by An Liu
When Yin was about to collapse, Grand Astrologer Xiang Yi first returned home to King Wen. Within a year, [the tyrant] Djou was already lost.34
Thus when sages view
the traces of survival and destruction
and the borderline between success and defeat,
they do not [resort to]
reading animals’ cries in the wilderness
or [divining] the [auspiciousness of] jia and zi days.
Today,
those who are called strong prevail, measuring their territories and calculating their population.
Those who are called wealthy benefit, measuring their grain and weighing their gold.
This being the case,
among rulers of ten thousand chariots, there were none who did not become hegemon or king.
Among states of one thousand chariots there were none who were not destroyed or imperiled.
Since the traces of survival and destruction are like this, they are easy to recognize; even a foolish husband or daft wife could assess them.
Viscount Xiang of Zhao became preeminent because of the walls of Jinyang;
Earl Zhi was captured for the territory of the three Jin;
King Min was destroyed for the great state of Qi;
Tian Dan35 had merit because of Jimo.
Thus, when it comes to the destruction of a state, even if the state is large, it does not suffice to depend on its size.
When it comes to putting the Way into effect, even if the state is small, it does not suffice to take it lightly.
Looking at it from this perspective,
survival lies in obtaining the Way; it does not lie in being large.
Destruction lies in losing the Way; it does not lie in being small.
The Odes states:
“So he turned his gaze west,
and here made his dwelling place.”36
This says that [the High God] left Yin and moved to Zhou.
Thus the ruler of a chaotic state
strives to enlarge his territory but does not strive for Humaneness and Rightness;
strives to elevate his position but does not strive for the Way and its Potency.
This is to lose that by which one survives
and to create that by which one perishes.
Thus,
when Jie was taken captive at Jiaomen, he was not able to negate what he had put into effect; he [only] regretted that he had been unable to slay Tang at Xia Tai.
When Djou was fettered at Xuanshi, he did not reverse his errors; he [only] regretted that he had been unable to chastise King Wen at Qiaoli.
These two rulers enjoyed the positional advantage of strength and size, but cultivating the Way of Humaneness and Rightness, Tang and Wu sought out their faults and did not give up. What plans did they dare think up?
If above you disorder the brightness of the three luminaries
and below you lose the hearts of the myriad people,
even if you are a Tang or Wu, who would not be capable of usurping you?
Now,
if you do not look for [flaws] within yourself
but, on the contrary, search for them in others,
the world will be without a single Tang or Wu. If you kill a single person, that is something that will have repercussions for generations.
Moreover,
the reason why Tang and Wu, though occupying a small and weak position, could become king was because they possessed the Way.
The reason why Jie and Djou, though occupying a strong and great position, in the end witnessed their usurpation, was because they lacked the Way.
Now,
if you do not practice the means by which one becomes a king and,
on the contrary, increase the means by which one is usurped,
this is the path of speedy destruction. [13/124/15–13/125/6]
When King Wu vanquished Yin, he wanted to construct a palace on the Wuhang Mountains. The Duke of Zhou exclaimed: “It is not permissible! The Wuhang Mountains are a rugged, blocked, precipitous, and sheer place. If we conduct ourselves so that our Moral Potency can cover over them, those in the world who offer up tribute and knowledge will turn themselves toward us. If we engage in violent and disorderly conduct, the world will attack us when we are in difficulty.” For this reason, in thirty-six generations there was not [a single] usurpation. It can be said of the Duke of Zhou that he was able to “grasp when enough was enough.” [13/125/8–10]
31.11
In days of old, the Documents of Zhou37 had a saying that read:
“[Sometimes] one elevates words and denigrates practicalities;
[sometimes] one denigrates words and elevates practicalities.
Elevating words is the norm;
denigrating words is expedient.”
This is the technique for surviving in the face of destruction. [But] only a sage is capable of understanding expediency.
To speak and invariably elicit trust [and] to anticipate and invariably elicit a match are examples of lofty conduct in the world. When his father stole a sheep, “Straight Body” testified against him.38 When Wei Sheng and his wife were to meet, he died on account of it.39 Being upright and testifying against one’s father or being trustworthy and dying for one’s woman—although this may be upright and trustworthy, who would think it honorable?
Now when the Three Armies feign orders,40 the trespass is great indeed! [But] when Duke Mu of Qin raised an army to attack Zheng, he passed through Zhou and headed east. A merchant from Zheng named Xian Gao was heading west to sell his oxen. On the road he encountered the Qin forces between Zhou and Zheng, whereupon he feigned orders from the viscount of Zheng, feted them with twelve oxen, hosted them, and withdrew, thereby saving the state of Zheng.41 Thus events have their causes, so that
trustworthiness, contrary to expectation, might go too far,
and prevarication, contrary to expectation, may be meritorious.
