have to settle the lawsuits always receive benefits and judge the lawsuits based on the bribes.
The lawsuits of the rich seem to be influential and result in wishes being granted, as easy as throwing a stone into the water.
On the other hand, the poor seem to have their efforts come to nothing, like water being thrown at the stone.
So, the poor do not know the reason why their lawsuits are rejected.
The official’s moral principle is lacking in these cases.

Article 6
To punish the bad and encourage the good is a good lesson from the ancient period.
So, good deeds should not be hidden and bad deeds must be rectified.
If there are people who use flattery and deceive others, they would be like sharp weapons to destroy the nation (country) and sharp swords to cut the ties of race.
Also, people who butter up explain well about their subordinates’ mistakes to their supervisors. And they disgrace their supervisors about its failures to their subordinates.
All the people like those mentioned above have neither loyalty for the emperor nor love for the nations (people).
It would cause a huge chaos.

Article 7
Each person has a role.
Fulfilling a role should not be confusing.
When the enlightened person is assigned to an official position, the nation chant a hymn to celebrate its prosperous politics.
When the insincere person is assigned to the same position, calamities and rebellions occur a lot.
Although there are a few people who have moral principle by nature, continuing to have it in mind makes person a sage.
Matters are neither big nor small.
When the right person runs the government, matters are solved smoothly.
Time is neither fast nor slow.
If an enlightened person is able to manage the time, time seems to be enough.
With the right person, the nation is stable forever and the deities of the land and food are also secured.
That’s why an ancient king needs a suitable person for an official position and he dose not want to create an official position for somebody he knows.

Article 8
The officials who work for the emperor should come to work early in the morning and get home late.
Since all the government practices and imperial ceremonies should be conducted impeccably, it’s difficult to finish everything even for one whole day.
So, when you come to work late, you don’t have enough time to catch up.
When you get home early, you surely don’t finish the tasks.

Article 9
Integrity is a fundamental part of love with justice.
Integrity should exist in all the tasks.
Integrity decides what is good, bad, success, and failure.
There is no way things can’t be done when the officials have integrity with each other.
Ten thousands of things would fail when the officials don’t have integrity.

Article 10
Stop getting mad and give up showing your anger through your face.
Don’t lose your temper just because others are different from you.
Everyone has different minds. And every mind has different beliefs.
Others think something is right, however, I think this is wrong.
On the other hand, what I think is right, but may be wrong for others.
I can not consider myself as the enlightened and others as foolish.
Both are only people who don’t understand the teachings of Buddha.
No one is able to decide the principles of what is right or wrong.
We are both the enlightened and the foolish like a ring without an end.
So, when others get angry at me, I should reflect on myself and be afraid of making mistakes.
Even when I understand the teachings of Buddha, I should respect others and act in the same way that others do.

Article 11
Accomplishments and delinquencies should be clearly distinguished. And rewards and punishments should be given correctly.
Most of the time, rewards are not given to those who accomplish something, and punishments are not given to those who commit crimes.
The officials who give rewards and punishments must judge them fairly.

Article 12
The officials who are dispatched from the central government to the countrysides must not impose the citizens of additional tax.
The country does not have two emperors and the citizens do not have two masters.
All people who live in the land (where the emperor heads) consider the emperor as their only master.
All officials are the subordinates of the emperor.
The officials can not impose additional taxes to the citizens as the country already imposed the taxes.

Article 13
The officials who assign various positions should equally have a detailed knowledge about their tasks.
They are sometimes not able to conduct their tasks properly due to diseases or other missions.
However, when they return to their tasks, they should act harmonious like they have known everything since old days.
They must not disturb public duties by saying that they do not hear anything about these.

Article 14
The officials who work for the emperor should not be jealous.
When I am jealous of others, others are also jealous of me.
The negative effects of jealousy are endless.
Therefore, when you encounter a person who is smarter than you, you can not be pleased. When you see a person who is more talented than you, you come to be jealous.
Even though you have already met a mentor (whom you can meet once in five hundred years), you try to wait for a sage whom you can meet once in one thousand years.
It result to miss the opportunities to meet both a mentor and a sage.
The nation can not be managed without a mentor and a sage.

