University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER II.

Replies in Self-Defense (Tui-tso).

Some one might put the following question: The worthies
and sages were not born for nothing; decidedly their minds were
required. How is it that from Confucius and Mê Ti down to Hsün
Tse[1] and Mencius they all acted as teachers and left their works
to posterity?

Our reply is that the sages wrote the Classics, and the
worthies composed their records. They rectified the depraved
customs, and enjoined upon the people to revert to truth and sincerity.
The thirteen thousand chapters of the Six Departments of
Literature[2] increased the good and diminished the evil, sometimes
restricting, sometimes expanding, and urging on the stragglers, with
a view to leading them back from their by-paths into the right way.

Confucius wrote the Ch`un-ch`iu in consequence of the depravity
of the people of Chou. He, therefore, established the smallest
merit, and blamed the slightest wrong; he removed every disorder,
and re-established propriety. The ways of men as well as those
of the sovereign were well ordered by him. To check extravagant
and mean practices one must take every precaution, and use every
means. When a dyke breaks, and no measures are taken, there will
be a disastrous inundation. When a net opens, and is not shut
again, the animals caught in it are lost. Had the ways of Chou
not degenerated, the people would not have been uncultured, and
had the people not been uncultured, the Ch`un-ch`iu would not have
been written.

If the doctrines of Yang Chu and Mê Ti[3] had not perverted
the traditions, the records of Mencius would not have been published.
Had the Han State not been small and weak, and its
system of government corrupt, Han Fei Tse's book would not have
appeared.[4] Had Kao Tsu not contested that the conquerors of

empires had not alighted from their horses nor changed their
martial habits, Lu Chia would not have written his memorials.[5] If
the truth had not been lost everywhere, and scientific researches
not been in a state of great confusion, the discussions of Huan
Tan would not have come forth.

Ergo, when worthies and sages write something, they do not
do so for nothing, but have their good reasons. Thus their writings
are by no means purposeless, but conducive to reforms, and
their reforms to re-establish the right principles.

Accordingly the Han created the censorate to review books
and examine their contents. Tung Chung Shu wrote a book on
magical arts, in which he spoke much about calamitous events as
being caused by the faults of the government. When the book
was complete, and the text revised, it was presented to the Imperial
Court of the Han. Chu Fu Yen from jealousy slandered the
book in a memorial to the throne. The emperor handed Tung Chung
Shu over to the tribunal, and the judges declared that he was very
stupid, and deserved to die, but the emperor pardoned him. Hsiao
Wu Ti did not punish Tung Chung Shu for his remarks on calamities,
on the contrary, he honoured him. How much more would
he have done so for Tung Chung Shu's inoffensive utterances, for
his researches into the nature of the fundamental principles and
his collection of old and true sayings?

As long as a wise man holds an official position in this world,
he is perfectly loyal to his sovereign, and propagates his reforms
to enlighten the government. When he has retired, he still teaches
and criticises to rouse the simple-minded who have gone astray.
They cannot find their way back to the right path, their principles
are shallow, and their doings wrong. Unless we scholars
hurry to their rescue, they come to perdition, and do not awake
from their slumber. This has prompted me to write the Lun-hêng.

In a great many books reality has no place left: falsehood
and immorality triumph over truth and virtue. Therefore, unless
such lies be censured, specious arguments cannot be suppressed,
and, as long as they spread, truth does not reign. For this reason
the Lun-hêng weighs the words, whether they be light or heavy,
and holds up a balance for truth and falsehood. It does not trouble
about polishing the phrases and embellishing the style, or consider
this of great importance.

It has its raison d'être in the innate human weakness. Consequently
it criticises the common people most vigorously. By
nature these people are very prone to strange words and to the
use of falsehoods. Why? Because simple truisms do not appeal to
the imagination, whereas elegant inventions puzzle the hearers, and
impress their minds. Therefore, men of genius, who are fond of
discussions, will magnify and exaggerate the truth, and use flowery
language. Masters of style, they simply invent things, and tell
stories, which never happened. Their hearers believe in them, and
are never tired of repeating them. Their readers take these stories
for facts, and one transmits them to the other in an unbroken chain
so, that at last the words are engraved on bamboo and silk. Being
repeated over and over again, these stories impose even upon the
wise. May be that even His Majesty honours such a man as a
teacher, and spreads his forgeries, and that magistrates and wearers
of red girdle pendants[6] all read these inventions.

