Han shih wai chuan Han Ying's Illustrations of the didactic application of the Classic of songs |
 |
| I. |
| II. |
 | III. | CHAPTER III |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11-12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 24. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
| 28. |
| 29. |
| 30. |
| 31. |
| 32. |
| 33. |
| 34. |
| 35. |
| 36. |
| 37. |
| 38. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
 | CHAPTER III Han shih wai chuan |  |
CHAPTER III
1[1]
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]
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.
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.)
[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.)
[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.
[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.
⊙[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."
[OMITTED]: CHy suspects that [OMITTED] should be omitted, but Chao cites Lu
shih, which has [OMITTED] without [OMITTED], and so in the translation.
B, C, and the Yüan ed. insert the quotation from Shih 574 No. 270 here and also
repeat it at the end.
B, C have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Legge punctuates after [OMITTED], making it the name of a mountain: see his note in loc.
2[1]
During the Yin dynasty a ku started to grow in T`ang's courtyard.[2]
In three days[3]
it had become as large around as a man
could embrace. T`ang inquired of I-yin, "What is this thing?"
I-yin answered, "It is a ku tree."
T'ang asked, "Why does it grow here?"
I-yin said, "The ku is a wild plant that grows in marshes.[4]
That
it is now growing in Your Majesty's courtyard is not very
auspicious."
T'ang said, "What is to be done?"
I-yin said, "I have heard that evil omens come before disaster,
and auspicious signs precede good fortune. If on observing an
if on seeing an auspicious sign, one does not perform good acts,
the good fortune will not come."
T'ang thereupon fasted and lived quietly, rising early of a
morning and retiring [late] at night. He mourned the dead and
made polite inquiries after those who were ill.[5]
He pardoned crimes
and gave alms to the poor. After seven days the ku died. The
predicted misfortune[6]
never appeared, and the state prospered.
The Ode says,[7]
Thus to preserve [its favor].
Parallel accounts occur in LSCC 6.7a-7b (Wilhelm 74); SSTC 2.15a-b; Shih chi
3.7a (Mém. hist. 1.190); SY 10.7b-8a, 1.15b-16a-b. HSWC is based directly on LSCC;
see note 2.
There are three rulers variously associated with this incident, and Chao (72-3)
has assembled the citations for each: LSCC agrees with HSWC in making it T`ang;
Shih chi, Ti-wang shih-chi 29b, Shu ching (preface) 6, SY 1.16a-b, 10.7b-8a, and Chia-yü
1.27b-28a have T`ai-mou [OMITTED]; SSTC, SY 1.15b-16a, Lun hêng 5.1a, 2.11a, and
Hsin lun 9.5b, have Wu-ting [OMITTED]. Chao remarks that such accounts as this were
valued for the virtuous conduct depicted, and no effort was made to attach them
always to the same sage. [OMITTED] is defined by Yen Shih-ku (Han shu 25.3a) as a kind of
mulberry.
This description of the conscientious ruler appears again in HSWC 3/17. It is a
stock formula for the accumulation of moral power (tê).
3[1]
Of old, in the time of King Wên of Chou, when he had ruled
the country for eight years, in summer, the sixth month,[2]
he took
to his bed with illness. After five days there was an earthquake,
which, to the east, west, south, and north, did not extend beyond
the outskirts of the capital. The functionaries all said, "We have
heard that earthquakes occur because of the ruler. Now Your
Majesty has been sick in bed for five days, and there has been an
earthquake that did not extend beyond the outskirts of the capital
in any direction. Your subjects are all frightened and we request
that it may be averted."
King Wên said, "How are we going to avert it?"
They replied, "Undertake a [public] work and put the masses
in motion so as to add to the city's walls: perhaps we can thereby
avert it."
King Wên said, "It will not do. The Way of Heaven, in causing
an evil omen to appear, is thereby to punish the guilty.[3]
I must
way to undertake a [public] work and to put the masses in motion
so as to add to the city's walls, would be to double my guilt. It
cannot be done.[4] I wish to reform my conduct and multiply good
acts to avert it; I believe it can be avoided."
Thereupon he took pains with li and [rules of] precedence,[5]
and
with [gifts of] furs made friends with the feudal lords.[6]
He made
his speech elegant and presented capable officers with gifts of silk.
He apportioned titles and rank; he measured out fields to confer
on those who were deserving. Not long after he and his ministers
had put these into practice, his illness was cured.[7]
King Wên had
been on the throne for eight years when the earthquake occurred.
After [the earthquake][8]
he ruled for forty-three years [longer];
altogether he governed the country for fifty-one years before his
death.
This was how King Wên dealt with an evil omen. The Ode
says,[9]
Thus to preserve [its favor].
This passage is from LSCC 6.7b-8a (Wilhelm 74-5), following almost immediately
on the section above (3/2). In each case the quotation of the Ode is Han
Ying's addition.
Chou prefers the easier reading in LSCC: [OMITTED] "Heaven
lets evil omens appear to punish the guilty."
[OMITTED]: both Chou and CHy agree that [OMITTED] should be expunged.
LSCC has [OMITTED], where [OMITTED] looks like a contamination from a
commentary. Han Ying's version certainly lacked the words, but the resulting text
made the insertion of [OMITTED] an attractive emendation to someone who did not recognize
the following [OMITTED] as King Wên's name, and wanted the line to read "We cannot
prosper by such means."
[OMITTED]: both Chou and CHy would expunge [OMITTED]. CHy has [OMITTED] for [OMITTED].
LSCC has [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: likewise LSCC. I do not understand what is implied by [OMITTED].
The phrase [OMITTED] occurs in Mencius 176 (1B/15.1) meaning gifts of skins and silks,
and presumably that is the meaning required here.
[OMITTED]. LSCC after [OMITTED] reads [OMITTED],
etc. Accordingly Chou would delete [OMITTED] and punctuate after [OMITTED]: ". . . to confer
on those who were deserving and on the several ministers. When he had put these into
practice, it was not long before his illness was cured."
Both Chou and CHy would supply [OMITTED] from LSCC before [OMITTED], which otherwise
makes an awkward beginning for a sentence.
4[1]
The True King, in establishing degrees of virtue[2]
does not pay
honor to those without merit, or give office to those who lack
virtue, or punish those not guilty of crime. He has no worthless
officers at court,[3]
and no parasites[4]
among the people. Thus it
is possible for him to elevate the worthy and employ the able
without over-stepping precedence, as well as to eliminate the cruel
and exclude the overbearing without going to excess in punishments.
The people are understanding, and all know that those
who do good at home are rewarded in court, and those who do
evil in secret are punished in public. Now this is what may be
called establishing degrees; this [makes manifest] the inner power
of the True King. The Ode says,[5]
He has regulated the positions of the princes.
[OMITTED] . . . I follow CHy and omit [OMITTED]. Hsün-tzŭ has simply [OMITTED]
[OMITTED], where Wang Hsien-ch`ien takes [OMITTED] to be the same as [OMITTED] "rank, degree."
HSWC, by adding [OMITTED], makes it necessary to take [OMITTED] transitively.
[OMITTED]: CHy B, C, D, Hsün-tzŭ have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Yang Liang (Hsün-tzŭ
6.3b) defines [OMITTED] as "those who draw a salary though they are worthless" [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
5[1]
A tradition states:[2]
To think conformity with the world good,
to consider material wealth precious, and to take self-cultivation
as the highest[3]
conduct for the individual—such is the popular
idea of virtue, but it is insufficient for the gentleman. His conduct
is upright, his will inflexible, nor does he allow his personal desires
to warp what he hears:[4]
thus the correct gentleman, but it is
insufficient for the superior man. His conduct is upright, his will
character.[5] His speech and conduct for the most part are appropriate,
but still the latter is not [wholly] natural, nor is the former
[wholly] lucid.[6] His intelligence for the most part is apt, but it is
not perfectly subtle. If in a high position, he is able to make those
whom he considers outstanding great; in a low position, he opens
the true way to those inferior to himself:[7] thus the sincere and
generous superior man, but it is insufficient for the saint. When
he goes [to rectify][8] the methods of the Hundred Kings, it is as
easy as distinguishing black and white. He accommodates himself
to his time as easily as one enumerates the Three Rules.[9] Practicing
li and adhering to limits is as natural to him as his having four
limbs.[10] He adapts himself to change and establishes his merit[11]
as [inevitably as] the four seasons succeed one another. [Through
him] the empire achieves order and all things dwell at peace: thus
the saint. The Ode says,[12]
He has regulated the positions of the princes.
[OMITTED]: grammatically it is interesting that Han Ying has changed the inverted
form ([OMITTED]), normal to the style of Mencius and Hsün-tzŭ.
[OMITTED]: the relations between prince and minister, father and son, husband and
wife. Cf. Po-hu t`ung 7.15a. Hsün-tzŭ simply has [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: for [OMITTED] CHy, B, C have [OMITTED] "move." Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED], a word
frequently written [OMITTED] in HSWC; cf. the opening sentence above.
[OMITTED]: Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED], and the similarity of [OMITTED] and [OMITTED]
may have caused the substitution of [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Chou also would emend to [OMITTED].
6[1]
Marquis Wên of Wei wished to appoint a prime minister.
Summoning Li K`o, he inquired saying, "I wish to appoint a prime
I wish to take your advice in this matter."[3]
Li K`o, withdrawing from the mat, declined, saying, "I have
heard that a person of mean rank does not dispose of one who
is of honorable rank, nor does a stranger come between relatives.[4]
I dwell outside [the palace], and so dare not accept your command."
Marquis Wên said, "Sir, feel yourself free to manage this affair."
Li K`o said, "Now if you would investigate a man, when he
is living at home, see what he loves; when he is rich, see what he
gives away; when he is successful, see whom he recommends; when
he is in extremity, see what he will not do; when he is poor, see
what he will not take. These five situations suffice for an investigation."
Marquis Wên said, "You may go home, sir. My prime minister
has been decided upon."
Li K`o went out and met Chai Huang, who said, "Today I
hear the prince summoned you to advise about a prime minister.
Who is it to be?"
Li K`o said, "It will be Wei Ch`êng-tzŭ."
Chai Huang, taken aback, colored up and said, "How am I
inferior to Wei Ch`êng-tzŭ? The governor of Hsi-ho[5]
was put
forward by me. When the Prince was worried by [the district of]
Yeh, I put in Hsi-mên Pao. When the Prince wished to attack
Chung-shan, I brought forward Yo Yang. After Chung-shan had
been captured and there was no governor [for the district], I got
you the appointment. When our Prince wished to appoint a tutor
for the Heir Apparent, I got the place for Chao Ts`ang[-t`ang].[6]
All of these [men] were perfectly deserving and served faithfully.
How am I inferior to Wei Ch`êng-tzŭ?"
