Hua Shu (化書) · Volume 2

鬼之神可以御，龍之變可以役，蛇虺可以不能螫，戈矛可以不能擊。唯無心者火不能燒，水不能溺，兵刃不能加，天命不能死。其何故？志於樂者猶忘飢，志於憂者猶忘痛，志於虛無者可以忘生死。

The spirit of ghosts can be driven, the transformations of dragons can be commanded, snakes and vipers can be made unable to sting, and spears and halberds can be made unable to strike. Only one without a heart for it cannot be burned by fire, drowned by water, or struck by weapons, and cannot be made to die by the decree of Heaven. Why? One whose aim is in joy can forget hunger, one whose aim is in sorrow can forget pain, and one whose aim is in emptiness and nothingness can forget life and death.

方咫之木置於地之上，使人蹈之而有餘。方尺之木置於竿之端，使人踞之而不足。非物有小大，蓋心有虛實。是故冒大暑而撓者愈熱，受灸灼而懼者愈痛。人無常心，物無常性。小人由是知水可使不溼，火可使不燥。

A plank only a cun or two square, laid on the ground, feels more than ample to stand on; a plank one chi square, set on top of a pole, feels too small to crouch on. It is not that things are large or small, but that hearts are empty or full. So one who is still restless in the great summer heat grows hotter, and one who still fears moxibustion burning feels more pain. People have no constant heart, and things have no constant nature. From this the petty person knows that water can be made not to wet, and fire can be made not to scorch.

狐狸之怪，雀鼠之魅，不能幻明鏡之鑑者，明鏡無心之故也。是以虛空無心而無所不知，昊天無心無萬象自馳，行師無狀而敵不敢欺，大人無慮而元精自歸，能師於無者，無所不之。

The weirdness of foxes and the sorcery of sparrows and rats cannot change what a bright mirror reflects, because the bright mirror has no mind of its own. So emptiness has no mind and yet knows everything; the vast heavens have no mind and yet the myriad phenomena race along of themselves (in the base text the wording is “without the myriad phenomena,” and one reading holds that “without” should be “and”); a marching army has no fixed shape, so the enemy dares not deceive it; the great person has no anxious thoughts, so the primal essence returns of itself. One who can take nothingness as his teacher reaches everywhere.

轉萬斛之舟者，由一尋之木；發千鈞之弩者，由一寸之機。一目可以觀大天，一人可以君兆民。太虛茫茫而有涯，太上浩浩而有象。得天地之綱，知陰陽之房，見精神之藏，則數可以奪，命可以活，天地可以反覆。

What turns a great ship of ten thousand bushels is a rudder only a fathom long; what looses a crossbow of a thousand catties is a trigger only an inch long. One eye can watch the great heavens, and one person can rule over the myriad people. The Great Void is boundless yet has limits, and the Supreme is vast yet has form. One who gets hold of the cords of heaven and earth, knows the chambers of yin and yang, and sees the storehouse of the spirit can seize the numbers of fate, rescue a life, and reverse heaven and earth.

至淫者化為婦人，至暴者化為猛虎，心之所變，不得不變。是故樂者其形和，喜者其形逸，怒者其形剛，憂者其形戚。斯亦變化之道也。小人由是知顧六尺之軀，可以為龍蛇，可以為金石，可以為艹木。大哉斯言！

A person of extreme lewdness turns into a woman, and a person of extreme violence turns into a fierce tiger; what the mind transforms, one cannot help but be transformed. So the person who is joyful has a harmonious form, the one who is glad has an easy form, the one who is angry has a hard form, and the one who is sorrowful has a grieving form. This too is the way of transformation. From this the petty person learns to look after this six-foot body, which can turn into a dragon or snake, into gold or stone, or into grass and trees (the base text has a variant form of the character for “grass”). How grand these words are!