He who knows how to discriminate between truth and falsehood,
must feel a pang at it; why should he not speak? Mencius was
grieved that the discussions of Yang Chu and Mê Ti did great harm
to the cause of Confucianism, therefore he used plain and straightforward
language to recommend what was right, and to reject what
was wrong. People fancied that he was a controversialist, but
Mencius replied, "How should I be a controversialist? I cannot do
otherwise."[7]

Now I also cannot do otherwise. Lies and folly appear in
the garb of truth, veracity and sincerity are superseded by imposture.
People are in a state of apathy, right and wrong are not
determined, purple and vermilion confounded,[8] and tiles mixed up
with jade-stones. As regards my feelings, how could my heart
endure such a state? The lackey in Wei riding the outer horse

transgressed his functions, crying out for the carriage. His sympathy
carried him away, for he was apprehending a danger for
his prince.[9] Critics commiserate the world, and feel sorry for its
deceptions, a sentiment similar to that of the outrider in Wei. A
sorrowful mind and a melancholy spirit disturb the tranquil fluid
in our breast, which tells upon our years, shortens our span,
and is not beneficial to our life. It is a greater misfortune than
that suffered by Yen Hui,[10] and against the rules of Huang Ti and
Lao Tse, and nothing which men like to do. But there was no
help, therefore I wrote the Lun-hêng. Its style is indifferent, but
the meaning all right, the diction bad, but the feeling good. The
Chêng-wu[11] treats of the system of government; all the chapters of
the Lung-hêng may be read by ordinary people, for it is like writings
of other scholars.

As for the Nine Inventions and the Three Exaggerations, and
the essays on Death and on Ghosts,[12] the world has long been led
astray by the errors exposed therein, and people did not become
aware of it.

When a ruler goes wrong, representations must be addressed
to the highest place, when the citizens are blindfold, one speaks
to them. If this be of effect, their leader will learn also. I fervently
desire to rouse the misguided minds, and to teach them, how
to tell the full from the hollow. As soon as the difference of
reality and emptiness is fully understood, specious arguments will
be discarded, and then the progress made in true and real knowledge
will daily increase.

Some say that the sages create, whereas the worthies relate,
and that, if worthies create, it is wrong. The Lun-hêng and the
Chêng-wu are creations, they think. These works are neither creations
nor relations. The Five Classics can be regarded as creations.
The History of the Grand Annalist,[13] the Introduction of
Liu Tse Chêng,[14] and the Records of Pan Shu P`i[15] may be called

relations, and the "New Reflections"[16] of Huan Chün Shan and the
"Critical Reflections"[17] of Tsou Po Chi,[18] discussions. Now the Lun-hêng
and the Chêng-wu are like the two Reflections of Huan Chün
Shan and Tsou Po Chi, and not what they call creations.

To produce something new that did not exist in the past,
as T`sang Hsieh[19] invented writing and Hsi Chung,[20] chariots, is creating.
The Yi-king says of Fu Hsi that he created the eight diagrams.
They did not exist before, and Fu Hsi made them,[21] hence
the term creating is used. Wên Wang evolved these eight pictures,
and brought their number up to sixty-four, which is called amplifying.
To say that the composition of the Lun-hêng is similar to
that of the sixty-four figures is not correct either. In regard to the
sixty-four diagrams, these figures were increased by an amplification
of their forms, and their number was thus augmented. Now in the
Lun-hêng the current literature is taken up with the object of defining
right and wrong and distinguishing between truth and falsehood. It
is not an original production of something that did not exist previously.
The Confucianists take the sayings of former teachers and
criticise them, as clerks subject the decisions of the lord chief-justice
to a new examination. If the term creating be applied to the Lun-hêng,
would the same word be used of the Confucianists and the clerks?

In their reports to the throne and their memorials the memorialists
use to propose useful measures. There is always the
desire to help the government. Now the creators of classical works
are like those memorialists. Their words proceed from the innermost
heart, and it is their hand which reduces them to writing.
Both cases are identical. In regard to those who address the emperor
one speaks of memorialising, whereas for those records another
word has been adopted viz. writing.

During the first years of Chien-ch`u,[22] there was a great dearth
in Chung-chou.[23] The people from Yin-ch`uan[24] and Ju-nan[25] had to

leave their homes, and were scattered in all directions. His Holy
Majesty felt very much distressed, and many edicts were issued.
The writer of the Lun-hêng presented a report[26] to the prefect,
urging that all dissipations and extravagancies should be prohibited
in order to provide for the time of need. His suggestions were
not accepted however. He went home and entitled the draft of
his report "Provisions for Times of Want."

When the grain is used for the destillation of wine, robbery
is rampant, and as long as there is much drunkeness, robberies
never cease. In a memorial sent to the prefect the writer proposed
that the use of spirits should be interdicted, and afterwards gave
to this report the name "Prohibition of Spirits." From this it may
be seen that the writing of the classical authors is like that of
memorialists. Those reports are regarded as independent creations
presented to the emperor. Reports and memorials to the throne
are always creations.

In the Ch`êng of Chin, the T`ao-wu of Ch`u,[27] and the Ch`unch`iu
of Lu persons and things are all different. As regards the
diagrams ch`ien and k`un of the Yiking, the yuan[28] of the Ch`un-ch`iu
and the mystical principle of Yang Tse Yün, they use diverse terms
for divination and time periods. From this we may infer that the
Lun-hêng and the Chêng-wu have the same aim as the memorials of
T`ang Lin and the essays of Ku Yung.