Li K`o said, "When you mentioned me to your Prince, surely
seek high office? Our Prince asked me about the appointment of
a prime minister, [saying], `It is to be either Ch`êng or Huang,
[one of] the two. How about it?' And I replied, `[If Your Highness
is undecided,] it is because he has not made a careful examination
[of the men]. When they are living at home, see what they
love; when they are rich, see what they give away, when they are
successful, see whom they recommend; when they are in extremity,
see what they will not do; when they are poor, see what they
will not take. These five determine it; what is the use of waiting
for [advice from] me?' This is how I know that Wei Ch'êng-tzŭ
is to be the prime minister. For how can you be compared with
Wei Ch`êng-tzŭ?[7] He has an allowance of a thousand chung [of
grain],[8] and uses [only] one tenth for himself. [The other nine
tenths] he uses for gifts to attract the empire's [worthy] gentlemen.[9]
In this way he got Pu Tzŭ-hsia, T`ien Tzŭ-fang, and Tuan-kan
Mu. All these three men our Prince treats as teachers and
friends. All those whom you brought forward he treats as subjects.
How then can you be compared with Wei Ch`êng-tzŭ?"
Chai Huang drew back, bowed twice to the ground, and said,
"This uncouth person is truly inferior, and has replied improperly
to his master." The Ode says,[10]
He has regulated the positions of the princes.
Cf. Shih chi 44.44a-5b (Mém. hist. 5. 143-7); SY 2.5b-7a. The Shih chi version is
very close to HSWC, while SY, with many variants in wording, seems to represent
another source, or more likely a free rewriting of the story of Liu Hsiang.
[OMITTED]: SY has [OMITTED], and LSCC 19.19a mentions a younger brother of
Marquis Wên of Wei named [OMITTED]. (Chou and CHy.) Chao (76) agrees with Liu
T`ai-kung (in Ching-chuan hsiao-chi 27b) in preferring [OMITTED], but Shih-chi has [OMITTED].
CHy, B, C have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED], likewise Shih chi and SY, which last two lack [OMITTED], and
Chao thinks is should be omitted. The number seems high indeed for a daily allowance,
a chung being approximately 280 liters in Han times. (Cf. Dubs, op. cit.)
[OMITTED]: after [OMITTED] CHy adds [OMITTED] and Chao agrees
that it is necessary to make the meaning clear. Shih chi has [OMITTED]
7[1]
Marquis Ch`êng and Duke Ssŭ were princes who collected
imposts and made surveys;[2]
they did not get so far as to attract
did not get so far as to govern them.[4] Kuan Chung governed them,
but he did not get so far as to regulate li. Truly he who regulates
li is a true king; he who governs is strong; he who attracts the
people is at ease; he who collects imposts is lost. Hence collecting
imposts is to summon bandits,[5] and accumulating property is to
enrich one's enemies. This is the way to endanger one's self and
lose one's state: the intelligent ruler does not follow it. If [the
prince] will reform ritual (li) to regulate the court, rectify the
laws to regulate the officials, and stabilize the government to
regulate the lower classes,[6] then after that the rhythm [of li and i][7]
will be adjusted in the court, the rules and regulations will be
rectified among the officials; while loyalty, honesty, love, and
gain will appear[8] among the lower classes. In this way the people
[come to] love him as their father and mother and to be in awe
of him as they are of spiritual beings.[9] By these means his transforming
virtue fills the world, and prosperity and happiness revert
to the nobles. The Ode says,[10]
Careful and exact[11] is all our deportment;
We have drunk, and we have eaten, to the full;
Our happiness and dignity will be prolonged.
I.e., as a preliminary to taxation. [OMITTED], lit. "to enumerate, calculate"; cf.
HSWC 2/27: [OMITTED], and especially Kuan-tzŭ 2.4b: [OMITTED].
[OMITTED] "Do not neglect the yield of the land. In reckoning
the amount, the important part must be derived from [previous] estimates.
[OMITTED]. I follow Yang Liang, who says it means "to get the people's hearts"
[OMITTED]. Yü Yüeh (Chu-tzŭ p`ing-i 3.1b) disagrees and thinks [OMITTED] "govern,"
but such an interpretation destroys the distinction made in the next sentence.
[OMITTED]: both Chou and CHy would emend [OMITTED] to [OMITTED] as in Hsün-tzŭ. Several
lines from Hsün-tzŭ have been omitted before this sentence.
For [OMITTED] D has [OMITTED], and [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Hsün-tzŭ 4.5a begins with this sentence.
Cf. Tso chuan 466 (Hsiang 14): "Then the people will maintain their ruler, love
him as a parent, look up to him as the sun and moon, revere him as they do spiritual
Beings, and stand in awe of him as of thunder."
[OMITTED]: Ch`ên Ch`iao-ts`ung (I-shuo k`ao 15.9a) gives [OMITTED] as the Han shih reading. (Chao.)
8[1]
King Chuang[2]
of Ch`u took to his bed with illness. The oracle
read, "The River is the evil influence."
The Great Officers said, "We beg you to make use of sacrificial
animals."
King Chuang said, "Stop! In antiquity, according to the
sacrifices instituted by the saintly kings,[3]
[a ruler] did not go
beyond [those within his own borders] in sacrificing to the spirits
of hills and streams. The Sui, Chang, Chiang, and Han are the
rivers Ch`u sacrifices to. Though I am devoid of virtue, it is not
the River I have transgressed against." He never did perform the
sacrifice, and in three days his disease was cured.
Confucius heard of this and said, "It was right that King
Chuang of Ch`u should be overlord. He kept within limits and
held to his duties, reflecting within himself[4]
and acting consistently.
Was it not indeed fitting he should be overlord?" The
Ode says,[5]
Ah! Ah! He keeps within his boundaries.[6]
Tso chuan 58.3b-4a (Legge 810) has been the source for Chia-yü 9.24b-25a and SY
1.17b, though the later has also used HSWC, which deviates considerably from Tso
chuan; however, the texts are connected, perhaps by a common source.
[OMITTED]: B, C and the Yüan ed. have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED], and both Chou and CHy
think the line should read [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: as in Mencius 303 (4A/12.1): [OMITTED]: "if one, on turning his
thoughts inwards, finds a want of sincerity . . . ."
Legge translates, "Ah! Ah! Ye assistants," and in a note says "the meaning of
[OMITTED] is quite undetermined." In the context of the Ode my version is impossible,
but here we have a good example of the way Han Ying takes isolated lines out of
context and puts them to use because of some fancied connection with the preceding
composition. Possibly a pun [OMITTED] is intended.
9
There are twelve symptoms of disease in rulers that, without
a sage-physician, cannot be cured. What are the twelve symptoms?[1]
lameness,[7] obstruction,[8]
blindness, fever,[9] shortness of breath,[10]
numbness,[11] and fêng:[12] these are the twelve symptoms.
How is it that a sage-physician cures them? He economizes in
affairs and lightens punishments, and as a result paralysis does not
attack.[13]
He does not cause the common people to suffer from
hunger or cold, and as a result vertigo does not appear.[14]
He does
not order property transferred to himself, and as a result a persistent
cough[15]
does not appear. He does not let [grain] collected
in the public granaries spoil, and as a result dropsy does not
appear.[14]
He does not have the treasury too full, and as a result
surfeit does not appear.[14]
He does not let the ministers have free
license, and as a result lameness does not occur.[16]
He does not
prevent the lower classes from expressing their feelings to their
superiors, and as a result obstruction does not occur.[14]
He gives
talent precedence over his sympathies,[17]
and as a result blindness
does not occur.[14]
Laws and commands he puts into practice, and
as a result fever[18]
does not occur. He gives his inferiors no cause
for resentment, and as a result shortness of breath does not occur.[19]
He does not cause the sages to go into hiding, and as a result
numbness does not occur.[20]
He does not give the people an excuse
to sing abusive songs, and as a result fêng does not occur.[21]
Now the chief ministers and the various lesser officers are the
heart and bowels, the limbs and the body of a ruler. If the heart
and bowels, the limbs and body are without disease, then the
ruler is without disease. Truly, [if they are diseased], unless he
have a sage-physician, he cannot be cured. Whatever [ruler][22]
has [one of] these twelve ailments without making use of a sage-physician,
that ruler's state is not a real state. The Ode says,[23]
sage-physician, the masses will be without ailment—how much
the more does this apply to their ruler!
[OMITTED]: cf. HTNCSW 12.8b-10b, sec. [OMITTED], where Wang Ping's com. says it means
"weak and without the power of movement" [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: Chou says, "A swelling due to poison. When the belly and limbs both swell
up it is shui. If only the belly is swollen, and the limbs not much so, it is chang"
[OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]: Chou says, "The inside is filled up. It is a disease of fullness produced by
stored-up cold" [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]. Shih chi 105.14b: Pien-ch`iao has diagnosed
an illness as [OMITTED]. His explanation: ". . . the yang ch`i is exhausted
and the yin ch`i enters. When the yin ch`i enters the belly, the cold ch`i rises and the
hot ch`i descends; that is why his chest filled up" [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: Chou says it means "the four limbs cramped and not capable of being bent
or straightened" [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: CHy follows TPYL, loc. cit., and writes [OMITTED]. Chou says it is the same as [OMITTED],
which he defines as "vomit and nausea, so that both upper and lower parts become
diseased." [OMITTED]. As the basic meaning is "diaphragm" or "partition"
and the text below puns on it ([OMITTED]), I translate "obstruction."
[OMITTED]: Wang Ping's com. on HTNCSW 1.16a defines it as "fever" [OMITTED]. Chou
specifies that internal heat is [OMITTED] and external is [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: Yü Shu's com. on Nan ching 5.12b says, "Now when a disorder has its
seat in the blood vessels, the lungs will be diseased. A chill will result in a cough,
while heat (fever?) will give rise to ch`uan" [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: cf. HTNCSW 12.4b-8a, sec. [OMITTED]. "Pi is produced from the haphazard
combination of the three ch`i, [namely] fêng, han, and shih. If the fêng ch`i is in
ascendancy, it produces a pi affecting the gait. If the han ch`i is in ascendancy, it
produces a painful pi. If the shih ch`i is in ascendancy, the pi produced is apparent
to the sight" [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: cf. ibid. 12. 1a-4a, sec. [OMITTED]. There are several varieties, and Chou says
this is li fêng [OMITTED]: "When the cold [principle] of fêng takes up its residence in the
blood vessels and does not depart, it is termed li fêng, or `chills and fever.' " [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] (ibid. 12.2a). Wang Ping says, "First
there are chills and fever. When the fever reaches its height it is called li fêng"
[OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]. Further on the text says, "Hence fêng is the most
lasting of all diseases. When it comes to the point of changing, it turns into another
disease" [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] (2b). The term occurs
in Tso chuan 581 (Chao 1): [OMITTED] "An excess of fêng [produces] diseases of
the extremities."
[OMITTED]: Chao thinks it is better to read [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] with Chih-yao, loc. cit.:
"superiors aid and commiserate inferiors."
10[1]
Traditionally, in a time of Great Peace there are no persons
dumb, deaf, lame, one-eyed, feeble, dwarfed, or mutilated.[2]
Fathers
do not [have reason to] weep for their sons, nor elder brothers to
weep for their younger brothers. On the roads there are no infants
abandoned to be reared [by others]; and everyone ends his life in
his own station—such is the result of the employment of a sage-physician.
Truly there is no other way of pacifying, putting in
order, and expelling disease than precisely that of employing the
sages. The Ode says,[3]
Chou.
D correctly makes this part of sec. 9; the number sequence of the Ode quoted should
be 276-280. The introduction of No. 254 from Paragraph 9 spoils the sequence.
