Hua Shu (化書) · Volume 4

庚氏穴池，構竹為憑檻，登之者其聲“策策”焉。辛氏穴池，構木為憑檻，登之者其聲“堂堂”焉。二氏俱牧魚於池中，每憑檻投餌，魚必踴躍而出。他日但聞“策策”“堂堂”之聲，不投餌亦踴躍而出，則是庚氏之魚可名“策策”，辛氏之魚可名“堂堂”，食之化也。

Mr. Geng dug a pond and made a railing of bamboo; those who climbed up made a “ce-ce” sound. Mr. Xin dug a pond and made a railing of wood; those who climbed up made a “tang-tang” sound. Both families raised fish in their ponds, and every time they leaned on the railing and threw bait, the fish would surely leap up. Later, merely hearing the “ce-ce” and “tang-tang” sounds, the fish would leap up even without bait. So the fish of Mr. Geng could be called “ce-ce,” and the fish of Mr. Xin could be called “tang-tang.” This is the transformation of food.

瘡者人之痛，火者人之急，而民喻飢謂之瘡，比餓謂之火，蓋情有所切也。夫鮑魚與腐屍無異，鱁鮧與足垢無殊，而人常食之。飽猶若是，飢則可知。苟其飢也無所不食，苟其迫也無所不為。斯所以為興亡之機。

A sore is a person's pain and fire is a person's urgency. The people compare hunger to a sore and starvation to fire, because feeling presses urgently. Salted fish and rotting corpses are no different, and fish-gut sauce and foot dirt are no different, yet people constantly eat them. When full they are still like this, so when hungry one can imagine. If hungry they will eat anything, and if pressed they will do anything. This is the pivot of rise and fall.

人所以惡雀鼠者，謂其有（襄攴）竊之行；雀鼠所以疑人者，謂其懷盜賊之心。夫上以食而辱下，下以食而欺上，上下得不惡下，下不得不疑上，各有所切也。夫剜其肌、啖其肉，不得不哭；扼其喉、奪其哺，不得不怒。民之瘠也由剜其肌，民之餒也由奪其哺。嗚呼，惜哉！

The reason people hate sparrows and rats is that they say these have the practice of stealing (the base text has a variant character beside the word for “steal”); the reason sparrows and rats suspect people is that people harbor the hearts of thieves. Those above insult those below over food, and those below deceive those above over food; those above cannot but hate those below, and those below cannot but suspect those above, each having their own urgent need. To carve out his flesh and eat his meat, one cannot but cry; to seize his throat and take away his food, one cannot but be angry. The people are thin because their flesh is carved out, and the people are hungry because their food is taken away. Alas, how lamentable!

牛可使之駕，馬可使之負，犬可使之守，鷹可使之擊，蓋食之所感也。獼猴可使之舞，鸚鵡可使之語，鴟鳶可使之死鬥，螻蟻可使之合戰，蓋食有所教也。魚可使之吞鉤，虎可使之入陷，雁可使之觸綱，敵國可使之自援，蓋食有所利也，天地可使之交泰，神明可使之掖衛，高尚可使之屈折，夷狄可使之委伏，蓋食有所奉也。故自天子至於庶人，暨乎萬族，皆可以食而通之。我服布素則民自暖，我食葵藿則民自飽。善用其道者，可以肩無為之化。

Oxen can be made to pull carts, horses to carry loads, dogs to keep watch, and hawks to strike, because of what food stirs. Monkeys can be made to dance, parrots to speak, owls and kites to fight to the death, and ants to wage battle, because food teaches them. Fish can be made to swallow the hook, tigers to enter the pit, geese to touch the net, and enemy states to come to the rescue on their own, because food has its advantage. Heaven and earth can be made to commune, spirits can be made to guard, the lofty can be made to bend, and the barbarians can be made to submit, because food is offered. So from the Son of Heaven down to the common people, and to the myriad kinds, all can be connected through food. If I wear plain cloth the people will be warm of themselves, and if I eat mallow and bean leaves the people will be full of themselves. One who is good at using this Way can bear the transformation of non-action.

