Gui Gu Zi (鬼谷子)

奧若稽古聖人之在天地間也，為眾生之先，觀陰陽之開闔以名命物；知存亡之門戶，籌策萬類之終始，達人心之理，見變化之朕焉，而守司其門戶。故聖人之在天下也，自古及今，其道一也。

Looking back to antiquity (the received text has “ao” where “yue” is meant): the sage, standing between Heaven and Earth, acted as the guide of living beings. He observed the opening and closing of yin and yang in order to name the myriad things; he knew the gateways of survival and ruin, planned the beginning and end of all kinds of things, understood the principles of the human heart, saw the omens of change, and so guarded those gateways. Therefore the sage in the world, from ancient times to the present, has followed a Way (the word “dao,” which Laozi used to refer to the origin of the myriad things and the manner of their operation, itself beyond description; this book mostly speaks of that operation as it appears in human affairs) that is one and unbroken.

變化無窮，各有所歸，或陰或陽，或柔或剛，或開或閉，或馳或張。是故聖人一守司其門戶，審察其所先後，度權量能，校其伎巧短長。

Change is endless, and each thing has its own destination: now yin, now yang; now soft, now hard; now open, now closed; now relaxed, now drawn tight. Therefore the sage devotes himself to guarding those gateways, examining what comes first and what comes after, weighing capacities, and checking the strengths and shortcomings of skills.

夫賢、不肖；智、愚；勇、怯；仁、義；有差。乃可捭，乃可闔，乃可進，乃可退，乃可賤，乃可貴；無為以牧之。

The worthy and the unworthy, the wise and the foolish, the brave and the timid, the benevolent and the righteous, all differ. So one can open or close, advance or retreat, treat as lowly or treat as honored; and one tends them by non-action (wu wei, not forcing things, which does not mean doing nothing).

審定有無，與其虛實，隨其嗜慾以見其志意。微排其言而捭反之，以求其實，貴得其指。闔而捭之，以求其利。或開而示之，或闔而閉之。開而示之者，同其情也。闔而閉之者，異其誠也。可與不可，審明其計謀，以原其同異。離合有守，先從其志。即欲捭之，貴周；即欲闔之，貴密。周密之貴微，而與道相追。

Examine presence and absence, and likewise the empty and the full, and follow a person’s desires to see his intentions. Slightly set aside his words, open and then reverse, to seek the truth of it; what matters is to obtain the point to which he is heading. Close and then open, to seek advantage. Sometimes open it up to show others; sometimes close it and shut it. To open it up to show is to share the same feelings with him; to close and shut is to differ from his sincere intent. What is permissible and what is not: examine his plans in order to trace the similarities and differences. Joining and parting each have something to hold to; first follow his aims. If you want to open, what matters is being all-encompassing; if you want to close, what matters is secrecy. The value of being all-encompassing and secret lies in subtlety, so that one follows along with the Way.

捭之者，料其情也。闔之者，結其誠也，皆見其權衡輕重，乃為之度數，聖人因而為之慮。其不中權衡度數，聖人因而自為之慮。

To open is to gauge his feelings. To close is to bind his sincerity. Once you have seen how heavy or light the scales of his judgment are, you set measures for him, and the sage plans on his behalf accordingly. If he does not fit the scales and measures, the sage then plans for himself.

故捭者，或捭而出之，而捭而內之。闔者，或闔而取之，或闔而去之。捭闔者，天地之道。捭闔者，以變動陰陽，四時開閉，以化萬物；縱橫反出，反覆反忤，必由此矣。

Therefore opening may be opening to release, or opening to take in. Closing may be closing to make use of something, or closing to get rid of it. Opening and closing (bai he) is the Way of Heaven and Earth. Opening and closing are used to move yin and yang, and the opening and shutting of the four seasons, to transform the myriad things; whether one goes vertically or horizontally, turns back or out, or repeatedly reverses and opposes, it must all proceed from this.

捭闔者，道之大化，說之變也。必豫審其變化。吉凶大命□焉。口者，心之門戶也。心者，神之主也。志意、喜欲、思慮、智謀，此皆由門戶出入。故關之矣捭闔，制之以出入。

Opening and closing is the great transformation of the Way, and the changes of persuasion. One must examine those changes beforehand. Good fortune and ill, the great decrees (the received text is damaged at this word), lie here. The mouth is the gateway of the heart. The heart is the master of the spirit. Intentions, joys and desires, thoughts and schemes all go in and out through this gateway. Therefore one shuts it by opening and closing, and controls it by going out and coming in.

捭之者，開也，言也，陽也。闔之者，閉也，默也，陰也。陰陽其和，終始其義。

To open is to unfold, it is speech, it is yang. To close is to shut, it is silence, it is yin. When yin and yang are in harmony, beginning and end each find their proper meaning.

故言「長生」、「安樂」、「富貴」、「尊榮」、「顯名」、「愛好」、「財利」、「得意」、「喜欲」，為『陽』，曰『始』。

Therefore speaking of “long life,” “peace and joy,” “wealth and rank,” “honor and glory,” “fame,” “fondness,” “riches and profit,” “getting what one wants,” and “delights and desires” belongs to yang, and is called the beginning.

故言「死亡」、「憂患」、「貧賤」、「苦辱」、「棄損」、「亡利」、「失意」、「有害」、「刑戮」、「誅罰」，為『陰』，曰『終』。

Therefore speaking of “death,” “sorrow and calamity,” “poverty and lowliness,” “bitterness and disgrace,” “abandonment and loss,” “loss of profit,” “disappointment,” “harm,” “execution,” and “punishment” belongs to yin, and is called the end.

諸言法陽之類者，皆曰『始』；言善以始其事。諸言法陰之類者，皆曰『終』；言惡以終其謀。

All speech that follows the yang kind is called the beginning, using goodness to start a matter. All speech that follows the yin kind is called the end, using evil to conclude the scheme.

捭闔之道，以陰陽試之。故與陽言者，依崇高。與陰言者，依卑小。以下求小，以高求大。由此言之，無所不出，無所不入，無所不可。可以說人，可以說家，可以說國，可以說天下。

The Way of opening and closing is tested by means of yin and yang. So with those who speak yang, one relies on what is lofty. With those who speak yin, one relies on what is humble and small. Using the low one seeks the small; using the high one seeks the great. From this it follows that there is nothing that cannot go out, nothing that cannot go in, nothing that cannot be done. One can persuade a person, a family, a state, or the whole world.

為小無內，為大無外；益損、去就、倍反，皆以陰陽御其事。

Made small, it has no interior that can be exhausted; made great, it has no exterior that can be reached to its end; gain and loss, leaving and approaching, opposing and reversing all manage their affairs by yin and yang.

陽動而行，陰止而藏；陽動而出，陰隱而入；陽遠終陰，陰極反陽。

Yang moves and goes forth, yin stops and lies hidden; yang moves and goes out, yin hides and goes in; yang, having gone far, finally enters yin, and yin, reaching its extreme, turns back into yang.

以陽動者，德相生也。以陰靜者，形相成也。以陽求陰，苞以德也；以陰結陽，施以力也。陰陽相求，由捭闔也。此天地陰陽之道，而說人之法也。為萬事之先，是謂圓方之門戶。

What moves by yang gives rise to virtue (de, the “getting” that the Way brings to concrete people and things, not moral “virtue” in a preaching sense). What is still by yin gives rise to form. Seeking yin by yang, one embraces it with virtue; joining yang by yin, one applies it with strength. That yin and yang seek one another comes about through opening and closing. This is the Way of Heaven and Earth, yin and yang, and also the method of persuading people. It is the guide to all affairs, and is called the gateway of the round and the square.

古之大化者，乃與無形俱生。反以觀往，復以驗來；反以知古，復以知今；反以知彼，復以知此。動靜虛實之理不合於今，反古而求之。事有反而得復者，聖人之意也，不可不察。

The ancients who could effect great transformations came into being together with the formless. Looking back to examine the past, then returning to test the future; looking back to know antiquity, then returning to know the present; looking back to know the other, then returning to know oneself. If the principles of movement and stillness, emptiness and fullness do not fit the present, go back to antiquity and seek them there. When affairs, turned back, obtain a return, that is the sage’s intention, and one must not fail to examine it.

人言者，動也。己默者，靜也。因其言，聽其辭。言有不合者，反而求之，其應必出。

When another speaks, that is movement. When one is silent oneself, that is stillness. Follow his words and listen to his phrasing. Where his words do not fit, reverse and seek, and his answer will surely come out.

