The Huainanzi

by An Liu

  For those with a frame seven feet tall,52

  a heart that has borne anxiety, sadness, toil, and hardship,

  and skin that has felt pain, illness, heat, and cold,

  the instinctive responses of [all] people are the same. Sages know

  the difficulty of attaining the opportune time

  and that effort must be rendered quickly,

  so they

  mortify their bodies and belabor their forms;

  weary their hearts and vex their livers;

  never avoiding trouble and hardship;

  never abandoning danger and peril.

  In fact, I have heard that when Zifa battled,

  he advanced like a flying arrow,

  met [the enemy] like thunder and lightning,

  and dispersed them like rain and wind.

  He was round as a compass

  and square as a carpenter’s square.

  He defeated his enemies and broke through their formations; none could withstand him.

  When fighting in the wetlands, he was always victorious;

  when attacking a city, it was sure to fall.

  It is not that he looked lightly on his person or rejoiced in death. Rather, he placed responsibility in front and left [considerations of] benefit behind. Thus his reputation was established and never faltered. This is an example of achieving merit through one’s own fortitude.

  For this reason,

  if the tillers are not strong, the granaries and storerooms will not be full.

  If the officials and attendants are not disciplined, their hearts and minds will not achieve the essence.

  If generals and officers are not strong, their merit and fierceness will not succeed.

  If princes and kings are lazy, in later ages they will have no reputation.

  The Odes says,

  “My horses are dappled;

  the reins soft as silk;

  I ride, I press on,

  everywhere seeking wise counsel.”53

  This is to say that people have something to which they can apply their effort. [19/207/24–19/208/2]

  19.7

  Those who fully comprehend things cannot be startled by the unusual;

  those who are versed in the Way cannot be moved by the strange;

  those who examine words cannot be dazzled by their designations;

  those who investigate into forms cannot be misled by their appearances.

  People who follow the conventions of the present age mostly revere the ancient and scorn the present. Thus those who formulate [teachings of] the Way necessarily ascribe them to the Divine Farmer or the Yellow Emperor; only then will they proceed with their discussion. Muddled rulers of chaotic eras venerate what is remote and what proceeds therefrom, so they value such things. Those who study are blinded by their theories and respect [only] what they have heard. Facing one another,

  seated with a dignified air54 they praise [the ancients];

  stiff-necked they recite [the ancient texts].

  This shows that the distinction between what is true and what is false is not clear.

  Now,

  without a square and a compass, even Xi Zhong could not determine square and round;

  without a level and a marking cord, even Lu Ban55 could not straighten the crooked.

  Thus,

  when Zhongzi Qi died, Bo Ya broke the strings and destroyed his qin, knowing that in his times no one could appreciate his playing.

  When Hui Shi died, Zhuangzi ceased to talk, perceiving that there was no one else with whom he could converse. [19/208/4–9]

  At the age of seven, Xiang Tuo became Confucius’s teacher. From time to time, Confucius listened to his words. If someone this young were to offer a persuasion to a village elder, though, the child would not have time to duck a blow on the head. How would he be able to illuminate the Way [under such circumstances]?

  In the past, Xiezi56 had an audience with King Hui of Qin,57 and the king was pleased with him. He asked Tang Guliang58 about him. Tang Guliang said, “Xiezi is a debater from Shandong who uses clever persuasions to gain the confidence of young princes.” King Hui accordingly hid his anger and awaited Xiezi. The next day when Xiezi had a second audience, the king rejected him and would not heed him. It is not that [Xiezi’s] persuasion differed but that the way in which the king heard it changed.

  If you mistake [the note] zhi for [the note] yu, it is not the fault of the string;

  if you mistake a sweet taste for a bitter one, it is not the mistake of the flavor.

  A man from Chu had some boiled monkey meat that he gave to his neighbors. They thought it was dog meat and found its flavor pleasing. Later, when they heard it was monkey, they knelt down and vomited all they had eaten. This was a case of not even beginning to know about flavor.

