Jing Shen Xun (Essence and Spirit)

秦皇帝得天下，恐不能守，發邊戍，築長城，修關梁，設障塞，具傳車，置邊吏。然劉氏奪之，若轉閉錘。昔者武王伐紂，破之牧野，乃封比干之墓，表商容之閭，柴箕子之門，朝成湯之廟，發鉅橋之粟，散鹿臺之錢，破鼓折枹，馳弓絶絃，去舍露宿以示平易，解劍帶笏以示無仇。於此天下歌謠而樂之，諸侯執幣相朝，三十四世不奪。故老子曰：「善閉者，無關鍵而不可開也；善結者，無繩約而不可解也。」

After the Emperor of Qin gained the world, he feared he could not hold it, and so he raised border garrisons, built the Great Wall, fortified passes and bridges, set up barriers and fortresses, prepared post carriages, and set up border officials. Yet the Liu family took it as easily as turning a closed lock. In the past, when King Wu attacked Zhou and defeated him at Muye, he raised the tomb of Bi Gan, honored the village of Shang Rong, protected Jizi's gate with firewood, paid respects at the temple of Cheng Tang, opened the Juqiao granary, distributed the money from Lutai, broke the drums and snapped the drumsticks, loosened the bows and cut the strings, left his houses and slept in the open to show plainness, and untied his swords and carried the tablet to show he had no enemies. So the world sang and was joyful, the lords took silks and met one another in court, and for thirty-four generations the dynasty was not taken. So Laozi said: "One who is good at shutting needs no bolt or lock, yet cannot be opened; one who is good at tying needs no cord, yet cannot be untied."

尹需學禦，三年而無得焉。私自苦痛，常寢想之。中夜，夢受秋駕於師。明日往朝，師望之，謂之曰：「吾非愛道於子也，恐子不可予也。今日教子以秋駕。」尹需反走，北面再拜曰：「臣有天幸，今夕固夢受之。」故老子曰：「致虛極，守靜篤，萬物並作，吾以觀其復也。」

Yin Xu studied chariot driving and for three years did not get it. In private he suffered over it and thought of it constantly even in sleep. At midnight he dreamed that he received the autumn driving technique from his teacher. The next day he went to pay respects, and the teacher, looking at him, said: "It is not that I begrudge the Way and will not give it to you; I feared you could not be given it. Today I will teach you the autumn driving." Yin Xu withdrew, faced north and bowed twice, saying: "I have been fortunate in Heaven's favor; tonight I had already received it in a dream." So Laozi said: "Reach the utmost emptiness, hold to the fullness of stillness; the myriad things arise together, and I use this to observe their return."

昔孫叔敖三得令尹，無喜志；三去令尹，無憂色。延陵季子，呉人願一以為王而不肯；許由，讓天下而弗受；晏子與崔杼盟，臨死地不變其儀；此皆有所遠通也。精神通於死生，則物孰能惑之！荊有佽非，得寶劍於干隊，還反度江，至於中流，陽侯之波，兩蛟挾繞其船，佽非謂枻船者曰：「嘗有如此而得活者乎？」對曰：「未嘗見也。」於是佽非瞑目，勃然攘臂拔劍曰：「武士可以仁義之禮説也，不可劫而奪也。此江中之腐肉朽骨，棄劍而已。余有奚愛焉！」赴江刺蛟，遂斷其頭，船中人盡活。風波畢除，荊爵為執圭。孔子聞之，曰：「夫善哉！腐肉朽骨棄劍者，佽非之謂乎！」故老子曰：「夫唯無以生為者，是賢於貴生焉。」

