Yin Fu Jing Jie (陰符經解) · Volume 1

陰符經解道家

Yinfu Jing Jie (Commentaries on the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman), recorded under the Daoist school (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription).

【臣】等謹案陰符經解一卷舊本題黃帝撰太公范蠡穀子張良諸葛亮李筌六家注崇文總目雲陰符經敘一卷不詳何代人敘集太公以後為陰符經注者凡六家並以惠光嗣等傳附之蓋即此書而佚其傳也晁公武讀書志引黃庭堅稱陰符糅雜兵家語又妄托子房孔明諸賢訓注則是書之注以此本為最古矣案隋書經籍志有太公陰符鈐錄一卷又周書陰符九卷皆不雲黃帝至唐李筌始稱於嵩山虎口巖得此書題曰魏道士防謙之傳諸名山而未曉其義後於驪山逢老母傳授微防其說怪誕不足信胡應麟筆叢乃謂蘇秦所讀即此書故書非偽而托於黃帝則李筌之偽考戰國策載蘇秦發篋得太公陰符具有明文又歷代史志皆以周書陰符入兵家而黃帝陰符入道家亦足為判然兩書之證應麟假借牽合殊為未至所云唐永徽初褚遂良嘗寫一百本者考文徵明停雲館帖所刻遂良小字陰符經卷末實有此文然遂良此帖自米芾書史寶章待訪錄宣和書譜俱不著錄諸家鑑藏亦從不及其名明之中葉忽出於徵明之家石刻之真偽尚不可定又烏可據以定書之真偽乎特以書雖晚出而深有理致故文士多為註釋今亦錄而存之耳注中別有稱尹曰者不知何人卷首有序一篇不署名氏亦不署年月中有洩天機者沈三劫語蓋粗野道流之鄙談無足深詰惟晁公武讀書志中所引筌注今不見於此本或傳寫有所竄亂又非筌之原本歟

[Your servants] respectfully note: Yinfu Jing Jie, one scroll, is attributed in the old edition to the Yellow Emperor, with commentaries by six authors: Taigong, Fan Li, Guiguzi, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang and Li Quan (the received text has a rare character for "gui" here, lost in transcription; it can be restored from the list of these six). The Chongwen Zongmu says there was a scroll titled Yinfu Jing Xu (Preface to the Yinfu Jing), whose author's dynasty is not known, which gathered the six commentators on the Yinfu Jing from Taigong onward and appended the biographies of Hui Guangsi and others; this is probably this book, only those biographies are lost. Chao Gongwu's Dushu Zhi cites Huang Tingjian as saying that the Yinfu has had military sayings mixed into it, and that it falsely relies on worthies such as Zhang Liang (Zifang) and Zhuge Liang (Kongming) for its glosses; so among the commentary editions of this text, this one is the oldest. Checking the Sui Shu Jingji Zhi, it lists Taigong Yinfu Qianlu in one scroll and also Zhou Shu Yinfu in nine scrolls, neither said to be by the Yellow Emperor. Only with Li Quan of the Tang did anyone claim to have found this book in the tiger's-mouth cave on Mount Song, labeled as passed on to the famous mountains by the Daoist Wei Fangqianzhi (in the received text the character "fang" is a miswriting of "kou", and the name should be Kou Qianzhi), yet he still did not understand its principle; later he met an old mother on Mount Li, who transmitted its subtle essentials to him. This account is strange and not to be trusted. Hu Yinglin's Bicong, however, says that what Su Qin read was this very book, so the book itself is not a forgery, and the attribution to the Yellow Emperor was Li Quan's fabrication. Checking the Zhanguo Ce, it records that Su Qin opened his book chest and obtained Taigong's Yinfu, in plain words; moreover, the bibliographic treatises of successive dynasties place Zhou Shu Yinfu under the military school and the Yellow Emperor's Yinfu under the Daoist school, which is enough to show that these are two distinct books. Yinglin's borrowing and forced linking here is truly not (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription). As for the claim that Chu Suiliang copied it a hundred times in the early Yonghui era, the small-script Yinfu Jing by Chu Suiliang engraved in Wen Zhengming's Tingyun Guan calligraphy collection does have this passage at the end of the scroll; but this piece by Chu Suiliang is recorded in none of Mi Fu's Shu Shi, Baozhang Daifang Lu or Xuanhe Shupu, and no collector ever mentioned its name; in the middle Ming it suddenly emerged from Wen Zhengming's house, and since even the authenticity of the stone engraving cannot be settled, how can it be used to judge the book's authenticity? It is only because this book, though late in appearing, has deep principle that literati have written many commentaries on it, and it is now included and preserved. Among the commentary there are also notes marked "Yin says", of whom nothing is known. At the head of the volume there is a preface, unsigned and undated, containing such words as "he who leaks the heavenly secret sinks for three kalpas", probably the vulgar talk of coarse Daoists, not worth looking into. Only the Li Quan commentary cited in Chao Gongwu's Dushu Zhi cannot be seen in this edition; perhaps there was some tampering in transmission, and it is no longer Li Quan's original.

陰符經考異道家

Yinfu Jing Kaoyi (Textual Variants of the Yinfu Jing), recorded under the Daoist school (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription).

