The Huainanzi

by An Liu

  That is, if your Quintessential Spirit overflows outside, your knowledge and forethought will waste away inside, and you will not be able to regulate your body in a measured fashion. For this reason, the more distant the location in which the spirit is employed, the closer will be the things that are lost.164

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “Do not go out your door,

  thereby know the whole world;

  do not peer out your window,

  thereby know the Way of Heaven.

  The farther you go,

  the less you know.”165

  This is what is meant here. [12/117/12–15]

  12.47

  When the First Emperor of Qin166 conquered the world, he feared that he would not be able to defend it. Thus, he attacked the Rong [border tribes], repaired the Great Wall, constructed passes and bridges, erected barricades and barriers, equipped himself with post stations and charioteers, and dispatched troops to guard the borders of his empire. When, however, the house of Liu took possession of the world, it was as easy as turning a weight in the palm of your hand.

  In ancient times, King Wu attacked and vanquished [tyrant] Djou at Muye. He then

  erected a tumulus at the grave of Bi Gan,

  hung [his] banner over the [palace] gate of Shang Rong,

  erected a fence to protect the home of Jizi,

  paid his respects at the ancestral temple of Cheng Tang,

  distributed the grain in the Juqiao granary,

  and disbursed the wealth in the Deer Pavilion.167

  He destroyed the war drums and drumsticks.

  He unbent his bows and cut their strings.

  He moved out of his palace and lived exposed to the wilds to demonstrate that life would be peaceful and simple.

  He lay down his waist sword and took up the breast tablet to demonstrate that he was free of enmity.

  As a consequence of King Wu’s actions, the entire world sang his praises and rejoiced in his rule while the Lords of the Land came bearing gifts of silk and seeking audiences with him. [His dynasty endured] for thirty-four generations without interruption.

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “Those good at shutting use no bolts,

  yet what they shut cannot be opened;

  those good at tying use no cords,

  yet what they tie cannot be unfastened.”168 [12/117/17–21]

  12.48

  Yin Ru169 was studying charioteering, but three years passed and he had not yet mastered it. He was so troubled and grieved by this that when he slept, his thoughts often drifted to charioteering. Once in the middle of the night he dreamed that he received instruction in “Autumn Driving”170 from his teacher.

  The next morning he visited his teacher, who looked at him and said: “It is not that I have been withholding my Way from you; it is just that I feared you were not capable of receiving my instruction. Today I will instruct you in ‘Autumn Driving.’”

  Yin Ru turned around to take his leave; facing north he bowed twice and replied: “I have enjoyed Heaven’s good fortune. This past evening I already received such instruction in my dreams!”171

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “I do my utmost to attain emptiness;

  I hold firmly to stillness.

  The ten thousand things act in succession,

  and I observe their reversions.”172 [12/117/22–26]

  12.49

  In the days of old, Sunshu Ao thrice rose to the position of prime minister but felt no joy because of it, and thrice he left the office but felt no anxiety over it. The people of Wu wanted Jizi of Yanling to be their king, but he would not accept. Xu You was given the empire, but he would not accept it. Master Yan Ying made a covenant with Cui Shu, and even though he faced death, he did not seek to alter his obligations. In every case, these men possessed far-reaching understanding. Their Quintessential Spirit plumbed the distinction between death and life; how then could worldly things delude them?173

  There was a person from Jing [i.e., Chu] named Ci Fei who obtained a precious sword at Gansui.174 On his way home, he crossed the Yangzi River. When he was in midstream, a massive wave arose, and two scaly dragons pressed in on his boat and coiled around it. Ci Fei asked the boatman: “When you encountered these dragons before, how did you survive?” The boatman responded: “I have never seen them before.” Thereupon Ci Fei laid bare his arms and drew his sword declaring: “A courageous knight can be persuaded by Humaneness and Rightness, but he cannot be intimidated by force.175 On behalf of this rotten flesh and putrid bones floating in the river, if I were to give up my sword to preserve myself whole, what more would I have to cherish?” Ci Fei then jumped into the river and beheaded the dragons. The passengers survived, and the waves subsided. The king of Jing rewarded Ci Fei by making him “Holder of the Jade Baton.”