獵食者母，分乳者子。全生者子，觸綱者母。母不知子之所累，子不知母之所苦。王者衣纓之費、盤餚之直，歲不過乎百萬，而封人之土地，與人之富貴，百萬之百萬。如咂王之肌，如飲王之血。樂在於下，怨在於上，利歸於眾，咎歸於王。夫不自貴，天下安敢貴；不自富，天下安敢富？

The one who hunts for food is the mother, and the one who shares the milk is the child. The one who preserves life is the child, and the one who touches the net is the mother. The mother does not know she is burdened by the child, and the child does not know what troubles the mother. The cost of the king's robes and cap-strings and the price of his platters of food amount to no more than a million in a year, yet the lands given to others and the wealth and honor given to others are a million millions. It is like sipping the king's flesh and drinking the king's blood. The joy is below and the resentment is above; the profit goes to the multitude and the blame goes to the ruler. If he himself is not honored, how would the world dare to be honored; if he himself is not rich, how would the world dare to be rich?

有智者憫鴟鳶之擊腐鼠，嗟螻蟻之駕斃蟲，謂其為蟲不若為人。殊不知當歉歲則爭臭斃之屍，值嚴圍則食父子之肉。斯豺狼之所不忍為，而人為之，則其為人不若為蟲。是知君無食必不仁，臣無食必不義，士無食必不禮，民無食必不智，萬類無食必不信。是以食為五常之本，五常為食之末。苟王者能均其衣，能讓其食，則黔黎相悅，仁之至也；父子相愛，義之至也；飢飽相讓，禮之至也；進退相得，智之至也；許諾相從，信之至也。教之善也在於食，教之不善也在於食。其物甚卑，其用甚尊；其名尤細，其化尤大。是謂無價之寶。

The wise take pity on owls and kites that strike at rotting rats, and sigh at ants carrying dead insects, saying it is better to be human than an insect. They do not know that in a famine people fight over rotting corpses, and in a harsh siege they eat the flesh of fathers and sons. This is what even jackals and wolves cannot bear to do, yet people do it, so it is not better to be a human than an insect. From this we know that a ruler without food is surely not benevolent, a minister without food is surely not righteous, a scholar without food is surely not ritually proper, the people without food are surely not wise, and the myriad kinds without food are surely not trustworthy. So food is the root of the five constants, and the five constants are the tip of food. If the king can equalize clothing and give way on food, then the common people rejoicing in each other is the utmost of benevolence; father and son loving each other is the utmost of righteousness; hunger and fullness yielding to each other is the utmost of ritual; advance and retreat suiting each other is the utmost of wisdom; promises being followed is the utmost of trustworthiness. The goodness of teaching lies in food, and the badness of teaching also lies in food. This thing is very lowly, yet its use is very honored; its name is very small, yet its transformation is very great. This is called the priceless treasure.

夫水火，常用之物，用之不得其道，以至於敗家，蓋失於不簡也。飲饌，常食之物，食之不得其道，以至於亡身，蓋失於不節也。夫禮失於奢，樂失於淫。奢淫若水，去不復返，議欲救之，莫過乎儉。儉者，均食之道也。食均則仁義生，仁義生則禮樂序，禮樂序則民不怨，民不怨則神不怒，太平之業也。

Water and fire are commonly used things, but if used without the proper Way, they can ruin a household, because the fault lies in lack of simplicity. Drink and food are commonly eaten things, but if eaten without the proper Way, they can destroy the body, because the fault lies in lack of moderation. Ritual fails in extravagance and music fails in excess. Extravagance and excess are like water that goes and does not return; if one is to discuss rescue, nothing surpasses frugality. Frugality is the Way of equalizing food. When food is equalized, benevolence and righteousness arise; when benevolence and righteousness arise, ritual and music are in order; when ritual and music are in order, the people do not resent; when the people do not resent, the spirits are not angry; this is the work of great peace.