Article 15
The way of the subordinates is being disinterested and focusing on public matters.
In general, when a person is selfish, people hold a grudge against him.
People who hold a grudge definitely avoids to concert with others.
In the end, selfish people become an obstacle to address public matters.
People who hold a grudge against others ignore humans’ duties and break the laws.
Therefore, as mentioned in Article 1, people should keep the harmony regardless of ranks.
Selflessness is the key of harmony.

Article 16
Making the people work for the government by choosing a suitable season is a good lesson from the ancient period.
Since people have enough time during winter, the government can oblige people to work for some public projects.
During spring to autumn, people farm and produce cocoons, the government must not oblige people to work.
If people do not farm, we can not eat anything.
If people do not produce cocoons, we can not wear anything.

Article 17
Originally, things must not be unilaterally decided.
Be sure to discuss things with others.
But trivial things are not important. So, you don’t need to discuss these with others.
When we discuss the important issues, we should have self-doubt and think we might make some mistakes.
Therefore, when we discuss things together, words become rational.

Here is a related article.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
一曰　以和爲貴　無忤爲宗　人皆有黨　亦少達者　以是或不順君父　
乍違于隣里　然上和下睦　諧於論事　則事理自通　何事不成

二曰　篤敬三寶　三寶者佛法僧也　則四生之終歸　萬國之極宗　
何世何人非貴是法　人鮮尤惡　能敎従之　其不歸三寶　何以直枉

三曰　承詔必謹　君則天之　臣則地之　天覆地載　四時順行　萬気得通　地欲覆天　則至懐耳　是以君言臣承　上行下靡　故承詔必愼　不謹自敗

四曰　群卿百寮　以禮爲本　其治民之本　要在乎禮　上不禮而下非齊　下無禮以必有罪　是以群臣禮有　位次不亂　百姓有禮　國家自治

五曰　絶饗棄欲　明辨訴訟　其百姓之訟　一日千事　一日尚爾　況乎累歳　須治訟者得利爲常　見賄廳讞　便有財之訟如石投水　乏者之訴似水投石　是以貧民則不知所由　臣道亦於焉闕

六曰　懲惡勸善　古之良典　是以无匿人善　見悪必匡　其諂詐者　
則爲覆國家之利器爲絶人民之鋒劔亦佞媚者對上則好説下過
逢下則誹謗上失其如此人皆无忠於君无仁於民是大亂之本也。

七曰　人各有任　掌宜不濫　其賢哲任官　頌音則起　姧者有官　
禍亂則繁　世少生知　剋念作聖　事無大少　得人必治　時無急緩　
遇賢自寛　因此國家永久　社禝勿危　故古聖王　爲官以求人　爲人不求官

八曰　群卿百寮　早朝晏退　公事靡盬　終日難盡　是以遲朝　不逮于急　早退必事不盡

九曰、信是義本。毎事有信。其善悪成敗、要在于信。群臣共信、何事不成。群臣无信、萬事悉敗。

十曰、絶忿棄瞋、不怒人違。人皆有心。心各有執。彼是則我非。我是則彼非。我必非聖。彼必非愚。共是凡夫耳。是非之理、詎能可定。相共賢愚、如鐶无端。是以、彼人雖瞋、還恐我失。我獨雖得、從衆同擧。

十一曰、明察功過、賞罰必當。日者賞不在功。罰不在罪。執事群卿、宜明賞罰。

十二曰、國司國造、勿収斂百姓。國非二君。民無兩主。率土兆民、以王爲主。所任官司、皆是王臣。何敢與公、賦斂百姓。

十三曰、諸任官者、同知職掌。或病或使、有闕於事。然得知之日、和如曾識。其以非與聞。勿防公務。

十四曰、群臣百寮、無有嫉妬。我既嫉人、人亦嫉我。嫉妬之患、不知其極。所以、智勝於己則不悦。才優於己則嫉妬。是以、五百之乃今遇賢。千載以難待一聖。其不得賢聖。何以治國。