  When Confucius learned about Ci Fei’s exploits, he commented: “Excellent, indeed! ‘To not discard a sword on behalf of rotten flesh and putrid bones’—does not this say [it all] about Ci Fei?”

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “Only those who do not act for the sake of life

  are worthier than those who value life.”176 [12/117/28–12/118/8]

  12.50

  Chunyu Kun,177 a person from Qi, offered a persuasion to the king of Wei on [the merits of joining] the Vertical Alliance. The king of Wei found it convincing, so he gave him ten chariots and ordered him to proceed to Jing [Chu]. When Chunyu Kun was about to take his leave, he had second thoughts about the merits of joining the Vertical Alliance and so again offered a persuasion, this time regarding [the merits of joining] the Horizontal Alliance. Chunyu Kun then took his leave as before, but the king of Wei halted his expedition and distanced himself from Chunyu Kun. In [both] his failing to realize his ambitions concerning the Vertical Alliance and his being unable to complete the task [of persuading the king to join] the Horizontal Alliance, the reason was constant.

  Now words have an ancestor, and affairs have a root. If you lose sight of them, even if you possess much skill and capability, it would be better if you possessed less. For this reason, when Chui is depicted on the Zhou tripods, he is shown chewing his fingers because the former kings hoped to illustrate that excessive skill should not be practiced.178

  Therefore the Shenzi says: “A craftsman who knows how to make a door that can [only] stay open does not truly know about [making] doors. He must be able to make them close. Only then does he know how to [make] doors.”179 [12/118/10–15]

  12.51

  A Mohist named Tian Jiu180 wished to have an audience with King Hui of Qin. He readied his chariot and aligned his wheels, but after remaining in Qin for three years, he still had not seen the king. A certain retainer spoke to the king of Chu on Tian Jiu’s behalf, and consequently Tian Jiu [traveled to Chu and] had an audience with the king. The king of Chu was delighted with Tian Jiu, so he bestowed on him the tally [of the general of the army] and sent him off to Qin. When he arrived in Qin with his tally, he obtained an audience with King Hui of Qin and offered him a persuasion. When he left the king and was on his way to his lodging, Tian Jiu let out a long sigh and remarked to one of his followers: “I remained in Qin for three years and did not obtain an audience. I did not realize that the path to Qin would be through the state of Chu.”

  There definitely are some things that are near but are put far away, and some things that are far away but are brought near.181 Thus, the movements of a great man cannot be marked out with [the straightness of] a marking cord; he arrives at his objective, that is all. This is what the Guanzi means when it says:

  The flight of birds is like the level and marking cord.182 [12/118/17–21]

  12.52

  The waters of Feng River are a thousand ren183 deep, yet it takes in no dirt or dust. Toss a metal needle into the deep waters, and the needle will remain visible. It is not that the water is not deep; it is that the water is clear, so that fish, turtles, dragons, and snakes are not willing t
o make their home there. Similarly, the five grains will not grow on top of stones and boulders, and deer will not roam on bare mountains, for they have no place in which they can hide and find shelter.184

  In ancient times Viscount Wen of Zhao185 asked Shuxiang,186 “[Among] the six [hereditary] generals of [the armies of] Jin,187 who will be the first to perish?”

  Shuxiang replied: “[The generals of] the Zhonghang and Zhi [clans].”

  Viscount Wen asked: “Why?”

  Shuxiang answered: “In administering the affairs of government, they consider

  cruelty to be scrutiny;

  severity to be discernment;

  treating their subordinates harshly to be loyalty [to their lord];

  and devising numerous stratagems to be meritorious.

  They may be compared to stretching hide. If you stretch it, the hide will grow larger but enlarging the hide is also the way to rupture it.”

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “When the government is muddled,

  the people are simple.