  A music master from Handan made up a new tune and said it was composed by Li Qi.59 All the people vied to learn it. Later when they discovered it was not written by Li Qi, they all abandoned the tune. This was a case of not even beginning to know about music.

  A country fellow found a rough piece of jade. Being pleased by its appearance, he considered it to be precious and hid it away. When he showed it to others, people considered that it was just a stone, so he threw it away. This was a case of not even beginning to know about jade.

  Thus when your [views] tally with what is essential, you will value what is true and [give] equal [consideration to] the present and the ancient. If you do not have the means to heed persuasions, then you will value what has come down from the past, [simply] because it is remote. This is why [Bian] He cried so hard that he bled at the foot of Mount Jing.60

  Now,

  a sword may be broken off and bent, thin and scratched, chipped and broken, and warped and twisted, but if it said to have been the sword of King Qingxiang of Chu, then it is prized, and the people will compete to wear it.

  A qin may be twangy and sharp, crooked and bent, with its resonance gone and its aftertones excessive, but if it is said to have been the qin of King Zhuang of Chu,61 then it is [prized], and the favored62 will contend to play it.

  Although the short-handled spears from Mount Miao and the [cast-iron] spear points of Sheepshead [Mountain] can cut through a dragon boat in the water and pierce armor of rhinoceros hide on land, no one wears them on his belt.

  Although qins made of mountain tong wood with sounding boards of river-valley catalpa wood may sound as pure, lingering and clear as [the music of] Master Tang63 or Bo Ya, no one plays them.

  Those with penetrating discernment are not like this.

  The swordsman hopes for a sharp blade; he does not hope for [the perfection of] Moyang or a Moye;

  the horseman hopes for a thousand li [steed]; he does not hope for [the perfection of] Hualiu or Lü’er;

  the qin player hopes for a pure, lingering, and clear sound; he does not hope for [the perfection of] Lanxie or Haozhong.64

  One who [studies by] reciting the Odes and the Documents hopes to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the Way and a general knowledge of things; he does not hope for [the perfection of] a “Great Plan” or an “Ode of Shang.”65

  Sages perceive what is true and what is false, just as

  what is white and black is distinguished by the eye

  and what is high pitched and low pitched is differentiated by the ears.

  But most people are not like this. Within themselves they lack a master [by means of which] to make [such] discernments. It is like a man who is born after his father dies. When [in later years] he climbs the tomb mound, he will wail and cry as ceremony demands, but nothing makes [those feelings] cleave to his heart. [19/208/11–28]

  Thus,

  when a boy and his twin look alike, only their mother can distinguish them.

  When jade and [ordinary] stone are of the same sort, only a fine craftsman can identify them.

  When texts and chronicles record strange things, only sages can discuss them.

  Now,
if we should get a new text from a sage and attribute it to Confucius or Mozi, then those disciples who point to every sentence and accept the text [as genuine] will certainly be numerous. Thus

  a beauty need not be of the same type as Xi Shi;

  a knowledgeable scholar need not be of the same sort as Confucius or Mozi.

  If his mind has the perspicacious capacity to penetrate things, then he will write books to illustrate matters, and they will be taken up by the learned. A scholar who truly attains clear-minded understanding, who grasps the profound mirror in his mind, illuminating things brilliantly and not changing his mind on account of [whether something is] ancient or current, will accordingly propound his writings and clearly point out [his views]. Then, even though his coffin might close, he would have no regrets. [19/209/1–5]

  Formerly Duke Ping of Jin ordered his officials to make [a set of] bells. When they were finished and presented to Music Master Kuang, the latter said, “The bells are not in tune.”

  Duke Ping said, “I have shown them to skilled persons,66 and they all think they are in tune. Yet you think they are not. Why?”

  Music Master Kuang said, “If they are for those of later generations who have no knowledge of the notes, then they will do; but for those who know the notes, they will certainly know they are not in tune.” Thus Music Master Kuang’s wish for well-tuned bells was for those of later generations who knew the notes.67

  The [people of the] Three Dynasties acted the same as we do, and the Five Hegemons had the same level of intelligence as we. [But] they alone had the reality of sagely knowledge, while we lack even

  the reputation of a country village

  or the common knowledge of a poor lane.