悲則雨淚，辛則雨涕；憤則結癭，怒則結疽。心之所欲，氣之所屬，無所不育。邪苟為此，正必為彼。是以大人節悲辛，誡憤怒；得灝氣之門，所以收其根；知元神之囊，所以韜其光；若蚌內守，若石內藏，所以為珠玉之房。

Grief makes tears fall and pungency makes nasal fluid flow; resentment forms goiters and anger forms carbuncles. What the mind desires and to which the breath turns, nothing fails to be produced. If the crooked can make this, the upright surely can make that. So the great person controls grief and pungency and guards against resentment and anger; getting hold of the gate of the vast primal breath, he gathers in its root; knowing the pouch of the primal spirit, he conceals its light; like a clam guarding within, like a stone storing within, he becomes the chamber of pearls and jade.

夫蠮螉之蟲，孕螟蛉之子，傳其情，交其精，混其氣，和其神。隨物大小，俱得其真。蠢動無定情，萬物無定形。小人由是知馬可使之飛，魚可使之馳，土木偶可使之有知，嬰兒似乳母，斯道不遠矣。

The mud wasp takes the offspring of the caterpillar as its own, passing on its feelings to it, mingling its essence, blending its breath, and uniting its spirit. According to the size of the creature, each obtains its true form. Crawling creatures have no fixed feelings, and the myriad things have no fixed forms. From this the petty person learns that a horse can be made to fly, a fish can be made to run, and a clay or wooden puppet can be made to have awareness. An infant comes to resemble its wet nurse; this Way is not far off.

胡夫而越婦，其子髯面而矬足；蠻夫而羌婦，其子抝鼻而昂首。梨接桃而本強者其實毛，梅接杏而本強者其實甘。以陰孕陽，以柔孕剛，以曲孕直，以短孕長，以大孕小，以圓孕方，以水孕火，以丹孕黃。小人由是知可以為金石，可以為珠玉，可以為異類，可以為怪狀，造化之道也。

When a man of the northern barbarian lands marries a woman of Yue, the child has a beard on the face but short legs; when a man of the southern tribes marries a woman of the Qiang, the child has a crooked nose and holds the head high. When a pear is grafted onto a peach with a strong stock, the fruit is furry; when a plum is grafted onto an apricot with a strong stock, the fruit is sweet. With yin one impregnates yang, with the soft the hard, with the curved the straight, with the short the long, with the large the small, with the round the square, with water fire, with cinnabar yellow. From this the petty person learns that one can make gold and stone, make pearls and jade, make strange kinds, and make odd shapes; this is the way of creation and transformation.

陰陽相搏，不根而生芝菌；燥溼相育，不母而生蝤蠐。是故世人體陰陽而根之，斆燥溼而母之，無不濟者。小人由是知陶煉五行，火之道也；流行無窮，水之道也；八卦環轉，天地之道也；神物乃生，變化之道也。是以君子體物而知身，體身而知道。夫大人之道幽且微，則不知其孰是孰非。

When yin and yang strike against each other, with no root, there grow mushrooms; when dryness and moisture nurture each other, with no mother, there are grubs. So when people observe yin and yang to serve as roots for it, and imitate dryness and moisture to serve as mothers for it, nothing fails to work. From this the petty person learns that smelting the five phases is the way of fire, circulating without end is the way of water, the eight trigrams turning in a circle is the way of heaven and earth, and spiritual things thereupon coming forth is the way of change and transformation. So the gentleman observes things and knows the body, observes the body and knows the Way. The Way of the great person is deep and subtle, so that one cannot tell which is right and which is wrong.

海魚有以蝦為目者，人皆笑之。殊不知古人以囊螢為燈者，又不知晝非日之光則不能馳，夜非燭之明則有所欺。觀傀儡之假而不自疑，嗟明友之逝而不自悲，賢興愚莫知，唯抱純白、養太玄者，不入其機。

Among the fish of the sea there is one that uses a shrimp as its eyes, and people laugh at it. They do not know that the ancients packed fireflies in bags to serve as lamps, nor that without the light of the sun by day one cannot run, and without the brightness of a candle by night one is deceived. People watch a puppet's falseness without doubting themselves, and sigh over a friend's passing without grieving for themselves; no one knows the worthy from the foolish. Only one who embraces pure white and nurtures the Great Mystery (the profound and unfathomable) does not fall into that trap.