【臣】等謹案陰符經考異一卷宋朱子撰黃庭堅以陰符經出唐李筌朱子語錄亦以為然然以其時有精語非深於道者不能作故為考定其文中自人以愚虞聖而下一百十四字皆為經文蓋用褚氏張氏二注本也語錄載閭邱次孟論陰符經自然之道靜數語雖六經之言無以加朱子謂閭邱此等見處盡得而楊道夫以為陰符經無此語蓋道夫所見乃世傳驪山老母注本以我以時物文理哲為書之末句故疑其語不見於本經也書中有黃瑞節附錄徵引亦頗賅備考吉安府志瑞節字觀樂安福人舉鄉試授泰和州學正元季棄官居嘗輯太極圖通書西銘易學啟蒙家禮律呂精義皇極經世諸書並加釋註名曰朱子成書此及參同契蓋亦其中之二種志蓋以其學涉道家故諱而不載雲乾隆四十六年十月恭校上

[Your servants] respectfully note: Yinfu Jing Kaoyi, one scroll, by Zhu Xi of the Song. Huang Tingjian held that the Yinfu Jing came from Li Quan of the Tang, and Zhu Xi's Yulu also says so; but because it contains from time to time sharp remarks that no one not deeply versed in the Dao could write, he fixed its text. In the text, the one hundred and fourteen characters from the line beginning "people use foolishness to deceive the sage" onward are all counted as scripture, probably following the two commentary editions of Chu and Zhang. The Yulu records Lüqiu Cimeng discussing those lines in the Yinfu Jing such as "the Way of nature is stillness", saying that even the words of the Six Classics cannot surpass them; Zhu Xi thought that the insights of Lüqiu in such places were all correct, while Yang Daofu held that the Yinfu Jing has no such words. It turns out that what Daofu had seen was the commonly circulating commentary edition attributed to the Old Mother of Mount Li, which takes the line "I use the seasons, things, culture, principle and wisdom" as the last sentence of the book, and so he suspected that these words were not in the original scripture. The appendix by Huang Ruijie in the book is also fairly comprehensive in its citations. Checking the Ji'an Fuzhi, Ruijie, courtesy name Guanle, was a native of Anfu, passed the provincial examination, was appointed Instructor of the Taihe Department school, and at the end of the Yuan abandoned office and (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) lived in retirement; he compiled and annotated the Taiji Tu, Tongshu, Ximing, Yixue Qimeng, Jiali, Lülü Jingyi and Huangji Jingshi, calling the collection Zhuzi Chengshu; this Kaoyi and the Cantong Qi are probably two more of its parts. The Fuzhi probably omitted him because his learning touched on the Daoists. Respectfully collated and submitted in the tenth month of the forty-sixth year of Qianlong.

陰符經解

Yinfu Jing Jie (Commentaries on the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman)

所謂命者性也性能命通故聖人尊之以天命愚其人而智其聖故曰天機張而不死地機弛而不生觀乎陰符造化在乎手生死在乎人故聖人藏之於心所以陶甄天地聚散天下而不見其跡者天機也故黃帝得之以登天下湯武得之以王天下五霸得之以統諸侯夫臣易而主難不可以輕用太公九十非不遇蓋審其主焉若使哲士執而用之立石為主刻木為君亦可以享天下夫臣盡其心而主反怖有之不亦難乎嗚呼無賢君則義士自死而不仕莫若散志巖穴以養其命待生於泰階世人以夫子為不遇以秦儀為得時不然志在立宇宙安能馳心下走哉丈夫所恥嗚呼後世英哲審而用之范蠡重而長文種輕而亡豈不為洩天機天機洩者沈三劫宜然故聖人藏諸名山傳之同好之金匱恐小人而弄之

Destiny (ming) is nature (xing); when nature can penetrate to destiny, the sage honors this as the mandate of Heaven: letting those who should be foolish be foolish and those who should be wise be sages. Hence it is said: when the heavenly mechanism is drawn full there is no death, and when the earthly mechanism is slackened there is no life. Contemplate this Yinfu, and creation is in your hand, life and death are in a person himself. Therefore the sage keeps it hidden in his heart and uses it to mold and cast heaven and earth and to gather and scatter the world without any visible trace; that is the heavenly mechanism. Thus the Yellow Emperor obtained it and ruled all under heaven, Tang and Wu obtained it and became kings of the world, and the five hegemons obtained it and led the feudal lords. To be a minister is easy, to be a ruler is hard, and it must not be lightly used. Taigong did not take office until he was ninety, not because he failed to meet an opportunity, but because he was examining his lord. Suppose a wise man took this and used it: he could set up a stone as master and carve a piece of wood as ruler and still enjoy the world. When a minister has given his all, the ruler instead fears that he has this art; is that not also hard? Alas, without a worthy ruler, a righteous man would rather die than take office, better to scatter his will among the caves to nourish his nature, and wait for an age when the Grand Terrace is at peace to come out and live once more. People of the world think Confucius did not meet his time and that Su Qin and Zhang Yi had theirs, but this is not so: his aim was to establish the cosmos, so how could he gallop his heart about running to the doors of the powerful? That is what a great man is ashamed of. Alas, later heroes and sages must use it with care. Fan Li was steady and so preserved himself long, Wen Zhong was careless and so perished; was it not because the heavenly secret was leaked? That one who leaks the heavenly secret sinks through three kalpas is only right. Therefore the sage kept it in famous mountains and passed it to those of like mind, (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) it in the golden casket, fearing that petty people would (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) and toy with it.