Cf. Li Ki 1.319: [OMITTED] "The dumb,
the deaf, the lame, such as had lost a member, pigmies, and mechanics, were all fed
according to what work they were able to do." (Legge 1.244.) Chou equates [OMITTED]
and [OMITTED], as meaning "those with a limb amputated" [OMITTED], and so in the
translation, but Chao (79-80) makes [OMITTED] in the sense of "short," so the compound
for him would mean "stunted."
11-12[1]
Tradition tells us that, if the rites (li) of mourning and sacrificing
are neglected, then subjects and sons will be lacking in
gratitude. If subjects and sons are lacking in gratitude, then those
who repudiate the dead and forget the living[2]
will be many. The
"Hsiao-ya" says,[3]
Never fail to perpetuate these services!
If human affairs are well ordered,[4]
then they are in conformity
with the spirits. When they are in conformity with the spirits,
then blessings sent down [by Heaven] reach elsewhere.[5]
The Ode
says,[6]
Thus increasing our bright happiness
Li chi 50.5b-6a (Legge 2.259) and TTLC 2.1a-b both include this passage in a
longer argument: "Thus if the ritual of marriage were discontinued, the path of
husband and wife would be embittered, and there would be many offences of licentiousness
and depravity. If the ritual of drinking ceremonies at country feasts were discontinued,
the order between old and young would be neglected, and quarrelsome litigations
would be numerous.... If the ritual of friendly messages and court attendances were
discontinued, the positions of ruler and subject would fall into disuse, the conduct of
the feudal princes would be evil, and the ruin wrought by rebellion, encroachment,
and oppression would ensue." HSWC varies slightly by repeating [OMITTED]
Since this represents a clarification of the text, I would assume the version represented
in the two Li collections to be the older.
Chao Yu-wen (110) would emend [OMITTED] to [OMITTED] "forget their ancestors," as
suggested by Wang Nien-sun.
That this does not properly begin a new paragraph is apparent from the atypical
quotation from the "Hsiao-ya," and the fact that the Ode quoted below is a non
sequitur if limited to these lines. Note also the numerical sequence from § 10: 280-291.
I have kept the usual number of paragraphs to facilitate reference to the various
editions and to Chao.
13[1]
When King Wu attacked [the tyrant] Chou, as he came to
Hsing-ch`iu, the yoke [on his chariot horses][2]
broke into three
pieces, and rain fell for three days without stopping. King Wu
was afraid[3]
and summoned T`ai-kung, to whom he said, "It
seems to me that the time has not yet come when Chou can be
attacked."
T`ai-kung replied, "Not so. That the carriage yoke broke into
three pieces means our army should be divided into three. The
three days' rain without a stop[4]
was intended to wash our
weapons."
King Wu said, "In that case, what shall we do?"
T`ai-kung said, "Love for a person reaches to the crows on his
roof;[5]
hate for a person includes the very walls of his village.[6]
King Wu said, "Ah, the empire is not yet established!"
The Duke of Chou hastened forward and said, "Not so. Let
each regulate his own home and till his own fields. Without [regard
for] old or new, [befriend only good men].[8]
If the people commit
a fault, let it be my sole responsibility."
King Wu said, "Ah, the empire has been established."
Thereupon he put his troops in order[9]
and checked their
advance at Ning. He changed the name of Hsing-ch`iu to Huai;
Ning he called Hsiu-wu.[9]
He marched to defeat [the tyrant] Chou
in the Plain of Mu. The Ode says,[10]
Bright shone the chariots of sandal;
The teams of bays, black-maned and white-bellied, galloped along;
The grand-master Shang-fu
Was like an eagle on the wing.
Bright was[11] King Wu,
Who at one onset smote the great Shang.
The morning of the encounter was clear and bright.
After he had gone to [the capital of] Shang,[12]
before descending
from his chariot he enfeoffed the descendants of Huang-ti in Chi,
the descendants of the Emperor Yao in Chu, and the descendants
of Shun in Ch`ên. After descending from his chariot, he enfeoffed
the descendants of the Hsia imperial family in Ch`i, and the descendants
of Yin in Sung. He raised a mound over the grave of
Pi-kan, released Chi-tzŭ from prison, and marked out the village
gate of Shang-jung.[13]
Crossing the River, he went to the west and released the [war]horses
south of Mt. Hua to show that they would not again be
mounted. The oxen he turned loose in the plain around T`ao-lin
to show that they would not again be yoked to carts. War
chariots and armor he had consecrated with blood and stored
away in depots to show they would not again be used.
After that he disbanded his army and held archery practice
in the suburbs. On the left they shot their arrows to the [song]
li-shou,[14]
and on the right to the [song] tsou-yü.[15]
Thereafter
the empire knew that King Wu would not again employ troops.
When he sacrificed in the ancestral temple,[16]
the people learned
about filial piety. He held open court and from that the feudal
lords learned about respect.[17]
He seated the three [outstanding]
old men in the Great School,[18]
and he, the Son of Heaven, respectfully
served them with sauce and gave them cups to rinse out their
mouths. In this manner he taught the feudal lords the behavior
proper to a younger brother. These four [acts] constitute the
great teachings of the empire. Now was it not fitting that King
Wu was long [on the throne]? The Ode says,[19]
And effected the firm establishment of your merit.
This section is a collection of three anecdotes about King Wu's conquest of the
Shang. The first, concerning inauspicious omens, is roughly paralleled in SY 13.17a-b,
where first the wind breaks King Wu's flag, then a flood occurs, and finally the tortoise
shell used for divination is consumed by fire. Master San-i [OMITTED] objects each time,
and always King Wu has a favorable interpretation. The next deals with the advice
proffered King Wu by his ministers. SSTC 3.3a-4a seems to be the source here for
SY 5.4a-b, which agrees in having the Duke of Shao among the advisers. HSWC varies
considerably from both of them. The last account is of King Wu's acts after his
conquest. It occurs in an abbreviated form in the SSTC version with some verbal
identity. Li chi 39.11b-14a (Legge 2.123-5) is very close to HSWC, but contains lines
lacking in the latter. Shu ching 315-6 contains a few lines of this passage, but the
section in question ([OMITTED]) belongs to the `old text.' Shih chi 4.12a, 14b (Mém.hist.
1.239, 243-4) reproduces some of this, but the order is quite different.
All texts have [OMITTED] "shields." With CHy I follow TPYL 776.4a to emend to [OMITTED].
Lei-chü 59.5a, Shu ch`ao 141.5b, TPYL 328.4a likewise. (Chao 80.) I emend also the
occurrence of [OMITTED] below.
[OMITTED]: TPYL 328.4a, Lei-chü, loc. cit., lack [OMITTED], and Chao thinks it is
better omitted.
Lei-chü, loc. cit., TPYL 328.4a, 776.4a lack [OMITTED]; the first two citations have [OMITTED].
and Chao (81) prefers this as balancing [OMITTED] above.
[OMITTED] is a variant of [OMITTED]. B, C mistakenly write [OMITTED]. Chêng Hsüan's com.
on SSTC explains it as [OMITTED] "village walls." Sun Chih-tzŭ (quoted by Chao
as from Tu-shu ts`o lu, but not in the HCCC ed.) equates it with [OMITTED] as in Li
Shang-yin's poem (Li I-shan shih chi 5.4b) [OMITTED], where it means
"bamboo fence." He disagrees with those who (like Chu Ch`i-fêng, TT 262-3) would
make this and its variants mean "servants." SY 5.4a writes [OMITTED]. (Chao.)
[OMITTED]: SSTC has [OMITTED], and SY [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. Ssŭ-k`u ch`üan-shu k`ao-chêng suggests [OMITTED] for [OMITTED], and Chao agrees, as the
meaning would then be near to that of SSTC. CHy thinks the text is defective, and
I have added the phrase [OMITTED] from SSTC and SY to complete the sentence.
All texts have [OMITTED] as in Mao shih, but Ching-tien shih-wên ([OMITTED] B. 2a) gives [OMITTED] as the Han shih reading, and Ch`ên Ch`iao-ts`ung (I-shuo k`ao 11.9b-10a) agrees. (Chao 82.) Karlgren, BMFEA 17.66 seems to have followed the Han shih reading.
[OMITTED]: only the central part of the Ming-t`ang, called the [OMITTED], was used for
sacrifices. Cf. Legge, Li Ki 1.29 for a note on it, and Couvreur, Li Ki 1.332 for a
diagram.
For [OMITTED] CHy, following Li chi, writes [OMITTED] "learned to be subjects," and continues
from Li chi, "He plowed in the field set apart for that purpose and thereafter the
feudal lords learned about respect."
For [OMITTED] cf. TTLC 3.8b and §16 below. The ceremony referred to here is
mentioned in Li Ki 1.313 (3/5.2): "Those of 50 years received their nourishment in
the [schools of the] districts; those of 60, theirs in the [smaller school of the] state, and
those of 70, theirs in the college." (Legge 1.240.)
14[1]
Mêng, Prince of Ch`ang, wishing to study under Min-tzŭ,[2]
sent his carriage to go meet him. Min-tzŭ said, "Etiquette (li)
demands that [the pupil] come to study, not that [the master]
go to teach.[3]
If you study by having your teacher come to you,
you will be unable to learn.[4]
If I go to teach you, I will be unable
to influence you. Where you would say you were unable to learn
[if I do not go], I would say I would be unable to influence you
[if I did go]."
Mêng Prince of Ch`ang then said, "I respectfully obey your
command." Next day, lifting up his robe [and hastily taking a
low seat],[5]
he asked to receive instruction. The Ode says,[6]
By daily progress and monthly advance.
Shên Hsiang (in Ch'un-shu tsa-i 1.1a) remarks that they were not contemporaries,
and that Han Ying must have been ignorant of the fact. Chao (82) suggests that
there may have been another Min-tzŭ.
Cf. Li Ki 1.4: "I have heard in accordance with etiquette of [scholars] coming to
learn; I have not heard of [the master] going to teach." (Legge 1.63.)
[OMITTED]: Chou says [OMITTED] should be read like [OMITTED] as in [OMITTED] (Li Ki 1.17):
"holding up your robe, go quickly to a corner [of the mat]."
15[1]
Though a sword may be edged, if it is not sharpened, it will not
cut. A man may be able, but if he does not study, he will not
excel. There may be fine wine and superior delicacies, but without
tasting them their excellence will not be known. There may be
an excellent Way, but without study it will not be understood.
Thus after study one realizes his shortcomings, and after teaching
he realizes his shallowness. Because he falls short, he is ashamed
of himself and makes an effort; because he is shallow, he gives
himself over to a teacher[2]
(?) and becomes familiar [with his
subject].
Viewed in the light of this, teaching and learning complement
one another. When Tzŭ-hsia inquired about the Odes, he knew
two parts from having studied one. Confucius said, "It is Shang
who can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk about
the Odes with him."[3]
When Confucius gave distinction to that noble character, his
own saintly virtue was completed. When the disciple received his
influence, his own[4]
virtue was manifested. The Ode says,[5]
By daily progress and monthly advance.
Cf. Li chi 36.2a-b (Legge 2.82-3), where the first two sentences and the conclusion,
beginning with [OMITTED] are lacking. Legge, Shih, Proleg. 89-90 translates this passage.
16[1]
Now in the conduct of studies it is making the teacher respected
that is difficult. If the teacher is respected, then the Way is honored.