Formerly Sunshu Ao three times obtained the post of chief minister without joy in his heart, and three times lost it without a look of sorrow. Jizi of Yanling, whom the people of Wu would have made king in a single day, refused; Xu You gave up the world and would not accept it; Master Yan swore a covenant with Cui Zhu and, close to death, did not change his expression; all these had a far-reaching understanding. When the spirit penetrates life and death, what can confuse it! In Jing there was Ci Fei, who obtained a precious sword at Gandui, and on returning crossed the river, and in the middle of the stream, the waves of the river god rose, and two flood dragons coiled around his boat. Ci Fei said to the boatman: "Has anyone ever survived something like this?" The reply was: "Never seen it." Ci Fei closed his eyes, suddenly rolled up his sleeves, drew his sword and said: "A warrior may be spoken to by the courtesies of benevolence and righteousness, but cannot be coerced and robbed. This rotten flesh and decaying bone in the river, I will just throw away the sword. What is there for me to begrudge!" He plunged into the river and stabbed the dragons, cutting off their heads, and all the people in the boat survived. The wind and waves were all gone, and Jing enfeoffed him as a holder of the jade tablet. Confucius heard of it and said: "Good! One who throws away his sword for rotten flesh and decaying bone: this is surely said of Ci Fei!" So Laozi said: "Only one who does not make life his business is worthier than one who values life."

齊人淳于髡以從説魏王，魏王辯之。約車十乘，將使荊，辭而行。人以為從未足也，復以衡説，其辭若然。魏王乃止其行而疎其身。失從心志，而又不能成衡之事。是其所以固也。夫言有宗，事有本，失其宗本，技能雖多，不若其寡也。故周鼎著倕，而使齧其指，先王以見大巧之不可也。故愼子曰：「匠人知為門，能以門，所以不知門也，故必杜，然後能門」。

Chunyu Kun of Qi persuaded the King of Wei with the vertical alliance, and the King of Wei thought him eloquent. Ten carriages were arranged, and he was about to go on a mission to Jing, and took his leave. Someone thought the vertical alliance was not enough and spoke of the horizontal alliance as well, but the words were just the same. The King of Wei then stopped his journey and distanced himself from him. He lost the purpose of the vertical alliance and could not achieve the horizontal alliance. This is why he was narrow. Words have a main point, and affairs have a root; if one loses the main point and the root, even many skills are worse than few. So Chui was cast on the Zhou cauldron with his finger in his mouth, which the former kings used to show that great skill is not to be had. So Shenzi said: "A craftsman who knows how to make doors and can make doors does not know the door; so there must first be a bolt, and only then can a door be made."

墨者有田鳩者，欲見秦惠王。約車申轅，留於秦，週年不得見。客有言之楚王者，往見楚王，楚王甚悅之。予以節，使於秦。至，因見。予之將軍之節。惠王見而説之。出舍，喟然而歎，告從者曰：「吾留秦三年不得見，不識道之可以從楚也。」物故有近之而遠，遠之而近者。故大人之行，不掩以繩，至所極而已矣。此所謂《管子》「梟飛而維繩」者。

There was a Mohist named Tian Jiu who wished to see King Hui of Qin. He arranged for carriages and a good shaft, stayed in Qin for a full year, and could not get an audience. A guest spoke of him to the King of Chu, and he went to see the King of Chu, who was very pleased with him. The King gave him a credential and sent him on a mission to Qin. On arriving, he thereby gained an audience. They gave him a general's credential. King Hui saw him and was pleased. After leaving the guesthouse, he sighed and told those who followed him: "I stayed in Qin for three years and could not get an audience; I did not know that the way could go through Chu." Things truly exist in which getting close to them makes them farther and getting away makes them closer. So the conduct of a great man does not need to be covered by line and ink; reaching the farthest point is enough. This is what the Guanzi calls "the owl flies yet is tied to a rope."

灃水之深千仞，而不受塵垢，投金鐵針焉，則形見於外。非不深且淸也，魚鱉龍蛇莫之肯歸也。是故石上不生五穀，禿山不遊麋鹿，無所陰蔽隱也。昔趙文子問於叔向曰：「晉六將軍，其孰先亡乎？」對曰：「中行、知氏。」文子曰：「何乎？」對曰：「其為政也，以苛以察，以切為明，以刻下為忠，以計多為功，譬之猶廓革者也。廓之，大則大矣，裂之道也。」故老子曰：「其政悶悶，其民純純，其政察察，其民缺缺。」

The Feng River is a thousand fathoms deep yet does not accept dust and dirt. If a gold or iron needle is thrown in, its shape shows from outside. It is not that it is not deep and clear, yet fish, turtles, dragons and snakes are not willing to turn to it. So five grains do not grow on stones, and bald hills have no deer roaming, because there is no shade or hiding place. Formerly Zhao Wenzi asked Shuxiang: "Of the six generals of Jin, who will perish first?" He answered: "The Zhonghang and Zhi clans." Wenzi said: "Why?" He answered: "In governing, they take harshness as discernment, take urgency as clarity, take harshness toward those below as loyalty, and take many schemes as merit, like stretching a hide. Stretch it and it grows large indeed, but it is a way to tear." So Laozi said: "When government is muddled, the people are simple; when government is keen, the people are deficient."