觀天之道執天之行盡矣故天有五賊見之者昌太公曰其一賊命其次賊物其次賊時其次賊功其次賊神賊命以一消天下用之以味賊物以一急天下用之以利賊時以一信天下用之以反賊功以一恩天下用之以怨賊神以一驗天下用之以小大穀子曰天之五賊莫若賊神此大而彼小以小而取大天地莫之能神而況於人乎筌曰黃帝得賊命之機白日上升殷周得賊神之驗以小滅大管仲得賊時之信九合諸侯范蠡得賊物之急而霸南越張良得賊功之恩而敗強楚

Observe the Way of Heaven (Laozi uses this word to refer to the origin of all things and the manner of their movement, which itself cannot be named), hold fast to the movement of Heaven, and that is all. Therefore Heaven has five thieves, and whoever can see them will flourish. Taigong said: the first is the thief of destiny, then the thief of things, then the thief of time, then the thief of merit, then the thief of spirit. The thief of destiny uses "one" to dissolve the world, applied to flavors; the thief of things uses "one" to press the world, applied to profit; the thief of time uses "one" to win the world's trust, applied to reversal; the thief of merit uses "one" to bestow favor on the world, applied to resentment; the thief of spirit uses "one" to produce effects in the world, applied between the small and the great. (The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) Guzi said: of Heaven's five thieves, none compares with the thief of spirit; this is large and that is small, and using the small to take the great, even heaven and earth cannot show their supernatural power, let alone people. Li Quan said: the Yellow Emperor obtained the key of the thief of destiny and ascended in broad daylight; Yin and Zhou obtained the effect of the thief of spirit and used the small to destroy the great; Guan Zhong obtained the proof of the thief of time and assembled the feudal lords nine times; Fan Li obtained the urgency of the thief of things and became hegemon of southern Yue; Zhang Liang obtained the favor of the thief of merit and defeated mighty Chu.

五賊在心施行於天宇宙在乎手萬化生乎身

The five thieves are in the heart and are carried out in Heaven; the cosmos is in the hand, and the ten thousand transformations arise from oneself.

太公曰聖人謂之五賊天下謂之五德人食五味而生食五味而死無有怨而棄之者也心之所味也亦然穀子曰賊命可以長生不死黃帝以少女精炁感之時物亦然且經冬之草覆之而不死露之即見傷草木植性尚猶如此況人萬物之靈其機則少女以時廣成子曰以為積火焚五毒五毒即五味五味儘可以長生也筌曰人因五味而生五味而死五味各有所主順之則相生逆之則相勝久之則積炁薫蒸人腐五臟殆至滅亡後人所以不能終其天年者以其生生之厚矣是以至道淡然胎息無味神仙之術百數其要在抱一守中少女之術百數其要在還精采炁金丹之術百數其要在神水華池治國之術百數其要在清淨自化用兵之術百數其要在奇正權謀此五事者卷之藏於心於神施之彌於天給於地宇宙瞬息可在人之手萬物榮枯可生人之身黃帝得之先固三宮後治萬國鼎成而馭龍上升於天也

Taigong said: the sage calls them the five thieves, and the world calls them the five virtues. People live by eating the five flavors and also die by eating the five flavors, yet no one resents them and casts them away; what the heart savors is also like this. (The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) Guzi said: the thief of destiny can bring long life without death. The Yellow Emperor used the vital essence of a young girl to respond to it, that is the qi (an old form of the character qi, meaning the flowing stuff that makes up and runs through all things); seasons and things are also like this. Moreover, grass that passes the winter will not die if covered, and will be injured if left bare. If even the planted nature of grass and trees is like this, how much more people, the most spiritual of all things. The key lies in the young girl acting in due season. Guangchengzi said: use stored fire to burn the five poisons; the five poisons are the five flavors, and when the five flavors are exhausted one can live long. Li Quan said: people live by the five flavors and also die by the five flavors. Each of the five flavors has its governing organ; following it, they produce each other, going against it, they overcome each other; over time the stored qi steams and corrodes a person's five viscera until he nearly perishes. The reason later people cannot live out their natural years is that they nourish life too richly. Therefore the supreme Dao is bland, with embryonic breathing and no flavor. There are a hundred arts of the immortals, but the essential is to embrace the One and hold to the center; there are a hundred arts of the young girl, but the essential is to return the essence and gather the qi; there are a hundred arts of the golden elixir, but the essential is in the divine water and the flower pond (the terms used in this text such as golden elixir, divine water and flower pond, lead and mercury, dragon and tiger, tripod and furnace are all names borrowed by the inner-alchemy schools from the drugs and vessels of outer alchemy, referring to the essence, qi and spirit within the body and the parts where they are refined and nourished, not to actual minerals or drugs); there are a hundred arts of governing a state, but the essential is purity and stillness with self-transformation; there are a hundred arts of warfare, but the essential is surprise and orthodoxy, expedient and stratagem. These five things, when gathered in, are hidden in the heart and (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) in the spirit; when spread out they fill the sky and supply the earth. The cosmos in an instant may be in a person's hand, and the flourishing and withering of all things may arise from a person's own body. The Yellow Emperor obtained this, first strengthened the three palaces, then governed ten thousand states, and when the tripod was completed, he rode a dragon up into heaven.