What does it mean to abandon ritual yet be greatly meritorious? In the days of old, when King Gong of Chu42 [and Duke Li of Jin43] battled at Yinling,44 [Lü Qi45 shot an arrow at King Gong, hit him in the eye, and took him captive.]46 Shen Wang, Yang Youji, Huang Shuaiwei, and Gong Sunbing were in the midst of recapturing their sovereign when, in his fright, King Gong physically lost consciousness. Only when Huang Shuaiwei raised his foot to kick him in the gut did King Gong return to consciousness. Angry that Huang Shuaiwei had strayed from ritual protocol, King Gong aroused himself and stood up, and the four ministers [were able to] carry him off and leave.47
In the days of old, Cang Wurao48 married a wife who was beautiful and thus gave her to his elder brother. This is what is called being loyal and loving yet behaving incorrectly.
For this reason, when sages assess whether an affair be crooked or straight, they bend or stretch themselves and curl or straighten alongside it. They do not adhere to a constant standard, so sometimes they bend and other times they stretch. When they are weak and yielding like a thin sheaf of grass, they do not take or snatch. When they are resolute, strong, fierce, and bold and their wills are oppressive like gray clouds, they do not brag or boast. They thereby avail themselves of timeliness and respond to alterations. [3/125/12–22]
In the intercourse between ruler and minister, there is the bending of the knee and the humble salutation [of the subordinate], employing the rites of mutual respect. But when it comes to being pressed by a calamity, so that one raises a foot to kick one’s superior in the gut, no one in the world can repudiate such an action. For this reason, where loyalty is [securely] present, ritual norms are not sufficient to challenge it.
When the filial son serves his father, with pleasing expression and submissive posture he offers him his sash and lays out his shoes. But if the father is drowning, he grabs him by the hair and pulls him [out of the water]; this is not because he is presuming to be arrogant or haughty but because he means to rescue his father from death. Thus, when a father is drowning, to grab h
im by the hair and, when a ruler is celebrating, to call him by name—these things derive from the power of circumstance and so cannot be otherwise. This is what establishes the basis for expediency.
Thus Confucius said:
“A person might be suitable as someone with whom to study and yet not suitable as someone with whom to pursue the Way;
a person might be suitable as someone with whom to pursue the Way and yet not suitable as someone with whom to take a stand;
a man might be suitable as someone with whom to take a stand and yet not suitable as someone with whom to exercise expediency.”49
Expediency is something the sages alone perceive.
Thus, those who [first] disobey [ritual norms] but ultimately accord with them are said to understand expediency.
Those who first accord [with ritual norms] but later oppose them are said to lack an understanding of expediency.
For those who do not understand expediency, goodness conversely [appears to be] ugliness. Thus, ritual is the efflorescence of reality, but [people] mistakenly take it to be [mere] ornamentation. [So] when they are in the midst of being unexpectedly pressed by difficulties, exhausted and agitated, they have nothing to use [to cope with them]. For this reason, sages use
[external] ornamentation to communicate with the world
but [inner] reality to pursue affairs in a suitable way.
They are not bound by the path of [a single line of] footprints, becoming fixed and rigid so as to fail to transform. For this reason,
their unsuccessful affairs are few,
but their successful affairs are numerous;
their commands and directives fill the world, and no one can deny them. [13/125/24–13/126/3]
13.12
The orangutan knows the past but does not know the future;
the male goose knows the future but does not know the past.
Such is the distinction between long and short.
In the days of old, Chang Hong served as a calendrical specialist to the house of Zhou. With regard to the qi of Heaven and Earth, the movements of the sun and moon, the alterations of the winds and rain, and the calculations of the calendar, there was nothing he failed to comprehend. Yet he was incapable of self-knowledge and died by dismemberment when torn apart by the chariot.
Su Qin50 was a common mendicant, with no more than leather sandals and the open sky for his umbrella, yet be manipulated the rulers of ten thousand chariots and won the admiration of the Lords of the Land. But he did not avoid the calamity of being split by a chariot.
King Yan of Xu,51 with compassion and kindness as his bedding and clothes, personally practiced Humaneness and Rightness, and [those who resided in] no fewer than thirty-two states [traveled] overland to hold an audience with him. Yet he perished and his state was destroyed, with his sons and grandsons devoid of offspring.52
Grand Minister Zhong53 assisted and aided King Goujian of Yue, avenging his grievances and cleansing his shame, capturing Fuchai, and opening up for cultivation several thousand li of land. Yet he fell on the “Shu Lou” sword54 and died.
These all are examples of comprehending the linchpin of order and disorder yet not understanding the basis of keeping one’s nature intact.
Thus,
Chang Hong understood the Way of Heaven, but he did not understand human affairs;
Su Qin understood expedient strategies, but he did not understand bad and good fortune;
King Yan of Xu understood Humaneness and Rightness, but he did not understand timeliness;
and Grand Minister Zhong understood loyalty, but he did not understand strategy. [13/126/5–12]
Sages are not like this.
They assess the age and determine their actions accordingly;
they weigh affairs and devise their strategies accordingly.