景公謂太卜曰：「子之道何能？」對曰：「能動地。」晏子往見公，公曰：「寡人問太卜曰：『子之道何能？』對曰：『能動地。』地可動乎？」晏子默然不對。出，見太卜，曰：「昔吾見句星在房、心之間，地其動乎？」太卜曰：「然」。晏子出。太卜走往見公曰：「臣非能動地，地固將動也。」田子陽聞之，曰：「晏子默然不對者，不欲太卜之死；往見太卜者，恐公之欺也。晏子可謂忠於上而惠於下矣。」故老子曰：「方而不割，廉而不劌。」

Duke Jing said to the grand diviner: "What can your art do?" He replied: "It can make the earth move." Master Yan went to see the Duke, and the Duke said: "I asked the grand diviner: 'What can your art do?' He replied: 'It can make the earth move.' Can the earth be moved?" Master Yan was silent and did not answer. Going out, he saw the grand diviner and said: "Earlier I saw the star Gou between the Fang and Xin lunar mansions; the earth is probably going to move, is it not?" The grand diviner said: "Yes." Master Yan left. The grand diviner ran to see the Duke and said: "I cannot actually make the earth move; the earth was going to move anyway." Tian Ziyang heard of it and said: "Master Yan's silence and not answering was because he did not want the grand diviner to die; his going to see the grand diviner was out of fear that the Duke would be deceived. Master Yan can be said to be loyal to his superior and kind to those below." So Laozi said: "Upright without cutting, with edges without piercing."

魏文侯觴諸大夫於曲陽，飲酒酣，文侯喟然歎曰：「吾獨無豫讓以為臣乎？」蹇重舉白而進之，曰：「請浮君。」君曰：「何也？」對曰：「臣聞之，有命之父母，不知孝子；有道之君，不知忠臣。夫豫讓之君，亦何如哉？」文侯受觴而飲釂不獻。曰：「無管仲、鮑叔以為臣，故有豫讓之功。」故老子曰：「國家昏亂有忠臣。」

Marquis Wen of Wei gave a wine feast for the grandees at Quyang, and when the drinking was merry, Marquis Wen sighed deeply and said: "Do I alone have no Yu Rang as a minister?" Jian Zhong raised the penalty cup and presented it, saying: "Please let me punish His Lordship with one cup." The ruler said: "Why?" He replied: "I have heard that parents who have been given a mandate do not know a filial son, and a ruler who has the Way does not know a loyal minister. As for Yu Rang's ruler, what was he like?" Marquis Wen took the cup and drained it without returning the toast, saying: "If I had had Guan Zhong and Bao Shu as ministers, there would have been no merit for Yu Rang." So Laozi said: "When the state is in disorder, there are loyal ministers."

孔子觀桓公之廟，有器焉，謂之宥巵。孔子曰：善哉！予得見此器。」顧曰：「弟子取水。」水至，灌之。其中則正，其盈則覆。孔子造然革容曰：「善哉，持盈者乎！」子貢在側曰：「請問持盈。」曰：「益而損之。」曰：』何謂益而損之？」曰：「夫物盛而衰，樂極則悲，日中而移，月盈而虧。是故聰明睿智，守之以愚；多聞博辯，守之以陋；武力毅勇，守之以畏；富貴廣大，守之以儉；德施天下，守之以讓。此五者，先王所以守天下而弗失也；反此五者，未嘗不危也。」故老子曰：「服此道者不欲盈。夫唯不盈，故能弊而不新成。」