言有象，事有比；其有象比，以觀其次。

Words have images, and affairs have comparisons; with images and comparisons in hand, one uses them to observe the next step.

象者，象其事。比者，比其辭也。以無形求有聲。其釣語合事，得人實也。其猶張□綱而取獸也。多張其會而司之，道合其事，彼自*鮒說鋈酥僖病３３制涓僨*

An image is a likeness of the matter. A comparison is a comparing of his phrasing. Use the formless to seek the sounding. If the words fished out agree with the matter, one obtains the true state of the person. It is like spreading (the received text is damaged at this word) a net to catch beasts. Spread many nets where they gather and lie in wait, and when the Way matches the matter, he himself will (the received text has a rare character after this, lost in transcription).

己反往，彼復來，言有象比，因而定基，重之、襲之、反之、復之，萬事不失其辭。聖人所愚智，事皆不疑。

One goes back oneself and the other side comes again; words have images and comparisons, and so the foundation is fixed; repeated, followed, reversed, returned, in the myriad affairs one does not lose his words. For the sage, whether faced with the foolish or the wise, matters leave no doubt.

故善反聽者，乃變鬼神以得其情。其變當也，而牧之審也。牧之不審，得情不明。得情不明，定基不審。變象比必有反辭以遠聽之。欲聞其聲，反默；欲張，反斂；欲高，反下；欲取，反與。欲開情者，象而比之，以牧其辭。同聲相呼，實理同歸。或因此，或因彼，或以事上，或以牧下。此聽真偽，知同異，得其情詐也。動作言默，與此出入；喜怒由此以見其式；皆以先定為之法則。以反求復，觀其所託，故用此者。

Therefore one who is good at listening in reverse transforms like a ghost or spirit to obtain the true state. When the transformations are fitting, the tending is also careful. If the tending is not careful, obtaining the true state is not clear. If obtaining the true state is not clear, fixing the foundation is not careful. To transform images and comparisons, one must have reversed phrasing and listen from afar. Wanting to hear his voice, be silent instead; wanting to expand, contract instead; wanting to go high, lower yourself instead; wanting to take, give instead. Those who want to open up true feelings use images and comparisons to tend his words. Voices alike call to one another, and true principles return to the same place. Sometimes it is by this one, sometimes by that; sometimes used to serve a superior, sometimes used to tend those below. This is how one listens for truth and falsehood, knows sameness and difference, and obtains true feelings and deceit. Movement, action, speech, silence all go in and out along this; joy and anger show their pattern through this; first fix the rules for what you do. Using reversal to seek a return and observing what he relies on, one uses this.

己欲平靜以聽其辭，觀其事、論萬物、別雄雌。雖非其事，見微知類。若探人而居其內，量其能，射其意；符應不失，如□蛇之所指，若弈之引矢；故知之始己，自知而後知人也。其相知也，若比目之魚；其見形也，若光之與影；其察言也不失，若磁石之取鐵；若舌之取燔骨。其與人也微，其見情也疾；如陰與陽，如圓與方。未見形，圓以道之；既見形，方以事之。進退左右，以是司之。己不先定，牧人不正，是用不巧，是謂忘情失道。己審先定以牧人，策而無形容，莫見其門，是謂天神。

When you want to listen to his words in tranquility, observe his affairs, discuss the myriad things, and distinguish male from female. Even if it is not that matter, one can see the subtle and know the kind. As if probing in and dwelling inside him, one measures his abilities and shoots at his intentions; the tally answers without fail, like what a snake (the received text is damaged at this word) points to, like an archer drawing the arrow. Therefore knowing others begins with oneself; one knows oneself and afterward knows others. When two know each other, they are like the flatfish that swim paired; seeing the form is like light and shadow; examining words without error is like a magnet drawing iron, like a tongue taking a roasted bone. Giving someone the subtle, one sees the feelings quickly; like yin and yang, like round and square. Before the form is seen, use the round to lead him; after the form is seen, use the square to handle the matter. Advancing and retreating, left and right, all are managed by this. If one does not first fix oneself, one’s tending of others will not be correct and one’s use of them will not be skillful; this is called forgetting the true state and losing the Way. If one is careful and first fixes oneself and then tends others, one’s plans have no visible shape and no one sees the gateway; this is called the divine.

君臣上下之事，有遠而親，近而疏；就之不用，去之反求；日進前而不御，遙聞聲而相思。

In the affairs of ruler and subject, high and low, some are distant yet close, near yet distant; some are near but not used, some have left and are instead sought; some come before one’s face every day yet are not employed, while others are heard of from afar and longed for.

事皆有內楗，素結本始。或結以道德，或結以黨友，或結以財貨，貨結以采色。用其意，欲入則入，欲出則出；欲親則親，欲疏則疏；欲就則就；欲去則去；欲求則求，欲思則思。若蚨母之從子也；出無間，入無朕。獨往獨來，莫之能止。

All affairs have an inner latch, tied from the beginning at the root. Some bind it by Way and virtue, some by party and friends, some by wealth and goods, some by beauty and color (the received text has “wealth binds” where “or binds” is meant). Using his intentions, when you want to go in you go in, when you want to go out you go out; when you want to be close you are close, when you want to be distant you are distant; when you want to approach you approach, when you want to leave you leave; when you want to seek you seek, when you want to be remembered you are remembered. It is like the mother of the water-strider following her young; going out leaves no gap, coming in leaves no sign. One goes alone and comes alone, and no one can stop it.

內者，進說辭也。楗者，楗所謀也。欲說者務穩度，計事者務循順。陰慮可否，明言得失，以御其志。方來應時，以和其謀。詳思來楗，往應時當也。夫內有不合者，不可施行也。乃揣切時宜，從便所為，以求其變。以變求內者，若管取楗。言往者，先順辭也；說來者，以變言也。善變者審知地勢，乃通於天，以化四時，使鬼神，合於陰陽，而牧人民。

“Nei” means presenting words to a superior. “Jian” means latching the plan. Those who want to persuade must measure steadily, and those who plan affairs must follow what is smooth. Privately weigh what is permissible, openly state gains and losses, and so steer his aims. Come at the right moment, in order to match his plans. Think in detail about the latch that is coming, and when you go, respond to the timing and you will be fitting. If there is inner disagreement, it cannot be carried out. Then assess what the times demand, follow what is convenient for what you do, and seek its variations. Use variation to seek the inside, like using a tube to take out a latch. In speaking of the past, use first the words of compliance; in speaking of the future, use words of change. One who is good at change knows the lay of the land, then penetrates to Heaven, so as to transform the four seasons, command ghosts and spirits, accord with yin and yang, and tend the people.

見其謀事，知其志意。事有不合者，有所未知也。合而不結者，陽親而陰疏。事有不合者，聖人不為謀也。

Seeing how he plans an affair, one knows his intentions. Where affairs do not fit, there is something he does not yet know. If they fit but do not bind, he is close on the surface but distant in secret. Where affairs do not fit, the sage does not plan for him.

故遠而親者，有陰德也。近而疏者，志不合也。就而不用者，策不得也。去而反求者，事中來也。日進前而不御者，施不合也。遙聞聲而相思者，合於謀待決事也。

Therefore those who are distant yet close have hidden virtue. Those who are near yet distant have aims that do not match. Those who are near but not used have plans that are not suitable. Those who have left yet are sought have affairs that arise from within. Those who come before one’s face daily yet are not employed have actions that do not fit. Those who are heard from afar and longed for fit the plan and are waiting for a decision.

故曰：不見其類而為之者，見逆。不得其情而說之者，見非。得其情乃制其術，此用可出可入，可楗可開。故聖人立事，以此先知而楗萬物。

Therefore it is said: to act without seeing its kind is to meet with opposition. To speak without having the true state is to be seen as wrong. Only after obtaining the true state do you fashion your technique, and so employed it can go out or in, can latch or open. Therefore the sage establishes affairs, and by this foreknows and latches the myriad things.

由夫道德仁義，禮樂忠信計謀，先取詩書，混說損益，議論去就。欲合者用內，欲去者用外。外內者，必明道數。揣策來事，見疑決之。策無失計，立功建德，治名入產業，曰楗而內合。上暗不治，下亂不□，楗而反之。內自得而外不留，說而飛之，若命自來，己迎而御之。若欲去之，因危與之。環轉因化，莫知所為，退為大儀。

Through Way and virtue, benevolence and righteousness, ritual and music, loyalty and good faith, and strategy, first draw on the Songs and the Documents, mix in speech about gain and loss, and discuss leaving and approaching. Use the inner for those you want to join, the outer for those you want to leave. Outer and inner must be clear about the Way and the numbers. Estimate affairs to come, and on seeing doubt, decide. When plans have no missed strategy, you establish merit and build virtue, govern your name and enter into enterprises; this is called latching and inwardly fitting. If those above are dim and do not govern, and those below are chaotic and do not (the received text is damaged at this word), then latch and reverse. When you have gained inwardly but do not linger outwardly, you speak and so lift him up; if he orders you to come, you receive him yourself and steer him. If you want to be rid of him, use danger to hand it to him. Turning as in a ring, following transformation, so that no one knows what you do, and withdrawing is the great rule.