  Why? [It is because] they set themselves straight and established their integrity, while we are rude idlers and lazy layabouts. [19/209/7–11]

  Now Mao Qiang and Xi Shi were recognized by the world as beauties, but if they were made to

  carry putrid rats in their mouths

  and be wrapped in hedgehog skins,

  and dress in leopard fur,68

  with waist sashes of dead snakes,

  even cloth-wearing, leather-belted [ordinary] people passing by all would look off to the left or right and hold their noses. But if we were to let them

  wear perfume and unguents,

  adjust their moth eyebrows,69

  put on hair clasps and earrings,

  dress in fine silk,

  and trail [sleeves of] Qi silk gauze,

  with white face powder and black mascara,

  wearing jade sash-bangles,

  walking with gliding steps,

  wearing sprigs of fragrant angelica,

  with enticing looks,

  bewitching smiles,

  haunting glances,

  speaking delicately and softly,

  exposing their beautiful teeth,

  twitching the dimples in their cheeks,

  then even among the great statesmen of the royal court, whose conduct displays a stern will and haughty air, there would be none who would not court these beauties, long for them, and desire to have sex with them.

  Nowadays a person of average talent, benighted by ignorant and deluded wisdom, cloaked in insulting and shameful conduct, who has no training in his own calling or in the techniques that are his responsibility—how could he not make people look askance at him and hold their noses? [19/209/13–18]

  Now dancers twirl their bodies like rings of jade. They bend and touch the ground and turn quickly and nimbly. As they move, they twist and turn, lithe and beautiful, imitating spirits.

  Their bodies seem as light as wind-borne autumn floss,

  their hair like banners flapping in the wind,

  their steps are quick as those of a racehorse.

  Acrobats, raising poles of wu [tong] or catalpa70 wood and grasping crooked tree branches, are as uninhibited as monkeys. Laughing, they pull the leaves toward them; crouching and stretching like dragons, they perch on the branches like swallows. Holding thick tree limbs, they raise them effortlessly. As they dance, they rise like dragons or birds as they gather. They grasp and release; how fast they move!

  There is no one among the spectators who does not grow faint at heart and weak in the knees. Meanwhile, the performers continue their act with a smile and then put on the costumes for the feather dance.

  The dancers do not [inherently] have such supple and nimble [bodies];

  the acrobats do not [inherently] have such keenness and strength.

  It was the gradual, long-term practice and training that made them so. Thus,

  when a tree grows, no one sees its progress; at a certain point, we realize that it has grown tall.

  If a hard object is continually [sharpened] on a whetstone, no one sees it diminishing, but at some point we realize that it is thinner.

  Pigweed and hyssop grow by leaps and bounds, each day adding several inches. But they cannot be used for the crossbeams of a building. With hardwoods [like] lindera, southernwood, or camphor, only after seven years can their growth be recognized. Then they can be used to make coffins and boats.

  Thus, matters

  that can be accomplished easily gain small fame for the one who does them;

  [those] that are difficult to accomplish gain great merit.

  The Superior Man cultivates his good points. Even though there might not be an [immediate] advantage, good fortune will come later. Thus the Odes says,

  “The days pass and the months proceed;

  through study of brightness and brilliance,

  I gain radiance and light.”71

  This is what is referred to here. [19/209/20–28]

  Translated by Sarah A. Queen and John S. Major

  1. This echoes the opening line of chap. 8: “The reign of Grand Purity was harmonious and compliant and thus solitary and indifferent.” The key term jimo also appears several times in chap. 2.

  2. For these mythical people and countries, see chap. 4; and Major 1993. They also are mentioned in the Shanhaijing.

  3. Huan Dou , a minister of Yao, was exiled for opposing the accession of Shun to the throne.

  4. See chap. 4; and Major 1993. These four figures—Huan Dou, the Three Miao, Gong Gong, and Gun—are collectively known as the “four fierce ones” (xiong ), traditionally identified as enemies of sagely government.