Confucius was viewing the temple of Duke Huan, where there was a vessel called the Youzhi tilting cup. Confucius said: "Good! I get to see this vessel." He turned and said: "Disciples, fetch water." The water came and was poured in. When the water was in the middle it stood upright, and when full it overturned. Confucius suddenly changed his expression and said: "Good, one who holds to fullness!" Zigong, beside him, said: "May I ask about holding to fullness." Confucius said: "Increase it and then reduce it." He asked: "What does it mean to increase and then reduce?" Confucius said: "When a thing flourishes it declines, when joy reaches its limit it turns to sorrow, when the sun reaches the middle of the sky it moves on, and when the moon is full it wanes. So one who is intelligent and wise guards it with foolishness; one who is widely learned and eloquent guards it with plainness; one who is martial and valiant guards it with caution; one who is rich, noble and great guards it with frugality; one whose virtue extends to the world guards it with yielding. These five are how the former kings kept the world and did not lose it; to go against these five has never failed to bring danger." So Laozi said: "One who holds this Way does not wish to be full. Only because he is not full can he wear out the old and not take himself as newly made."

武王問太公曰：「寡人伐紂天下，是臣殺其主而下伐其上也。吾恐後世之用兵不休，鬥爭不已，為之奈何？」太公曰：「甚善，王之問也！夫未得獸者，唯恐其創之小也；已得之，唯恐傷肉之多也。王若欲久持之，則塞民於兌，道全為無用之事，煩擾之教，彼皆樂其業，供其情，昭昭而道冥冥，於是乃去其瞀而載之木，解其劍而帶之笏。為之三年之喪，令類不蕃，髙辭卑讓，使民不爭。酒肉以通之，竽瑟以娯之，鬼神以畏之，繁文滋禮以弇其質，厚葬久喪以亶其家，含珠鱗、施綸組以貧其財，深鑿髙壟以盡其力，家貧族少，慮患者貧，以此移風，可以持天下弗失。」故老子曰：「化而欲作，吾將鎭之以無名之樸也。」

King Wu asked Taigong: "I attacked Zhou and obtained the world, and this was ministers killing a lord, those below attacking those above. I fear that in later ages they will use troops without rest and fight without stopping; what should be done?" Taigong said: "Very good, that the King asks this! One who has not yet caught the beast fears only that the wound is small; one who has caught it fears only that the damage to the flesh is great. If the King wishes to keep it long, he should stop up the people's orifices and lead them to do wholly useless things and troublesome teaching, so that all take pleasure in their own work and supply their own feelings, going from brightness into dimness. Then remove the helmets and put on wooden caps, unbuckle swords and carry tablets. Set three-year mourning for them so that clans do not multiply, with lofty speech and humble yielding, so that the people do not contend. Open their channels with wine and meat, entertain them with pipes and zithers, make them fear with spirits, cover substance with elaborate forms and ritual, exhaust their households with lavish burials and long mourning, impoverish their wealth with mouth pearls, scale-like jade offerings, and silk ribbons for wrapping, and use up their strength by digging deep and building high tombs. When households are poor and clans are few, there will be few who worry about calamity; by using this to shift customs, one can keep the world and not lose it." So Laozi said: "When change arises and desires stir, I will quiet them with the nameless simplicity."