十五曰、背私向公、是臣之道矣。凡人有私必有恨。有憾必非同、非同則以私妨公。憾起則違制害法。故初章云、上下和諧、其亦是情歟。

十六曰、使民以時、古之良典。故冬月有間、以可使民。從春至秋、農桑之節。不可使民。其不農何食。不桑何服。

十七曰、夫事不可獨斷。必與衆宜論。少事是輕。不可必衆。唯逮論大事、若疑有失。故與衆相辮、辭則得理。

一に曰く、和やわらぎを以て貴しと為し、忤さかふこと無きを宗と為す。人皆党たむら有りて、亦達さとる者少し。是を以て或は君父に順はずして、乍たちまち隣里りんりに違ふ。然れども上和やわらぎ下睦びて、事を論あげつらふに諧かなへば、則ち事理じり自おのづから通ず。何事か成らざらむ。

二に曰く、篤く三宝を敬へ。三宝は仏ほとけ・法・僧なり。則ち四生ししょう（胎生、卵生、湿生、化生けしょう）の終帰しうき、万国の極宗なり。何れの世、何れの人か是の法を貴ばざる。人尤はなはだ悪しきもの鮮すくし。能く教ふるをもて従ふ。其れ三宝に帰せずんば、何を以てか枉まがれるを直さむ。

　三に曰く、詔を承うけたまわりては必ず謹め。君をば天とす。臣をば地とす。天覆おおひ地載のす。四時順より行き、万気通ふを得う。地天を覆くつがえへさんと欲するときは、則ち壊やぶれを致さむのみ。是を以て君言のたまふときは臣承る。上かみ行へば下しも靡なびく。故に詔を承りては必ず慎め。謹まざれば自おのづから敗れむ。

　四に曰く、群卿百寮ぐんけいひゃくりょう、礼を以て本もとと為せよ。其れ民を治むる本は、要は礼に在り。上礼無きときは下斉ととのわず、下礼無きときは以て必ず罪有り。是を以て群臣礼有るときは、位次乱れず。百姓礼有るときは、国家自おのづから治まる。

　五に曰く、饗むさぼりを絶ち、欲を棄て、明に訴訟うつたへを辨わきまへよ。其れ百姓の訟うったえは一日に千事あり。一日すら尚爾しかり。況んや歳を累かさぬるをや。須らく訟を治むべき者、利を得て常と為し、賄まひなひを見て讞ことわりを聴ゆるさば、便すなはち財有るものの訟は、石をもて水に投ぐるが如し。乏しき者の訟は、水をもて石に投ぐるに似たり。是を以て貧しき民、則ち由よる所を知らず。臣道亦焉ここに於て闕かけむ。

　六に曰はく、悪を懲こらし善を勧むるは、古の良よき典なり。是を以て人の善を慝かくすこと無く、悪を見ては必ず匡ただせ。若し諂へつらひ詐あざむく者は、則ち国家を覆すの利器たり。人民を絶つ鋒剣たり。亦侫おもねり媚こぶる者は、上に対むかひては則ち好みて下の過を説き、下に逢ひては則ち上の失を誹謗す。其れ此の如き人は、皆君に忠无なく民に仁無し。是れ大きなる乱の本なり。

　七に曰はく、人に各おのおの任あり。宜しく掌つかさどること濫みだれざるべし。其れ賢哲、官に任ずときは、頌音ほむるこゑ則ち起り、奸者かんじゃ、官を有たもつときは、禍乱則ち繁し。世に生れながら知ること少けれども、尅よく念おもひて聖を作なせ。事大小と無く、人を得て必ず治む。時急緩と無く、賢に遇ひて自おのづから寛ゆるやかなり。此に因て国家永久、社稷しやしよく危きこと無し。故に古の聖王、官の為に以て人を求む、人の為に官を求めたまはず。

