by An Liu
rituals that are uniformly implemented
and laws that are uniformly established
to respond to the times and accord with alteration, he will be incapable of attaining equilibrium.16 [13/121/15–22]
Therefore, what the sage follows is called the “Way”; what he does is “activities.” The Way is like metal and stone [musical] instruments: once tuned, they do not change. Activities are like the qin and se; they need to be retuned continuously. Therefore, law, regulations, Ritual, and Rightness are instruments for governance, but not the means by which to govern. Thus,
Humaneness is the warp;
Rightness is the skein of [weft] threads;17
this does not change in ten thousand generations. It is like the fact that one can test the abilities of the people and study the ways they can be used, even though daily there are alterations. Does the world have unchanging laws? If you
fit with affairs of the age,
obtain the patterns of man,
accord with Heaven and Earth,
and bring happiness to the ghosts and spirits,
then you can rectify and govern. [13/121/24–27]
13.6
In antiquity,
the people were pure, the artisans skillful,
the merchants straightforward, the women simple.
This is why
governance and education were easily transformed [in response to circumstances],
and habits and customs were easily adjusted [to suit changing times].
In the present age, Moral Potency is declining more and more, and the customs of the people are becoming more and more stingy. Wanting to use straightforward and simple laws to put in order a people already corrupted is like wanting to control a horse without a bit and a whip.
In ancient times, the Divine Farmer used no regulations or commands, yet the people followed. Tang [i.e., Yao] and Yu [i.e., Shun] had regulations and commands but no punishments.
The Xia used no false words;
the Shang made oaths;
the Zhou made covenants.
When one comes down to the present time, people accept shame and think lightly of being disgraced, value taking, and belittle giving. Wanting to use the way of the Divine Farmer to put things in order would only make chaos inevitable. When Bocheng Zigao18 resigned from being a Lord of the Land and simply tilled the fields, the world exalted him. Now, those who resign from office and become hermits occupy the bottom [rung] of their locales. How can this be considered the same?
The armies of antiquity had bows and swords; their lances had no sharp points; their halberds, no tips.
The armies of the later ages have siege weapons and battering rams with which to attack, spiked balls with which to defend, arrays of crossbows with which to shoot, and iron chariots with which to fight.
When states fought in ancient times, they did not kill the young, [and] they did not capture the old.
What in antiquity was proper is today laughable; what was taken to be honorable in antiquity is taken to be disgraceful today; what was taken to be order in antiquity is taken to be chaos today. [13/122/1–9]
Now,
the Divine Farmer and Fuxi did not give out rewards and punishments, yet the people did no wrong; but those who govern [today] are unable to dispense with laws and rule the people.
Shun grasped a shield and axe and brought the Miao rulers to submission, yet those who lead campaigns [today] are unable to use arms to reduce the violence.
Looking at the issue from this perspective, it is clear that laws and standards are the means to assess the customs of the people and regulate relaxation and work; instruments and implements accord with the alterations of the times and are regulated to fit what is suitable. Now,
the sages created laws and the myriad people were regulated by them;
the worthies established rituals and the ignorant were restrained by them.
[But] people who are regulated by laws cannot propose far-reaching initiatives;
those who are restrained by rituals cannot effect responsive alterations.
An ear that does not know the difference between high and low [tones] cannot order tunes and notes;
a mind that does not understand the source of order and disorder cannot impose regulations and laws.
It is necessary to have
an ear that uniquely hears,
discernment that uniquely sees;
for only then can you take personal responsibility for implementing the Way. [13/122/11–18]
Now,
the Yin replaced the Xia;
the Zhou replaced the Yin;
the Spring and Autumn period replaced the Zhou.
The rites of the Three Dynasties were not the same. Why should antiquity be followed? [13/122/20]
13.7
Great men create and [their] disciples follow. If you understand from whence law and governance arise, then you can respond to the times and alter. If you do not understand the origin of law and governance, even if you accord with antiquity, you will end up in disorder. The legal edicts of the current age should alter with the times; ritual standards should change with customs. Scholars accord with those who came before, inherit their practices, rely on their records, and hold fast to their teachings—thinking that if they oppose them there will be no order. This is like trying to use a square tool to chisel out a round hole: you hope to obtain a proper fit and a fixed starting point, but it is very difficult.
Now the Confucians and Mohists revere the Three Dynasties and Wen and Wu, but they do not put this into practice. This is to affirm in words what they do not practice. They oppose the current age, but they do not reform it; this is to affirm in practice what they oppose. They praise what they affirm but put into practice what they oppose. They thereby expend their days with utmost anxiety yet without contributing anything to governance. They weary their bodies and strain their understanding without giving any aid to the ruler.
Nowadays artisans like to paint demons and detest representing dogs and horses. Why? Because demons do not appear in the world, while dogs and horses can be seen daily.