物有自然，事有合離。有近而不可見，有遠而可知。近而不可見者，不察其辭也；遠而可知者，反往以驗來也。

Things have their own so-ness (zi ran, being so of themselves, originally so; not “nature” in the sense of the natural world), and affairs have joining and parting. Some are near yet cannot be seen; some are far yet can be known. Being near yet unseen is not examining his words; being far yet knowable is going back to verify the future.

戲者，罅也。罅者，澗也。澗者，成大隙也。戲始有朕，可抵而塞，可抵而卻，可抵而息，可抵而匿，可抵而得，此謂抵戲之理也。

A “xi” is a crack. A crack is a ravine. A ravine becomes a great fissure. When the xi begins to show omens, one can press on it and block it, press on it and drive it back, press on it and bring it to rest, press on it and hide it, press on it and obtain it; this is called the principle of pressing on the crack.

事之危也，聖人知之，獨保其身；因化說事，通達計謀，以識細微。經起秋毫之末，揮之於太山之本。其施外兆萌牙□之謀，皆由抵戲。抵戲之隙為道術用。

When affairs are dangerous, the sage knows it and alone keeps his person whole; following the changes he speaks of affairs, penetrates plans, and so recognizes the subtle. It rises from the tip of an autumn hair and, wielded, reaches the foot of Mount Tai. Schemes applied to those sprouts (the received text is damaged at this word) outside all come from pressing on cracks. The fissures of such pressing are used by the arts of the Way.

天下紛錯，上無明主，公侯無道德，則小人讒賊，賢人不用，聖人鼠匿，貪利詐偽者作，君臣相惑，土崩瓦解而相伐射，父子離散，乖亂反目，是謂萌牙戲罅。聖人見萌牙戲罅，則抵之以法。世可以治，則抵而塞之；不可治，則抵而得之；或抵如此，或抵如彼；或抵反之，或抵覆之。五帝之政，抵而塞之；三王之事，抵而得之。諸侯相抵，不可勝數，當此之時，能抵為右。

When the world is in confusion and disorder, with no enlightened ruler above, and dukes and marquises lacking virtue, then petty men slander and harm, the worthy are unused, the sages hide away (the received text’s “shu” should read “dun”), those who covet profit and practice deceit rise up, ruler and subject deceive one another, the state collapses like earth sliding and tiles scattering, and they attack and shoot at one another, fathers and sons part, and discord and estrangement turn them against one another; this is called the sprouting of cracks and fissures. When the sage sees the sprouting of cracks and fissures, he deals with them by the method of pressing. If the age can be governed, he presses on it and blocks; if it cannot be governed, he presses and takes it; now pressing this way, now pressing that way; now pressing in reverse, now pressing to overturn. The government of the Five Emperors pressed and blocked; the affairs of the Three Kings pressed and took. Among the feudal lords pressing on one another there were too many to count, and at such a time, the one who could press was the best.

自天地之合離終始，必有戲隙，不可不察也。察之以捭闔，能用此道，聖人也。聖人者，天地之使也。世無可抵，則深隱而待時；時有可抵，則為之謀；可以上合，可以檢下。能因能循，為天地守神。

From the joining and parting, beginning and end, of Heaven and Earth there must be cracks and fissures, and one must not fail to examine them. Use opening and closing to examine; one who can use this Way is a sage. The sage is the envoy of Heaven and Earth. When the world has nothing to press on, he withdraws deeply into seclusion and waits for the moment; when the moment has something to press on, he plans for it; he can join with those above and inspect those below. Able to follow and to comply, he guards the spirit on behalf of Heaven and Earth.

凡度權量能，所以徵遠來近。立勢而制事，必先察同異，別是非之語，見內外之辭，知有無之數，決安危之計，定親疏之事，然後乃權量之，其有隱括，乃可徵，乃可求，乃可用。

In general, weighing authority and measuring ability is used to summon the distant and call in the near. To establish position and control affairs, one must first examine sameness and difference, distinguish words of right and wrong, see the phrasing of inside and outside, know the numbers of presence and absence, decide plans of safety and danger, and settle the affairs of closeness and distance; only then weigh and measure. When there is a framework in it, one can summon, one can seek, one can use.

引鉤箝之辭，飛而箝之。鉤箝之語，其說辭也，乍同乍異。其不可善者，或先徵之，而後重累；或先重累，而後毀之；或以重累為毀；或以毀為重累。其用或稱財貨、琦瑋、珠玉、壁帛、采色以事之。或量能立勢以鉤之，或伺候見澗而箝之，其事用抵戲。

Draw out the words of hooking and clamping, and fly and clamp them. The speech of hooking and clamping is persuasive wording, now alike, now different. For those who cannot be treated well, sometimes first summon them and afterward pile on layer upon layer; or first pile on layer upon layer and afterward ruin them; or take piling on as ruining; or take ruining as piling on. In use, sometimes one cites wealth and goods, rare and splendid things, pearls and jade, discs and silks, and colorful things to serve him (the received text’s “bi” should read the jade disc “bi”). Sometimes one weighs ability and sets up position in order to hook him; sometimes one waits and, seeing a ravine or crack, clamps him; the matter uses pressing on cracks.

將欲用之於天下，必度權量能，見天時之盛衰，制地形之廣狹、阻險之難易，人民貨財之多少，諸侯之交孰親孰疏，孰愛孰憎，心意之慮懷。審其意，知其所好惡，乃就說其所重，以飛箝之辭，鉤其*茫艘澤榍籩*

When about to be used on the world, one must weigh authority and measure ability, see the rise and fall of the times of Heaven, estimate the breadth and narrowness of the terrain and the ease or difficulty of its obstacles, the amount of people, goods, and wealth, which feudal lords are close or distant in their dealings, whom they love and whom they hate, and what their hearts are pondering and cherishing. Examine his intentions, know what he likes and dislikes, and then persuade him by what he values, using the words of flying and clamping to hook him (the received text has a rare character after this, lost in transcription).

用之於人，則量智能、權財力、料氣勢，為之樞機，以迎之、隨之，以箝和之，以意宣之，此飛箝之綴也。用之於人，則空往而實來，綴而不失，以究其辭，可箝可橫，可引而東，可引而西，可引而南，可引而北，可引而反，可引而覆，雖覆能復，不失其度。

When applied to a person, then measure his wisdom and ability, weigh his wealth and strength, and estimate his spirit and momentum, taking these as the pivot with which to meet him and follow him; use the clamp to join with him and use the intention to proclaim to him; this is the linking of flying and clamping. When applied to a person, go out empty and come back full, linking without loss, to exhaust his words; one can clamp, one can go crosswise, one can lead east, one can lead west, one can lead south, one can lead north, one can lead and reverse, one can lead and overturn, and even when overturned, one can restore, without losing the rule.

凡趨合倍反，計有適合。化轉環屬，各有形勢，反覆相求，因事為制。是以聖人居天地之間，立身、御世、施教、揚聲、明名也；必因事物之會，觀天時之宜，因知所多所少，以此先知之，與之轉化。

In general, going toward and turning away, in joining and opposing, plans have what suits them. Transformations are linked like a ring, each with its own configuration, seeking one another back and forth and fixed according to the matter. Therefore the sage, dwelling between Heaven and Earth, establishes himself, governs the age, gives teaching, spreads his voice, and makes his name clear; he must follow the meeting of things and observe what suits the times of Heaven, and so know what is abundant and what is scarce, and by this know beforehand and transform together with it.

