by An Liu
If your knowledge is round, there will be nothing you do not know.
If your conduct is square, you will not act in certain instances.
If your abilities are many, there will be nothing you cannot put in order.
If your affairs are few, the essence will be what you grasp. [9/79/27–9/80/7]
In ancient times when the Son of Heaven held court, he arranged for
lords and ministers to present forthright admonitions,
scholars of wide learning to chant the Odes,85
music masters to sing critiques of government,
and the populace to offer their opinions.
Secretaries recorded the ruler’s misconduct;
chefs cut down on his delicacies.
But still this was not considered sufficient, so
Yao put in place a drum [at the palace gate] for anyone wishing to admonish [him];
Shun set up a board on which to post criticisms;
Tang had a superintendent of rectitude;
King Wu set up a small drum to remind him to be careful.
[Thus], when mistakes were still trivial, there already were precautions taken against them.
According to the sage’s concept of goodness, no act [of goodness] is so small that it should not be carried out.
According to his concept of misconduct, no act [of misconduct] is so trivial that it should not be corrected.
Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen and King Wu confidently faced south and ruled the world. In those times,
when a gong was struck, they ate;
when the [musical composition] “Concord”86 was played, the table was cleared.
After finishing their rice, they offered a sacrifice to the stove god. In their conduct, they did not make use of shamans’ invocations.
Ghosts and spirits did not dare to work black magic on them;
mountains and rivers did not dare to harm them.
They could be said to be [truly] noble. Yet they were
preoccupied and fearful,
daily more and more careful.
From this point of view, then, the sage’s heart is cautious. The Odes says,
“Indeed this King Wen
was cautious and reverent;
illustriously he served the High God,
thus securing good fortune.”87
Is this not what is referred to here?
When King Wu of Zhou attacked the Shang dynasty, he
disbursed the grain from the Zhuqiao granaries,
distributed the money from the Lutai treasury,
built a mound over Bi Gan’s tomb,
designated as exemplary the [ancestral] village of Shang Rong,88
brought under royal control the ancestral temple of Cheng Tang,
and freed Ji Zi from prison.89
He let people of all sorts remain in their own homes and till their own fields.
He did not distinguish between old and new [friends]
but drew near only to those who were worthy.
He made use of those who had not previously served him
and employed those who were not [previously] his own men,
comfortably treating the newcomers as if they had long been in his employ. From this point of view, then, the sage’s will is expansive.
King Wen of Zhou
comprehensively surveyed successes and failures
and everywhere investigated right and wrong.
[He considered] what made Yao and Shun glorious
and [why] Jie and Djou perished,
then recorded all [his findings] in the Mingtang. Thereby he increased his wisdom and expanded his erudition so he could respond to anything that departed from the foursquare. From this point of view, then, the sage’s wisdom is round.
King Cheng and King Kang
carried on the task of Kings Wen and Wu,
preserved the institution of the Mingtang,
looked into the traces of [ancient states] that endured or perished,
and observed the alterations of success and failure.
If something
contravened the Way, they would not say it;
contravened Rightness, they would not do it.
Their words were not spoken heedlessly;
their actions were not carried out heedlessly.
They selected what was good, and only then would they pursue a course of action. From this point of view, then, the conduct of the Superior Man is square.
Confucius’s penetrating qualities [were such that]
in wisdom he surpassed Chang Hong;90
in bravery he was superior to Meng Ben.91
His feet were quicker than an agile rabbit;
his strength could lift a city gate.
His abilities certainly were many. Nevertheless,
his bravery and strength were not heard about;
his skills and mastery were not known.
It was only through carrying out filial piety and the Way that he became an “uncrowned king.” His affairs certainly were few.
In the 242 years of the Spring and Autumn period, fifty-two states perished and thirty-six rulers were assassinated. Confucius
upheld goodness and condemned wickedness, [thereby]
perfecting the Way of [the True] King.
His discussions certainly were broad. Nevertheless,
when he was besieged in Kuang,
his expression and complexion did not alter.
He plucked [his qin] and sang without pausing.
When it came to the point that his life was in danger,
when he encountered calamities and dangerous difficulties,
he clung to Rightness and practiced his principles, and his will was fearless. His sense of discrimination [between life and death] certainly was clear.
Thus, [in serving] as minister of justice in Lu, when he heard cases, he invariably came to a decision. In compiling the Spring and Autumn Annals, he did not give accounts of ghosts and spirits, nor did he dare to [inject] his personal opinions.
Now the wisdom of sages certainly embraces many things; what they preserve gets to the essence. Thus when they take some action, the outcome is invariably glorious. The wisdom of a foolish person certainly is very little, yet the things he tries to do are numerous. Thus when he acts on something it is certain to fail. In wisdom, Wu Qi92 and Zhang Yi93 did not compare with Confucius and Mo Di, yet they contended with rulers of ten-thousand-chariot states. This is why they eventually had their bodies torn apart by chariots and their lineage wiped out.94 Now
if [the ruler] uses uprightness to transform [the people] by teaching, that is easy and he will certainly succeed.