古者有鍪而綣領以王天下者矣，其德生而不辱，予而不奪，天下不非其服，同懷其德。當此之時，陰陽和平，風雨時節，萬物蕃息，烏鵲之巢可俯而探也，禽獸可羈而從也，豈必褒衣博帶，句襟委章甫哉！古者民澤處復穴，冬日則不勝霜雪霧露，夏日則不勝暑蟄蚊虻。聖人乃作為之築土構木，以為宮室，上棟下宇，以蔽風雨，以避寒暑，而百姓安之。伯余之初作衣也，緂麻索縷，手經指掛，其成猶網羅。後世為之機杼勝複以便其用，而民得以揜形禦寒。古者剡耜而耕，摩蜃而耨，木鉤而樵，抱甀而汲，民勞而利薄。後世為之耒耜耰鉏，斧柯而樵，桔皋而汲，民逸而利多焉。古者大川名谷，沖絕道路，不通往來也，乃為窬木方版，以為舟航，故地勢有無，得相委輸。乃為靻蹻而超千里，肩荷負儋之勤也，而作為之楺輪建輿，駕馬服牛，民以致遠而不勞。為鷙禽猛獸之害傷人而無以禁御也，而作為之鑄金鍛鐵，以為兵刃，猛獸不能為害。故民迫其難則求其便，困其患則造其備，人各以其所知，去其所害，就其所利。常故不可循，器械不可因也，則先王之法度有移易者矣。古之制，婚禮不稱主人，舜不告而娶，非禮也。立子以長，文王舍伯邑考而用武王，非制也。禮三十而娶，文王十五而生武王，非法也。夏后氏殯於阼階之上，殷人殯於兩楹之間，周人殯於西階之上，此禮之不同者也。有虞氏用瓦棺，夏后氏堲周，殷人用槨，周人牆置翣，此葬之不同者也。夏后氏祭於闇，殷人祭於陽，周人祭於日出以朝，此祭之不同者也。堯大章，舜九韶，禹大夏，湯大濩，周武象，此樂之不同者也。故五帝異道而德覆天下，三王殊事而名施後世，此皆因時變而制禮樂者。譬猶師曠之施瑟柱也，所推移上下者無寸尺之度，而靡不中音。故通於禮樂之情者能作音，有本主於中，而以知榘彠之所周者也。

In ancient times there were people who wore helmets and curved collars and yet ruled the world as kings, and their virtue let people live without insult, gave and did not take, and the world did not criticize their clothing but together cherished their virtue. At that time yin and yang were in harmony, wind and rain came in season and in measure, the myriad things multiplied, crows' and magpies' nests could be peered into by stooping, and birds and beasts could be tethered and would follow; why must one have loose robes and wide sashes, curved lapels and a Zhangfu cap trailing! In ancient times the people lived by marshes and in layered caves, unable in winter to bear frost, snow, fog and dew, and in summer unable to bear the heat and hibernating gnats and mosquitoes. The sages therefore built earthworks and wooden frames for them and made houses, with ridgepoles above and eaves below, to shelter from wind and rain and avoid cold and heat, and the people were at peace. Bo Yu first made clothes, spinning hemp and twisting thread, warping with the hand and hooking with the fingers, and what he made was still like a net. Later ages made looms and shuttles for convenience, and the people could cover their bodies and ward off the cold. In ancient times they sharpened spades to plow, ground clamshells to weed, cut firewood with wooden hooks and drew water carrying clay jars; the people toiled and the gain was thin. Later ages made plows, spades, harrows and hoes, cut firewood with axe handles, and drew water with well sweeps; the people were at ease and the gain was greater. In ancient times great rivers and famous valleys cut the roads, and travel was blocked, so they hollowed logs and joined planks to make boats, and so the goods and lack of different places could be sent to each other. Then they made shoes to walk a thousand li, which was the toil of carrying on shoulder and back, and for this they bent wood to make wheels, set up carriages, harnessed horses and yoked oxen, and the people could reach far places without toil. Fierce birds and beasts harmed people with no means of defense, so they cast metal and forged iron and made weapons, and fierce beasts could not do harm. So when people are pressed by hardship they seek convenience, and when trapped by calamity they make defenses; each uses what he knows, removes what harms him and moves toward what benefits him. Old customs cannot be clung to, implements cannot be followed without change; then the standards of the former kings may be altered. Under the ancient system, the marriage rite did not use the word host, and Shun married without informing his parents, which was against ritual. Heirs were established by age, and King Wen set aside Bo Yikao and used King Wu, which was against the system. Ritual set marriage at thirty, and King Wen had King Wu at fifteen, which was against the rule. The lord of Xia placed the coffin above the eastern steps, the Yin people between the two pillars, and the Zhou people above the western steps; this is a difference in ritual. The House of Yu used earthen coffins, the lord of Xia used baked clay around the coffin, the Yin people used an outer coffin, and the Zhou people set up fans on the wall; this is a difference in burial. The lord of Xia sacrificed in the dim hours, the Yin people sacrificed in daylight, and the Zhou people held the morning offering at sunrise; this is a difference in sacrifice. Yao's Da Zhang, Shun's Nine Shao, Yu's Da Xia, Tang's Da Huo, and Zhou's Wu Xiang are differences in music. So the Five Emperors differed in Way yet their virtue covered the world, and the Three Kings differed in affairs yet their names were passed on to later ages; all of them set rites and music according to the changes of the times. It is like Shi Kuang setting the zither bridges: what he moves up and down has no measure of inches or feet, yet there is nothing that does not match the tone. So one who understands the feelings of ritual and music can make music; with a root within as master, he knows what the compass, square, laws and standards cover.