世無常貴，事無常師；聖人無常與，無不與；無所聽，無不聽；成於事而合於計謀，與之為主。合於彼而離於此，計謀不兩忠，必有反忤；反於是，忤於彼；忤於此，反於彼。其術也，用之於天下，必量天下而與之；用之於國，必量國而與之；用之於家，必量家而與之；用之於身，必量身材氣勢而與之；大小進退，其用一也。必先謀慮計定，而後行之以飛箝之術。

In the world nothing is constantly honored, and in affairs there is no constant teacher; the sage has nothing he always sides with, and yet nothing he does not side with; he has nothing he listens to, and yet nothing he does not listen to; when he succeeds in the matter and it fits the plan, he acts as master with him. Joining with that side and parting from this one, a plan cannot be loyal to both ends, and there must be reversal and opposition; reversing on this side means opposing on that, opposing on this side means reversing on that. This technique, when applied to the world, must measure the world and give to it; when applied to a state, must measure the state and give to it; when applied to a family, must measure the family and give to it; when applied to a person, must measure the person’s talent, spirit, and momentum and give to it; large or small, advancing or retreating, the method of use is one. One must first plan and settle the strategy, and only then carry it out by the art of flying and clamping.

古之善背向者，乃協四海，包諸侯忤合之地而化轉之，然後求合。故伊尹五就湯，五就桀，而不能所明，然後合於湯。呂尚三就文王，三入殷，而不能有所明，然後合於文王，此知天命之箝，故歸之不疑也。

The ancients who were good at turning away and toward harmonized the four seas, enclosed the places where the feudal lords opposed and joined, and transformed them, and only then sought union. Therefore Yi Yin went to Tang five times and to Jie five times, and could not make himself plain, and only afterward joined with Tang. Lu Shang went to King Wen three times and entered Yin three times, and could not make himself plain, and only afterward joined with King Wen; this was the clamp of knowing the mandate of Heaven, and so he attached himself without doubt.

非至聖達奧，不能御世；非勞心苦思，不能原事；不悉心見情，不能成名；材質不惠，不能用兵；忠實無實，不能知人；故忤合之道，己必自度材能知睿，量長短遠近孰不知，乃可以進，乃可以退，乃可以縱，乃可以橫。

Without supreme sagacity penetrating the profound, one cannot govern an age; without laboring the heart and bitter thought, one cannot trace the origin of affairs; without giving one’s whole heart to see true feelings, one cannot make a name; if one’s talent is not keen (the received text’s “hui” is read as “hui,” keen), one cannot use troops; loyalty without substance cannot know people. Therefore in the Way of opposing and joining, one must first measure one’s own talents and wisdom, and weigh strengths and shortcomings, near and far, and who does not know; only then can one advance, can one retreat, can one go lengthwise, can one go crosswise.

古之善用天下者，必量天下之權，而揣諸侯之情。量權不審，不知強弱輕重之稱；揣情不審，不知隱匿變化之動靜。

The ancients who were good at using the world must weigh the authority of the world and estimate the feelings of the feudal lords. If weighing authority is not careful, one does not know the scale of strong and weak, light and heavy; if estimating feelings is not careful, one does not know the movement and stillness of what is hidden and changing.

何謂量權？曰：度於大小，謀於眾寡；稱貨財有無之數，料人民多少、饒乏，有餘不足幾何？辨地形之險易，孰利孰害？謀慮孰長孰短？揆君臣之親疏，孰賢孰不肖？與賓客之智慧，孰多孰少？觀天時之禍福，孰吉孰兇？諸侯之交，孰用孰不用？百姓之心，孰安孰危？孰好孰憎？反側孰辨？能知此者，是謂量權。

What is called weighing authority? It says: measure large and small, plan many and few; weigh the numbers of goods and wealth present and absent, estimate the people, how many, how abundant or scarce, and how much is surplus or lacking. Distinguish the danger and ease of the terrain, who benefits and who is harmed. Ponder who is strong and who is weak. Assess the closeness of ruler and subject, who is worthy and who is unworthy. Compare the wisdom of guests and advisers, who has more and who has less. Observe the fortunes and misfortunes of the times of Heaven, who has good luck and who has ill. Among the dealings of the feudal lords, who is used and who is not. In the hearts of the common people, who is at peace and who is in danger, who is liked and who is hated. Who can tell which way things are turning? One who can know these things is said to weigh authority.

揣情者，必以其甚喜之時，往而極其欲也；其有欲也，不能隱其情。必以其甚懼之時，往而極其惡也；其有惡者，不能隱其情。情慾必出其變。感動而不知其變者，乃且錯其人勿與語，而更問其所親，知其所安。夫情變於內者，形見於外，故常必以其者而知其隱者，此所以謂測深探情。

One who estimates feelings must, when he is extremely pleased, push his desires to the utmost; since he has desires, he cannot hide his true feelings. One must, when he is extremely afraid, push his dislikes to the utmost; since he has dislikes, he cannot hide his true feelings. His feelings and desires will surely come out through his changes. If he is moved and yet you do not know his changes, then set that person aside for the time and do not speak with him, but ask instead someone close to him, and learn what he is at ease with. When feelings change within, form appears outside, so one must always use what is evident to know what is hidden, and this is what is meant by sounding the depths and probing feelings.

故計國事者，則當審權量；說人主，則當審揣情；謀慮情慾，必出於此。乃可貴，乃可賤；乃可重，乃可輕；乃可利，乃可害；乃可成，乃可敗；其數一也。

Therefore one who plans the affairs of a state should examine the weighing of authority; one who persuades a ruler should examine the estimating of feelings; plans about feelings and desires must come from this. Then one can make honored, can make lowly; can make weighty, can make light; can benefit, can harm; can make succeed, can make fail; the number is one.

故雖有先王之道；聖智之謀，非揣情隱匿，無可索之。此謀之大本也，而說之法也。常有事於人，人莫能先，先事而生，此最難為。故曰：揣情最難守司。言必時其謀慮。故觀□飛蠕動，無不有利害，可以生事美。生事者，幾之勢也。此揣情飾言，成文章而後論之也。

Therefore even with the Way of the former kings and the schemes of sagacious wisdom, if one does not estimate feelings, what is hidden cannot be taken. This is the great root of planning, and also the method of persuasion. Often the matter lies in the person, and no one can be ahead of it, to be born before the matter, which is the hardest thing to do. So it is said: estimating feelings is the hardest to master. Words must be timed to his plans. So looking at (the received text is damaged at this word) flying and crawling creatures, none is without benefit and harm, and one can bring forth the beauty of a matter. Giving rise to a matter is the momentum of the barely visible. This is estimating feelings, polishing one’s words, writing them into an essay, and then discussing it.

摩者，揣之術也。內符者，揣之主也。用之有道，其道必隱。微摩之以其索欲，測而探之，內符必應；其索應也，必有為之。故微而去之，是謂塞□匿端，隱貌逃情，而人不知，故能成其事而無患。

“Mo” (stroking) is the technique of estimating. “Inner tally” is the master of estimating. There is a Way in using it, and that Way must be hidden. Lightly stroke him, use the desire he seeks to measure and probe him, and the inner tally will surely respond; if what he seeks has a response, he will surely act. So one lightly removes, and this is called stopping up (the received text is damaged at this word) and hiding the clues, concealing the appearance and escaping the feelings so that people do not know, and therefore one can accomplish the matter without trouble.

摩之在此，符之在彼，從而用之，事無不可。古之善摩者，如操鉤而臨深淵，餌而投之，必得魚焉。故曰：主事日成，而人不知；主兵日勝，而人不畏也。聖人謀之於陰，故曰神；成之於陽，故曰明，所謂主事日成者，積德也，而民安之，不知其所以利。積善也，而民道之，不知其所以然；而天下比之神明也。主兵日勝者，常戰於不爭不費，而民不知所以服，不知所以畏，而天下比之神明。

With the probe on this side and the tally on that side, use them together, and there is nothing that cannot be done. The ancients who were good at probing were like one holding a hook beside a deep pool: set the bait and cast, and you are sure to catch fish. Hence it is said: one who manages affairs succeeds day by day, yet people do not know it; one who commands troops wins day by day, yet people do not fear him. The sage plans in the shade, so he is called spirit-like; he achieves in the light, so he is called brilliant. The saying that one who manages affairs succeeds day by day means he accumulates virtue, and the people are at ease in it without knowing how they benefit. It also means he accumulates goodness, and the people follow along without knowing why; so the world likens him to a divine being. One who commands troops and wins day by day always fights without contending and without expense, and the people do not know why they submit or why they fear; so the world likens him to a divine being.

其摩者，有以平，有以正；有以喜，有以怒；有以名，有以行；有以廉，有以信；有以利，有以卑。平者，靜也。正者，宜也。喜者，悅也。怒者，動也。名者，發也。行者，成也。廉者，潔也。信者，期也。利者，求也。卑者，諂也。故聖人所以獨用者，眾人皆有之；然無成功者，其用之非也。

As for probing, some use evenness, some use rectitude; some use delight, some use anger; some use reputation, some use conduct; some use integrity, some use good faith; some use profit, some use humility. Evenness is stillness. Rectitude is fittingness. Delight is pleasure. Anger is stirring up. Reputation is giving out. Conduct is accomplishment. Integrity is purity. Good faith is a promise kept. Profit is seeking. Humility is flattery. What only the sage can use, ordinary people have as well; yet they do not succeed, because they use it wrongly.

