How to Read “There are not two suns in heaven, nor two kings on earth”
Ten ni nijitsu naku tsuchi ni ō nashi
Meaning of “There are not two suns in heaven, nor two kings on earth”
This proverb means that only one supreme leader can exist in a country or organization.
If two kings or leaders hold equal power, conflicts will inevitably arise. The organization will split apart.
This expression is used when explaining the need for unified authority. It also points out the dangers of dual power structures.
Whether it’s a company president, a national monarch, or a team leader, there must be one final decision-maker. Without this, policies cannot be established and chaos follows.
Even today, this principle remains fundamental to organizational management. Democratic discussion is important, but the person with final decision-making authority and responsibility must be clear.
When multiple top leaders hold equal authority, emergency decisions get delayed. The organization’s direction becomes unclear.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from a passage in the ancient Chinese text “Book of Rites” (Liji). The original reads: “Heaven has not two suns, earth has not two kings, a family has not two masters, honor has not two superiors.”
This phrase expressed ancient Chinese political thought. It showed that orderly governance requires a single supreme authority.
The expression “not two suns in heaven” references a natural law. If two suns existed in the sky, the earth would become a scorching hell. Life could not survive.
This absolute law of nature is applied to human governance principles.
The part about “not two kings on earth” represents a political principle. Only one king can exist in a single territory.
In ancient times, dual power structures always led to conflict. They caused nations to split apart.
Throughout history, many attempts at joint rule or distributed power were made. Most ended with one side eliminating the other, or the nation dividing.
This saying came to Japan during the period of Confucian influence. In samurai society too, this principle was highly valued. It was quoted to justify the centralization of power.
Usage Examples
- Regarding company management policy, “There are not two suns in heaven, nor two kings on earth,” so the final decision should be left to the president alone
- When a project has two leaders, opinions clash and nothing progresses—truly “There are not two suns in heaven, nor two kings on earth”
Universal Wisdom
Behind this proverb lies the essential nature of power in human society. Power is fundamentally indivisible.
If final decision-making authority is distributed among multiple people, it cannot be called true power.
All humans want to believe their own judgment is correct. When two kings exist, each asserts their own justice. Neither can yield.
Neither is necessarily wrong. Each holds their own ideals, which makes the conflict more serious. Nothing is harder to resolve than a clash between two good intentions.
Looking back at history, tragedies born from dual power structures are countless. The division of the Roman Empire into East and West, Japan’s Northern and Southern Courts period—all exhausted nations and caused people to suffer.
What people wanted was not to determine which king was right. They wanted a unified, stable society.
This wisdom does not unconditionally endorse concentrated power. Rather, it teaches that the single leader must be chosen carefully. Their responsibility is enormous.
When power concentrates in one person, that person bears all responsibility.
When AI Hears This
The “single ruler” ideal of this proverb is the most dangerous structure in network theory.
Look at how the internet is designed. Information reaches its destination through multiple routes. If one route breaks, another functions. This is called redundancy.
If we designed the internet using the “not two suns in heaven” principle, all global communication would stop the moment one central server went down.
Interestingly, nature actually uses a “two suns” system. The human brain has two hemispheres. We have two kidneys and two lungs.
Even if one fails, life can continue. Evolution has spent hundreds of millions of years optimizing organisms to avoid single points of failure.
Furthermore, democratic nations intentionally distribute power through separation of powers. If one branch runs wild, the other two can check it.
This is a “three kings on earth” situation. Yet looking at history, these systems remain more stable and last longer than dictatorships.
In the ancient society where this proverb was born, communication was slow and coordination costs were high. A single leader was efficient.
But in today’s high-speed communication environment, distributed systems with multiple decision points are more resilient and adaptable. This is a fascinating case where ancient wisdom and modern science reach opposite conclusions.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the importance of role division in organizations and teams.
Leadership doesn’t necessarily mean one person decides everything. However, who bears final responsibility must always be clear.
When you’re involved in any project, remember this wisdom. Sharing opinions and debating is important.
But if who makes the final decision is unclear, no one takes responsibility. Nothing moves forward.
If you’re the leader, have the resolve to accept that responsibility. If you’re a member, respect the leader’s decisions and focus your energy on execution.
The same applies at home. Spouses being equal doesn’t contradict having clear final responsibility for individual decisions.
Take the lead in your areas of strength. Trust your partner’s judgment. This is how the small organization called family functions smoothly.
What matters is not concentration of power, but clarity of responsibility. Who has the authority and responsibility to decide what?
Organizations where this is clear are strong, kind, and can move forward.
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