　八に曰はく、群卿百寮、早く朝まゐり晏おそく退まかでよ。公事盬靡なく、終日尽し難し。是を以て遅く朝れば急に逮およばず。早く退れば必ず事尽つくさず。

　九に曰はく、信は是れ義の本なり。事毎ごとに信有れ。若し善悪成敗、要は信に在り。君臣共に信あるときは何事か成らざらむ。君臣信无なくは、萬の事悉ことごとくに敗れむ

　十に曰はく、忿いかりを絶たち瞋いかりを棄て、人の違ふことを怒らざれ。人皆心有り。心各執ること有り。彼是ぜなれば吾は非なり、我是なれば則ち彼非なり。我必ずしも聖に非ず。彼必ずしも愚に非ず。共に是れ凡夫ぼんぶのみ。是非の理、誰か能よく定む可べき。相共に賢愚、鐶みみがねの端无なきが如し。是を以て彼の人は瞋いかると雖も、還かへつて我が失あやまちを恐る。我独り得たりと雖も、衆に従ひて同く挙おこなへ。

　十一に曰はく、功過を明察あきらかにして、賞罰必ず当てよ。日者このごろ、賞功に在らず、罰罰つみに在らず。事を執れる群卿、宜しく賞罰を明にすべし。

　十二に曰く、国司みこともち国造くにのみやつこ、百姓に歛をさめとること勿れ、国に二君ふたりのきみ非なく、民に両主ふたりのぬし無し、率土そつとの兆民、王きみを以て主しゆと為す。所任官司よさせるつかさみこともちは皆是れ王臣なり。何ぞ敢て公おほやけと与ともに百姓に賦斂をさめとらむ。

　十三に曰はく、諸もろもろの任官者よさせるつかさびと、同じく職掌つかさごとを知れ。或は病やまひし或は使つかひして、事に闕おこたることあり。然れども知るを得ての日には、和あまなふこと曾さきより識しるが如くせよ。其れ与あづかり聞きくに非ざるを以て、公務まつりごとを防さまたぐること勿れ。

　十四に曰はく、群卿百寮、嫉そねみ妬ねたむこと有る無なかれ。我既に人を嫉めば、人亦我を嫉む。嫉妬しつとの患、其の極りを知らず。所以ゆゑに智己れに勝まされば、則ち悦ばず。才己れに優まされば、則ち嫉妬ねたむ。是を以て五百いほとせにして乃ち賢さかしびとに遇はしむれども、千載ちとせにして以て一聖を待つこと難し。其れ聖賢を得ざれば、何を以てか国を治めむ。

　十五に曰はく、私を背いて公に向くは、是れ臣の道なり。凡そ夫人ひとびと私有れば必ず恨うらみ有り、憾うらみ有れば必ず同ととのほらず。同らざれば則ち私を以て公を妨ぐ。憾うらみ起れば則ち制ことわりに違ひ法のりを害やぶる。故に初の章くだりに云へり、上下和諧あまなひととのほれと。其れ亦是この情こころなる歟かな。

　十六に曰く、民を使ふに時を以てするは古いにしへの良典よきのりなり。故かれ冬の月には間いとま有り、以て民を使ふ可し。春従より秋に至つては、農桑たつくりこがひの節ときなり、民を使ふ可らず。其れ農たつくらずば何を以てか食はむ。桑こがひせずば何をか服きむ。

　十七に曰はく、夫れ事は独り断さだむ可らず。必ず衆もろもろと与ともに宜しく論あげつらふべし。少事は是れ軽し、必ずしも衆もろもろとす可らず。唯大事を論あげつらはんに逮およびては、若し失あやまち有らんことを疑ふ。故に衆と与とも相弁わきまふるときは、辞こと則ち理を得。

『日本書紀』第二十二巻豊御食炊屋姫天皇推古天皇十二年

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