故謀莫難於周密，說莫難於悉聽，事莫難於必成；此三者唯聖人然後能任之。故謀必欲周密；必擇其所與通者說也，故曰：或結而無隙也。夫事成必合於數，故曰：道、數與時相偶者也。說者聽，必合於情；故曰：情合者聽。故物歸類；抱薪趨火，燥者先燃；平地注水，溼者先濡；此物類相應，於事誓猶是也。此言內符之應外摩也如是，故曰：摩之以其類，焉有不相應者；乃摩之以其欲，焉有不聽者。故曰：獨行之道。夫幾者不晚，成而不拘，久而化成。

So in planning, nothing is harder than being thorough; in persuading, nothing is harder than being heard in full; in affairs, nothing is harder than being sure of success. Only a sage can bear these three. Therefore a plan must be thorough; one must choose someone who is in tune with oneself to persuade, and so it is said: bind together so that there is no gap. For a matter to succeed it must fit the numbers, and so it is said: the Way, the numbers and the timing match one another. For persuasion to be heard it must fit the circumstances, and so it is said: what fits the circumstances is heard. So things go with their kind: carry firewood toward a fire and the driest catches first; pour water on level ground and the dampest is soaked first; this is how things of one kind respond to each other, and affairs are probably the same. This is to say that the inner tally answers the outer probe in this way, and so it is said: probe with their own kind, and how could there be no response; probe with their desires, and how could they not listen? So it is said: this is the way of acting alone. Those who see the subtle signs are not late, and when they succeed they do not cling to it, and over time it transforms.

說者，說之也；說之者，資之也。飾言者，假之也；假之者，益損也。應對者，利辭也；利辭者，輕論也。成義者，明之也；明之者*橐病＃ㄑ曰蚍錘玻噯匆病＃┠蜒哉擼綽垡玻蝗綽壅擼黽敢病*

To persuade is to go and speak to someone; to speak to someone is to draw on him. Polishing one's words is borrowing; borrowing is adding and subtracting. Replying is sharpening one's words; sharpening one's words is light argument. Establishing the point is making it clear; the one who makes it clear (after this the base text has a rare character, lost in transcription).

佞言者，諂而幹忠；諛言者，博而幹智；平言者，決而幹勇；戚言者，權而幹信；靜言者，反而幹勝。先意承欲者，諂也；繁稱文辭者，博也；縱舍不疑者，決也；策選進謀者，權也；他分不足以窒非者，反也。

One who speaks with glib words flatters and seeks a name for loyalty; one who speaks with fawning words is broad-ranging and seeks a name for wisdom; one who speaks with even words is decisive and seeks a name for courage; one who speaks with sympathetic words is adaptable and seeks a name for good faith; one who speaks with quiet words turns things around and seeks to win. To anticipate someone's wishes and go along with his desires is flattery; to pile up fine phrases is breadth; to let go or hold on without doubt is decisiveness; to plan, select and offer schemes is adaptability; to take another's weight in hand and still not be enough to block his objection is turning things around.

故口者，機關也；所以關閉情意也。耳目者，心之佐助也；所以窺間見奸邪。故曰：參調而應，利道而動。故繁言而不亂，翱翔而不迷，變易而不危者，（者見）要得理。故無目者不可示以五色，無耳者不可告也五音。故不可以往者，無所開之也。不可以來者，無所受之也。物有不通者，聖人故不事也。古人有言曰：「口可以食，不可以言」者，有諱忌也。眾口爍金，言有曲故也。

So the mouth is a gate-mechanism, used to shut in one's feelings. The ears and eyes are aids to the mind, used to spy out openings and see the wicked. So it is said: when the three work in concert and answer one another, one moves along the path of benefit. So those who speak much without confusion, wheel about without losing their way, and change without danger must grasp the underlying principle (the base text's "者见" seems to be a spurious insertion). So to one without eyes you cannot show the five colors, and to one without ears you cannot tell the five notes (the base text's "告也" should read "告以"). So where one cannot go forward, there is nothing to open; where one cannot come, there is nothing to receive. When things do not get through, the sage therefore does not take up the matter. The ancients had a saying, "The mouth may eat but may not speak," because there are things to be avoided. "Many mouths melt metal" because words twist things.

人之情，出言則欲聽，舉事則欲成。是故智者不用其所短而用愚人之所長；不用其所拙而用愚人之所工；故不困也。言其有利者，從其所長也；言其有害者，避其所短也。故介蟲之捍也，必以堅厚；螫蟲之動也，必以毒螫。故禽獸知用其長，而談者亦知其用而用也。故曰：辭言有五：曰病、曰恐、曰憂、曰怒、曰喜。病者，感衰氣而不神也。恐者，腸絕而無主也。憂者，閉塞而不洩也。怒者，妄動而不治也。喜者，宣散而無要也。此五者精則用之，利則行之。

By human nature, when one speaks one wants to be heard, and when one undertakes something one wants to succeed. So the wise do not use their own shortcomings but use the strengths of the foolish; they do not use their own clumsiness but use the skill of the foolish; and so they are not stuck. To say something is beneficial is to follow its strengths; to say it is harmful is to avoid its weaknesses. So armored creatures defend themselves with their hard shells, and stinging creatures act with their venom. Birds and beasts know to use their strengths, and speakers also know what to use and use it. So it is said: there are five kinds of speech: sickness, fear, worry, anger and joy. Sickness is feeling a decline in vital breath and lacking spirit. Fear is being heartsick and having no master. Worry is being blocked up with no release. Anger is acting wildly and out of order. Joy is scattering outward with no main point. Use these five only when refined, and act only when there is benefit.

故與智者言，依於博；與博者言，依於辨；與辨者言，依於要；與貴者言，依於勢；與富者言，依於高；與貧者言，依於利；與賤者言，依于謙；與勇者言，依於敢；與愚者言，依於銳；此其術也，而人常反之。是故與智者言，將以此明之；與不智者言，將以此教之；而甚難為也。故言多類，事多變。故終日言不失其類，而事不亂；終日不變，而不失其主。故智貴不忘。聽貴聰，辭貴奇。

So with the wise, speak by way of breadth; with the broad-minded, speak by way of discrimination; with the discriminating, speak by way of the essentials; with the eminent, speak by way of their power; with the rich, speak by way of loftiness; with the poor, speak by way of profit; with the lowly, speak by way of modesty; with the brave, speak by way of boldness; with the foolish, speak by way of sharpness. These are the methods, yet people often do the reverse. So with the wise, you use this to make them understand; with the unwise, you use this to instruct them; and this is hard to do. So words come in many kinds, and affairs change in many ways. So if one talks all day without losing track of the kinds, the affairs are not confused; if one goes all day without changing, one does not lose one's main point. So for the wise, what matters is not forgetting. In listening, what matters is acuteness; in phrasing, what matters is the unusual.

凡謀有道，必得其所因，以求其情；審得其情，乃立三儀。三儀者，曰上、曰中、曰下，參以立焉，以生奇；奇不知其所壅；始於古之所從。

In every plan there is a method: one must obtain what it rests on in order to find out its true circumstances; having examined the circumstances, one then establishes the three measures. The three measures are called upper, middle and lower, set up in mutual reference, and used to bring forth the unusual; the unusual does not know where it is blocked; it begins from where the ancients proceeded.

故鄭人之取玉也，載司南之車，為其不惑也。夫度材、量能、揣情者，亦事之司南也。

So when the men of Zheng went to gather jade, they carried the south-pointing chariot, so as not to lose their way. Assessing talent, measuring capacity and gauging circumstances are likewise the south-pointer for getting things done.

故同情而相親者，其俱成者也；同欲而相疏者，其偏害者也；同惡而相親者，其俱害者也；同惡而相疏者，偏害者也。故相益則親，相損則疏，其數行也；此所以察異同之分也。故牆壞於其隙，木毀於其節，斯蓋其分也。

So those who share the same circumstances and are close succeed together; those who share the same desires yet are distant suffer unevenly; those who share the same hatreds and are close suffer together; those who share the same hatreds yet are distant suffer unevenly. So mutual benefit makes people close, and mutual loss makes them distant; that is how the numbers work; this is used to examine the dividing line between sameness and difference. So a wall fails at its crack, and wood is ruined at its knot; this is probably that dividing line.

