Annotations of Canon III:—
King Wên was attacking Ch`ung. When he arrived at
the Yellow Phoenix Mound,[15]
the strings of his socks became
loosened. Accordingly, he tied them up himself. "Why
did you do that?" asked T`ai-kung Wang. "Of the people
whom the ruler deals with," replied the King, "on the top[16]
all are the ruler's teachers, in the middle all are his friends, and
on the bottom all are his employees. Now, everybody here
was a minister to the late King. Therefore, I found nobody
to tie my strings."
According to a different source: Duke Wên was at war
with the Chiu men. When he arrived at the Yellow Phoenix
Hill, his shoe strings became loosened. Accordingly, he tied
them up himself. "Could you not find anybody to do it for
you?" asked the attendants. In reply the Duke said:
"I have heard, `Everybody around the superior is respected
by him; everybody around the ordinary ruler is loved by
him; and everybody around the inferior ruler is despised by
him.' Although Your Highness is unworthy, the late ruler's
men are all here. So it is hard to have anybody tie my shoe
strings."
Chi-sun was fond of entertaining scholars. All his life he
lived in a dignified manner. In his private dwelling and
clothing he always kept the same formality as in the court.
Once he happened to neglect the formality and commit some
faults, and could not keep up the same dignity. In consequence
his guests thought he disliked and despised them, and altogether
developed resentment at him, till they killed him.
Hence the saying: "The gentleman shuns excess and shuns
deficit."
According to a different source[17]
: Nan-kung Ching-tzŭ
asked Yen Cho-chü: "Chi-sun supported Confucius's
disciples. Those who wore court costumes and sat with him
in the court, numbered tens. But he met assassins. Why?"
In reply Yen said: "Formerly King Ch`êng of Chou kept
actors and clowns around in order to amuse himself as he
wanted, but consulted with gentlemen when he decided on
state affairs. That was the reason why he could realize his
ambition in All-under-Heaven. On the contrary, Chi-sun
supported Confucius's disciples, and those who wore court
costumes and sat with him in the court, numbered tens, but
when deciding on state affairs, he consulted with actors and
clowns. That was the reason why he met assassins. Hence
the saying: `Success or failure rests not with room-mates
but with councillors.' "
Confucius was attending on Duke Ai of Lu, when Duke
Ai gave him peaches and grains of glutinous millet. "Please
help yourself," said Duke Ai. Confucius ate the millet first
and then the peaches. Thereat the attendants all, covered
their mouths with their hands, and laughed. "The grains
are not for eating," remarked Duke Ai, "but for wiping off
the skin of the peaches." In reply Chung-ni said: "Ch`iu
knew it from the beginning. Indeed, glutinous millet is
the head of the five
[18]
cereals. On commemorating the early
kings it is used as the best offering. There are six
[19]
kinds of tree
and grass fruits,
[20]
among which the peach is the lowest in
rank and cannot enter the shrine on commemorating the
early kings. Ch`iu has heard, `The gentlemen cleans
the noble with the humble,' but never heard that he cleans the
humble with the noble. Now, to clean the lowest among
fruits with the highest among the cereals is to clean the worst
with the best. Ch`iu regards such an act as contrary to
righteousness and therefore dare not eat the peaches
[21]
before eating the best offering in the shrine of the royal
ancestors."
Viscount Chien of Chao once said to the Chamberlains:
"The sheet inside the carriage is too beautiful. Indeed, the
crown, however simple, is always put on the head; the shoes,
however good, are always put on the feet. Now, the sheet
inside the carriage is very beautiful. What shoes shall I wear?
Indeed, to wear beautiful things below and simple things
above is the origin of the violation of righteousness."
Fei Chung spoke to Chow: "The Earl of the West,
Ch`ang, is worthy. The hundred surnames like him. The
feudal lords turn to him. He must be censured. If not
ousted, he will be a menace to the Yin Dynasty." "You are
speaking," said Chow, "of a righteous lord. Why should he
be censured?" In reply Fei Chung said: "The crown,
however worn-out, is always put on the head; the shoes,
though decorated with five colours, are trodden upon the
ground. Now the Earl of the West, Ch`ang, is subordinate to
Your Majesty. He has practised righteousness, wherefore
people turn to him. Surely, it must be Ch`ang who will
eventually become a trouble to All-under-Heaven. Any
minister
[22]
who does not serve his master with his worthiness
must be censured. Moreover, being the ruler, Your Majesty
censures a guilty minister. How can there be any fault in
so doing?" "Indeed, with benevolence and righteousness
the ruler encourages the subjects. Now that Ch`ang is fond
of benevolence and righteousness, it is impracticable to
censure him." Though persuaded for three times, he never
listened. Hence followed the fall of Yin.
King Hsüan of Ch`i asked K`uang Ching: "Do the
literati gamble?" "No, they don't." "Why?" asked the
King. In reply K`uang Ching said: "The gamblers make
much of the owl dice.[23]
The winner of the owl dice, however,
has to kill[24]
it. Thus, to kill the owl dice is to kill the object
of esteem. The literati, regarding this as harmful to righteousness,
refrain from gambling." "Do the literati shoot birds
with stringed arrows?" asked the King further. "No, they
don't. To shoot birds with stringed arrows is to shoot above
from below. This is the same as the subjects who injure the
ruler. The literati, regarding this as harmful to righteousness,
refrain from shooting with stringed arrows." "Do the literati
play the instrument Sê?" asked the King furthermore.
"No, they don't. Indeed, that kind of harp gets large sounds
from small strings and small sounds from large strings. This
is the same as the large and the small reversing their order
and high and low exchanging status. The literati, regarding
this as harmful to righteousness, refrain from playing the
Sê instrument." "Good," said King Hsüan.
Chung-ni said, "Better let the people flatter the superior
than let them flatter the inferior".[25]