天性人也人心機也立天之道以定人也

Heavenly nature is the human, and the human heart is the mechanism. Establish the Way of Heaven in order to settle humankind.

亮曰以為立天定人其在於五賊

Zhuge Liang said: to establish the Way of Heaven and settle human affairs, the key lies in the five thieves.

天發殺機龍蛇起陸人發殺機天地反覆

When Heaven sets off the mechanism of killing, dragons and snakes rise from the land; when humans set off the mechanism of killing, heaven and earth are overturned.

範曰昔伊尹佐殷發天殺之機克夏之命盡而事應之故有東征西夷怨南征北狄怨太公曰不耕三年大旱不鑿十年地壞殺人過萬大風暴起亮曰按楚殺漢兵數萬大風杳冥晝晦有若天地反覆

Fan Li said: in the past Yi Yin assisted the Yin dynasty, set off Heaven's killing mechanism, and overcame the destiny of the Xia; the matter was borne out, hence the saying that when he campaigned east the western tribes resented it, and when he campaigned south the northern tribes resented it. Taigong said: if there is no plowing for three years there will be great drought; if there is no digging for ten years the land will be ruined; if over ten thousand people are killed, a great wind will arise. Zhuge Liang said: when the Chu army killed tens of thousands of Han soldiers, a great wind darkened the sky and the day was like night, as if heaven and earth had been overturned.

天人合發萬變定基

When Heaven and humans move together, the ten thousand transformations are given their foundation.

良曰從此一信而萬信生故為萬變定基矣筌曰大荒大亂兵水旱蝗是天殺機也虞舜陶甄夏禹拯骸殷系夏臺周囚羑里漢祖亭長魏武乞丐俱非王者之位乘天殺之機也起陸而帝君子在野小人在位權臣擅威百姓思亂人殺機也成湯放桀周武伐紂項籍斬嬴嬰魏廢劉協是乘人殺之機也覆貴為賤反賤為貴有若天地反覆天人之機合發成敗之理宜然萬變千化聖人因之而定基業也

Zhang Liang said: from this one trust arise ten thousand trusts, hence the ten thousand changes are given their foundation. Li Quan said: great famine and great disorder, war, flood, drought and locusts are the killing mechanism of Heaven. Shun once made his living by pottery, Yu of Xia once rescued corpses, Tang of Yin was confined at Xiatai, King Wen of Zhou was imprisoned at Youli, Gaozu of Han was once a village head, and Emperor Wu of Wei once begged for food; none was handed the position of a king, but each rose from the land and became emperor by riding Heaven's killing mechanism. A gentleman in the wilds and a petty man in office, a powerful minister monopolizing authority, and the people wanting to rebel: this is the human killing mechanism. Tang banished Jie, Wu of Zhou attacked Zhou the tyrant, Xiang Ji killed Ying Ying, and Cao Wei deposed Liu Xie: these were riding the human killing mechanism. The noble turn to base and the base turn to noble, as if heaven and earth had been overturned. When the mechanisms of Heaven and humans move together, the principle of success and failure is as it should be; amid the ten thousand changes and thousand transformations, the sage follows it to lay down his foundation.

性有巧拙可以伏藏

Nature has the skillful and the clumsy, and both can be kept hidden.

良曰聖人見其巧拙彼此不利者其計在心彼此利者聖哲英雄道焉況用兵之務哉筌曰中欲不出謂之啟外邪不入謂之閉內啟是其機也難知如陰不動如山巧拙之性使人無間而得窺也

Zhang Liang said: when the sage sees that both the skillful and the clumsy sides are harmful to each other, he keeps his plan hidden in his heart; when both are beneficial to each other, sages and heroes then speak of it, let alone in matters of warfare! Li Quan said: when the desires inside do not go out, it is called opening; when the evil qi outside does not come in, it is called closing. When the inside is opened, that is the mechanism; hard to know like the yin, unmoving like a mountain. The nature of skill and clumsiness leaves people no crack through which to peek.

九竅之邪在乎三要可以動靜

The perversity of the nine orifices lies in the three essentials; they can move and they can be still.

太公曰三要者耳目口也耳可鑿而塞目可穿而口可利而訥興師動眾萬夫莫議其奇在三者或可動或可靜之筌曰兩葉掩目不見泰山豆塞耳不聞雷霆一椒掠舌不能立言九竅皆邪不足以察機變其在三者神心志也機動未朕神以隨之機兆將成心以圖之機發事行志以斷之其機動也與陽同其波五嶽不能鎮其隅四瀆不能界其維其機靜也與陰同其德智士不能運其榮深聞不能竅其謀天地不能奪其時而況於人乎

Taigong said: the three essentials are the ears, the eyes and the mouth. The ear can be bored open or stopped up; the eye can be pierced through or (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription); the mouth can be sharp or halting. When an army is raised and the multitude set in motion, ten thousand people cannot assess its marvelous stratagems; the key lies in these three, sometimes moving, sometimes still. Li Quan said: two leaves covering the eyes, and one cannot see Mount Tai; (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) beans stopping the ears, and one cannot hear thunder; a single pepper rubbed on the tongue, and one cannot speak. When all nine orifices are perverse, one cannot discern the mechanism of change. The key lies in three things: spirit, heart and will. When the mechanism is still moving and its sign has not yet appeared, the spirit follows it; when the sign of the mechanism is about to form, the heart plans for it; when the mechanism moves and the matter is to be done, the will decides it. When the mechanism moves, it rides the same waves as yang, and the Five Peaks cannot hold down its corners, and the four great rivers cannot mark out its borders; when the mechanism is still, it shares the virtue of yin, and wise men cannot move its glory, and the deepest listeners cannot see through its schemes. Heaven and earth cannot take away its opportunity, let alone humans.