故變生事，事生謀，謀生計，計生儀，儀生說，說生進，進生退，退生制；因以制於事，故百事一道，而百度一數也。

So change gives rise to affairs, affairs give rise to plans, plans give rise to schemes, schemes give rise to deliberations, deliberations give rise to persuasion, persuasion gives rise to advancing, advancing gives rise to retreating, and retreating gives rise to control; and so one is controlled by the affair itself, so that the hundred affairs share one Way, and the hundred measures share one number.

夫仁人輕貨，不可誘以利，可使出費；勇士輕難，不可懼以患，可使據危；智者達於數，明於理，不可欺以不誠，可示以道理，可使立功；是三才也。故愚者易蔽也，不肖者易懼也，貪者易誘也，是因事而裁之。

The humane person takes wealth lightly and cannot be lured with profit, but can be made to spend money; the brave person takes difficulty lightly and cannot be frightened with trouble, but can be made to hold a dangerous post; the wise person understands the numbers and is clear about principle, cannot be deceived with insincerity, but can be shown the reasons and made to achieve merit; these are the three kinds. So the foolish are easily deceived, the unworthy are easily frightened, and the greedy are easily lured; this is judging by the case.

故為強者，積於弱也；為直者，積於曲也；有餘者，積於不足也；此其道術也。

So the strong grows from the accumulation of the weak; the straight grows from the accumulation of the crooked; surplus grows from the accumulation of deficiency; this is the art of the Way.

故外親而內疏者，說內；內親而外疏者，說外；故因其疑以變之，因其見以然之，因其說以要之，因其勢以成之，因其惡以權之，因其患以斥之；摩而恐之，高而動之，微而證之，符而應之，擁而塞之，亂而惑之，是謂計謀。

So with one who is outwardly close but inwardly distant, speak to his inner side; with one who is inwardly close but outwardly distant, speak to his outer side; then follow his doubts to change him, follow what he sees to confirm him, follow what he says to bind him, follow his momentum to fulfill him, follow what he hates to weigh him, follow what he fears to dismiss him; probe and frighten him, raise him up and move him, be subtle and prove him, match him with the tally, crowd him and block him, confuse him and bewilder him: this is called scheming.

計謀之用，公不如私，私不如結；結比而無隙者也。正不如奇；奇流而不止者也。故說人主者，必與之言奇；說人臣者，必與之言私。其身內，其言外者，疏；其身外，其言身者，危。無以人之所不欲而強之於人，無以人之所不知而教之於人。人之有好也，學而順之；人之有惡也，避而諱之；故陰道而陽取之。故去之者，從之；從之者，乘之。貌者不美又不惡，故至情托焉。

In using schemes, the public is not as good as the private, and the private is not as good as binding; binding is being so close there is no gap. The orthodox is not as good as the unusual; the unusual flows on and does not stop. So when persuading a ruler, one must speak to him of the unusual; when persuading a minister, one must speak to him of the private. If one is inside yet speaks as an outsider, one is kept at a distance; if one is outside yet speaks as one on the inside, one is in danger. Do not force on others what they do not want; do not teach others what they do not know. If a person has a liking, learn it and go along with it; if a person has a dislike, avoid it and keep it taboo; so walk the hidden path and take what you want in the open. So for what one wants to get rid of, first comply; having complied, then take advantage. Where one's looks are neither fine nor ugly, one's deepest feelings are entrusted there.

可知者，可用也；不可知者，謀者所不用也。故曰：是貴制人，而不貴制於人。制人者，握權也。見制於人者，制命也。故聖人之道陰，愚人之道陽；智者事易，而不智者事難。以此觀之，亡不可以為存，而危不可以為安；然而無為而貴智矣。智用於眾人之所不能知，而能用於眾人之所不能見。既用，見可否，擇事而為之，所以自為也。見不可，擇事而為之，所以為人也。故先王之道陰。言有之曰：「天地之化，在高在深；聖人之制道，在隱於匿。」非獨忠信仁義也，中正而已矣。道理達於此之義，則可於語。由能得此，則可以殺遠近之誘。

What can be known can be used; what cannot be known is not used by a planner. So it is said: what matters is controlling others, not being controlled by them. One who controls others holds the power. One who is controlled by others has his fate held. So the sage's way is hidden, and the fool's way is open; the wise find things easy to do, and the unwise find them hard. Seen this way, ruin cannot be treated as survival, nor peril as safety; yet one does not act and values wisdom. Wisdom is used where the multitude cannot know, and can be used where the multitude cannot see. Having used it, when one sees something is permissible, one chooses a matter and does it for oneself; when one sees it is not permissible, one chooses a matter and does it for others. So the way of the former kings was hidden. There is a saying: "The transformations of Heaven and Earth lie in the high and the deep; the sage's making of the Way lies in the hidden and the concealed." It is not only loyalty, good faith, humaneness and righteousness, and being upright and centered. When the principle is clear in this sense, one may speak. From this, whoever can get hold of it can cut off the lures near and far.

凡決物，必托於疑者。善其用福，惡其用患；善至於誘也，終無惑偏。有利焉，去其利，則不受也；奇之所託。若有利於善者，隱托於惡，則不受矣，致疏遠。故其有使失利者，有使離害者，此事之失。

In deciding any matter, one must rely on those who have doubts. Joy in using it brings good fortune, and dislike of using it brings trouble; one who is good at using it to lead others on never ends up confused or biased. Where there is profit, if one removes the profit, one will not accept it; the unusual is entrusted here. If something beneficial to the good is hidden within something bad, one will not accept it, and so grows distant. So some cause people to lose benefit and some cause people to escape harm; these are faults in the handling of the matter.

聖人所以能成其事者有五：有以陽德之者，有以陰賊之者，有以信誠之者，有以蔽匿之者，有以平素之者。陽勵於一言，陰勵於二言，平素、樞機以用；四者微而施之。於事度之往事，驗之來事，參之平素，可則決之。

The sage can accomplish things in five ways: some are done by showing virtue openly, some by harming covertly, some by good faith and sincerity, some by concealing and hiding, and some by ordinary means. The open approach exerts itself on one set of words, and the covert approach exerts itself on two sets of words; the ordinary and the pivotal are brought into use; the four are applied subtly. In handling a matter, measure past events, test future ones, and consult the ordinary, and one can then decide.

王公大人之事也，危而美名者，可則決之；不用費力而易成者，可則決之；用力犯勤苦，然不得已而為之者，可貴則決之；去患者，可貴則決之；從福者，可則決之。故夫決情定疑，萬事之基，以正治亂，決成敗，難為者。故先王乃用蓍龜者，以自決也。

In the affairs of kings, dukes and great men, where there is danger but a fine reputation, one can decide at once; where little effort is needed and success is easy, one can decide at once; where one must labor and bear hardship yet has no choice but to do it, it is worth deciding at once; where trouble is removed, it is worth deciding at once; where one follows good fortune, one can decide at once. So settling circumstances and resolving doubts is the foundation of all affairs, used to set order right and decide success or failure, and it is hard to do. So the former kings used milfoil and tortoise shell to decide for themselves.

安徐正靜，其被節先肉。善與而不靜，虛心平意以待傾損。

Be calm and unhurried, upright and still, bound by due measure, ahead of the flesh. Be good at giving without becoming unable to settle, and with an empty heart and level mind wait for loss and decline.

右主位。

The above discusses the ruler's position.

目貴明，耳貴聰，心貴智。以天下之目視者，則無不見；以天下之耳聽者，則無不聞；以天下之心思慮者，則無不知；輻輳並進，則明不可塞。

For the eyes, brightness matters; for the ears, acuteness; for the mind, wisdom. See with the eyes of the whole world, and there is nothing unseen; listen with the ears of the whole world, and there is nothing unheard; think with the minds of the whole world, and there is nothing unknown; when all converge like spokes to the hub, clarity cannot be blocked.

右主明。

The above discusses the ruler's clarity.

德之術曰勿堅而拒之，許之則防守，拒之則閉塞。高山仰之可極，深淵度之可測，神明之德術正靜，其莫之極。

The art of virtue is said to be: do not be stubborn and refuse. Having granted a request, one is on guard; having refused it, one is closed up. A high mountain, looking up, can be reached to its peak; a deep pool, measured, can be fathomed; but the art of divine virtue is upright and still, and no one can reach its limit.

右主德。

The above discusses the ruler's virtue.