磵松所以能凌霜者，藏正氣也；美玉所以能犯火者，蓄至精也。是以大人晝運靈旗，夜錄神芝（宋本、元本作：晝運生靈，夜錄神鬼），覺所不覺，思所不思，可以冬御風而不寒，夏御火而不熱。故君子藏正氣者，可以遠鬼神、伏奸佞；蓄至精者，可以福生靈、保富壽。夫何為？多少之故也。

The pine by the mountain stream can brave the frost because it stores upright energy; fine jade can withstand fire because it holds supreme essence. So the great person by day moves the spirit banner and by night records the divine fungus (the Song and Yuan editions read “by day moves living spirits, by night records spirits and ghosts”); he perceives what others do not perceive and thinks what others do not think, so that in winter he can ride the wind and not be cold, and in summer he can drive the fire and not be hot. So the gentleman who stores upright energy can keep far from ghosts and spirits and subdue the treacherous and flattering; one who holds supreme essence can bless living beings and secure wealth and longevity. By what means? Merely by the amount.

動靜相磨，所以化火也；燥溼相蒸，所以化水也；水火相勃，所以化雲也；湯盎投井，所以化雹也；飲水雨日，所以化虹霓也。小人，由是知陰陽可以召，五行可以役，天地可以別構，日月可以我作。有聞是言者，必將以為誕。夫民之形也，頭圓而足方，上動而下靜，五行運於內，二曜明於外。斯亦別構之道也。

Movement and stillness rub against each other and so transform into fire; dryness and moisture steam each other and so transform into water; water and fire stir each other and so transform into clouds; a basin of hot soup thrown into a well transforms into hail; water that has been drunk and sprayed toward rain and sun transforms into a rainbow. From this the petty person learns that yin and yang can be summoned, the five phases can be commanded, heaven and earth can be built anew, and the sun and moon can be made by me. Whoever hears these words will surely take them as absurd. Yet the human form has a round head and square feet, moves above and is still below, has the five phases circulating within and the sun and moon shining without; this too is the principle of building anew.

操琴瑟之音，則翛然而閒；奏鄧衛之音，則樂然而逸；碎瓴甓之音，則背膂凜森；撾鼓鼙之音，則鴻毛躑躅，其感激之道也如是。以其和也，召陽氣，化融風，生萬物也。其不和也，作陰氣，化厲風，辱萬物也。氣由聲也，聲由氣也，氣動則聲發，聲發則氣振，氣振則風行而萬物變化也。是以風雲可以命，霜雹可以致，鳳凰可以歌，熊羆可以舞，神明可以友，用樂之術也甚大。

Play the sounds of the zither and lute, and one is carefree and at ease; play the tunes of Zheng and Wei, and one is delighted and idle (the base text has a different character for “Zheng,” which should read “Zheng”); smash tiles and bricks to make a sound, and one's spine prickles; beat the war drums, and one hesitates like a feather. The principle of resonance and stirring is just like this. Because it is harmonious, it summons yang energy, which turns into a mild wind and gives life to the myriad things. Because it is not harmonious, it stirs up yin energy, which turns into a harsh wind and crushes the myriad things. Energy comes from sound, and sound from energy; when energy moves, sound is emitted, and when sound is emitted, energy is stirred; when energy is stirred, wind moves and the myriad things change. So wind and clouds can be commanded, frost and hail can be summoned, phoenixes can be made to sing, bears and brown bears can be made to dance, and spirits can be made friends; the art of using music is very great.

虛含虛，神含神，氣含氣，明含明，物含物。達此理者，情可以通，形可以同。同於火者化為火，同於水者化為水，同於日月者化為日月，同於金石者化為金石。唯大人無所不同，無所不化，足可以與虛皇並駕。

The empty contains the empty, spirit contains spirit, energy contains energy, brightness contains brightness, and things contain things. One who comprehends this principle can have feelings that interlink and a form that is shared. What becomes the same as fire becomes fire, what becomes the same as water becomes water, what becomes the same as sun and moon becomes sun and moon, and what becomes the same as gold and stone becomes gold and stone. Only the great person is the same as everything and transforms into everything, and is fit to drive alongside the Empty Sovereign.