If the Way is honored, then the people know that learning is
to be revered.[2]
Hence, by the ceremony (li) of the Great School,
even though he address the Son of Heaven, [the teacher] does not
have to face the north; this is out of honor for the teacher and
esteem for the Way. Truly, "one who is given credence without
having to speak, and who inspires awe without making a display
of anger"—this may be said of a teacher.[3]
The Ode says,[4]
I will learn from those who are continuously bright in their enlightenment.[5]
Li chi follows this with "Thus it is that there are two among his subjects whom
the ruler does not treat as subjects. When one is personating [his ancestor], he does not
treat him as such, nor does he treat his master as such."
17[1]
There is the following traditional story: In Sung there was a
great flood.[2]
A man from Lu condoled with [the Prince of Sung]
saying, "Heaven has sent down excessive rains, injuring the millet
for sacrifices and spreading over your land, to the grief of those
in charge of the government. I have been sent respectfully to
condole with you."
The Prince of Sung replied,[3]
"I have not practiced jên. Fasts
and prohibitions have not been regulated, nor, in employing the
people, has the proper time been chosen; [hence] Heaven has
visited us with disaster. Having in addition caused you concern,
I beg to acknowledge the condescension of your message."
Confucius heard of this and said,[4]
"Sung is almost ready [for
enlightened government]."
A disciple said, "What do you mean?"
Confucius said, "Of old Chieh and Chou did not admit their
faults, and their destruction was swift indeed. Ch`êng-t`ang and
King Wên knew enough to recognize their faults, and their rise
was sudden indeed. To reform after having committed faults is
not to be at fault."
After the Prince of Sung heard of this remark, he rose early
and retired late. He mourned for the dead, made polite enquiries
after those who were ill,[5]
and greatly exerted himself inside the
country. After three years the harvests were abundant and the
not heard of Confucius' words, the grain harvested would not
have been abundant, nor would the state have been at peace. The
Ode says,[6]
And shows me how to display a virtuous conduct.
Cf. Tso chuan 9.3a-b (Legge 88, Chuang 11), where occasional identity of phrase
betrays a connection with the present text; however the variations are too considerable
for either to be considered the direct source of the other. SY 1.16b-17a seems to be
taken from HSWC; it includes the Ode quoted at the end.
CHy says, "This event appears in the Ch`un-ch`iu under the 11th year of [Duke]
Chuang, at which time Confucius was not yet born. Tso chuan writes Tsang Wên-chung
and below attributes a speech to his father Tsang Sun-ta. It seems that Wên-chung
is also a mistaken entry. Most appropriate is SY's `A superior man heard of it.' "
Chou makes substantially the same comment. It is noteworthy that Han Ying has
not dated the event, so that as the story occurs in HSWC there is no apparant anachronism,
yet Liu Hsiang has changed his text—but not to the Tso chuan reading.
18[1]
Duke Huan of Ch`i set up torches in the courtyard[2]
for the
sake of gentlemen who might want to come to see him.[3]
For a full
year no one came. Then [a rustic] from the eastern fields[4]
came
to see him because of his skill in arithmetic. Duke Huan joked
with him, saying, "Is arithmetic sufficient [reason] for an interview?"
The villager said, "[I had not thought arithmetic to be sufficient
reason for an interview.][5]
I had heard that Your Highness set
up torches in his courtyard so as to await gentlemen, and that for
a full year not one came. Now the reason that no gentlemen came
was that Your Highness is the sage ruler in the empire, and everywhere
gentlemen feel they are not adequate to Your Highness.
Therefore they do not come. Now arithmetic is but a wretched
accomplishment, yet if Your Highness treats me with courtesy,
how much the more could those with worthier accomplishments
than arithmetic expect! Now Mt. T`ai does not decline pebbles
have they accomplished their magnitude. The Ode says,[6]
Consult the grass and firewood gatherers.
Duke Huan approved, and the man was accordingly[8]
entertained
formally for a full month. From all over gentlemen came
leading one another to him. The Ode says,[9]
achieving great things from small ones.
[OMITTED] "to make people want to come and see him." B, C have
[OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. CHy follows the quotation in Li Shan's com. on Wên hsüan 47.3b-4a, [OMITTED]
[OMITTED], which is also the reading of SY. Because of the repeated occurrence
of [OMITTED] in the text below, I have followed CHy.
After [OMITTED] CHy adds [OMITTED] from SY. The Wên hsüan com. has [OMITTED], and Chao
(82) agrees with CHy. There is still a difficulty with the [OMITTED] . . . [OMITTED] in the following
phrase, which I should take as "there was one who," etc.
I follow CHy and SY to read [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Chao Yu-wen maintains that [OMITTED] can
mean [OMITTED] "richly," and would retain that reading.
For [OMITTED] B, C have [OMITTED] as in Mao shih. I have followed Karlgren, (BMFEA 17.93) in translating [OMITTED].
CHy would add [OMITTED] from SY. It requires another interpretation of
[OMITTED] than the traditional "foot of the stairs."
19
In an age of Great Peace the people, in supplying forced labor,
do not go beyond the time [fixed]; men and women do not neglect
the time [proper for] mating; filial sons do not neglect the time
for nourishing [their parents].[1]
Abroad there are no unmarried
men, and in the seclusion of the house there are no dissatisfied
women.[2]
On the one hand there are no heartless fathers, and on
the other no unfilial sons. Father and son complete one another;
husband and wife protect one another. The empire is at peace,
the state is tranquil. Human affairs are complete here below;
the Heavenly Way responds there above. Truly,
Earth does not alter its form;
Sun and moon shine bright,
The ranked stars are constant.
in equilibrium. Their motion produces thunder and lightning,
their damp [emanation] is wind and rain, their periodicity
shows in hills and streams, their balance produces [alterations of]
heat and cold. All people maintain life; each on getting his place
is employed by the ruler of the state. Hence there is someone
to keep the state at peace, and there is someone to own the land.
The sages split trees to make boats and shaped wood to make
paddles;[4]
they used these to put products from all over into circulation,
thus providing the people by the sea with plenty of wood
and the people of the mountains with plenty of fish.[5]
Excess
materials were assigned to definite places. Therefore those with
fertile fields did not enjoy them alone, and those with stony fields
were not left to suffer alone. Even if there were a bad year and
a time of famine, or a flood like Yü's or a drought like T`ang's,
still the people showed no signs of being cold or hungry. Thus
the living were not made to work to the point of fatigue, and the
dead did not lie in the ditches.[6]
Now this is to be called happiness.
The Ode says,[7]
He followed the principle of nourishment in times of darkness.
Cf. HSWC 7/7: "Though the filial son may wish to support them [indefinitely],
his parents cannot tarry [forever]."
[OMITTED]: the expression [OMITTED] has sexual connotations; cf. HSWC 1/20. The
following deals with cosmogony.
Cf. Yi King 384, which continues, "Thus arose the benefit of canoes and oars for
the help of those who had no means of intercourse with others. They could now reach
the most distant parts, and all under heaven were benefited."
Cf. Mencius 217 (2B/4.2): "the old and feeble lying in the ditches and water
channels." CHy, B, C have [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]: "the corpses of the dead are not cast away."
Shih 606 No. 293. Legge translates [OMITTED] as "Oh! Powerful was the king's
army"; likewise Karlgren (BMFEA 17.93). I suspect that Han Ying's text read
[OMITTED] for Mao's [OMITTED], so that the quotation aptly follows his last sentence, [OMITTED].
See note 6, § 20 below for my version of the second line.
20
To be capable of ruling the empire, one must be able to nourish
its people. He who is able to nourish the people practices self-nourishment.
His drinking and eating conform to [the needs of]
his viscera; his use of spices conforms to [the demands of] his ch`i;[1]
his toil and rest conform to [the capacity of] his muscles and bones;
his [adjustments to] heat and cold conform to his skin. Thereafter
his ch`i and viscera are equitable, the working of his mind is controlled,
his worries and cares achieve [a mean], his joy and anger
are seasonable. In activity and repose he enjoys himself. By
taking the opportunity he has enough for his needs. Now this
is what is meant by one able to nourish himself.
Therefore, that the saints did not practice lascivious indulgence
or wasteful extravagance is not because they despised sex or were
miserly with their property. If in supplying one's needs, one goes
to excess, the result is not pleasurable, and so they did not do so.
It is for the same reason that in winter they did not bathe frequently—it
was not that they grudged the water; and in summer
they did not heat—it was not that they grudged the fire.[2]
That
they did not make their towers and pavilions high was not due
to a lack of earth and timber; that they did not make their bells[3]
and tripods large was not due to a lack of copper and tin. That
they did not drink deeply of wine or lust after women was not
because they shunned them as repulsive. When they did in a
straightforward manner what was restful to their feelings and
dispositions, their practice was worth taking as a model for the
empire. Thus in consuming they did not waste materials and so
jên. In supplying their wants they did not injure their nature
and provided thereby an example, so that the empire praised their
sense of fitness (i). They conformed to their feelings, avoided
excess, and did not seek what they had no right to, so that the
empire praised their integrity. Their conduct was perfect and
could not be concealed; . . . punishment could not make them
false [to their principles].[4] Holding fast to the One Way, they
despised all material things, and as a result the empire praised their
bravery. If these four are practiced among the people, when at
rest they are kindly and happy; aroused they overcome their
enemies. Thus when we examine the means they employed in
nourishing the people, [we find] a complete method for ruling.
When the method of ruling is complete, near and far get sustenance.
The Ode says,
He followed the principle of nourishment in times of darkness.[6]
5Shih 606 No. 293. Cf. HSWC 3/19, note 7.
[OMITTED] CHy interchanges [OMITTED] and
[OMITTED] from TPYL 59.1b; likewise D. Chao also cites Po-t`ich 2.37a and TPYL 26.8b,
which are the same, though the latter has [OMITTED], a contamination from LSCC.
Certainly the passage makes sense only by the interchange. Chou quotes LSCC 25.5a:
[OMITTED] ⊙[g]
, [OMITTED] ⊙[g]
[OMITTED] "In
summer they did not wear furs; not that they grudged the furs, but there was [already]
warmth enough. In winter they did not use fans; not that they grudged the fans, but
there was [already] enough of freshness." (Wilhelm 437.)
[OMITTED]. No dictionary meaning of [OMITTED] fits the present context. I suppose some extention of meaning—dark times = bad times—might answer, but the grammar of the line remains peculiar; cf. HSWC 5/23.
21[1]
Kung-i Hsiu, minister of Lu,[2]
was fond of fish. A native of the
state made him a present of fish, but he would not accept it.
His younger brother objected, saying,
"You are fond of fish; why do you not accept it?"
He said, "It is [precisely] because I am so fond of fish that I
I will then be unable to supply myself with fish. By not accepting
and not losing my place as minister, I will long be able to supply
myself with fish.[4] In this matter I understand how to take care
of myself."[5]
Truly, as Lao-tzŭ said,[6]
"Make yourself last and you will be
first; put yourself outside, and you will be preserved. Is it not that
he had no eye to personal advantage, and was just in this way able
to accomplish his personal advantage?" The Ode says,[7]
His thoughts are without depravity.