用賞貴信，用刑貴正。賞賜貴信，必驗而目之所聞見，其所不聞見者，莫不諳化矣。誠暢於天下神明，而況奸者幹君。

In using rewards, good faith matters; in using punishments, correctness matters. For rewards, good faith matters, and it must be borne out in what ears and eyes have heard and seen; what they have not heard or seen is none the less silently influenced. Sincerity reaches Heaven and the spirits throughout the world; how much more so when a wicked person offends the ruler.

右主賞。

The above discusses the ruler's rewards.

一曰天之，二曰地之，三曰人之；四方上下，左右前後，熒惑之處安在。

The first belongs to Heaven, the second to Earth, the third to humans; the four directions, above and below, left and right, front and back: where is the place of confusion?

右主問。

The above discusses the ruler's inquiry.

心為九窮之治，君為五官之長。為善者，君與之賞；為非者，君與之罰。君因其所以求，因與之，則不勞。聖人用之，故能賞之。因之循理，故能長久。

The heart is the master of the nine orifices (the base text's "穷" should read "窍"), and the ruler is the head of the five senses. For those who do good, the ruler gives rewards; for those who do wrong, the ruler gives punishments. The ruler gives them what they seek, accordingly, and so does not toil. The sage uses this, and so can reward them. Following the pattern and going by principle, he can last long.

右主因。

The above discusses the ruler's reliance.

人主不可不周；人主不周，則群臣生亂，家於其無常也，內外不通，安知所聞，開閉不善，不見原也。

A ruler must be all-encompassing; if a ruler is not all-encompassing, the ministers will breed disorder, households will lose their constancy, inside and outside will not communicate, and how can he know what is heard? Opening and closing are poorly done, and the source cannot be seen.

右主周。

The above discusses the ruler's thoroughness.

一曰長目，二曰飛耳，三曰樹明。明知千里之外，隱微之中，是謂洞天下奸，莫不諳變更。

The first is called the long eye, the second the flying ear, the third setting up clarity. To know clearly what lies a thousand li away, and what lies within the hidden and the subtle, is called seeing through the wickedness of the world; there is none that is not silently changed.

右主恭。

The above discusses the ruler's reverence.

循名而為貴，安而完，名實相生，反相為情，故曰名當則生於實，實生於理，理生於名實之德，德生於和，和生於當。

Act by following names; what matters is being at peace and whole. Name and reality give rise to each other and in turn serve as each other's circumstances. So it is said: when the name is fitting, it arises from the reality; reality arises from principle; principle arises from the virtue of name and reality; virtue arises from harmony; and harmony arises from fittingness.

右主名。

The above discusses the ruler's names.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》盛神法五龍盛神法五龍

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Flourishing Spirit, modeled on the Five Dragons.

盛神中有五氣，神為之長，心為之舍，得為之大；養神之所，歸諸道。道者，天地之始，一其紀也。物之所造，天之所生，包宏無形，化氣先天地而成，莫見其形，莫知其名，謂之神靈。故道者，神明之源，一其化端，是以德養五氣，心能得一，乃有其術。術者，心氣之道所由舍者，神乃為之使。九窮十二舍者，氣之門戶，心之總攝也。

Within the flourishing of spirit there are five kinds of qi: spirit is their chief, the heart is their dwelling, and attainment is their greatness; the place where spirit is nourished returns to the Way. The Way is the beginning of Heaven and Earth, and the One is its thread. What things are made of and what Heaven brings into being, enclosing the vast and without form, transforming qi came to be before Heaven and Earth; no one saw its form, no one knew its name, and it is called the divine spirit. So the Way is the source of spirit and illumination, and the One is the starting point of its transformations; therefore one nourishes the five kinds of qi with virtue, and when the heart can attain the One, then one has the art. The art is where the Way of heart and qi resides, and spirit serves as its messenger. The nine orifices and twelve lodgings are the gates of qi and the overseer of the heart.

生受於天，謂之真人；真人者，與天為一。內修練而知之，謂之聖人；聖人者，以類知之。故人與生一齣於物化。知類在窮，有所疑惑，通於心術，心無其術，必有不通。其通也，五氣得養，務在舍神，此謂之化。化有五氣者，志也、思也、神也、德也；神其一長也。靜和者，養氣。氣得其和，四者不衰。四邊威勢無不為，存而舍之，是謂神化。歸於身，謂之真人。真人者，同逃邙合道，執一而養萬類，懷天心，施德養，無為以包志慮思意而行威勢者也。士者通達之神盛，乃能養志。

Life received from Heaven is called the true person; the true person is one with Heaven. One who cultivates within and comes to know is called a sage; the sage knows by kinds. So humans, like life, come forth from the transformation of things. Knowing kinds lies in thorough inquiry; when there is doubt, it is connected through the art of the heart; if the heart does not have that art, there will surely be blockage. When it is open, the five kinds of qi are nourished, and the task is to settle the spirit; this is called transformation. Transformation has five kinds of qi: will, thought, spirit and virtue; spirit is the chief among them. Stillness and harmony nourish qi. When qi attains harmony, the four do not decline. Of the powers on all four sides, there is none one does not wield; preserve it and settle it, and this is called spirit transformation. Returning it to the body is called the true person. The true person is the same as Heaven and joins with the Way (the base text's "逃邙" seems to be a corruption of "天而"), holds to the One and nourishes the myriad kinds, cherishes the heart of Heaven, bestows virtue and nourishment, and wraps will, thought and intention in non-action while exercising authority. A scholar who is open and whose spirit flourishes can then nourish the will.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》養志法靈龜養志法靈龜

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Nourishing the Will, modeled on the Numinous Tortoise.

養志者，心氣之思不達也。有所欲，志存而思之。志者，欲之使也。欲多則心散，心散則志衰，志衰則思不達。故心氣一則故不徨，欲不徨則志意不衰，志意不衰則思理達矣。理達則和通，和通則亂氣不煩於胸中，故內以養志，外以知人。養志則心通矣，知人則識分明矣。將欲用之於人，必先知其養氣志。知人氣盛衰，而養其志氣，察其所安，以知其所能。

Nourishing the will is needed because the thinking of heart and qi has not become unobstructed. When there is something desired, the will stays and thinks about it. Will is the messenger of desire. When desires are many the heart is scattered; when the heart is scattered the will weakens; when the will weakens thought does not flow freely. So when heart and qi are single-minded, desire does not wander (the base text's "故不徨" should read "欲不徨"); when desire does not wander, the will does not weaken; when the will does not weaken, thought and principle flow freely. When principle is open there is harmony and free passage; with harmony and free passage, disordered qi does not trouble the chest; so inwardly it is used to nourish the will, and outwardly to know people. Nourishing the will makes the heart open; knowing people makes one's discernment clear. When one is about to employ a person, one must first know how he nourishes his qi and will. Know whether a person's qi is flourishing or declining, and nourish his will and qi; observe where he is at ease, in order to know what he is capable of.

志不養，則心氣不固；心氣不固，則思慮不達；思慮不達，則志意不實。志意不實，則應對不猛；應對不猛，則志失而心氣虛；志失而心氣虛，則喪其神矣；神喪，則彷彿；彷彿，則參會不一。養志之始，務在安己；己安，則志意實堅；志意實堅，則威勢不分，神明常固守，乃能分之。

If the will is not nourished, then heart and qi are not firm; if heart and qi are not firm, thought and reflection do not flow freely; if thought and reflection do not flow freely, the will and intention are not solid. If the will and intention are not solid, one's replies are not forceful; if one's replies are not forceful, the will is lost and heart and qi are empty; if the will is lost and heart and qi are empty, one loses one's spirit; if the spirit is lost, one is vague and unsettled; if one is vague and unsettled, one's dealings are not single-minded. The start of nourishing the will is to settle oneself; once one is settled, the will and intention are firm and solid; once the will and intention are firm and solid, authority is not divided, and the spirit and illumination are always kept firmly, and only then can it be divided.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》實意法騰蛇實意法騰蛇

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Solidifying Intention, modeled on the Soaring Serpent.