Now, to maintain oneself [in times of] danger and to govern [in times of] disorder cannot be done without intelligence, but even a fool can praise what came before and revere antiquity. Thus,
a sage-king does not implement useless laws;
a sage-king does not heed unverifiable words. [13/122/20–27]
13.8
As for the qi of Heaven and Earth, nothing is as grand as Harmony. Harmony means
the blending of yin and yang,
the dividing of day and night,
and the birth of the myriad things.
In the period of spring there is birth;
in the period of autumn there is maturation;
with birth and maturation, [things] invariably obtain the quintessence of harmony. Therefore, the way of the sages is
lenient yet firm,
strict yet kind,
pliant yet upright,
forceful yet humane.
Too much hardness leads to inflexibility;
too much softness leads to laxity.
Sages properly reside between hardness and softness and thereby obtain the root of the Way.
If they accumulate [only] yin, they will sink;
if they accumulate [only] yang, they will fly away.
With yin and yang conjoined, they thereby perfect harmony. [13/122/29–13/123/2]
Considering the marking cord as a standard,
it can be rolled up and tucked away;
it can be drawn out and stretched;
it can be straightened and followed [with the eye].
Therefore, sages use their bodies to incarnate it. Now,
when lengthened, it is not crooked;
when shortened, it is not deficient;
when straightened, it is not rigid.
Long lasting and not ephemeral:
this is a marking cord! Therefore,<
br />
kindness pushed too far is feebleness; being feeble, one has no authority.
Strictness pushed too far is fierceness; being fierce, one is not harmonious.
Loving pushed too far is laxity; being lax, one cannot command.
Punishing pushed too far is cruelty; being cruel, one cannot win affection. [13/123/4–7]
In earlier times, Duke Jian of Qi let go the reins of his country and transferred responsibility to his ministers. They took up the authority; they arrogated power to themselves; they acted selfishly; they formed factions; and the public way was not put into practice. As a result, Chen Chengchang19 and Chiyi Zipi20 fell into difficulties; the house of Lü broke off their sacrifices; and the house of Chen took the country. This is what arises from too much softness and feebleness.
Ziyang of Cheng was firm and harsh and fond of punishments. In his use of punishments, he carried them out without pardons. One of his officers broke a bow; fearing retribution and terrified of being put to death, he took advantage of the panic caused by a mad dog and killed Ziyang.21 This is what firmness and fierceness bring about.
Nowadays, those who do not understand the Way,
seeing the soft and feeble being usurped, turn to acting firmly and harshly;
seeing firmness and harshness being destroyed, turn to acting softly and feebly.
This is due to the lack of a basis within and to one’s hearing and seeing being dragged along from the outside. Therefore, to the end of one’s days, one will have no stable way of acting. This is like singing without knowing the melody: the low notes will be flat and will not be in tune with the other notes; the high notes will be too sharp and will not harmonize. When it came to the melodies of Han E, Qin Qing, and Xue Tan and the songs of Hou Tong and Wan Sheng:22 [the music]
aroused their inclinations
and accumulated inside them,
welling up and emerging as notes, so that
none failed to be in tune with the pitch pipes,
and all harmonized with the hearts of others [who heard them].
How so? Within themselves they had a basis and a ruling principle that let them hit exactly the low and high notes. They received nothing externally; they themselves were the standard.23
Now, if a blind man is walking down a road,
when people say to go left, he goes left;
when people say to go right, he goes right.
If he meets a gentleman, then he will follow an easy path;
if he meets a petty man, he will fall into a ditch.
How so? His eyes have nothing with which to connect.
Therefore,
Wei used both Lou [Bi] and Zhai [Qiang]24 and lost its lands west of the Yellow River;
King Min [of Qi]25 used only Nao Chi26 and died at Dongmiao:
They did not possess the technique for “driving the chariot” [of state].
King Wen used both Lü Wang and Duke Shi of Zhao and became king;
King Zhuang of Chu used only Sunshu Ao and became hegemon:
They possessed the technique for “driving the chariot” [of state]. [13/123/7–18]
13.9
Singing to stringed instruments and dancing to drums so as make music;
turning, bestowing, diminishing, yielding so as to practice the rites;
having lavish burials and lengthy mourning so as to send off the dead:
These were established by Confucius, but Mozi opposed them.
Universal love, honoring the worthy,
esteeming ghosts, opposing fatalism:
These were established by Mozi, but Yangzi27 opposed them.
Keeping your nature intact, protecting your authenticity,
not allowing things to entangle your form:28
These were established by Yangzi, but Mencius29 opposed them.
In accepting or rejecting [something], people differ, for each has a particular understanding in mind. Thus, right and wrong are based on a particular perspective.
Gain [a particular] perspective, and something is not “wrong”;
lose [that particular] perspective, and [the same] thing is not “right.”