HFT 14.4b is the oldest extant parallel to this anecdote, which HSWC has adapted
with some modifications. Huai-nan tzŭ 12.11b follows HSWC, including the quotation
from Lao-tzŭ, which is lacking in HFT. Shih chi 119.3a has the same story, but
entirely rewriten. Hsin hsü 7.8a likewise shows no direct filiation with the other
accounts.
HFT has, "To receive the fish would certainly give the appearance of condescending
to others. With the appearance of condescending to others, I would be misusing the
law, and by misusing the law, I would lose my place as minister" [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: Chao (85) would precede this with [OMITTED] to balance the sentence
before ([OMITTED]), and also would expunge the [OMITTED]. Huai-nan tzŭ has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: "From this it is clear that, in so far as fish is concerned,
[it is best to be] independent." I follow CHy and omit the [OMITTED]. Huai-nan tzŭ has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] "This shows clearly what is done for others and what is done for
oneself." HFT has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]: "This shows clearly that it is better to depend on oneself than to depend on
others, that it is better to act for oneself than to have others act on one's behalf."
22[1]
There is the following traditional story: In Lu there was a
dispute at law between father and son. K`ang-tzŭ wished to have
them put to death, but Confucius said,[2]
"It would not be right
to put them to death. Now the people have long [been ignorant
that] lawsuits between father and son are improper.[3]
This case
If superiors were possessed of the proper principles, such
people as these would not be."
The litigants, hearing of this remark, asked that the case be
dropped. K`ang-tzŭ said, "The people are governed through filial
piety. Surely it would be proper to put to death one who behaves
thus unfittingly as a censure for the unfilial?"[4]
Confucius said, "Not at all. Having left them without instruction,
to judge their suits is to put to death the guiltless. Though
the armies of a great state suffer a severe defeat, they should not
be punished. If lawsuits and judgments are not supervised, it is
not right to inflict punishments. If superiors, having made manifest
their teachings, themselves submit to them first, then the
people will readily fall into line. Only if they conduct themselves
improperly and are not obedient are they punished, since then
the people will recognize their guilt. Now take a wall eight feet
high—the people cannot cross over it. But a mountain eight
hundred feet high—small boys climb and play on it. It is because
of the [gradual] decline.[5]
Jên and i have long been in a decline—
can we say the people do not cross them? The Ode says,[6]
So as to preserve the people from going astray.
them astray. Thus authority was strict [but not made use of],[7]
embodied jên and i and took pains in teaching the True Way.
They caused the people to see it clearly with their eyes and to
hear it clearly with their ears and to know it clearly with their
minds. As a result, since the True Way was not obscured, the
aims of the people were not confused. The Ode says,[8]
Show me how to display a virtuous conduct.
"Truly, unless the True Way and i are made simple, the people
will not follow them; unless rites (li) and music are made clear,
the people will not perceive them. The Ode says,[9]
And straight as an arrow.
And the common people looked on it.
My tears run down in streams.
in rites (li) and so is suffering punishment.[10] Now having dispensed
with this fundamental instruction, to visit them with
punishment is like breaking down the pen and shooting [at the
cattle] with poisoned arrows. It is not indeed reason for grief?[11]
That is why I said it would not be right to put them to death.
"The former kings' use of rites (li) in employing the people
in olden times may be compared to driving a chariot. Punishments
were the whip and stick. At the present day it is like driving
wish the horse to advance, you beat him behind; when you wish
him to retreat, you beat him in front. The driver has much trouble
doing it, and the horse in turn suffers greatly.[12] So it is today.
Superiors are anxious and put to trouble, while the people are
greatly grieved and suffer punishment. The Ode says,[13]
Why does he not quickly die?
misfortune is inevitable. For one in an inferior position who
does not observe the rites (li), punishment is inevitable. If
superior and inferior [alike] do not observe the rites (li), `why
do they not quickly die?' "
K`ang-tzŭ withdrew from the mat, bowed twice and said, "Although
I am not intelligent, I wish to receive these words."
When Confucius withdrew from court, his disciple Tzŭ-lu
objected saying, "A lawsuit between father and son, is it in
accordance with the True Way?"
Confucius said, "It is not."
Tzŭ-lu said, "In that case, how could you, Master, as a superior
man, excuse it?"
Confucius said, "Without warning, to hold [the people] responsible
for the completion of a task is injurious. To insist on a
definite period [for the execution of] offhand orders is oppressive.
To inflict punishment without having instructed them is harmful.[14]
the Ode says,[15]
Without any impatience he delivers his instruction.
Hsün-tzŭ 20.2a-3b furnishes the basis of this story, and is followed by Chia-yü
1.5b-7a practically verbatim. HSWC makes considerable changes in the wording and
order of the sentences, which for the most part are followed by SY 7.6a-b.
[OMITTED]. This might be forced to mean "Among the people
the impropriety of lawsuits between fathers and sons has been going on for a long
time," but I prefer the SY reading, which adds [OMITTED] after [OMITTED].
CHy emends to the SY reading: [OMITTED] (SY has [OMITTED])[OMITTED] "put to
death one man as a censure for the unfilial." As Hsün-tzŭ also has [OMITTED], Chao
(86) agrees. I regard the HSWC reading as a deliberate modification.
[OMITTED]: B, C, D mistakenly write [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Yang Liang explains it as a "gentle
slope" [OMITTED], which fits here, but is hard to reconcile with [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] in the next line. Lu Wên-ch`ao quotes Huai-nan tzŭ 20.7b [OMITTED]
"A mountain is able to achieve its height through successive ridges," and says [OMITTED]
means "successive ridges" [OMITTED]. The usual meaning of "degeneration"
makes the best sense, if it is understood to mean something like "erosion" when
applied to the mountain.
Hsün-tzŭ and Chia-yü have [OMITTED] after [OMITTED]; likewise SY, but with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED].
Hsün-tzŭ 10.14b repeats the line, introducing it with [OMITTED] "the traditional saying."
I have followed Hsün-tzŭ. Yang Liang says [OMITTED] means "hold up" [OMITTED], and paraphrases,
[OMITTED] "He merely holds up his authority without making use of it."
Wang Nien-sun objects to Yang's equating [OMITTED] with [OMITTED] as unsupported and prefers
the usual meaning of "severe."
Chou quotes KTT 2.1b-2a: "Confucius said, `If you compare controlling the
people through rites (li) with driving a chariot, they are the reins. By the same
metaphor punishments are the whip. Grasping the reins here and allowing movement
there is good driving. But if you apply a stick without using the reins, your horses
will go off the road.' " [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
Cf. Analects 353 (23/3.3): "To put the people to death without having instructed
them;—this is called cruelty. To require from them, [suddenly], the full tale of work,
without having given them warning,—this is called oppression. To issue orders as if
without urgency, [at first], and, when the time comes, [to insist on them with severity];
—this is called injury." Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED],
[OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ "To punish with rigor [the neglect of] offhand orders
is injurious. Now when living things have their seasons, to make unseasonable exactions
is oppressive. Without instruction to hold [the people] to the completion of a task
is cruel." Chia-yü, [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] is
clearly derived from Hsün-tzŭ. The saying was a traditional one, and HSWC has
probably not taken it directly from either Analects or Hsün-tzŭ; cf. also HSWC 3/24:
[OMITTED].
23[1]
In the time of Shun the state of Miao did not submit. They
did not submit [because they had] the Hêng mountains on their
southern [border], the Min mountains[2]
on their northern [border],
the waves[3]
of Tung-t`ing [lake] to their left, and the waters of
P`êng-li[4]
[lake] to their right; through these they were protected.
Because they would not submit, Yü asked to attack them, but
Shun would not agree. He said, "I have not as yet exhausted my
teachings." For a long time he gave out his teachings,[5]
and the
ruler of the Miao[6]
[finally] asked to submit.
When the people of the empire heard of this, they all rated
Yü low in i and praised Shun's transforming virtue. The Ode
says,[7]
Without any impatience he delivers his instruction.
transforming virtue did not come up to Shun's?" I would say,
show off Shun's transforming virtue. Truly, `credit the good to
your prince and take the blame on yourself'; this is the proper act
(i) of a subject. Let us suppose Yü to have been the ruler and
Shun his subject: it would have simply been the same as in this
case. Yü may be said to be the great figure of one who succeeded
in being a subject."
SY 1.4a-b includes this story, minus the moral (from [OMITTED]), in a paragraph
beginning with the praise of Yao by Prince Hsien of Ho-chien.
[OMITTED]: I follow CHy and emend to [OMITTED]. CKT 7.4a has [OMITTED]. CHy says [OMITTED],
[OMITTED], and [OMITTED] are variants.
[OMITTED]: Chu Ch`i-fêng (TT 1331) says that [OMITTED] should be [OMITTED], since P`êng-tsê is
the name of a district, not of a lake. SY and CKT have [OMITTED].
24
In his administration of Lu, Chi-sun-tzŭ had people put to
death on a large scale, as their crimes strictly merited, and frequently
inflicted punishments on people, as their faults strictly
deserved. Tzŭ-kung said, "A cruel government!"
When he heard of this remark, Chi-sun said, "I put the people
to death when their crimes strictly merit it, and I punish them
when their faults strictly deserve it. How is it that you, sir, find
it cruel?"
Tzŭ-kung said, "How unlike Tzŭ-ch`an's administration of
Chêng! In one year [the number of] faults requiring punishment
diminished; in two years crimes requiring capital punishment disappeared.
In three years the prisons had no prisoners. As a
result the people turned to him as water flows downhill, and
loved him as a filial son respects his father and mother. When
Tzŭ-ch`an was sick and on the point of death, the citizens all
lamented, saying, `Is there not someone else who could die in
the place of Tzŭ-ch`an?' When he finally did die, the nobles and
great officers wept for him in the court, the merchants wept for him
in the market, and the farmers wept for him in the fields. For
all of them weeping for Tzŭ-ch`an was like mourning for father
and mother. Now I heard that when you were sick, our citizens
were happy, and when you recovered they all were frightened.
When they take your death [as reason] for congratulation and
your living [as reason] for fear, if this is not [the fruit of] cruelty,
what is it?[1]
I have heard that to govern by relying on laws is
of a task] without having given warning is called tyranny; that to
punish [people] without having instructed them is called oppression;[2]
that to impose oneself on others is called exaction. He who
makes exactions will lose his life; the oppressor will lose his
subjects; the tyrant will lose the government; the cruel ruler will
lose the people. Furthermore I have heard that there has never
been one who occupied the highest place and practiced these four
who did not perish."
Whereupon Chi-sun bowed his head gratefully and said, "I
listen with respect to your command." The Ode says,[3]
Without any impatience he delivers his instruction.
Li Hsien's com. on Hou-Han shu 76.6a-b attributes the following to Hsin hsü:
"When Tzŭ-ch`an died the people of the state all beat their breasts and wept. For
three months the sound of organ and lute was not heard. Alive he was loved, and dead
it was fitting he should be mourned. Truly it is said, `There is no greater virtue than
jên and no greater evil than severity.' Now when you, Sir, are ill, people congratulate
[one another], and when you recover they are afraid and say, `Alas! How evil is our
fate!' Tsang-sun was ashamed and resigned his place, not going out [to take office]
again for the rest of his life." D: [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED].