服絺綌者不寒，而衣之布帛愈寒；食藜藿者不飢，而飯之黍稷愈飢。是故我之情也，不可不慮；民之心也，不可不防。凡民之心，見負石者則樂於負塗，見負塗者則樂於負芻。飢寒無實狀，輕重無必然，皆豐儉相形，彼我相平，我心重則民心重，我負輕則民負輕。能至於儉者，可以與民為權衡。

One who wears fine and coarse kudzu cloth does not feel the cold, but give him cloth and silk and he feels colder still; one who eats goosefoot and bean leaves does not feel hunger, but give him millet and he feels hungrier still. So my feelings cannot but be considered, and the people's hearts cannot but be guarded against. The heart of the people, seeing one carrying stones, is glad to carry mud, and seeing one carrying mud, is glad to carry grass. Hunger and cold have no real form, and the light and heavy have no fixed standard; they all come from comparing abundance and frugality and balancing self and other. If my heart is heavy, the people's hearts are heavy; if my burden is light, the people's burden is light. One who reaches frugality can serve the people as a balance.

禮貴於盛，儉貴於不盛；禮貴於備，儉貴於不備；禮貴於簪紱，儉貴於布素；禮貴於炳煥，儉貴於寂寞。富而之愈不樂，貴而貴之愈不美，賞而賞之愈不足，愛而愛之愈不敬。金玉者，富之常；官爵者，貴之常。渴飲則甘，飢食則香。夫惟儉，所以能知非常。

Ritual prizes abundance, but frugality prizes not being abundant; ritual prizes completeness, but frugality prizes not being complete; ritual prizes hairpins and sashes, but frugality prizes plain cloth; ritual prizes splendor, but frugality prizes quiet. Having become rich and still seeking riches, one is less happy; having become honored and still seeking honor, one is less content; being rewarded and rewarded again, one is never satisfied; being loved and loved again, one is less respectful. Gold and jade are the usual state of wealth, and office and rank are the usual state of honor. When thirsty, drinking is sweet; when hungry, eating is delicious. Only through frugality can one know what is out of the ordinary.

觀食象者食牛不足，觀戴冕者戴冠不足。不足有所自，不廉有所始。是知王好奢則臣不足，臣好奢則士不足，士好奢則民不足，民好奢則天下不足。夫天下之物十之，王好一，民亦一；王好五，民亦五；王好十，民亦十。以十論之，則是十家為一家，十國為一國，十天下為一天下，何不弊之有！

One who has seen people eat elephant finds eating ox not enough; one who has seen people wear the ceremonial crown finds wearing a cap not enough. Insufficiency has its source, and lack of integrity has its beginning. From this we know that when the king likes extravagance the ministers are not satisfied, when ministers like extravagance the scholars are not satisfied, when scholars like extravagance the people are not satisfied, and when the people like extravagance the world is not satisfied. Reckon the world's goods in tens: if the king likes one, the people also like one; if the king likes five, the people also like five; if the king likes ten, the people also like ten. Counting by tens, ten households become one household, ten states become one state, and ten worlds become one world; how could there be no harm!

其夫好飲酒者，其妻必貧。其子好臂鷹者，其家必困。剩養一僕，日飯三甌，歲計千甌。以一歲計之，可享千兵。王者歲率是享，則必告勞而聚怨，病在於增不在於損。王駕牛車，民驕於行；王居土陛，民恥於平。杜之於漸，化之於儉。所以見葛藟不足者，則樂然服布素之衣；見窳杯而食者，則欣然用陶匏之器，民之情也。

If the husband is fond of drinking, the wife will surely be poor. If the son is fond of keeping hunting hawks, the household will surely be in difficulty. Keep one more servant, at three bowls of rice a day, and that is a thousand bowls in a year. Reckoned over a year, that could support a thousand soldiers. If a king enjoys this every year, he will surely end up weary and full of accumulated resentment, and the trouble grows rather than lessens. When the king rides in an ox cart, the people take pride in going on foot; when the king lives on an earthen stair, the people are ashamed of level ground. Block it at the start, and transform it by frugality. So those who see people not even having enough coarse kudzu cloth gladly put on plain cotton, and those who see people eating from crude cups gladly use vessels of clay and gourd; this is the feeling of the people.

