Han shih wai chuan :: :: University of Virginia Library

Tradition tells us that, of old, because Shun's pots and pans
did not smell of cooking,[2] those below him did not offend by
leaving [food uneaten].[3] Because he ate from earthen dishes[4]
and drank from earthen vessels, craftsmen did not offend by
exercising skill.[5] Because [he wore] deerskin garments with coarse
cloth collars,[6] women did not offend by being extravagant.[7] Since
his regulations for [the masses] below were easy to follow, services
being few and easy to perform successfully,[8] the people did not
offend by being [too much] governed. Truly the Great Way is
greatly tolerant, great virtue is greatly humble,[9] and the Saintly
Ruler is sparing of action. Hence things used by him always
prosper.

There is the traditional saying:[10] "With the attainment of
such ease and such freedom from laborious effort, the mastery is
got of all principles under the sky."[11] For a sincere person it
is easy to perform li; for an honest one it is easy to speak. For the
sage it is easy to govern the people; for the craftsman it is easy
to handle materials. The Ode says,[12]

Ch`i[13] had level roads
And their descendants have preserved them.

[1]

SY 1.1a-b lacks [OMITTED] and presents the paragraph as a dialogue between Yin-wên
[OMITTED] and King Hsüan of Ch`i. Shun is not mentioned, and the whole is condensed,
though SY also has the quotation at the end. Lu shih ([OMITTED]) 12.26b is based on
HSWC.

[2]

Meaning that Shun gave an example of frugality by not leaving food on his plate.
CHy says [OMITTED] is a vulgar form of [OMITTED], which is the reading in Ch`u-hsüeh chi 1.15a;
TPYL 757.8b likewise. (Chao 71.)

[3]

[OMITTED]: Ch`u-hsüeh chi, loc cit., has [OMITTED], wrongly,
CHy thinks; see note 5. TPYL 81.3a is the same, with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. (Chao.)

[4]

[OMITTED]: CHy quotes Lü Ching [OMITTED] as cited by Pei Yin, "a vessel for food
is called [OMITTED]." Its usual meaning is "sacrificial vessel." HFT 3.5b applies the line
to Yao.

[5]

[OMITTED] "and farmers did not offend by being strong"; this makes
no sense with the preceding. Chao thinks that the sentence [OMITTED], which
in Ch`u-hsüeh chi and TPYL follows [OMITTED] (see note 3 above), should be here. Lu shih
has this reading.

[6]

⊙[d] [OMITTED]: B, C have ⊙[e] "vase." Chou suggests that ⊙[d] may be an error for
[OMITTED], used for [OMITTED], and so in the translation. CHy quotes the expressions [OMITTED] and
[OMITTED] from SSTC and YTCC respectively, and accordingly would make ⊙[d] [OMITTED] or
[OMITTED], giving the meaning of "crooked collars."

[d]

For this character see the table on p. 358.

[e]

For this character see the table on p. 358.

[d]

For this character see the table on p. 358.

[d]

For this character see the table on p. 358.

[7]

For [OMITTED] I follow Chao and read [OMITTED] as in Lu shih.

[8]

[OMITTED]: CHy suspects that [OMITTED] should be omitted, but Chao cites Lu
shih, which has [OMITTED] without [OMITTED], and so in the translation.

[9]

For [OMITTED] I follow CHy, B, C to read [OMITTED].

[10]

Yi King 349.

[11]

B, C, and the Yüan ed. insert the quotation from Shih 574 No. 270 here and also
repeat it at the end.

[12]

Shih 574 No. 270.

[13]

B, C have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Legge punctuates after [OMITTED], making it the name of a mountain: see his note in loc.