25[1]
Should someone ask, "Just what does a wise man find in
water to give him pleasure?" I would answer, "Now water moves
in accordance with principle, not losing one little moment. In
this it resembles one who observes li. It follows along a deep gorge
without any uncertainty: in this it resembles the brave man. It
keeps itself pure through protective embankments,[3] and in this
resembles the man who knows the mandate [of Heaven]. Passing
through defiles, it goes far, and achieves its destination without
diminution:[4] in this it resembles the virtuous man. Through
it Heaven and Earth are completed, through it all living beings
are produced and the state is at peace; through it all affairs are
settled and material things are rectified. For these reasons the
sage take pleasure in water."
The Ode says,[5]
And we will gather the mallows about it.
The marquis of Lu has come to it,
And in the college he is drinking.
This section and the next (§26) seem to be inspired by an enigmatic statement in
Analects 192 (6/21): "The Master said, `The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous
([OMITTED]) find pleasure in hills.' " Mencius 324 (4B/18) elucidates: "The disciple Hsü
said, `Chung-ni often praised water, saying, "O water! O water!" What did he find
in water [to praise]?' Mencius replied, `There is a spring of water, how it gushes out!
It rests not day nor night. It fills up every hole, and then advances, flowing on to
the four seas. Such is water having a spring! It was this which he found in it to
praise.' " No trace of this appears in the HSWC account, nor in SY 17.22b-23a, except
the phrase [OMITTED]. While SY is not closely parallel with HSWC,
it must be directly based on it, for it ends by quoting the same lines from the Shih
and makes the succeeding section (HSWC 3/26) part of the same paragraph. Ch`unch`iu
fan-lu 16.2b is similar and ends by quoting Analects 222 (9/16): "The Master
standing by a stream, said, `It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!' "
Read [OMITTED] before [OMITTED] with all other texts; cf. the parallel phrase at the end of §26
below.
26[1]
Should someone ask, "Just what does the man possessed of
jên find in mountains to give him pleasure?" I would answer, "It
is mountains to which all people raise their eyes and look. Grass
and trees grow there; all living things flourish there; the birds
that fly assemble there; the beasts that walk take their repose
there; and while all [alike] take from them, they show [favoritism
to none].[2]
[Mountains] put forth clouds and make the wind circulate;
heaven and earth are completed, and the state is at peace. These
are the reasons why the man of jên takes pleasure in mountains."[4]
The Ode says,[5]
This speaks of taking pleasure in a mountain.
Cf. SY 17.23a-b and HSWC 3/25, note 1. KTT 1.14b-15a and SSTC 5.11b-12a
are very close and seem to represent another version. Ch`un-ch`iu fan-lu 16.2a-b ([OMITTED]
[OMITTED]) expresses the same idea in different language.
[OMITTED]: SY has [OMITTED]. Lei-chü 7.2b has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. KTT: [OMITTED]. SSTC:
[OMITTED]. Chao (88) thinks the HSWC
text is defective. As it stands it might mean "from all over there flourishes taking and
giving—i. e., exchange." I suggest it be emended to read [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] on the basis of SY, the Lei-chü citation, and SSTC.
I follow CHy, B, C to read ⊙ [h]
for [OMITTED]. Lei-chü has [OMITTED] ○ [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. SY: [OMITTED]. KTT: [OMITTED]
SSTC likewise, with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. I follow Chao and take [OMITTED] as a graphic error
for [OMITTED].
TPYL 38.2b varies considerably, and is close enough to SY to have been taken from
it: [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] "Useful materials grow there, precious things which
men treasure up are planted there, the birds that fly assemble there, the beasts that
walk hide there. [Mountains] nourish all living things untiringly; they resemble the
man characterized by jên, and this is why those characterized by jên take pleasure in
mountains." With the exception of the first phrase and the one next to last, this is
the same as SY. Cf. also DM 421 (26/9): "The mountain now before us appears only
a stone; but when contemplated in all the vastness of its size, we see how the grass and
trees are produced on it, and birds and beasts dwell on it, and precious things which
men treasure up are found on it."
27[1]
There is the following traditional story: When Duke Wên of
Chin had returned to his state from exile, he thrice gave out
rewards, but none reached T`ao Shu-hu.[2]
T`ao Shu-hu said to Uncle Fan,[3]
"I followed [our prince][4]
into
exile for eleven years until my complexion was burnt black and
my hands and feet were [covered with] calluses. Now he has
returned to his state and thrice has given out rewards, but nothing
to me. Is it that the prince has forgotten me? Or am I greatly
to blame? Would you try speaking on my behalf?"
Uncle Fan spoke about it to Duke Wên, who said, "Eh, how
could it be that I have forgotten this man? Those who were
greatly enlightened and most worthy, whose minds and conduct
were perfect,[5]
who soothed me with the True Way and persuaded
me with jên, who changed my conduct and made bright my
[fame],[6]
making me an accomplished person, to these I gave the
highest reward. Those who treated me with respect according
to the rites (li), who protected me with i, who guarded and assisted
me so that I did not commit faults, to these I gave the next highest
[reward]. Those who were brave, strong, and martial, who were
forward and self-reliant, who, when there was trouble in front,
placed themselves in front, and when the trouble was in the rear,
placed themselves in the rear, rescuing me out of danger and
difficulty, to these I gave the next highest [reward]. After them I
put the gentlemen who [merely] endured hardship."[7]
The Ode
says,[8]
And then he saw that they were put into practice.
not please the people; so what reward will there be for him?[9]
This section seems to have been adapted from LSCC 24.6b-7a (Wilhelm 424-5),
where "Uncle Fan" however is not mentioned. SY 6.2b-3b follows HSWC closely,
but unless HSWC is defective, has also used LSCC; see note 7. Shih chi 39.20b-21a
(Mém. hist. 4.296-7) applies the anecdote to a Hu-shu [OMITTED], with slight similarity
in wording.
SY has [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] and [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. Chu Ch`i-fêng (TT 2134) says, "The old
script form of [OMITTED] was [OMITTED], which in form is similar to [OMITTED]; hence Han mistakenly wrote
[OMITTED]." (Chao 89.) To change [OMITTED] requires recasting the sentence and reading also
[OMITTED] with SY: "who were virtuous in conduct and completely sincere."
LSCC and SY continue with minor variants, " `When it comes to those who endured
hardship, this gentleman will certainly be the first. How would I dare forget him?'
Shu-hsing, the Chou Historiographer of the Interior, said on hearing of this, `Duke
Wên will be hegemon! Of old the saintly kings put virtue to the fore and kept back
force. Duke Wên has conducted himself in such a manner.' " SY goes on to quote
from the same Ode as HSWC, and it may be that HSWC originally had something
corresponding to these lines.
28[1]
Those who deceive the people say, "The circumstances of
ancient and modern times are different; hence methods for governing
are different." Since the people are all stupid and without
knowledge, mean and lacking in discrimination, they can even
be deceived about that which they have seen [with their own eyes];
how much the more [may they be deceived about events] after a
thousand years! Those who deceive the people foster deceit inside
their very courtyards; how much the easier [to foster it] in regard
to [events of] a thousand years ago! In that case how does the
saint manage not to be deceived? The saint measures others by
himself. He measures [men's] hearts by his heart; he measures
their feelings by his feelings; he measures each kind of thing by
its own kind. [To him] ancient and modern are one. Categories
do not become confused; even though the time has been long,
the principle [governing them] is the same. Truly human nature
conforms to [the same] principle and does not go astray.
That before the Five Emperors there is no record of individuals
is not because there were no sages; it is because it was so long
ago. That during the [time of the] Five Emperors there is no
record of government is not because there was no good government;
it is because it was so long ago. That for the time of the
Yü[2]
and the Hsia the records of government are not so detailed
as those of the Yin and the Chou is not because the government
was not good; it is because it was so long ago. Now the greater
the antiquity from which a record is transmitted, the more
abridged it is, and the more recent the times, [relatively] the more
detailed it is. If abridged, great events are mentioned; if detailed,
small events are mentioned. As a result, stupid men hearing of the
great events are ignorant of the small ones, and hearing of the
small events are ignorant of the great ones. They are mistaken
Emperors represent the acme of government. The Ode says,[3]
Legge translates, "And in T`ang was found the subject for its display." Ch`ên Ch`iao-ts`ung (I-shuo k`ao 18.5a) says, "HSWC quotes the ode [OMITTED] and says `ancient and modern are identical,' so it is quoting it to witness that `the early saints and the later saints are to be reckoned as one.' This shows that [OMITTED] is to be taken as meaning `on the same level.' "
29[1]
Shun was born in Chu-fêng. He moved to Fu-hsia, and died
in Ming-t`iao. He was a man [who lived near to] the Eastern
Barbarians. King Wên was born in Chou by [Mount] Ch`i and
died in Pi-ying. He was a man [who lived near to] the Western
Barbarians. In space they were separated by more than a thousand
li; in time they were more than a thousand years apart, but
their success in imposing their wills on the Middle Kingdom was
like the two parts of a tally that fit perfectly together.
Confucius said,[2]
"In their principles the earlier saints and the
later saints are the same." The Ode says,[3]
Down to T`ang they were all alike [in this].
30[1]
Confucius paid a visit to the ancestral temple of Chou,[2]
where
caretaker of the temple, "What vessel is that?"
The caretaker replied, "Why that, I believe, is a Warning
Vessel."[3]
Confucius said, "I have heard that a Warning Vessel,[4]
when
full, turns over, when empty it leans at an angle, and when half
full it stands straight.[5]
Is this true?"
"It is."
Confucius had Tzŭ-lu bring water to try it. Full, it turned over;
half full, it stood straight; empty, it leaned at an angle. Confucius
heaved a sigh and said, "Ah, does it ever happen that those who
are full do not turn over!"[6]
Tzŭ-lu said, "I should like to ask whether there is a method for
controlling fullness?"
Confucius said, "The method of controlling fullness is to repress
and diminish it."
Tzŭ-lu said, "Is there a method for diminishing it?"
Confucius said, "Let those whose virtuous conduct is ample
preserve it by being reverent. Let those whose territory is extensive
preserve it by economy. Let those whose pay is rich and
whose rank is elevated[7]
preserve them by humility. Let those
whose people are many and whose weapons are strong preserve
them by fear. Let those possessed of intelligence and knowledge
preserve them through [an air of] stupidity. Let those with great
shallowness.[8] Now this is what I mean by repressing and diminishing."
The Ode says,[9]
And his wisdom and virtue daily advanced.
Hsün-tzŭ 20.1a-b is the source for HSWC, which is followed by SY 10.3b-4a with
variants not due to any of the other versions. Chia-yü 2.13a-b has copied from Hsün-tzŭ
with only minor variants. Huai-nan tzŭ 12.19a-b and Wên-tzŭ 3.13b are very
similar, but where the former is related to the Hsün-tzŭ series by making Confucius
the chief figure, the latter does not mention him but begins, "Hence the Three August
Ones and the Five Emperors had warning vessels." Legge, Shih, Proleg. 90 translates
this passage.
[OMITTED]: likewise SY. Hsün-tzŭ, Chia-yü, and Huai-nan tzŭ all write [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] also KTCY 1.7a, quoting HSWC. (Chao 91.)