As for the people of Danxue, Taimeng, Fanzhong, Kongtong, Daxia, Beihu, Qihong, Xiugu:30 Each have their different rights and wrongs, [and] their customs are mutually opposed.
Ruler and minister, superior and inferior,
husband and wife, father and son:
each has its related service.
What is right for the one is not right for the other;
what is wrong for the one is not wrong for the other.
It is like an axe, hatchet, hammer, and chisel, each having its own function. [13/123/20–25]
In the time of Yu, he listened to proper order by means of the five tones. Suspended [by silk cords] were bells, drums, chimestones, and bells with clappers; and set up [on frames] were small drums, all to greet officers from the four quarters. It was proclaimed:
“If it is someone to teach me the Way, strike the drum.
If it is someone to discuss with me Rightness, strike the bell.
If it is someone to announce to me affairs of state, shake the bells with clappers.
If it is someone to talk to me of troubles, strike the chimestones.
If it is someone with a legal dispute, play the small drums.”
At this time,
he would get up ten times during a single meal,
and he would be interrupted three times when washing his hair—
all to labor for the people in the world. If one failed to attain this level of goodness and loyalty, then even talent was insufficient.
In the time of Qin, they
built to great height towers and pavilions,
made extensive gardens and enclosures,
and built far-reaching imperial roads.
They cast bronze figures,
sent out troops,
and brought in grasses and grains.
Taxes, levies, and duties were transported to the treasuries. Young men and grown men were sent
west to Linchao and Didao,
east to Huiji and Fushi,
south to Yuzhang and Guilin,
north to Feihu and Yangyuan.
On the roads, the dead filled the ditches. At this time, those who loyally remonstrated were called inauspicious, and those who took Humaneness and Rightness as their Way were called mad.
When we come down to the time of Emperor Gao,31 [the founder of the Han],
he survived in the face of destruction;
he continued what had been cut off.
He upheld the great Rightness of the world; he personally worked and grasped a sword so as to beseech August Heaven on behalf of his people. At this time, those in the world who were courageous, brave, valiant, and talented endured sun and rain in the fields and marshes; the vanguard were exposed to arrows and stones; the rearguard fell into ravines and ditches. For every hundred sent out, one would survive in the struggle for the balance of the world. With a determined martiality and a rigorous sincerity, they cut short their allotted life span to a single day. At this time, those who wore sumptuous clothing and wide sashes and who took [the teachings of] the Confucians and Mohists as their Way were taken as unworthy. This continued until the tyranny and disorder was ended and overcome. He
settled [the affairs of] all within the seas;
continued the undertakings of civility
and established the merits of martiality.32
He compiled the land registers of the Son of Heaven;
created a [ceremonial] cap for the house of Liu;
unified the Confucians and Mohists of Zou and Lu,
and penetrated the transmitted teachings of the former sages.
He displayed the banners of the Son of Heaven,
traveled the great roads,
established the nine pennants,
rang the great bell,
struck the drum,
played “The Pool of Xian,”33
<
br /> [and] raised the shield and battle-ax.
At that time, those who established martiality were viewed with suspicion. In the span of a single era, civility and martiality alternated as female and male; at the right time each was used.
In the present time,
those who practice martiality reject civility.
Those who practice civility reject martiality.
[Supporters of] civility and martiality oppose each other, but they do not understand timely utilization. Each sees only a finger pointing at one corner or angle and does not understand the length and greatness of all the eight points [of the horizon circle]. Therefore,
when one looks to the east, one does not see the western wall;
when one looks to the south, one does not see the north.
Only if one does not incline toward any side will one comprehend everything. [13/123/27–13/124/13]
13.10
The means by which a state survives is the Potency of the Way; the means by which its [ruling] family perishes is the obstruction of its principles.
Yao did not possess even a suburb of one hundred families;
Shun did not possess even enough territory in which to stick an awl;
yet they took possession of the world.
Yu did not possess even a group of ten men;
Tang did not possess even a distribution of seven li
yet they ruled as true kings over the Lords of the Land.
King Wen resided in the environs of Qi Zhou, and his territory did not exceed one hundred li; yet he was established as the Son of Heaven, for he possessed the Way of a True King.
During the height of Xia Jie and Yin Djou’s rule,
where human footsteps trod,
where boats and chariots penetrated,
no [lands] failed to become their prefectures and commandaries. Yet they personally died at the hands of other men and became the laughingstock of the world. These are cases of their losing sight of the shape of things. Thus, sages observe transformations and look for their [future] verification.
Potency has [times of] waxing and waning;
winds precede the budding of plants.
Thus those who attained the Way of the True King, though [initially] small, invariably became great.
While those who lost sight of the shape of things, though [initially] successful, invariably suffered defeat.
Now when Xia was about to perish, Grand Astrologer Zhong Gu first fled to Shang. In three years, Jie was already lost.