火生於木禍發必克奸生於國時動必潰知之修鏈謂之聖人

Fire is born from wood, and when calamity breaks out it must overcome and injure; treachery is born in the state, and when the moment moves it must collapse. One who knows this and cultivates it is called a sage. (The received text reads a variant character for "refine" here, a miswriting of the correct character.)

筌曰火生於木火發而木焚奸生於國奸成而國滅木中藏火火始於無形國中藏奸奸始於無象非至聖不能修身鏈行使奸火之不發夫國有無軍之兵無災之禍矣以箕子逃而縛裘牧商容囚而蹇叔哭中篇

Li Quan said: fire is born in wood, and when the fire breaks out the wood is burned; treachery is born in the state, and when the treachery is complete the state perishes. Fire is hidden in wood, and at its beginning fire has no form; treachery is hidden in the state, and at its beginning treachery has no image. Only a supreme sage can cultivate himself and refine his conduct (again a miswritten variant for "refine" in the received text) so that treachery and fire do not break out. A state has soldiers who do not carry troops, and calamities that show no sign of disaster. As for the sentence about Jizi fleeing and Fu Qiu Mu being bound, and Shang Rong being imprisoned and Jian Shu weeping, the received text is corrupt and omitted so that it cannot be read through; the two final characters meaning "middle chapter" are the title of the next chapter wrongly joined to this one, and are copied here unchanged.

天生天殺道之理也

Heaven gives life and Heaven kills; this is the principle of the Dao.

良曰機出乎心如天之生如天之殺則生者自謂得其生死者自謂得其死

Zhang Liang said: when the mechanism is issued from the heart like Heaven's giving life and like Heaven's killing, those who live think they have received life, and those who die think they have received death.

天地萬物之盜萬物人之盜人萬物之盜三盜既宜三才既安

Heaven and earth are the thieves of the ten thousand things, the ten thousand things are the thieves of humans, and humans are the thieves of the ten thousand things. When the three thieves each get what is fitting, the three powers are all at peace.

穀子曰三盜者彼此不覺知但謂之神明此三者況車馬金帛棄之可以傾河填海移山覆地非命而動然後應之筌曰天地與萬物生成盜萬物以衰老萬物與人之服御盜人以驕奢人與萬物之上器盜萬物以毀敗皆自然而往三盜各得其宜三才遞安其任

(The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) Guzi said: the so-called three thieves do not perceive one another, and are only called the divine and bright. These three are like carriages, horses, gold and silk: if cast aside they could overturn rivers and fill seas, move mountains and upset the earth; only when one acts rashly where destiny does not so ordain will it be borne out. Li Quan said: Heaven and earth give birth to the ten thousand things, thereby stealing from the ten thousand things and making them age; the ten thousand things supply human use, thereby stealing from humans and making them arrogant and extravagant; humans, above the ten thousand things, use implements and so steal from the ten thousand things and make them ruined: all of it proceeds of itself. When the three thieves each get what is fitting, the three powers in turn rest in their own duties.

故曰食其時百骸理動其穖萬化安

Hence it is said: when food and drink come in due season, the hundred bones are in order; when movement meets its mechanism, the ten thousand transformations are settled. (The received text has a variant character here, which the common text writes as "mechanism".)

穀子曰不欲令後代人君廣斂珍寶委積金帛若能棄之雖傾河填海未足難也食者所以治百骸失其時而傷百骸動者所以安萬物失其機而傷萬物故曰時之至間不容瞬息先之則太過後之則不及是以賢者守時不肖者守命也

(The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) Guzi said: he did not want later rulers to gather treasures widely and pile up gold and silk; if they could cast these aside, even overturning rivers and filling seas would not be hard. Food is for putting the hundred bones in order, and if it misses its time it will harm the hundred bones; movement is for settling the ten thousand things, and if it misses its mechanism it will harm the ten thousand things. Hence it is said: in the gap when the moment arrives there is no room for even an instant or a breath; to get ahead is to overshoot, to fall behind is to fall short. Therefore the worthy hold to the time, and the unworthy hold to destiny.

人知其神之神不知不神之所以神也

People only know what makes the spiritual spiritual, and do not know what makes the not-spiritual spiritual.