The Han time is very rich in literary ralents, and the number
of essays is especially large, Yang Ch`êng Tse Chang produced the
Yüeh-ching[29] and Yang Tse Yün the T`ai-hsüan-ching. These two books
were current in the court and read in the side-halls. The impression
they caused was enormous, they were not relations but creations,
and people doubted, whether the ingenious authors were not sages.
The court found nothing to blame in them. Now, fancy the Lun-hêng
with its minute discussions and thorough arguments, intended
to explain the common errors and elucidate the right and wrong
principles so, that future generations can clearly see the difference
between truth and falsehood! Lest all this be lost, I have committed
it to the writing tablets: remarks on chapters and passages
of the classics of our ancestors, and on queer sayings of former

masters. I offer critical remarks and reject many common traditions.
The delusion caused by such traditions and the spread of so many
lying books give endless pain to the knowing. Confucius said:—"When
a man is touched by poetry, he cannot remain silent. When I am
moved, I cannot keep quiet, but must speak."

Jade is being confounded with stones. People cannot distinguish
it, as for instance the inspector of works in Ch`u took jade for a
stone, and suddenly ordered Pien Ho to have his foot cut off.[30] Right
is being turned into wrong, and falsehood into truth. How is it
possible not to speak of it?

As the common traditions are full of exaggerations, so the
common books teem with falsehoods. Tsou Yen e.g. pretends that
our world[31] is one continent, and that beyond the four seas there
are still nine other continents like our world.[32] Huai Nan Tse says
in his book that, when Kung Kung, fighting for the throne with
Chuan Hsü, was not victorious, he ran against Mount Pu-chou in his
wrath so, that he caused the "Pillar of Heaven" to break, and
the confines of the earth to be smashed.[33] In Yao's time ten suns
appeared simultaneously. Yao shot an arrow at nine of them.[34]
During the battle fought by the Duke of Lu-yang[35] the sun went
down. Swinging his spear he beckoned to the sun, when he came
back. There are a great many books and records of a similar
nature in the world. Truth and reality are drowned in a flood of
inventions and fabrications. Can we remain silent, when our heart
swells to overflowing, and the pencil trembles in our hand?

Discussing a question we must examine into it with our mind,
and demonstrate it by facts, and, if there be any inventions, proofs
must be given. As the history of the Grand Annalist testifies,
Hsü Yu[36] did not hide, nor did Tan, the crown-prince of Yen, cause
the sun to revert to the meridian. Nobody can read these passages
without applauding.

I composed the Chêng-wu for the purpose of showing to the
incumbents of the prefectures and the district magistrates, what is of
paramount importance in the administration, and with a view to induce
all people to reform and gratefully acknowledge the kindness of
the government. The nine chapters of the Lun-hêng on Inventions and
the three chapters on Exaggerations are intended to impress upon
people that they must strive for truthfulness, and the chapters on Death
and Ghosts[37] shall induce them to give their dead a simple burial.

Confucius avoided all pomp, but people were very extravagant
in burying the dead and decorating the coffin. Liu Tse Chêng was
in favour of simple funerals, but people would put costly things
into the graves, and spare no money. Kuang Wu Ti regarded straw
carriages and reed horses as sufficiently good objects for the sacrificial
worship of the dead. Why do the common books and traditions
not mention this? The belief in the talk on death has
defiled them.

Now I have written the essays on Death and on the False
Reports about the Dead[38] to show that the deceased have no consciousness,
and cannot become ghosts, hoping that, as soon as my readers
have grasped this, they will restrain the extravagance of the burials,
and become more economical. Such would be the advantage derived
from the Lun-hêng. Provided that my words have this effect, what
would it matter, if my work were a creation?

The writing of Ts`ang Hsieh is universally used to record things,
the carriages of Hsi Chung for locomotion, the clothes of Po Yü as
a protection against heat and cold, and the tiled houses of Chieh
to keep off wind and rain.[39]
If, irrespective of their usefulness or
obnoxiousness, such things be solely found fault with for being innovations,
then men like Ts`ang Hsieh would have to be condemned,
and the fifteen dynasties at the beginning of history all be blameworthy.[40]
Provided that a thing be useful, there is no harm, even if it
should be an innovation, and if there be no harm, what can be amiss?

In ancient times great public entertainments were given by
imperial order with the object of seeing the customs and learning

the feelings of the people. Then the Odes[41] originated among the
people. The holy emperors might have said, "Ye, people, how
dare you produce such novel things?," and have thrown them into
prison, and destroyed their Odes. This was not done, and the
Odes were thus handed down. Now the Lun-hêng and the Chêng-wu
are like the Odes. I trust that they will not be condemned,
before they have been perused.

This is the origin of the Lun-hêng. The reason why people
so often take exception to new productions is that they often contain
so many unfounded assertions and disparaging remarks on others.
The Lun-hêng aims at truth and dislikes all wild speculations. The
chapters entitled:—Ch`i-shih,[42] Hsüan Han, Hui kuo, and Yen-fu[43] are
full of praise and well-deserved applause,[44] and not disparaging at
all. Such a creation might well escape reproach.