鏡非求鑑於物，而物自投之；橐非求飽於氣，而氣自實之。是故鼻以虛受臭，耳以虛受聲，目以虛受色，舌以虛受味。所以心同幽冥，則物無不受；神同虛無，則事無不知。是以大人奪其機，藏其微，羽符至怪，陰液甚奇，可以守國，可以救時，可以坐為帝王之師。

A mirror does not seek objects to reflect; objects cast themselves upon it. A bellows does not seek air to fill it; the air fills it of itself. So the nose uses emptiness to receive smells, the ear uses emptiness to receive sound, the eye uses emptiness to receive color, and the tongue uses emptiness to receive taste. So when the mind is the same as the dark and obscure, there is nothing it cannot receive; when the spirit is the same as emptiness and nothingness, there is nothing it cannot know. So the great person seizes the mechanism, hides the subtle, makes the feather tally utterly marvelous and the yin fluid utterly wondrous; he can guard a state, save the age, and sit and be the teacher of emperors.

琥珀不能呼腐芥，丹砂不能入焦金，磁石不能取憊鐵，元氣不能發陶爐。所以大人善用五行之精，善奪萬物之靈，食天人之祿，駕風馬之榮。其道也在忘其形而求其情。

Amber cannot attract rotten mustard seeds, cinnabar cannot enter scorched gold, a magnet cannot draw spent iron, and primal breath cannot set a kiln in motion. So the great person is good at using the essence of the five phases, good at seizing the spirit of the myriad things, enjoying the emolument of the heavenly and human and riding the glory of the wind-horse. This Way lies in forgetting the form and seeking the feeling.

儒有講五常之道者，分之為五事，屬之為五行，散之為五色，化之為五聲，俯之為五嶽，仰之為五星，物之為五金，族之為五靈，配之為五味，感之為五情。所以聽之者若酰雞之遊太虛，如井蛙之浮滄溟，莫見其鴻蒙之涯，莫測其浩渺之程。日暮途遠，無不倒行。殊不知五常之道一也，忘其名則得其理，忘其理則得其情。然後牧之以清靜，棲之以杳冥，使混我神氣，符我心靈。若水投水，不分其清；若火投火，不間其明。是謂奪五行之英，盜五常之精，聚之則一芥可包，散之則萬機齊亨。其用事也如酌醴以投器，其應物也如懸鏡以鑑形。於是乎變之為萬象，化之為萬生，通之為陰陽，虛之為神明。所以運帝王之籌策，代天地之權衡，則仲尼其人也。

There are Confucians who discuss the Way of the five constants: they divide it into five matters, assign them to the five phases, spread them into five colors, transform them into five sounds, view them below as the five peaks and above as the five stars, make them in things into five metals, in kinds into five spirits, match them as five flavors, and stir them as five emotions. Those who listen are like gnats roaming the great void or like frogs in a well floating on the vast ocean, unable to see the edge of the primal chaos or fathom the distance of the vast expanse. With the day waning and the road long, they all end up walking backward. They do not know that the Way of the five constants is one: forget the names and you obtain the principle, forget the principle and you obtain the feeling. Then nurture it with purity and stillness, let it settle in the dim and obscure, and let it blend with my spirit and breath and tally with my mind. It is like water poured into water, with no distinction of clear and murky; like fire cast into fire, with no gap in the brightness. This is called seizing the finest flower of the five phases and stealing the essence of the five constants. Gathered, it can be wrapped in a single mustard seed; spread out, ten thousand pivots all run smoothly. Used on affairs, it is like pouring sweet wine into a vessel; responding to things, it is like hanging a mirror to reflect forms. Thus it becomes the myriad phenomena, transforms into the myriad lives, passes through to become yin and yang, and in emptiness becomes spirit and brightness. So one who could carry the stratagems of emperors and kings and stand in for the balance of heaven and earth would be none other than Zhongni (Confucius).