筌曰人皆有聖人不貴聖人之愚既睹其聖又察其愚復睹其聖故書曰專用聰眀則事不成專用晦昧則事皆悖一明一晦眾之所載伊尹酒保太公屠牛管仲作革百里奚賣粥當衰亂之時人皆謂之不神及乎逄成湯遭文王遇齊桓值秦穆道濟生靈功格宇宙人皆謂之至神

Li Quan said: everyone has a sage side, yet people do not value the seemingly foolish side of the sage; one sees his sageness and also examines his foolishness, and only then sees his sageness. Hence a book says: if one uses only cleverness, nothing gets done; if one uses only obscurity, everything goes awry; with both brightness and obscurity, one is supported by the multitude. Yi Yin was a tavern keeper, Taigong a butcher of oxen, Guan Zhong a leatherworker, and Baili Xi a seller of gruel: in times of decline and disorder, everyone said they were not spiritual; but when they met Tang, King Wen, Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Mu of Qin, the Dao saved the people, their achievements surpassed the cosmos, and everyone again called them supremely spiritual.

日月有數大小有定聖功生焉神眀出焉

The sun and moon have fixed numbers, the great and small have fixed shares; sagely achievements arise from this, and divine illumination appears from this. (The received text writes the character for "illumination" in a variant form.)

穀子曰後代伏思之則明天地不足貴而況於人乎筌曰一歲三百六十五日日之有數月次十二以積閏大小余分有定皆稟精自有不為聖功神明而生聖功神明亦稟精自有不為日月而生是故成不貴乎天地敗不怨乎陰陽

(The received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) Guzi said: if later people think carefully, they will understand that even heaven and earth are not worth honoring, let alone people. Li Quan said: a year has three hundred and sixty-five days, and the days have a fixed number; the months number twelve, and with the accumulated intercalary months, the large and small remainders have fixed standards. All receive essence (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) and have it of themselves, and were not born for the sake of sagely achievement and divine illumination; sagely achievement and divine illumination also receive essence (the received text has a rare character here, lost in transcription) and have it of themselves, and were not born for the sake of the sun and moon. So success need not be credited to heaven and earth, and failure need not be blamed on yin and yang.

其盜機也天下莫能見莫能知君子得之固躬小人得之輕命

As for that thieving mechanism, no one under heaven can see it and no one can know it. A gentleman who gets it uses it to strengthen himself; a petty man who gets it instead makes light of his life.

諸亮曰夫子太公豈不賢於孫吳韓白所以君子小人異之四子之勇至於殺身固不得其主而見殺矣筌曰季主凌夷天下莫見凌夷之機而莫能知凌夷之源霸王開國之機而莫能知開國之機而莫能知開國之源君子得其機應天順人乃固其躬小人得其機煩兵黷武乃輕其命易曰君子見機而作不俟終日又曰知機其神乎機者易見而難知見近知遠

Zhu [the source text has a rare character here, lost in transcription] Liang said: Are Confucius and Taigong not more worthy than Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Bai Qi? This is where the gentleman and the petty man are told apart. The courage of those four men led to the loss of their lives; they were killed because they did not find a ruler worthy of them. Li Quan said: When the ruler of a final age declines, the world cannot see the pivot of that decline and cannot know its source; the pivot by which a hegemon founds a state likewise cannot be known at its source. (In the source text the phrase about the pivot of founding a state is repeated, probably a spurious duplication.) When a gentleman grasps this pivot, he accords with Heaven and conforms to the people, and so secures himself; when a petty man grasps this pivot, he exhausts the army in warfare and so makes light of life. The Book of Changes says: The gentleman sees the incipient sign and acts, without waiting for the day to end. It also says: To know the incipient sign, that is spiritual indeed! The pivot is easy to see but hard to truly know: only by seeing what is near can one infer what is far.

瞽者善聽聾者善視絕利一源用師十倍三反晝夜用師萬倍

The blind are good at hearing, and the deaf are good at seeing. Cutting off gain and harm and keeping to a single source, one can gain tenfold the effect in using troops; reflecting three times over day and night, one can gain ten-thousandfold the effect in using troops.

尹曰思之精所以盡其微良曰後代伏思之耳目之利絕其一源筌曰人之耳目皆分於心而竟於神心分則機不精神竟則機不微是以師曠燻目而聰耳離朱漆耳而明目任一源之利而反用師於心舉事發機十全成也退思三反經晝歷夜思而後行舉事發機萬全成也太公曰目動而心應之見可則行見否則止

Yin said: When thought is refined, one can exhaust its subtlety. Zhang Liang said: Later generations, think carefully: of the conveniences of ear and eye, one source must be cut off. Li Quan said: A person's ears and eyes branch out from the heart and compete in the spirit; once the heart is divided, the pivot is not refined, and once the spirit is competing, the pivot is not subtle. So Shi Kuang blinded his eyes with smoke and his hearing became keener, and Li Zhu had his ears sealed with lacquer and his sight became clearer; relying on the convenience of a single source, he even applied the use of the army to the heart, and in launching undertakings and setting the pivot in motion he was completely successful. Withdrawing to think, reflecting three times, passing through day and night, and acting only after thinking things clear, one is wholly successful in launching undertakings. Taigong said: When the eye moves, the heart responds: when you see that something can be done, do it; when you see that it cannot be done, stop.

心生於物死於物機在於目

The heart is born from things and also dies from things; the pivot lies in the eyes.

