To seek a remedy only when a problem has become severe, highlighting the importance of foresight and timely preparation. It means that waiting until a crisis is imminent to find a solution is often too late.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Warring States period, Mencius discussed the downfall of King Jie of Xia and King Zhou of Shang, attributing their demise to the loss of public support. He stated that if a ruler practiced benevolent governance, they could unify the world.
Mencius then drew an analogy: trying to unify the world without first committing to benevolent governance is like having suffered from an illness for seven years and only then seeking moxa that has been aged for three years or more to treat it.
He meant that just as it's too late to seek a proper remedy when a long-standing illness has become critical, it is impossible to achieve great goals like unifying the world without fundamental, timely preparation and the right approach, specifically benevolent governance.