  When the government is alert,

  the people are cunning.188 [12/118/21–29]

  12.53

  Duke Jing [of Qi] said to the chief prognosticator: “What can you accomplish with your Way?”

  He replied: “I can move the earth.”

  When Yanzi went to have an audience with Duke Jing, the duke said to him: “I asked the chief prognosticator what he could accomplish with his Way. He replied that he could move the earth. Is it really possible to move the earth?”

  Yanzi was silent and did not respond. After he left Duke Jing, he went to see the chief prognosticator and said to him: “Earlier I observed a comet between [the lunar lodges] Room and Heart. Is there about to be an earthquake?”

  “There will be,” said the chief prognosticator.

  After Yanzi left, the chief prognosticator had an audience with Duke Jing in which he said: “I cannot move the earth, but the earth will definitely move.”

  When Tian Ziyang189 heard this, he commented: “When Yanzi chose to remain silent and not speak, it was because he did not want to see the chief prognosticator die. When Yanzi sought an interview with the chief prognosticator, it was because he feared that the duke would be deceived. It may be said of Yanzi that he was loyal toward his superiors and generous toward his subordinates.”190

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “[The sage] is square edged but does not scrape,

  has corners but does not jab.”191 [12/119/1–6]

  12.54

  Marquis Wen of Wei192 feasted his grand ministers at Quyang. When they had drunk enough wine to become inebriated, Marquis Wen sighed deeply and exclaimed: “I, alone, lack a minister like Yu Rang.”

  Jian Zhong193 raised a cup and approached him saying: “Please, drink a cup as a forfeit.”

  The lord responded: “Why?”

  Jian Zhong answered: “I have learned that those who follow their true destinies as mothers and fathers know nothing of the filial son, while the ruler possessed of the Way knows nothing of the loyal minister. Besides, what became of Yu Rang’s ruler?”

  Marquis Wen accepted the cup and drank it. When he had drained the goblet, he replied: “If one lacks ministers like Guan Zhong and Bao Shu,194 then one gets the meritorious service of a Yu Rang.”195

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “When the state is confused and chaotic,

  there are loyal ministers.”196 [12/119/8–12]

  12.55

  Master Kong197 was paying a visit to the temple of Duke Huan198 when he happened to catch sight of a vessel called a Warning Vessel.

  “How wonderful to have caught sight of such a vessel!” Master Kong exclaimed in delight. He turned his head around toward his disciples and called out: “Disciples, fetch some water!”

  When they brought the water, Master Kong poured it into the vessel. When the vessel was half full, it remained upright, but when Master Kong filled it completely, it toppled over on its side.

  Suddenly Master Kong’s expression changed, and he exclaimed: “How splendid to grasp the significance of fullness.”

  Standing at the master’s side, Zigong said: “Please, what does it mean ‘to grasp the significance of fullness’?”

  “What increases will decrease,” replied Master Kong.

  “What does that mean?” asked Zigong.

  Master Kong replied:

  “Things prosper then decline.

  Joy reaches its utmost then becomes sorrow.

  The sun reaches its apogee then shifts.

  The moon reaches its fullness then begins to wane.

  This is why

  the perceptive and wise preserve themselves with stupidity;

  the learned and eloquent preserve themselves with restraint;

  the martial and courageous preserve themselves with timidity;

  the wealthy and powerful preserve themselves with frugality;

  and those whose Potency operates throughout the world preserve themselves with docility.

  These five things are the means by which the former kings defended their empires without losing them. If you oppose these five things, you will always be endangered.”199

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “If you submit to the Way,

  you will not want to be full.

  It is because he is not full

  that he can be worn and yet newly made.”200 [12/119/14–20]

  12.56

  King Wu asked the Grand Duke: “If I attack [the tyrant] Djou, the world will consider that a subject has murdered his lord and a subordinate has attacked his superior. I fear that later generations will employ their troops incessantly and will struggle with one another unceasingly. What can I do about this?”