天下賢愚，營營然若飛蛾之投夜燭，蒼蠅之觸曉窗。知往而不知返，知進而不知退。而但知避害而就利，不知聚利而就害。夫賢於人而不賢於身，何賢之謂也？博於物而不博於己，何博之謂也？是以大人利害俱忘，何往不臧？

The wise and the foolish of the world busily rush like moths flying at a night candle, like flies bumping at a morning window. They know to go forward but not to return, to advance but not to retreat. They know only to avoid harm and seek advantage, and do not know that gathering advantage is itself approaching harm. If one is worthier than others yet not worthy in oneself, what is the use of being called worthy? If one is learned about things yet not learned about oneself, what is the use of being called learned? So the great person forgets both advantage and harm; where would he fail to be good?

虎踞於林，蛇遊於澤，非鴟鳶之讎；鴟鳶從而號之，以其蓄異心之故也。牛牧于田，豕眠於圃，非烏鵲之馭；烏鵲從而乘之，以其無異心之故也。是故麟有利角，眾獸不伏；鳳有利觜，眾鳥不賓；君有奇智，天下不臣。善馳者終於蹶，善鬥者終於敗。有數則終，有智則窮。巧者為不巧者所使，詐者為不詐者所理。

Tigers crouching in the forest and snakes gliding in the marsh are not enemies of owls and kites; yet the owls and kites follow them screeching, because they harbor different hearts. Oxen grazing in the fields and pigs sleeping in the garden are not mounts for crows and magpies; yet the crows and magpies follow and ride them, because they harbor no different heart. So the unicorn has a sharp horn, but the beasts do not submit; the phoenix has a sharp beak, but the birds do not pay homage; a ruler has extraordinary cleverness, but the world does not become his subjects. One who is good at running will in the end stumble; one who is good at fighting will in the end be defeated. Those who have arts and calculations will come to an end; those who have cleverness and craft will be exhausted. The skillful are employed by the unskillful, and the deceitful are governed by the undeceitful.

天子作弓矢以威天下，天下盜弓矢以侮天子。君子作禮樂以防小人，小人盜禮樂以僭君子。有國者好聚斂，蓄粟帛、具甲兵以御賊盜，賊盜擅甲兵、踞粟帛以奪其國，或曰：“安危德也。”又曰：“興亡數也。”苟德可以恃，何必廣粟帛乎？苟數可以憑，何必廣甲兵乎？

The Son of Heaven makes bows and arrows to overawe the world, yet the world steals bows and arrows to insult the Son of Heaven. The gentleman makes rites and music to guard against petty people, yet petty people steal rites and music to usurp the gentleman. A ruler of a state likes to hoard, stocking up grain and silk and preparing armor and weapons to resist bandits, yet bandits make use of the armor and weapons and occupy the grain and silk to seize his state. Some say: “Safety and danger lie in virtue.” Others say: “Rise and fall lie in fate.” If virtue could be relied on, why store up so much grain and silk? If fate could be depended on, why prepare so much armor and weapons?

無所不能者，有大不能；無所不知者，有大不知，夫忘弓矢然後知射之道，忘策轡然後知馭之道，忘弦匏然後知樂之道，忘智慮然後知大人之道。是以天下之主，道德出於人；理國之主，仁義出於人；亡國之主，聰明出於人。

One who can do everything has a great inability; one who knows everything has a great ignorance. Only after forgetting bow and arrow does one know the Way of archery; only after forgetting whip and reins does one know the Way of driving; only after forgetting strings and gourd pipes does one know the Way of music; only after forgetting cleverness and deliberation does one know the Way of the great person. So the ruler of the world finds the Way and virtue coming from others; the ruler who governs a state finds benevolence and righteousness coming from others; the ruler who ruins a state finds sharp wits coming from others.