實意者，氣之慮也。心欲安靜，慮欲深遠；心安靜則神策生，慮深遠則計謀成；神策生則志不可亂，計謀成則功不可間。意慮定則心遂安，心遂安則所行不錯，神自得矣。得則凝。識氣寄，奸邪得而倚之，詐謀得而惑之；言無由心矣。固信心術守真一而不化，待人意率之交會，聽之候也。寄謀者，存亡之樞機。慮不會，則聽不審矣。候之不得，寄謀失矣。則意無所信，虛而無實。故寄謀之慮，務在實意；實意必從心術始。

Solidifying intention is the reflection of qi. The heart should be calm, and reflection should be far-reaching; when the heart is calm, spirit's strategies arise; when reflection is far-reaching, plans are completed; when spirit's strategies arise, the will cannot be thrown into disorder; when plans are completed, the achievement cannot be driven apart. When intention and reflection are settled, the heart is at peace; when the heart is at peace, what one does is without error, and spirit is gained by oneself. Once gained, it condenses. If the awareness of qi is entrusted elsewhere, the wicked get something to lean on and deceitful schemes get a chance to confuse; and one's words no longer come from the heart. So one trusts the art of the heart, holds to the true One and does not transform, and waits until people's intentions meet one another, which is the time to listen. Entrusting a plan is the pivot of survival and ruin. If reflection does not meet, then one's listening is not careful. If one cannot wait, the entrusted plan is lost. Then intention has nothing to trust and is empty with no substance. So for reflection on an entrusted plan, the task is solidifying intention; solidifying intention must begin from the art of the heart.

無為而求，安靜五臟，和通六腑；精神魂魄固守不動，乃能內視反聽，定志慮之太虛，待神往來。以觀天地開闢，知萬物所造化，見陰陽之終始，原人事之政理。不出戶而知天下，不窺牖而見天道；不見而命，不行而至；是謂道知。以通神明，應於無方，而神宿矣。

Seek by non-action, calm the five organs and harmonize the six viscera; keep essence, spirit, soul and vitality firm and still, and then one can look inward and listen back, settle will and thought in the Great Void, and wait for the spirit to come and go. With this one observes the opening of Heaven and Earth, knows what the myriad things are made by, sees the beginning and end of yin and yang, and traces back the principles of human affairs. Without going out the door one knows the world; without peeking through the window one sees Heaven's Way; without seeing one can give orders; without walking one can arrive; this is called knowing by the Way. With this one connects with the spirit and illumination and responds without fixed direction, and the spirit then lodges and stays.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》分威法伏熊分威法伏熊

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Dividing Authority, modeled on the Crouching Bear.

分威者，神之覆也。故靜意固志，神歸其舍，則威覆盛矣。威覆盛，則內實堅；內實堅，則莫當；莫當，則能以分人之威而動其勢，如其天。以實取虛，以有取無，若以鎰稱銖。故動者必隨，唱者必和。撓其一指，觀其餘次，動變見形，無能間者。審於唱和，以間見間，動變明而威可分也。將欲動變，必先養志以視間。知其固實者，自養也。讓己者，養人也。故神存兵亡，乃為知形勢。

Dividing authority is the canopy of the spirit. So when intention is still and will is firm, and spirit returns to its dwelling, the canopy of authority becomes strong. When the canopy of authority is strong, the inner substance is firm; when the inner substance is firm, nothing can withstand it; when nothing can withstand it, one can use the authority of dividing others to move their momentum, as Heaven does. Taking the empty with the full and the nonexistent with the existent is like weighing a zhu with a yi. So what one moves is sure to follow, and what one sings is sure to be echoed. Press on one finger of his, and watch the order of the others; the shifts and changes show their shape, and none can be driven apart. Examine the singing and the echoing, see gaps by means of gaps, and when the shifts and changes are clear, authority can be divided. When one is about to shift and change, one must first nourish the will to see the gaps. To know what is solid and firm is to nourish oneself. To yield what is one's own is to nourish others. So when the spirit remains, the army is lost; only then does one know the lay of the situation.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》散勢法鷙鳥散勢法鷙鳥

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Scattering Momentum, modeled on the Raptor.

散勢者，神之使也。用之，必循間而動。威肅內盛，推間而行之，則勢散。夫散勢者，心虛志溢；意衰威失，精神不專，其言外而多變。故觀其志意，為度數，乃以揣說圖事，盡圓方，齊短長。無間則不散勢者，待間而動，動而勢分矣。故善思間者，必內精五氣，外視虛實，動而不失分散之實。動則隨其志意，知其計謀。勢者，利害之決，權變之威。勢敗者，不可神肅察也。

Scattering momentum is the messenger of the spirit. To use it, one must move following the gaps. When awe-inspiring authority is strong within and one proceeds by pressing into the gaps, momentum is scattered. The one whose momentum is scattered has an empty heart and an overflowing will; his intention is weak and his authority lost, his spirit not focused, and his words leak out and shift often. So observe his will and intention as the measure, and only then use probing talk to plan the matter, exhausting the round and the square and evening out the short and the long. Where there is no gap, momentum is not scattered; wait for a gap and act, and once one has acted the momentum is divided. So one who is good at thinking about gaps must be refined within in the five kinds of qi, and look without at the empty and the full, acting without losing the substance of scattering. In acting, follow his will and intention and learn his plans. Momentum is the decision between benefit and harm, the authority of adaptation. Where momentum has failed, spirit cannot be used to inspect it.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》轉圖法猛獸轉圖法猛獸

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Turning the Sphere, modeled on the Fierce Beast.

轉圓者，無窮之計也。無窮者，必有聖人之心，以原不測之智；以不測之智而通心術，而神道混沌為一。以變論萬類，說意無窮。智略計謀，各有形容，或圓或方，或陰或陽，或吉或兇，事類不同。故聖人懷此，用轉圓而求其合。故與造化者為始，動作無不包大道，以觀神明之域。

Turning the sphere is the inexhaustible scheme. For the inexhaustible, one must have the heart of a sage, to trace back to the wisdom of the unfathomable; use that unfathomable wisdom to link with the art of the heart, and the divine way merges into one chaos. Use change to discuss the myriad kinds, and speak with inexhaustible intent. Wisdom, strategy and plans each have their form, some round or square, some yin or yang, some auspicious or inauspicious, and the kinds of affairs differ. So the sage cherishes this and uses turning the sphere to seek their fit. So he takes the creator of transformations as his beginning, and none of his actions fails to embrace the great Way, which he uses to observe the realm of spirit and illumination.

天地無極，人事無窮，各以成其類；見其計謀，必知其吉凶成敗之所終。轉圓者，或轉而吉，或轉而兇，聖人以道，先知存亡，乃知轉圓而從方。圓者，所以合語；方者，所以錯事。轉化者，所以觀計謀；接物者，所以觀進退之意。皆見其會，乃為要結以接其說也。

Heaven and Earth have no limit, and human affairs have no end, each fulfilling its own kind; seeing his plans, one is sure to know how auspicious or inauspicious, successful or failed, they will end. Turning the sphere may turn toward good fortune or toward misfortune; the sage, by the Way, knows survival and ruin beforehand, and so knows to turn the round and follow the square. The round is used to match words; the square is used to arrange affairs (the base text's "错" is read as "措"). Transformation is used to observe plans; dealing with things is used to observe the intent to advance or retreat. When all see how things come together, one makes a binding agreement to receive his persuasion.

《鬼谷子本經陰符七術》損悅法靈蓍損悅法靈蓍

Guiguzi, "Fundamental Scripture, Seven Arts of the Hidden Talisman": Reducing and Pleasing, modeled on the Numinous Milfoil.

損悅者，機危之決也。事有適然，物有成敗，機危之動，不可不察。故聖人以無為待有德，言察辭，合於事。悅者，知之也。損者，行之也。損之說之，物有不可者，聖人不為之辭。故智者不以言失人之言，故辭不煩而心不虛，志不亂而意不邪。當其難易，而後為之謀；因自然之道以為實。圓者不行，方者不止，是謂大功。益之損之，皆為之辭。用分威散勢之權，以見其悅威，其機危乃為之決。故善損悅者，誓若決水於千仞之堤，轉圓石於萬仞之谷。而能行此者，形勢不得不然也。

Reducing and pleasing is the decision at a critical juncture. Affairs have their fitting moments and things have success and failure; the stirring of a critical juncture must not go unexamined. So the sage waits with non-action for those of virtue, examines their speech, and fits it to the matter. Pleasing is knowing. Reducing is acting. Having reduced and spoken, if something is not permissible, the sage does not phrase it for them. So the wise do not lose others' words through their own, and so their phrasing is not tedious and their hearts are not empty, their will is not disordered and their intentions are not crooked. Face the difficulty or ease, and then plan for them; take the Way of nature as the substance. If the round does not go, and the square does not stop, this is called great merit. Whether adding to it or reducing it, phrase it for them. Use the authority of dividing power and scattering momentum to see their pleasing power, and only then decide for them at their critical juncture. So one who is good at reducing and pleasing is like one breaching water from a dike a thousand ren high, or rolling a round stone down a valley ten thousand ren deep. And that one can carry this out is because the lay of the situation leaves no other way.