Yang Liang says, "[OMITTED] is the same as [OMITTED] `right.' It means a ruler should put it
to the right of his seat as a warning. . . . Some say it is the same as [OMITTED], meaning
`to urge.' Wên-tzŭ . . . has [OMITTED]." Legge's "a vessel of the festive board" is not
very exact. For [OMITTED] CHy writes [OMITTED] as in Hsün-tzŭ, likewise below.
KTCY, loc. cit., has changed the order to agree with Hsün-tzŭ and Chia-yü, adding
[OMITTED] (for [OMITTED]) "The enlightened prince considers it as conveying a
warning," presumably from the latter.
KTCY, loc. cit., adds [OMITTED] "When
things reach fullness they decline; when joy reaches its extreme it becomes grief; when
the sun reaches the center [of the sky] it begins to descend; when the moon is full it
begins to wane." Huai-nan tzŭ seems to have been the source for this. Wên-tzŭ is
similar. (Chao 92.)
[OMITTED]: HSWC 8/31 has [OMITTED] and Chao would change this to
agree; but 3/31 is the same as the present passage.
This list varies in each of the other versions. It is repeated in nearly the same
form in HSWC 3/31, 8/31.
31[1]
During the seven years that the Duke of Chou occupied the
place of the Son of Heaven,[2]
there were ten por gentlemen to
whom he gave presents and whom he treated as teachers.[3]
There
were thirteen men to whom he [made return presents and][4]
regarded as friends, and forty-nine from poor dwellings in mean
quarters to whom he gave precedence in interviews.[5]
There were
a hundred good men whom he advanced at regular times; there
were a thousand teachers, and ten thousand officials.[6]
King Ch`êng enfeoffed Po-ch`in in Lu, [and before his departure
for Lu] the Duke of Chou admonished him saying, "You are
going now. Do not treat ordinary gentlemen with disrespect
because of [your position in] the state of Lu. I am the son of
King Wên, younger brother of King Wu, and uncle of King
Ch`êng.[7]
In addition I am minister of the empire.[8]
Certainly my
position in the empire is not to be despised. Yet in washing my
hair once, I must catch it up [all wet as it is] three times; and in
eating one meal I must thrice spit out [my food], and still I fear to
lose [an interview with] one of the empire's gentlemen.
"I have heard that[9]
one whose virtuous conduct is ample and
who preserves it by reverence will prosper; that one whose territory
is extensive and who preserves it by economy will find security;
that one whose pay is rich and whose rank is elevated and who
preserves them by humility will be honored; that one whose people
are many and whose weapons are strong and who preserves them
by fear will be victorious; that one who has intelligence and knowledge
and who preserves them by [an air of] stupidity will excel;[10]
that one whose learning is extensive and whose memory is strong
and who preserves them by [an air of] shallowness will have
wisdom.[11]
Now these six are all of them `humbled virtues.' To
have the rank of emperor and the wealth of the whole land[12]
and then to lose the empire and forfeit their own lives from not
humbling these virtues—such was the lot of Chieh and Chou.
Can you not but take [them as a] warning?
"Truly, the I [ching] has the One Way whereby, on a large
scale, one may preserve an empire, or on a medium scale, one
may preserve a state, or more immediately one may preserve his
person, and it is called humility. Now `it is the Way of Heaven
to diminish the full and to augment the humble. It is the Way of
Earth to overthrow the full and to replenish the humble. Spiritual
Beings inflict calamity on the full and bless the humble. It is the
Way of Man to hate the full and love the humble.'[13]
By this
principle the completed garment must have a gap at the lapel; the
finished dwelling must have a break at a corner; the finished room
must have a defect added. This shows that incompleteness is in
accordance with the Way of Heaven. The I [ching] says,[14]
`Chien
indicates progress and success. The superior man will maintain
his success to the end, and have good fortune.' The Ode says,[15]
And his wisdom and virtue daily advanced.
because of [your position in] the state of Lu."
This section falls into two parts, both of which appear to be a development of
Hsün-tzŭ 20.20b-22b, though the parallel is not close. In Hsün-tzŭ the whole is presented
in the form of admonitions to the tutor of Po-ch`in, son of the Duke of Chou,
on his being given the fief of Lu. In HSWC the first part describes the Duke of Chou's
career; it occurs also in HSWC 8/32, and is followed by SY 8.12a-b, where some
material is added, reminiscent of one line in SSTC 4.9a-b, which parallels Hsün-tzŭ.
The second part, beginning "King Ch`êng enfeoffed Po-ch`in in Lu," is closely paralleled
by SY 10.1a-2b, even to the Ode quoted at the end; the first few lines appear in
Shih chi 33.3a (Mém. hist. 4.92-3).
[OMITTED]: SY has [OMITTED] "assisted." TPYL 474.8a has [OMITTED], but Li Shan's
com. on Wên hsüan 27.24a writes [OMITTED] (Chao 93), and Shih chi has [OMITTED]. HSWC
8/31 has [OMITTED]. That [OMITTED] does not necessarily imply a temporary succession
is apparent from Mencius 357 (5A/5.7), where the above phrase is used of Shun;
likewise Lu shih ([OMITTED]) 11.13b.
[OMITTED]: TPYL, loc. cit., has [OMITTED] (CHy), likewise SY and
HSWC 8/31. SSTC is the same, with [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]; Hsün-tzŭ omits [OMITTED]. Chao would
emend to the TPYL reading.
For [OMITTED] CHy, B, C, D have [OMITTED]. Chou has followed HSWC 8/32 in writing
[OMITTED], but thinks it should be turned around to [OMITTED] to agree with Hsün-tzŭ and
SSTC. The sentence is lacking in SY. Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED]; SSTC: [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]; HSWC 8/31: [OMITTED]. Chao would add [OMITTED] here.
CHy follows TPYL, loc. cit., and puts [OMITTED] before [OMITTED]. HSWC 8/31 has [OMITTED]
after [OMITTED]. LSCC 15.9a (Wilhelm 215) makes the number 70.
TPYL, loc. cit., writes [OMITTED] for [OMITTED] as in SY. (CHy.) From TPYL CHy here
adds [OMITTED] "At this time had
the Duke of Chou been proud and miserly, there would have been few worthy gentlemen
of the empire who came to see him." This sentence occurs also in SY (with [OMITTED]
for [OMITTED]), where it is followed by [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] "If there had been any who did come, they would necessarily have been
avaricious or not worth their pay. Ministers not worth their pay are not able to
preserve a prince."
Yang Liang points out that, having died before King Ch`êng, the Duke of Chou
could hardly have known his posthumous title.
Yi King 89 (15) lacks the final [OMITTED], possibly introduced from the [OMITTED], which has
[OMITTED].
32[1]
There is the following traditional story: Tzŭ-lu appeared before
Confucius in full dress. Confucius said, "Yu, why so dressed up?[2]
Back where the Chiang comes out from under [Mt.] Min, at the
beginning it is large enough [only] to fill up a beaker.[3]
But by the
and going when there is no wind,[4] it is impossible to cross. Is
this not because the accumulated waters are so great?[5] Now
overdressed as you are[6] and with so severe an expression,[7] is
there anyone in the empire to improve on you?"
Tzŭ-lu hastily went out, changed his clothes, and came back
humbly.[8]
Confucius said, "Yu, mark well what I am going to
tell you. He who is cautious about his speech is not loud. He
who is cautious about his conduct does not show off. The man
who shows his knowledge and his skills in his face is a mean fellow.
Truly, `when the superior man knows a thing, he holds that he
knows it, and when he does not know a thing, he admits that he
does not know it.'[9]
This is the important thing in speech. When
he can do a thing, he holds that he can do it, and when he cannot
do a thing he admits that he cannot do it: this is the important
thing in action. In speech the important thing is knowledge; in
action it is jên. The possession of both knowledge and jên—what
more can you add to that?" The Ode says,[10]
And his wisdom and virtue daily advanced.
This is based on Hsün-tzŭ 20.9a-10a. SY 17.16b-17a shows traces of influence by
both HSWC and the original Hsün-tzŭ version, while Chia-yü 2.16a-b follows only
Hsün-tzŭ.
[OMITTED]: Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED]; Chia-yü: [OMITTED]; SY: [OMITTED]. Chu Ch`i-fêng is
probably right in making [OMITTED] (anc. siwo) a phonetic borrowing for [OMITTED] (anc. kiwo)
Yang Liang defines the latter as "descriptive of richness in clothing" [OMITTED].
[OMITTED]: C has [OMITTED] for [OMITTED]. SY has [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. Huai-nan tzŭ 18.14a: [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. Kuo P`u's "Chiang fu" (Wên hsüan 12.11b) has the line [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]. Chou would bring the [OMITTED] up after [OMITTED], and omit [OMITTED] to
agree with Hsün-tzŭ, Chia-yü, and SY. I follow SY and read [OMITTED] for [OMITTED].
Yang Liang says, "Is it not because the water flowing down is in such great
quantity that people are in awe of it? It means that it is the same with full dress and
a severe expression."
33[1]
The superior man does not respect foolhardiness in conduct;
in explanations he does not respect sophistry; and in fame he does
not respect notoriety. He respects only what is fitting. Now to
carry a stone and throw yourself into the river is hard to do, but
Shên-t`u Ti was capable of it.[2]
The superior man does not respect
mountains and streams are level, that heaven and earth are equal,[4]
that Ch`i and Ch`in are contiguous, that `it goes in the ear and
comes out the mouth,'[5] that a barb has whiskers,[6] and an egg has
hair:[7] these theories are difficult to uphold, but Têng Hsi and
Hui Shih were equal to it. The superior man does not respect
them, because [such paradoxes] are not in accord with the mean
of li and i. The notoriety of Tao-chih is in everyone's mouth;[8]
his fame is [glaring as] the sun and moon, and is transmitted without
interruption [to later generations] together with the fame of
Shun and Yü. The superior man does not respect him, as [such
notoriety] is not in accord with mean of li and i. Thus the superior
man does not respect foolhardiness in conduct; in explanations he
does not respect sophistry; and in fame he does not respect
notoriety. He respects only what is fitting. The Ode says,[9]
[OMITTED]: Yang Liang says this has not been satisfactorily explained
and gives two possibilities: "[The mouth] is the pass through a mountain, meaning a
mountain has ears and mouth. `When you shout at one mountain, the whole range
answers.' (Chuang-tzŭ 10.41a, Ssŭ-ma Piao's com.) This is [the idea of] a mountain
hearing a man's voice and answering it, and so [the text] says `it goes in the ear and
comes out the mouth.' Some say that what is meant by a mountain's having a mouth
is that it spits out and draws in clouds and mist."
Yü Yüeh (Chu-tzŭ p`ing-i 12.6b) says, "I suspect [OMITTED] is a phonetic borrowing for
[OMITTED], which is defined in Shuo wên as `an old woman' [OMITTED]. To say that old women
have beards when they have not is characterized as a hard theory to uphold."
[OMITTED]: Yang Liang says, "His praises have long been sung in the mouths
of men." As SY, loc. cit., has [OMITTED], Hao I-hsing would here emend to [OMITTED]. Yü
Yüeh (op. cit. 2.9a-b) makes [OMITTED] a phonetic borrowing for [OMITTED], and says the expression
is like "black-mouthed" [OMITTED] beasts of prey, which comes to the same general
meaning as in SY. Wang Hsien-ch`ien rejects these explanations and makes [OMITTED]
mean something like "stammer," but does not specify how it is to be fitted into the
context. I follow Yang.