筌曰為天下機者莫近乎心目心能發目目能見機秦始皇東遊防稽項羽目見其機心生於物謂項梁曰彼可取而代之晉師畢至於淮淝苻堅目見其機心死於物謂苻融曰彼勍敵也胡為少耶則知生死之心在乎物成敗之機見於目焉

Li Quan said: As the pivot of the world, nothing is nearer than the heart and the eye. The heart can set the eye in motion, and the eye can see the pivot. When the First Emperor of Qin toured east to Kuaiji (the source text writes a wrong character for "Kuaiji"), Xiang Yu saw that pivot with his eyes, and his heart was born from this thing; he said to Xiang Liang: "That man can be taken and replaced." When the army of Jin arrived at the Huai and Fei rivers in full force, Fu Jian saw that pivot with his eyes, and his heart died from this thing; he said to Fu Rong: "Those are formidable enemies; how can you say they are few?" From this we can know that the heart of life and death lies in things, and the pivot of success and failure appears in the eyes.

天之無恩而大恩生迅雷烈風莫不蠢然

Heaven seems to have no kindness, yet great kindness arises from just this; when swift thunder and fierce wind are released, among the myriad things none fail to stir.

良曰熙熙哉太公曰誡懼致福筌曰天心無恩萬物有心歸恩於天老子曰天地不仁以萬物為芻狗聖人不仁以百姓為芻狗是以施而不求其報生而不有其功及至迅雷烈風威遠而懼邇萬物蠢然而懐懼天無威而懼萬物萬物有懼而歸威於天聖人行賞也無恩於有功行伐也無威於有罪故賞罰自立於上威恩自行於下也

Zhang Liang said: How joyful and harmonious! Taigong said: Being wary and fearful is what brings good fortune. Li Quan said: The heart of Heaven has no kindness, yet the myriad things have hearts, and they ascribe the kindness to Heaven. Laozi said: Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people as straw dogs. Therefore he gives without seeking return and brings things to life without possessing them. When it comes to swift thunder and fierce wind, their might spreads far while those near are afraid, and the myriad things stir with fear in their hearts. (The source text writes a variant form of the character for "hold in the heart".) Heaven has no might, yet it makes the myriad things afraid; the myriad things have fear, yet they ascribe the might to Heaven. When a sage grants rewards, he does not do the meritorious a private favor; when he carries out punishment, he does not display private might against the guilty. So rewards and punishments stand by themselves above, and might and kindness proceed by themselves below.

至樂性餘至靜性廉

When joy reaches its extreme, one's nature has surplus to spare; when stillness reaches its extreme, one's nature is clear and pure.

良曰夫機在於是也筌曰樂則奢餘靜則貞廉性餘則神濁性廉則神清神者智之泉神清則智明智者心之府智公則心平人莫鑑於流水而鑑於澄水以其清且平神清意平乃能形物之情夫聖人者不淫於至樂不安於至靜能棲神靜樂之間謂之守中如此勢利不能誘聲色不能蕩辯士不能說智者不能動勇者不能懼見禍於重關之外慮患於杳冥之內天且不違而況於兵之詭道者哉

Zhang Liang said: That pivot is right here. Li Quan said: Joy leads to extravagance and surplus, and stillness leads to firm integrity and purity. When nature has surplus, the spirit is turbid; when nature is pure, the spirit is clear. The spirit is the wellspring of wisdom; when the spirit is clear, wisdom is bright. Wisdom is the storehouse of the heart; when wisdom is impartial, the heart is level. A person cannot see his reflection in flowing water but can in still water, because it is clear and level. Only when the spirit is clear and the mind level can one distinguish the true state of things. The sage neither sinks into supreme joy nor settles in supreme stillness; he lets the spirit dwell between stillness and joy, and this is called keeping the center. Then power and profit cannot lure him, music and beauty cannot shake him, debaters cannot persuade him, the wise cannot move him, and the brave cannot frighten him. He can see disaster beyond many passes, and foresee trouble within the dark and distant. Heaven itself does not go against him; how much less the deceptive ways of the military strategists!

天之至私用之至公

Heaven seems utterly private, yet in its working it is utterly impartial.

尹曰治極微良曰其機善雖不令天下而行之天下所不能知天下所不能違筌曰天道曲成萬物而不遺椿菌鵬鴳鉅細修短各得其所至私也雲行雨施雷電霜雹生殺之均至公也聖人則天法地養萬民察勞苦至私也行正令施法象至公也孫武曰視卒如愛子可以俱死視卒如嬰兒可與之赴深溪愛而不能令譬若驕子是故令之以文齊之以武

Yin said: Governing must reach the finest detail. Zhang Liang said: That pivot is good; although it acts without issuing orders to the world, the world can neither know it nor oppose it. Li Quan said: The way of Heaven bends and winds to complete the myriad things without omission: the great chun tree and the morning mushroom, the great peng and the small quail, big and small, long and short, each finds its place; this is the utmost privateness. Clouds travel and rain falls, thunder, lightning, frost, and hail, life and killing are all evenhanded; this is the utmost impartiality. The sage imitates heaven and earth: nourishing the myriad people and understanding their toil is the utmost privateness; carrying out government orders and setting up models and symbols is the utmost impartiality. Sun Wu said: Look on your soldiers as beloved sons and they will die with you; look on them as infants and they will go with you into the deepest valleys. If you only love them but cannot command them, they are like spoiled children. So command them with civil measures and bring them to order with martial ones.

禽之制在炁

What binds birds and beasts lies in qi.