有國之禮，享郊廟，敬鬼神也；亹龜策占吉凶也。敬鬼神，信禍福之職也；占吉凶，信興亡之數也。柰何有大不信，窮民之力以為城郭，奪民之食以為儲蓄？是福可以力取，是禍可以力敵；是疑貳於鬼神，是欺惑於龜策，是不信於天下之人；斯道也，賞不足勸，罰不足懼，國不足守。

The rites of a state include offering sacrifices at the suburban altars and ancestral temples, which is revering ghosts and spirits, and laying out tortoise shells and divination stalks to ask about good and ill fortune. To revere ghosts and spirits is to believe in the portion of fortune and misfortune; to ask about auspicious and inauspicious omens is to believe in the fate of rise and fall. Yet how can there be such great disbelief: exhausting the people's strength to build city walls, taking the people's food to make stores? This is to think that fortune can be taken by force and misfortune can be fought off by force; it is to be doubtful toward ghosts and spirits, to deceive the tortoise shells and stalks, and to distrust the people of the world. By this way, rewards are not enough to encourage, punishments are not enough to frighten, and the state is not enough to defend.

黃雀之為物也，日遊於庭，日親於人而常畏人，而人常撓之。玄鳥之為物也，時遊於戶，時親於人而不畏人，而人不撓之，彼行促促，此行佯佯；彼鳴啾啾，此鳴鏘鏘；彼視矍矍，此視汪汪；彼心慼慼，此心堂堂。是故疑人者為人所疑，防人者為人所防。君子之道，仁與義、中與正，何憂何害！

The yellow sparrow is a creature that roams the courtyard every day and is close to people every day, yet it is always afraid of people, and people always disturb it. The swallow is a creature that sometimes roams the doors and sometimes is close to people yet is not afraid of people, and people do not disturb it. The one walks in hurried little steps, the other strolls leisurely; the one chirps shrilly, the other sings clearly; the one looks about nervously, the other gazes broadly; the one is anxious in heart, the other is open-hearted. So one who suspects others is suspected by others, and one who guards against others is guarded against by others. In the Way of the gentleman, there is benevolence and righteousness, the middle and the upright; what is there to worry about, what harm can there be!

籠中之猿，踴躍萬變不能出於籠；匣中之虎，狂怒萬變不能出於匣；小人之機，智慮萬變不能出於大人之道。夫大人之道，如地之負，如天之垂。無日不怨，無人不欺，怨不我怒，欺不我夷，然後萬物知其所歸。

The ape in a cage, though it leaps and varies ten thousand ways, cannot get out of the cage; the tiger in a box, though it rages and varies ten thousand ways, cannot get out of the box; the petty person's cleverness, though its schemes vary ten thousand ways, cannot get out of the Way of the great person. The Way of the great person is like the earth bearing and the heavens covering. There is no day without resentment and no person who does not deceive, yet resentment does not make me angry and deceit does not make me wounded; only then do the myriad things know where to go home.

仁義者常行之道，行之不得其術，以至於亡國。忠信者常用之道，用之不得其術，以至於獲罪。廉潔者常守之道，守之不得其術，以至於暴民。財辯者常御之道，御之不得其術，以至於罹禍。蓋拙在用於人，巧在用於身。使民親稼則怨，誡民輕食則怒。夫餌者魚之嗜，羶者蟻之慕，以餌投魚魚必以懼，以羶投蟻蟻必去，由不得化之道。

Benevolence and righteousness are constantly practiced Ways, but if practiced without the proper method, they can lead to the ruin of a state. Loyalty and trustworthiness are constantly used Ways, but if used without the proper method, they can lead to being found guilty. Incorruptibility is a constantly kept Way, but if kept without the proper method, it can lead to tyrannizing the people. Wealth and eloquence are constantly managed Ways, but if managed without the proper method, they can lead to disaster. Clumsiness lies in using others; skill lies in using oneself. If you make the people close to farming, the people resent it; if you warn the people to hold food lightly, the people are angry. Bait is what fish crave and rankness is what ants long for; throw bait to fish and the fish surely become frightened, throw rankness to ants and the ants surely leave, because the Way of transformation has not been grasped.