34[1]
Po-i and Shu-ch`i[2]
would not allow their eyes to look on a bad
sight, or their ears to listen to a bad sound. They would not serve
a prince of whom they did not approve, or command a people
whom they did not esteem. They could not bear to dwell either
in [a court] from which a lawless government emanated, or among
lawless people. They considered living with commoners as equivalent
to sitting in dirt and charcoal while wearing court robes and
court cap. Therefore when men [now] hear the character of Po-i,
the avaricious[3]
become pure and the weak acquire determination.
When we come to Liu-hsia Hui,[4]
it is not thus. He was not
ashamed to serve an impure prince, nor would he refuse an inferior
office. When advanced to employment he did not conceal his
worth, [but] made it a point to follow[5]
the True Way. When
straitened by poverty he did not grieve; when dismissed and
left without office he did not murmur. Living with commoners
he was happy[6]
and would not leave. [He would say,] "Although
he stand by my side with breast and arms bare, or with his body
naked, how can another person[7]
defile me?" Therefore when men
[now] hear the character of Liu-hsia Hui, the mean become generous
and the niggardly become liberal.
When we come to Confucius' leaving Lu and delaying his
departure,[8]
"when it was proper to go, he went,[9]
and when it was
proper to stay, he stayed": this is the way to leave the country
of one's father and mother.[10]
Po-i among the saints was the pure one; Liu-hsia Hui was the
accommodating one; and Confucius was the temperate one.[11]
The
Ode says,[12]
Neither hard nor soft.
This is taken from Mêng-tzŭ 10A.1a-b (Mencius 369-72) with omissions and
slight changes in wording. I have followed Legge's translation.
For [OMITTED] Mencius has [OMITTED] "the corrupt." Chao (95-6) quotes evidence showing
that [OMITTED] was probably also the original reading in Mencius.
35[1]
In scaling taxes and rectifying affairs the king levies a tithe on
fields; at the customs barriers and markets he has inspections, but
no duties; the use of mountains and forests, of lakes and weirs is
limited to certain seasons, but it is not prohibited [entirely];[2]
he inspects[3]
the land, and taxes[4]
[on the basis of] the quality of
the soil. He has tribute sent according to [the length of][5]
the
way it must come. All produce comes without interference in
circulation, so that it may be freely distributed. Those near [the
imperial domain] do not hide their ability, and those far away
are not dissatisfied with their labor. Though a state be secluded
and backward, there is none [of its inhabitants] but will hasten
to serve him and rejoice [in his government]. This is what is
says,[6]
And all dignities and riches are concentrated in him.
Cf. Mencius 162 (1B/5.3), "The husbandmen [cultivated for the government]
one-ninth of the land; . . . at the passes and in the markets, [strangers] were inspected,
but [goods] were not taxed; there were no prohibitions respecting the ponds and weirs."
Also Li Ki 1.293 (3/3.11), "Anciently the public fields were cultivated by the united
labors of the farmers around them, from the produce of whose private fields nothing
was levied. A rent was charged for the stances in the market-places, but wares were
not taxed. Travellers were examined at the different passes, but no duties were levied
from them. Into the forests and plains at the foot of mountains the people went without
hindrance at the proper seasons." (Legge 1.227.)
36[1]
Sun Ch`ing[2]
and the Prince of Lin-wu[3]
were discussing military
affairs before King Hsiao-ch`êng of Chao. The king said, "I
venture to ask what is [most] important in military operations."
The Prince of Lin-wu said, "Well, in military operations the
important thing is on the one hand to take advantage of the
opportunities given by Heaven and on the other to take advantage
of the terrain. Mobilize last but get there first. This is what is
important in military operations."
Sun Ch`ing said, "Not so. Now the one important thing in
military operations consists in gaining the support of officers and
people. If the six [chariot] horses are not in accord, Ts`ao-fu
[himself] could not drive them far. If bow and arrow do not
match, [even] Yi could not hit a small mark with them. Without
the support of officers and people, T`ang or Wu would not have
been able to win victories with them. Seen in this light, the
important thing is simply to gain the support of officers and
people."
The Prince of Lin-wu said, "Not so. What is employed in
military tactics is [the element of] surprise; what is valued are
stratagems and guile. Those skilled in the use [of such elements]
may be compared with an escaping hare—no one knows where
they are going to pop out. Sun [Wu] and Wu [Ch`i] used them,
and were without opponents in the empire. Seen in this light, why
you can do anything?"
Sun Ch`ing said, "Not so. What you[3]
speak of are the military
operations of a feudal lord, the affairs of a scheming minister.
What I am talking about are the military methods of the man
characterized by jên, and the undertakings of a Saintly King. It
is possible to practice guile only against those who are lazy or
where there is a marked estrangement between prince and subjects,
between superior and inferior. Now if a Chih [tries to] deceive a
Chieh, there is still [the chance of] skill and awkwardness involved;
but if a Chieh [tries to] deceive a Yao, it is like stirring up boiling
water with the finger, or dashing an egg against a rock. If you
run into a raging fire while carrying feathers and fur, you will be
burnt. So how can you use guile? Furthermore, who is going to
succeed with an oppressive state? Any who succeed with such
[a state] must needs cheat the people.[4]
But the people's love for
me is like the pleasure they take in the chiao and the lan plants
for their fragrance; it is joyous as [the love between] father and
son.[5]
They regard their superiors as men with poisonous beestingers.[6]
Though there be a Chieh or a Chih, is [anyone] going
to be willing on the behalf of those he most hates to injure those
whom he most loves? This is like [trying to] make a man's sons
and grandsons injure their own parents; the former will notify
them in advance,[7]
so how can you use guile?
"Furthermore, the troops of the man characterized by jên form
companies when together, and when separated they form ranks.
up against them are cut in two. In a salient they are like the sharp
point of Mo-yeh: those who oppose them are destroyed. In
surrounding [operations] they are immovable as hills and mountains.
In square formations they are like a great boulder that
cannot be disloged; those that butt against them retreat with
broken horns and cracked joints. So how can you use guile?
The Ode says,[9]
King Hsiao-ch`êng withdrew from the mat, clasped his hands[12]
and said, "Though I am not intelligent, I ask to rely on the
Master's military tactics."
All texts have [OMITTED]; Hsün-tzŭ adds [OMITTED]. That Hsün-tzŭ's name was written with
[OMITTED] to avoid the taboo name [OMITTED] of the Emperor Hsüan of the Han has been
generally accepted since Ssŭ-ma Chên and Yen Shih-ku. However, Wang Hsiench`ien
(in Hsün-tzŭ k`ao-chêng 14b) demonstrates that this could not be true, and
explains the use of the two characters by their similarity in sound.
Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED] "Then
with whom is the prince of an oppressive state going to achieve his success? Those with
whom he achieves his success must be the people of that state."
Hsün-tzŭ has [OMITTED] "The people's love
for me is comparable to that felt for their fathers and mothers as regards the pleasure
it affords them. Their liking for me is comparable to their liking chiao and lan plants
for their fragrance." This sentence appears toward the end in the Hsün-tzŭ and Hsin
hsü versions.
Chou thinks there should be [OMITTED] before [OMITTED] and [OMITTED] before [OMITTED]: "Their resentful
glances at their superiors are like poisonous bee-stings."
[OMITTED]: "They (the people) will realize in advance their mistake" (??)
This is evidently a corruption of Hsün-tzŭ, [OMITTED]. . . . I suspect
that [OMITTED] was miswritten [OMITTED], necessitating the emendation of [OMITTED] to [OMITTED].
Wu ti chi 4b-5a says that Kan-chiang [OMITTED] had been commissioned by King
Ho-lü of Wu to cast a sword. When the finest materials had been assembled, despite
sacrifices to the God of the Furnace [OMITTED] by three hundred women, the gold and
silver failed to fuse with the iron. Kan-chiang told his wife, Mo-yeh, that according
to his master, in such cases a visit to the God of the Furnace by a woman would be
efficacious. Mo-yeh cast herself into the furnace and the molten metals at once flowed
out. Kan-chiang then made two swords, calling the male blade Kan-chiang and the
female one Mo-yeh. From the remaining metal he fashioned 3000 swords. He presented
the sword Kan-chiang to King Ho-lü and hid the female sword, which continually cried
and sobbed for her mate. Another version of this legend appears in Wu-Yüeh ch`unch`iu
(followed by Giles, BD 934), whereby Mo-yeh merely cuts off her hair and
finger nails to cast them in the furnace.
[OMITTED]: CHy follows Hsün-tzŭ and Shih k`ao 2.46a to write [OMITTED]. Ch`ên Ch`iao-ts`ung (I-shuo k`ao 18.10a) also has [OMITTED]. (Chao.)
[OMITTED]: Hsün-tzŭ writes [OMITTED], and Ch`ên (loc. cit.) thinks that was the Han shih reading. (Chao.)
[OMITTED]: "raised his head." CHy thinks it should be [OMITTED], "bent his head." Yü
Yüeh (CYTT 17.5a-b) compares HSWC 6/20 [OMITTED], and thinks this also should
be [OMITTED]. (Chao 98.)
37
The ruler[1]
who has received the heavenly mandate adjusts his
clothes and cap and puts on a dignified attitude, and the people,
they trust from having heard him speak. Next is the one whom
they trust after viewing his conduct. But he is lowest of all[3]
whom everyone mistrusts after seeing his conduct. The Ode says,[4]
[People] will say that you are untruthful.
Cf. Analects 353 (20/2.2): "The ruler adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws
a dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at with awe."
38
In antiquity they understood the empire without going out of
doors. They perceived[1]
the Way of Heaven without looking out
of their windows. This was not because their eyes could see a
thousand li ahead, nor because their ears could hear [sounds] a
thousand[2]
li away, but because they measured others by their
own feelings.[3]
From their own dislike of hunger and cold they
understood the empire's desire for food and clothing; from their
own dislike of toil and suffering they understood the empire's
desire for peace and ease; from their own dislike of decay and
poverty they understood the empire's desire for riches and abundance.[4]
Understanding these things was how the sage-kings put
the empire in order without descending from the mats [on which
they were sitting]. Hence the way of the superior man rests
[solely] on sincereity and compassion.[5]
Now, hunger and thirst
these four are the great misfortunes of the people. It is impossible
to teach or control them unless these misfortunes are removed.[7]
If the four limbs are not covered, there will be few persons
practicing jên. If the five viscera are empty, there will be no
gentlemen established [in the way of virtue].[8] Therefore, after
the method of the former kings, the Son of Heaven personally
tilled the soil, and the Empress and Imperial Concubines tended
the silkworms, making themselves the first in the Empire to care
for food and clothing. The Ode says,[9]
My heart is sad:10
That man has no longer garment.
Chih-yao reads [OMITTED]
[OMITTED] "Desiring clothing and
food themselves, they understood the empire's desire for clothing and food. Desiring
peace and ease themselves, they understood the empire's desire for peace and ease.
Having likes and dislikes themselves, they understood the likes and dislikes of the
empire." (Chao.)
[OMITTED]: Chih-yao has [OMITTED] before [OMITTED], and Chao (100) would add it here to
recapitulate the [OMITTED] just above.
| CHAPTER III Han shih wai chuan | |