世有慳號者，人以為大辱，殊不知始得為純儉之道也。於己無所與，於民無所取。我耕我食，我蠶我衣。妻子不寒，婢僕不飢。人不怨之，神不罪之。故一人知儉則一家富，王者知儉則天下富。

In the world there are those called stingy, whom others think greatly disgraced, not knowing that they are only just beginning to find the way of pure frugality. They give nothing to themselves and take nothing from the people. I plow and I eat, I tend silkworms and I clothe myself. My wife is not cold, and my maids and servants are not hungry. People do not resent him, and the spirits do not blame him. So when one person knows frugality, one household is rich; when a king knows frugality, the whole world is rich.

君之於民，異名而同愛。君樂馳騁，民亦樂之；君喜聲色，民亦喜之；君好珠玉，民亦好之；君嗜滋味，民亦嗜之。其名則異，其愛則同。所以服布素者，愛士之簪組；服士之簪組者，愛公卿之劍佩；服公卿之劍佩者，愛王者之旒冕，是故王者居兆民所愛之地，不得不慮也。況金根玉輅奪其貨，高臺崇榭奪其力，是賈民之怨，是教民之愛。所以積薪聚米，一歲之計，而易金換玉，一日之費，不得不困，不得不儉。

Toward the people, the ruler differs in name but loves the same things. If the ruler delights in galloping about, the people delight in it too; if the ruler is fond of music and women, so are the people; if the ruler likes pearls and jade, so do the people; if the ruler craves rich flavors, so do the people. The names differ, but the loves are the same. So one who wears plain cloth loves the hairpin and sash of the scholar, one who wears the scholar’s hairpin and sash loves the sword and pendants of the high ministers, and one who wears the high minister’s sword and pendants loves the beaded crown of the king. Therefore a king, standing on the ground that the myriad people love, cannot but take care. How much more so when golden carriages and jade chariots take away their goods, and high terraces and lofty pavilions take away their labor; this is buying the people’s resentment, this is teaching the people to covet. So stacked firewood and gathered rice are a year’s livelihood, but converted into gold and jade they are a single day’s expense, and one cannot but be in want, and cannot but be frugal.

乳童拱手，誰敢戲之，豈在乎黼黻也。牧豎折腰，誰敢背之，豈在乎刑政也。有賓主之敬，則雞黍可以為大享，豈在乎簫韶也。有柔淑之態，則荊苧可以行婦道，豈在乎組繡也。而王者之制，設溝隍以御之，陳棨戟以衛之，蓄粟帛以養之，張欄檻以遠之。蓋有機於民，不得不藏；有私於己，不得不防。夫能張儉之機，民自不欺；用儉之私，我自不疑。夫儉者，可以為大人之師。

When a nursing child folds its hands, who would dare to tease him; does it depend on embroidered robes? When a herd boy bows at the waist, who would dare to defy him; does it depend on punishments and government? Where there is the respect of host and guest, even chicken and millet can serve as a great feast; does it depend on the music of pipes and the Shao? Where there is a gentle and good manner, even thorn-pins and ramie cloth can carry out the way of a wife; does it depend on ribbons and embroidery? Yet the rulers’ institutions set up moats and ditches to defend, display ceremonial halberds to guard, store grain and silk to feed themselves, and put up railings to keep others far away. Because one has scheming toward the people, one cannot but hide things; because one has private interests toward oneself, one cannot but guard against others. One who can open the mechanism of frugality will find that the people naturally do not deceive; one who uses the private interest of frugality will find that he naturally does not suspect. Frugality can be the teacher of great persons.