感父之慈，非孝也；喜君之寵，非忠也。感始於不感，喜始於不喜。多感必多怨，多喜必多怒。感喜在心，由物之有毒，由蓬之藏火，不可不慮。是以君子之業，爵之不貴，禮之不大，親之不知，疏之不疑，辱之不得，何感喜之有。

To be grateful for a father's kindness is not filial piety; to delight in a ruler's favor is not loyalty. Gratitude begins from having none; delight begins from having none. Much gratitude is sure to bring much resentment, and much delight is sure to bring much anger. Gratitude and delight in the heart are like poison in a thing or fire hidden in a bundle of weeds; one cannot but take heed. So in the work of the gentleman, to be given rank is not to be honored, to be given courtesy is not to be exalted; when drawn close he does not notice, when kept at a distance he does not doubt, and when insulted he does not receive it; what is there to be grateful or delighted about?

太醫之道，脈和而實者為君子，生之道也；撓而浮者為小人，死之道也。太卜之道，策平而慢者為君子，吉之道也；曲而利者為小人，兇之道也。以是論之，天下之理一也，是故觀其國，則知其臣；觀其臣，則知其君；觀其君，則知其興亡。臣可以擇君而仕，君可以擇臣而任。夫揖讓可作而躁靜不可作，衣冠可詐而形器不可詐，言語可文而聲音不可文。

In the Way of the Grand Physician, a pulse that is harmonious and full belongs to the gentleman and is the way of life; a pulse that is scratchy and floating belongs to the petty person and is the way of death. In the Way of the Grand Diviner, a stalk reading that is level and slow belongs to the gentleman and is the way of good fortune; one that is crooked and sharp belongs to the petty person and is the way of ill fortune. By this reasoning, the principle of the world is one. So look at his state and you know his ministers, look at his ministers and you know his ruler, look at his ruler and you know rise and fall. A minister can choose a ruler before taking office, and a ruler can choose ministers before employing them. Bowing and yielding can be feigned, but agitation and calm cannot be feigned; robes and caps can be fraudulent, but bodily form and vessel cannot be faked; words can be embellished, but voice cannot be embellished.

藏於人者謂之機，奇於人者謂之謀。殊不知道德之機，眾人所知；仁義之謀，眾人所無。是故有賞罰之教則邪道進，有親疏之分則小人入。夫棄金於市，盜不敢取；詢政於朝，讒不敢語，天下之至公也。

What is hidden in people is called a pivot, and what is more peculiar than people is called a scheme. They do not know that the pivot of the Way and virtue is known to all, while the scheme of benevolence and righteousness is lacking in the multitude. So where there is a teaching of rewards and punishments, the crooked path comes in; where there is a distinction of near and far, petty persons come in. If gold is thrown away in the marketplace, robbers dare not take it; if affairs of government are asked about in court, slanderers dare not speak. This is the utmost impartiality of the world.

畫者不敢易於圖象，苟易之，必有咎。刻者不敢侮於本偶，苟侮之，必貽禍。始製作於我，又要敬於我，又置禍於我。是故張機者用於機，設險者死於險，建功者辱於功，立法者罹於法。動一竅則百竅相會，舉一事則萬事有害，所以機貴乎明，險貴乎平，功貴乎無狀，法貴乎無象。能出刻畫者，可以名之為大象。

Painters dare not alter their images, for if they alter them they will surely suffer harm. Carvers dare not insult their wooden figures (the base text has a different character for “wooden,” which should read “wooden”), for if they insult them they will leave misfortune behind. At first the thing was made by me, yet now I must revere it, and misfortune is put upon me. So one who sets up mechanisms dies by mechanisms, one who sets up dangers dies by dangers, one who builds merit is disgraced by merit, and one who establishes laws is caught by laws. Move one aperture and a hundred apertures meet; take up one matter and ten thousand matters are harmed. So mechanisms prize clarity, dangers prize levelness, merit prizes having no shape, and law prizes having no trace. One who can go beyond carving and drawing may be called the Great Image.