If he uses depravity to manipulate society, that is difficult and he will certainly fail.
Now, if you are going to establish a pattern of conduct and make it general throughout the world, to abandon the easy route that is sure to succeed and to follow the difficult way that is bound to fail would be the height of stupidity and confusion.
The six opposites must, without fail, be scrutinized carefully. [9/80/9–9/81/4]
9.30
To be thoroughly knowledgeable about the ten thousand things yet not to know about the Way of humankind—this cannot be called Wisdom.
To be thoroughly loving toward all sorts of [living] things yet not love human-kind—this cannot be called Humaneness.
Humaneness is the love of one’s own kind.
Wisdom means one cannot be confused.
A humane person may be in the midst of [witnessing] a mutilating punishment or an execution, but it is evident from his countenance that he cannot bear to do so.
A wise person may be in the midst of dealing with a vexing and challenging matter, but it is evident from his efficacy that he is not in the dark.
His inner sense of reciprocity is reflected in his [outward] feelings. What he does not wish for himself he does not do to others.95
From [knowing] the near, he knows the distant;
from [knowing] himself, he knows others.
That is how [the sage] acts on the concord of Humaneness96 and Wisdom.
If in small matters there is teaching, then in great matters there is preservation [of the state].
If in small matters there are punishments, then in great matters there is peace.
How compassion is to be expressed in action is a matter for the man of wisdom alone to decide. Thus Humaneness and Wisdom sometimes disagree and sometimes agree. When they agree, [the ruler employs] uprightness, when they disagree, [he employs] expediency. The [standard of] Rightness is the same. [9/81/6–11]
Functionaries and secretaries adhere to the law, but the ruler controls them through Rightness. [A ruler] who is lawful but lacks Rightness is no different from the functionaries and secretaries; this is not sufficient for [true] government.
Farming as an occupation is laborious;
weaving as an occupation is burdensome.
Though they are laborious and burdensome, the people do not abandon them because they know that it is through those means that they can clothe and feed themselves. It is an essential quality of human beings that they cannot do without clothing and food. The Way of clothing and feeding oneself must begin with farming and weaving. This is something that the people in their tens of thousands all recognize. Things like farming and weaving begin with hard work, but in the end they are inevitably beneficial.
Things for which preparations can be made in advance are innumerable, but the number of preparations [actually] undertaken by the foolish are few.
Matters in which expedient measures may be applied are many, but those in which expedient measures are [actually] undertaken by the foolish are few.
This is why foolish people have so many troubles.
Things for which one can prepare, the wise prepare for as completely as possible.
Things to which expedient measures can be applied, they apply them as completely as possible.
This is why the wise have so few troubles. Thus,
the wise first meet with resistance but later [bring about] concord;
the foolish begin in joy and end in grief. [9/81/13–18]
Today, what should we do to win honors?
Tomorrow, what should we do to accord with Rightness?
All this is easy to say.
Today, what should we do to accord with Rightness?
Tomorrow, what should we do to win honors?
This is hard to know.
If you ask a blind musician, “What is plain white like?”
he will say, “It is like unbleached silk.”
If you ask him, “What is black like?”
he will say, “It is like deepest black.”97
If you take something white and something black and show them to him, however, he will not be able to distinguish between them. People use their eyes to perceive white and black and their mouths to speak of white and black. The blind music master has the means to speak of white and black but not the means to know white and black. Thus in speaking of white and black, he is the same as other people, but in not being able to distinguish them, he is different from other people.
Everyone, whether foolish or wise, worthy or deficient, knows that internalizing filial piety toward his parents and outwardly displaying loyalty to his ruler is Rightness. But few can set an example of loyal and filial conduct or know whence [those qualities] arise. Now as to people’s thoughts, there is no one who does not first consider his [opinion] correct and then act on it. What distinguishes whether their [conduct] is correct or incorrect is the difference between foolishness and wisdom.98 [9/81/20–25]
In human nature
nothing is more valuable than Humaneness;
nothing is more urgently needed than Wisdom.
Humaneness is used as the basic stuff;
Wisdom99 is used to carry things out.
These two are the root. Add to them
bravery, strength, eloquence, mental acuity,
cleverness, quickness, diligence, discrimination,
ingenuity, mental agility, sharpness, keenness,
thoroughgoing brilliance, and penetrating insight,
and they all would serve to increase [a person’s] advantages. But if someone who is personally lacking in self-cultivation is trained in skills and arts but has no Humaneness or Wisdom that he can manifest as his fundamental character, then the more he augments his strong points, the more it will add to the damage he can do. Thus,
someone who lacks Humaneness but is brave and daring is like a madman brandishing a sharp sword.