For this reason,
they propagate them throughout the [vastness of] the world, but they are not isolated;
they contain them within the [smallness of] a xun and chang, but they are not obstructed. [13/126/14–15]
13.13
When [a ruler] causes the world to be desolate and chaotic,
Rites and Rightness are cut off;
bonds and ties are dispensed with.
The strong take advantage of the weak;
attackers force the submission of the vanquished;
minister and ruler lack hierarchical distinction;
the noble and the humble lack deferential order;
armor and helmets become infested with lice and fleas;
swallows and sparrows roost in the tents and canopies;
so that the soldiers never get any rest. At that point, he may begin to adopt a cautious demeanor and [conduct] reverent rites, but [it will be too late and] he will invariably be destroyed with no possibility of being restored.
When [a ruler causes] the world to be secure and peaceful,
administration and instruction are harmonious and equitable;
the one hundred names [i.e., the common people] are reverent and affable;
superiors and subordinates are mutually affectionate.
At that point, [the ruler] might begin to establish an atmosphere of leniency. [If so,] he will embolden the courageous and strong and so will be unable to avoid falling subject to the laws of those who have authority.
For this reason,
sages can be yin, and they can be yang;
they can be weak, and they can be strong;
in tempo with the times, they are active or still;
in accordance with the inner substance of things, they establish merit.
When things become active, they know their reversions;
when affairs sprout forth, they anticipate their alterations;
when things transform, they act in their image;
when things move, they respond to them;
this is why to the end of their days, they are effective and free of troubles. [13/126/15–20]
13.14
Precedents and affairs [have]
some that can be practiced but cannot be discussed,
some that can be discussed but cannot be practiced,
some that are easy to do but difficult to perfect,
some that are difficult to perfect but easy to ruin.
What is meant by “can be practiced but cannot be discussed” is pursuing and abandoning.
What is meant by “can be discussed but cannot be practiced” is lying and cheating.
What is “easy to do but difficult to perfect” is management.
What is “difficult to perfect but easy to ruin” is a reputation.
These four tendencies are things that the sages uniquely see and where they focus their minds.
Curling up to the shortness of an inch or extending to the length of a foot are things the sages do.
Minimizing wrongs and maximizing rights are things the Superior Man practices.
The Duke of Zhou was saddled with the burden of killing a brother,
and Duke Huan of Qi had a reputation for competing with other states.
Yet the Duke of Zhou relied on Rightness to compensate for his shortcomings,
and Duke Huan relied on his merit to eradicate evil,
so that both became worthies.
Now if on account of others’ insignificant errors, you conceal their significant goodness, the world will be bereft of sage-kings and worthy ministers.
Thus,
if at the center of the eye there is a blemish, it does not harm one’s vision, [though] it cannot be cauterized by burning.
If at the center of the throat there is a defect, it does not harm one’s breathing, [though] it cannot be cut away.
The mounds and hillocks along the riverbank are too numerous to be counted, but [the riverbank] is still considered level.
When water surges to give rise to waves, the high and the low approach each other and can differ [in height] by a xun or a chang, yet we consider the [water] to be level.
In days of old, Caozi55 commanded an army on behalf of Lu. Three times in battle he was not victorious and lost thousands of li in territory. If Caozi had persisted in his plans and had not reversed course, had [planted his] feet without budging, he [might have] had his throat cut at Chenzhong or ended his days as the captive commander of a defeated army. But Caozi was not embarrassed by his defeat and did not die in shame and without merit. [Instead], during the interstate meeting at Ke, he took a sword three feet long and pointed it at the midriff of Duke Huan [of Qi]. Thus the effects of three defeats in battle were reversed in the course of a morning. His courage was heralded throughout the world, and his accomplishments were established in the state of Lu.56
Guan Zhong assisted Prince Jiu,57 but with no good outcome. It cannot be said that he was wise. He escaped and hastily fled, failing to die during [his lord’s] troubles. It cannot be said that he was brave.58
When you are bound and tied in fetters and manacles and cannot avoid being shamed, it cannot be said that you are lucky.
If you correspond to these three [kinds of] conduct, the commonly clad [i.e., the people] will not offer their friendship, and the ruler of men will be bereft of true ministers. Yet Guan Zhong avoided the inside of prisons, established the government of the state of Qi, nine times united the Lords of the Land, and unified and rectified the world. If Guang Zhong had sought death by sacrificing his life and had not [been willing to] reverse his plans, what hegemonic merit would there have been in this? [13/126/22–13/127/6]
Now when the ruler of men assesses his ministers, if he
does not calculate their significant achievements
or evaluate their overall conduct
but [instead] seeks out their petty merits,
he will lose [the services of] worthies in untold numbers.
Thus,
when someone possesses generous amounts of Moral Potency, none notes their trifling matters,
and when someone possesses a great reputation, none faults their small excuses.
A puddle in a cow’s hoofprint59 cannot [suffice to] give birth to a sturgeon.
A bee’s honeycomb cannot hold a goose egg.60
A small form is not sufficient to embrace a large body. [13/127/8–10]