儉於聽可以養虛，儉於視可以養神，儉於言可以養氣，儉於私可以獲富，儉於公可以保貴，儉於門闥可以無盜賊，儉於環衛可以無叛亂，儉於職官可以無奸佞，儉於嬪嬙可以保壽命，儉於心可以出生死。是知儉可以為萬化之柄。

Frugality in listening can nourish emptiness, frugality in looking can nourish the spirit, frugality in speaking can nourish qi, frugality in private spending can bring wealth, frugality in public spending can preserve rank, frugality at gates and doors can mean no thieves, frugality in the guards can mean no rebellion, frugality in official posts can mean no flatterers and traitors, frugality among the palace ladies can preserve life, and frugality in the heart can lead one out of life and death. From this we know that frugality can be the handle of the myriad transformations.

王者皆知御一可以治天下也，而不知孰謂之一。夫萬道皆有一：仁亦有一，義亦有一，禮亦有一，智亦有一，信亦有一。一能貫五，五能宗一。能得一者，天下可以治。其道蓋簡而出自簡之，其言非玄而人自玄之。是故終迷其要，竟惑其妙。所以議守一之道，莫過乎儉；儉之所律，則仁不蕩，義不亂，禮不奢，智不變，信不惑。故心有所主，而用有所本，用有所本而民有所賴。

Kings all know that holding to “the One” can govern the world, but do not know what the One is. Every way has one: benevolence has one, righteousness has one, ritual has one, wisdom has one, good faith has one. The One can run through the five, and the five can look up to the One. One who can attain the One can govern the world. This Way is originally simple, but people make it complicated themselves; these words are not mysterious, people make them mysterious themselves. So in the end they lose the essential and even doubt its wonder. Therefore in discussing the Way of holding to the One, nothing surpasses frugality. What frugality binds is this: benevolence does not run wild, righteousness does not become disordered, ritual does not become extravagant, wisdom does not shift, good faith is not confused. So the heart has what it is anchored to, and use has what it is rooted in; when use has a root, the people have something to rely on.

君儉則臣知足，臣儉則士知足，士儉則民知足，民儉則天下知足。天下知足，所以無貪財，無競名，無奸蠹，無欺罔，無矯佞。是故禮義自生，刑政自寧，溝壘自平，甲兵自停，遊蕩自耕，所以三皇之化行。

When the ruler is frugal, the ministers know contentment; when the ministers are frugal, the scholars know contentment; when the scholars are frugal, the people know contentment; when the people are frugal, the whole world knows contentment. When the world knows contentment, it does not covet wealth or contend for fame, and there are no crooks and parasites, no deceit, no flattery and falsehood. So ritual and righteousness arise of themselves, punishments and government are at peace of themselves, ditches and ramparts fill in of themselves, armor and weapons come to rest of themselves, and wanderers go off to farm of themselves; the transformation of the Three Sovereigns is thereby carried out.

奢者三歲之計，一歲之用；儉者一歲之計，三歲之用。至奢者猶不及，至儉者尚有餘。奢者富不足，儉者貧有餘。奢者心常貧，儉者心常富。奢者好親人，所以多過，儉者能遠人，所以寡禍。奢者事君必有所辱，儉者事君必保其祿。奢者多憂，儉者多福，能終其儉者，可以為天下之牧。

The extravagant use up three years of livelihood in one year; the frugal have one year of livelihood that lasts three years. The most extravagant are still not satisfied; the most frugal still have a surplus. The extravagant, though rich, still lack; the frugal, though poor, still have enough. The extravagant are always poor at heart; the frugal are always rich at heart. The extravagant like to be close to people, and so have many faults; the frugal can keep people at a distance, and so have few misfortunes. The extravagant, serving a ruler, will surely suffer disgrace; the frugal, serving a ruler, will surely keep their salary. The extravagant have many worries; the frugal have much blessing. One who holds frugality to the end can be a governor of the world.