  5. Most of the several explanations include boats for water and carts for land, but the remaining vehicles could be chun , a mud sledge; lei , a vehicle or shoes especially useful in climbing mountains; qiao , another mud sledge; and qiao , sometimes associated with jiao , a sedan chair.

  6. Contrast this passage with the idyllic view of archaic society found in 8.6.

  There are numerous references in the Mozi to the concept of “establishing the Son of Heaven.” See, for example, MoZ 1.3/3/13, 1.4/5/2, 2.2/12/22, 2.3/14/20, 3.1/16/16–17, 3.2/17/22, 3.3/21/17, 7.3/48/16, and 12.2/107/25.

  7. Bu yi tu bu zhi ren , “people who wear plain clothing and go on foot.” All the following examples are of individuals who found themselves in very humble circumstances but went on to have powerful ministerial careers. See Shiji 124, “Biographies of the Wandering Knights.”

  8. Lü Wang sold meat by the roadside before coming to the attention of King Wen; he eventually rose to become prime minister and Grand Duke.

  9. Baili Xi was prime minister of Qin in the time of Duke Mu (ca. 660–621 B.C.E.). He was captured by Jin forces in Yu and escaped to Chu. Duke Mu told the ruler of Chu that Baili Xi had abandoned his office and offered five sheepskins for his return for prosecution. He thus secured the return of his valuable minister for a trifling amount.

  10. Confucius’s stove was not black with soot, and Mozi’s mat was not warm from the heat of his body, because they were away from home so often.

  11. Taking fa as equivalent to fa .

  12. For the conveyances shu, chun , and lei , see n. 5. The character shu is unusual. See Morohashi, no. 4
1134.

  13. This statement is found in nearly the same words in 8.6.

  14. Literally, “your subject,” a conventionally humble way to refer to oneself when addressing a ruler.

  15. Yunti , “cloud ladders,” were scaling ladders used to attack walled cities.

  16. This contest between Mozi and Gongshu Ban was a tabletop war game, not an actual invasion of Song by Chu. Mozi, chap. 50 (zhuan 13.2), is entitled “Gongshu Ban” and recounts many tales of the legendary craftsman. For this anecdote, see MoZ 13.2/116/13–19.

  17. Compare 10.31: “Now when he examined his evening gait, the Duke of Zhou was embarrassed by his shadow. Thus the Superior Man scrutinizes [himself ] in solitude.”

  18. Sima Yu was a grandee of Qin during the Warring States period. He is identified in the Zhanguoce as Sima Geng or Sima Tang .

  19. The Chinese character means both “joy” (read le) and “music” (read yue).

  20. Compare 10.53: “What was the same was that there were voices, but the beliefs derived from them were different; they were inherent in the [respective] feelings [of the singers].”

  21. A statement similar to this appears in 1.8.

  22. Supplying the character ren , as suggested by Wang Niansun. See Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 2:1968n.10.

  23. Dan Zhu was the son of the sage-ruler Yao, and Shang Jun was the son of the sage-ruler Shun. Both were judged unworthy by their fathers. See 10.64 and, more fully, 20.11.

  24. Rejecting the emendation proposed by Lau, HNZ, 205, line 7.

  25. Tong dong , “were interconnected.”

  26. Gao Yao was the minister of justice for the sage-ruler Shun.

  27. Xie (pronounced qi in most other usages) is identified in 11.3 as the minister of war for the sage-ruler Yao. His mother, Jian Di, supposedly became pregnant after eating a swallow’s egg sent to her by the sage-emperor Di Ku. Xie is regarded as the founding ancestor of the ruling house of the Shang dynasty. See Odes 303 (Waley/Allen 1996, 320); and Hawkes 1985, 340.

  28. Qi , mythical son of Yu the Great, succeeded his father as king of the Xia dynasty. Qi’s mother, the lady of Tushan, turned to stone but later split open to deliver her son. See Hawkes 1985, 333.