太公曰豈以小大而相制哉尹曰者天之機筌曰龜食蟒鸇隼擊鵠黃腰啖虎飛鼠防猿蜍蛭嚌魚狼犿齧鶴餘甘柔金河車服之無窮化玉雄黃變鐵有不灰之木浮水之石夫禽獸木石得其炁尚能以小制大況英雄得其而不能淨寰海而御宇宙也

Taigong said: How could they restrain one another merely by being small or large! Yin said: [the source text has a rare character here, lost in transcription] is the pivot of Heaven. Li Quan said: [the source text has a rare character here, lost in transcription] The tortoise can eat the python, the falcon can strike the swan, the yellow-waisted weasel can devour the tiger, the flying squirrel can guard against the ape, the leech can bite the fish, and the wolf-beast can gnaw the crane; the yugan fruit can soften gold, taking the river-chariot makes endless transformations, and jade-melting agents and realgar can transform iron; there are also woods that do not turn to ash and stones that float on water. Birds, beasts, trees, and stones, having obtained qi, can still use the small to control the large; how much more should heroes who have obtained [the source text has a rare character here, lost in transcription] be able to clear the seas and drive the universe!

生者死之根死者生之根恩生於害害生於恩

Life is the root of death, and death is the root of life; kindness is born from harm, and harm is born from kindness.

太公曰損己者物愛之厚己者物薄之筌曰謀生者必先死而後生習死者必先生而後死鶡冠子曰不死不生不斷不成孫武曰投之死地而後生致之亡地而後存吳起曰兵戰之場立屍之地必死則生幸生則死恩者害之源害者恩之源吳樹恩于越而害生周立害於殷而恩生死之與生也恩之與害相反糾纏也

Taigong said: One who diminishes himself is loved by outside things; one who treats himself generously is slighted by outside things. Li Quan said: One who seeks life must first be placed in the ground of death and then obtain life; one who is practiced in death must first live and then be able to die. Heguanzi said: Without dying one cannot live, and without cutting off one cannot complete. Sun Wu said: Cast them into the ground of death and afterward they live; put them in the ground of destruction and afterward they survive. Wu Qi said: The place of battle is a place of corpses; those resolved to die live, and those who hope by luck to live die. Kindness is the source of harm, and harm is the source of kindness. The King of Wu showed kindness to Yue and harm arose from it; Zhou established harm against Yin and kindness arose from it. Death and life, kindness and harm, are opposites and yet entangled with one another.

愚人以天地文理聖我以時物文理哲

The foolish take the patterns of heaven and earth to seek sagehood; I take the patterns of the seasons and things to seek wisdom.

太公曰觀鳥獸之時察萬物之變筌曰景星見黃龍下翔鳳至醴泉出嘉穀生河不滿溢海不揚波日月薄蝕五星失行四時相錯晝冥宵光山崩川涸冬雷夏霜愚人以此天地文理為理亂之機文思安安光被四表克明俊德以親九族六府三事無相奪倫百穀用成兆民用康昏主邪臣法令不一重賦苛政上下相懿戚貴臣驕奢淫縱酣酒嗜音峻宇雕牆百姓流亡思亂怨上我以此時物文理為理亂之機也

Taigong said: Observe the seasons of birds and beasts, and watch the changes of the myriad things. Li Quan said: The auspicious star appears, the yellow dragon descends, the soaring phoenix arrives, the sweet spring wells up, fine grain grows, the river does not overflow, and the sea raises no waves; or else the sun and moon are eclipsed, the five planets lose their course, the four seasons are in disorder, daylight turns dark and night turns bright, mountains collapse and rivers run dry, thunder sounds in winter and frost falls in summer: the foolish take these patterns of heaven and earth as the mechanism of order and disorder. But I take the following as the mechanism of order and disorder: a ruler whose writing and thought are calm and whose radiance covers the four directions, who is able to make bright his virtue and bring the nine kinds of kin into harmony, in whose reign the six treasuries and three affairs do not displace one another, so that the hundred grains ripen and the multitudes of people are at peace; or, on the other hand, a benighted ruler and wicked ministers, laws and orders that are inconsistent, heavy taxes and harsh government, high and low [the source text has a rare character here, lost in transcription] each other, royal relatives and noble ministers arrogant, extravagant, and licentious, steeped in wine and fond of music, with lofty halls and carved walls, the common people fleeing, longing for disorder and resenting their superiors. I take these patterns of the seasons and things as the mechanism of order and disorder.

人以愚虞聖我以不愚虞聖人以奇期聖我以不奇期聖

Others take foolishness to measure the sage; I take non-foolishness to measure the sage. Others take marvelous schemes to expect the sage; I take non-marvelousness to expect the sage.

筌曰賢哲之心深妙難測由巢之跡人或窺之至於應變無方自機轉而不窮之智人豈虞之以跡度心乃為愚者也

Li Quan said: The heart of a worthy and wise person is deep, subtle, and hard to fathom. The traces left by Xu You and Chao Fu, people may still glimpse; but as for responding to change without a fixed formula, and the inexhaustible wisdom of a pivot that turns by itself, how can people measure it? To measure the heart by its traces, that is truly foolish.

故曰瀋水入火自取滅亡

Therefore it is said: Throwing oneself into water or fire is merely seeking one's own destruction.