懸雕籠、事玉粒養黃雀，黃雀終不樂。垂禮樂、設賞罰教生民，生民終不泰。夫心不可安而自安之，道不可守而自守之，民不可化而自化之。所以儉於臺榭則民力有餘，儉於寶貨則民財有餘，儉於戰伐則民時有餘。不與之由與之也，不取之由取之也。海伯亡魚，不出於海；國君亡馬，不出於國。

Hang up a carved cage and feed the yellow bird with grains of jade, and the yellow bird will in the end not be happy. Lay down ritual and music and set up rewards and punishments to teach the people, and the people will in the end not be at peace. The heart cannot be forced to rest, yet it rests of itself; the Way cannot be forced to be kept, yet it keeps itself; the people cannot be forced to be transformed, yet they transform themselves. So when terraces and pavilions are frugal, the people have strength to spare; when treasures and goods are frugal, the people have wealth to spare; when war and conquest are frugal, the people have time to spare. Not giving is the same as giving, and not taking is the same as taking. The sea lord who loses his fish cannot go out to sea; the ruler of a state who loses his horses cannot go out of the state.

夫禮者，道出於君而君由不知，事出於職而職由不明。儒者棲山林，敬師友，窮理樂，講本末。暨乎見羽葆車輅之狀，鐘鼓簫韶之作，則矍然若鹿，怡然若豕；若醉於酒，若溺於水，莫知道之本，莫窮禮之旨。謂弓為弧，則民不知矣；謂馬為駟，則民莫信矣。所以數亂於多，不亂於少；禮惑於大，不惑於小。能師於儉者，可以得其要。

As for ritual, the Way comes out of the ruler and yet the ruler himself does not know it, and affairs come out of office and yet the official himself does not understand it. Confucians dwell in mountains and forests, reverently serve teachers and friends, probe to the bottom of principle and music, and discuss root and branch. But when they see the form of feather-canopied carriages and the performance of bells, drums, and the Shao music, they are startled like deer and pleased like pigs; they are like men drunk with wine or drowned in water, not knowing the root of the Way and not reaching the meaning of ritual. Call a bow a “hu” and the people do not know it; call a horse a “si” and the people do not believe it. So numbers become confused through being many and not through being few; ritual becomes bewildering through being grand and not through being small. One who can take frugality as his teacher can grasp the essential.

奢者好動，儉者好靜；奢者好難，儉者好易；奢者好繁，儉者好簡；奢者好逸樂，儉者好恬淡。有保一器畢生無璺者，有掛一裘十年不斃者。斯人也可以親百姓，可以司粟帛，可以掌符璽，可以即清靜之道。

The extravagant like action, the frugal like stillness; the extravagant like difficulty, the frugal like ease; the extravagant like complexity, the frugal like simplicity; the extravagant like ease and pleasure, the frugal like calm and plainness. There are those who keep a single vessel all their lives without a crack, and those whose single fur coat hangs ten years without spoiling. Such persons can be close to the common people, can be put in charge of grain and silk, can hold the tallies and seals, and can draw near the Way of quietude.

夫仁不儉，有不仁；義不儉，有不義；禮不儉，有非禮；智不儉，有無智；信不儉，有不信。所以知儉為五常之本，五常為儉之末。夫禮者，益之道也；儉者，損之道也。益者損之旨，損者益之理。禮過則淫，儉過則樸。自古及今，未有亡於儉者也。

When benevolence is not frugal, there is unbenevolence; when righteousness is not frugal, there is unrighteousness; when ritual is not frugal, there is what is contrary to ritual; when wisdom is not frugal, there is lack of wisdom; when good faith is not frugal, there is faithlessness. So we know that frugality is the root of the Five Constants, and the Five Constants are the twigs of frugality. Ritual is the way of increase, and frugality is the way of reduction. Increase is the aim of reduction, and reduction is the principle of increase. Ritual carried too far becomes excess, and frugality carried too far becomes simplicity. From ancient times to the present, no one has perished through frugality.

謙者人所尊，儉者人所寶。使之謙必不謙，使之儉必不儉。我謙則民自謙，我儉則民自儉。機在此不在彼，柄在君不在人。惡行之者惑，是故為之文。

Humility is what people honor, and frugality is what people treasure. If you tell people to be humble, they will surely not be humble; if you tell people to be frugal, they will surely not be frugal. If I am humble, the people become humble of themselves; if I am frugal, the people become frugal of themselves. The mechanism is here and not there, and the handle is with the ruler and not with the people. Those who dislike putting it into practice will be confused, and so I have written down these words.