Someone who lacks Wisdom but is eloquent and quick tongued is like driving a fine horse but not knowing which way to go.100
Even though you may have talent and ability, if you apply it where it is not suitable, it will suffice only to promote deception and cover up wrongdoing. [In that case,] having many skills would be not as good as having few. Thus those who are consumed with ambition cannot be given access to positional advantage, and those who are basically foolish cannot be given a “sharp tool.”101 [9/81/27–9/82/2]
9.31
When fish have water, they swim in it and enjoy themselves; but if [the dikes] break and the water dries up, then they will be eaten by insects. If you strengthen and repair the dikes and embankments and replace the water that leaked out, the fish will be restored and benefit from it.
A country has something by means of which it is preserved;
people have something by means of which they stay alive.
What preserves a state is Humaneness and Rightness;
what keeps people alive is good conduct.
If a state lacks Rightness, even if it is large, it will certainly perish.
If people lack goodness of will, even if they are brave, they will be injured.
The government of a state is by the fiat of the ruler and no one else. Being filial to parents, brotherly to siblings, and honest with friends all can be accomplished without commands from above. To put aside what you can accomplish and seek to do what you cannot control is absurd. [9/82/4–7]
9.32
If a scholar living in low and obscure circumstances wants to gain access to the ruler, he must first revert to himself.
There is a Way to gain access to the ruler. But if you lack fame and reputation, you cannot gain access.
There is a Way to gain a reputation. But if you do not gain the trust of your friends, you cannot gain a reputation.
There is a Way to gain the trust of your friends. But if in your dealings with relatives you do not make them happy, your friends will not trust you.
There is a Way to make your relatives happy. But if your self-cultivation does not [lead to] sincerity, you cannot manage your family.
There is a Way to make yourself sincere. But if your mind is not focused on the One, you cannot be sincere.
The Way lies in what is easy, but [people] seek it in what is hard.
The proof lies in what is near, but [people] seek it in the far away.
That is why no one gets it. [9/82/7–11]
Translated by Sarah A. Queen and John S. Major
1. This sentence breaks the parallelism of the whole passage, so we suspect that the text might have originally read, “his officials receive the admonitions [of others].”
2. For heavenly and earthly qi, see 3.1: “[The qi that] was pure and bright spread out to form Heaven; [the qi that] was heavy and turbid congealed to form Earth.” In Han belief, the body of a living person was inhabited by two souls: (a) the hun , an ethereal yang soul that departed from the body at death, and (b) the po , an earthy, substantive, corporeal yin soul that remained with the corpse after death and was entombed with it. Funerary offerings placed in the tomb were for the benefit of the po soul. See also 7.7 and 16.1. The link made here between heavenly and earthly qi and the hun and po souls of the ruler suggests a direct macrocosm–microcosm relationship between the cosmos and the sage.
3. Jiaozhi is i
dentified with a kingdom in part of what is now northern Vietnam, in the floodplain of the Red River, and the Youdu Mountains are near the Gulf of Zhili. See 20.28.
4. See 16.157.
5. This proverb recurs in 10.97, 16.59, and 20.2.
6. Kuairan (lit., “clodlike”) probably is a reference to the “Great Clod” (dakuai ) in Zhuangzi 2. The concept of a self-contained and inviolable state is similar to that of the “Unhewn” (pu ), for which see, for example, 1.2.
7. Sunshu Ao (fl. ca. 598 B.C.E.) was the prime minister of Chu.
8. Yiliao of Shi’nan was a mighty knight of Chu, surnamed Xiong , whose aid was sought by Duke Bo in a vendetta against Prime Minister Zixi but who refused despite bribery and threats. See Zuozhuan, Ai 16. Stories about him appear in Zhuangzi 20, 23, and 25. The remark here about “juggling crossbow pellets” parallels a speech attributed to Confucius in Zhuangzi 24. According to Gao You, when Duke Bo’s emissary Shi Qi came to appeal to Yiliao, he was juggling crossbow pellets and did not stop even when Shi Qi threatened him with a sword. See Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 1:903n.18.
9. Zigong (also known as Duanmu Si ) was a disciple of Confucius who, after the death of the Master, went on to a career as a merchant and diplomat.
10. Viscount Jian of Zhao (also known as Zhao Yang [d. 475 B.C.E.]), a ministerial vassal of Jin, was the successful leader of the Zhao clan in factional struggles against rival vassal clans. He was a proponent of government reform known for casting the penal laws of Jin onto bronze tripods for public display.
11. Scribe An (also known as Scribe Mo ) was a knight of Jin, surnamed Cai , who served as grand scribe of the ducal court.
12. Gao Yao was a legendary sage official in the time of Yao and Shun.
13. Duke Zhuang of Qi (r. 553–548 B.C.E.) consorted with the wife of, and was consequently murdered by, his minister Cui Zhu.
14. King Qingxiang of Chu was the ruler of Chu from 299 to 263 B.C.E.
15. Zhao Qi , according to Gao You, was a grandee of Chu. See Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 1:907n.4. He is otherwise unknown.
16. Rong Qiji was a hermit of the Spring and Autumn period. The story of his encounter with Confucius is recounted in Liezi 1.
17. Zou Ji (d. ca. 341 B.C.E.), a minister of Qin under two sovereigns, rose to the post of prime minister under King Wei, and oversaw sweeping government reforms.