  The Grand Duke replied: “The king’s question is excellent indeed! Those who have not yet caught their prey fear the wound will be too small. But once they have caught it, they fear the wound is so large as to spoil much of the meat. If the king persistently wants to hold onto the empire, then block up the peoples’ senses. Guide them all into useless occupations and pointless teachings. When they all rejoice in their respective callings and are at ease with their emotions, those who are bright and shining will lead those who are [still] dark and obscure.

  Then, and only then, discard their helmets and adorn their heads with caps of duck feather; unfasten their waist swords; and direct them to carry breast tablets. Establish three years of mourning, directing the mourning clothes to be simple. Elevate and praise those who are modest and retiring so that the people will not compete with one another. Use wine and meat to communicate with them, the [music of] the mouth organ and the qin to amuse them, and ghosts and spirits to intimidate them.

  [Next] employ sumptuous ornamentation and opaque ritual to obscure their inner substance. Enhance funerals and extend mourning periods to make their households sincere. With pearls for the mouths of the deceased, fish scales [of jade] for their clothing, and silken thread and cords bind their bodies, you will deplete their resources. With tombs that have been chiseled deep with ornamentation and tumuli that have been mounded high above the earth, you will use up their strength. When the families are impoverished and the clans have decreased, your worries and anxieties will be few. If you employ these methods to modify customary practices, then you will be able to maintain the empire without losing it.”

  Therefore the Laozi says:

  “After they are transformed, should they want to act,

  I shall suppress them with the Nameless Uncarved Block.”201 [12/119/22–29]

  Translated by Sarah A. Queen

  1. Shu , more commonly “numbers,” but here clearly used in one of its secondary meanings, “norms.”

  2. A version of this anecdote appears in ZZ 22/62/18–22.

  3. Laozi 2.

  4. Laozi 56.

  5. Wei yan .

  6. For parallels of this story, see LSCQ 18.3/111/16–21, as well as Liezi 8, “
Shuofu,” and the “Weiyan” chapters of Wenzi. Compare the translation by Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 450, for LSCQ 18/3.4 and that by A. C. Graham, The Book of Lieh-tzŭ: A Classic of Tao (New York: Columbia University Press, 1990), 166–67. See Graham’s note: “The Duke of Pai was the grandson of King Ping of Ch’u (528–516 B.C.E.). After the execution of his father in Cheng, he urged the Prime Minister of Ch’u to make war on Cheng. Instead a Ch’u army was sent to help Cheng against an invasion by Chin. The Duke rebelled, killed the Prime Minister, but was himself killed in a bath-house” (167).

  7. Laozi 70.

  8. King Hui of Wei (also known as King Hui of Liang [r. 369–319 B.C.E.]) was the first ruler of Wei to assume the title of king. He moved the capital of Wei to Da Liang and oversaw the building of several large-scale public works. At the end of his long reign, after suffering successive defeats by powerful neighbors, he initiated a campaign to attract scholars and drew figures like Mencius to his court. See Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 2:1211n.1. This anecdote also appears in LSCQ 18, where King Hui is explicitly identified as the king of Wei. See Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 460.

  9. Following the original text and rejecting Lau’s emendation, which changes xiansheng to minren , based on parallels with the Lüshi chunqiu.

  10. Zhai Jian was a hereditary minister at the court of Wei during the Warring States period. His ancestor Zhai Huang had recruited many talented knights for Marquis Wen of Wei.

  11. Literally, ye xu .

  12. For another version of this story, see LSCQ 18.5/114/21–24; and Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 459–60. For a comparative analysis of the HNZ and LSCQ versions, see Le Blanc 1985, 86–90.

  13. Laozi 57.

  14. Tian Pian (also known as Tianzi and Chen Pian) was a philosopher and Qi native known for teaching the “arts of the Way.” He was ranked among the venerable masters of Jixia in the Qi capital of Linze during the Warring States period. A text bearing his name once circulated but exists now only as fragments.

  15. A version of this story appears in LSCQ 17.8/107/23–26. See Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 435.