魯昭公有慈母而愛之，死為之練冠，故有慈母之服。陽侯殺蓼侯而竊其夫人，故大饗廢夫人之禮。先王之制，不宜則廢之；末世之事，善則著之；是故禮樂未始有常也。故聖人制禮樂，而不制於禮樂。治國有常，而利民為本。政教有經，而令行為上。苟利於民，不必法古。苟周於事，不必循舊。夫夏、商之衰也，不變法而亡。三代之起也，不相襲而王。故聖人法與時變，禮與俗化，衣服器械各便其用，法度制令各因其宜。故變古未可非，而循俗未足多也。百川異源而皆歸於海，百家殊業而皆務於治。王道缺而詩作，周室廢、禮義壞而春秋作。詩、春秋，學之美者也，皆衰世之造也，儒者循之以教導於世，豈若三代之盛哉！以詩、春秋為古之道而貴之，又有未作詩、春秋之時。夫道其缺也，不若道其全也。誦先王之詩、書，不若聞得其言；聞得其言，不若得其所以言。得其所以言者，言弗能言也。故道可道者，非常道也。周公事文王也，行無專制，事無由己；身若不勝衣，言若不出口，有奉持於文王，洞洞屬屬，而將不能，恐失之，可謂能子矣。武王崩，成王幼少，周公繼文王之業，履天子之籍，聽天下之政，平夷狄之亂，誅管、蔡之罪，負扆而朝諸侯，誅賞制斷，無所顧問，威動天地，聲懾四海，可謂能武矣。成王既壯，周公屬籍致政，北面委質而臣事之，請而後為，復而後行，無擅姿之志，無伐矜之色，可謂能臣矣。故一人之身而三變者，所以應時矣。何況乎君數易世，國數易君，人以其位達其好憎，以其威勢供嗜慾，而欲以一行之禮，一定之法，應時偶變，其不能中權，亦明矣。故聖人所由曰道，所為曰事。道猶金石，一調不更；事猶琴瑟，每絃改調。故法制禮義者，治人之具也，而非所以為治也。故仁以為經，義以為紀，此萬世不更者也。若乃人考其才，而時省其用，雖日變可也。天下豈有常法哉！

Duke Zhao of Lu had a foster mother whom he loved, and when she died he wore the mourning cap of silk for her, and so there is mourning dress for a foster mother. Marquis Yang killed the Marquis of Liao and took his wife, and so at the great feast the ritual of the wife was abolished. In the system of the former kings, what was unfitting was abolished; in the affairs of late ages, what was good was made prominent; so rites and music have never had fixed rules. So the sage makes rites and music and is not bound by rites and music. Governing a state has constants, but the benefit of the people is the root. Government and instruction have regular forms, but that orders can be carried out is the best. If it benefits the people, one need not model it on antiquity. If it is complete for affairs, one need not follow the old. When Xia and Shang declined, they perished without changing the law. When the Three Dynasties rose, they became kings without copying one another. So the sage's law changes with the times and ritual transforms with custom, and clothes and implements are each made convenient for their use, and regulations and orders each follow what is fitting. So to change the ancient cannot be criticized and to follow custom is not worth praising. The hundred rivers differ in source but all go to the sea, and the hundred schools differ in work but all strive for order. When the kingly way was damaged, the Songs were produced; when the house of Zhou was abandoned and ritual and righteousness were ruined, the Spring and Autumn Annals was produced. The Songs and the Spring and Autumn Annals are what is fine in learning, and both were made in declining ages; for Confucians to follow them to teach the world, how can they match the flourishing of the Three Dynasties! To take the Songs and Annals as the ancient Way and value them, there were times before the Songs and Annals were made. To praise what was damaged is not as good as praising what was whole. To recite the odes and documents of the former kings is not as good as hearing and obtaining his words; to hear and obtain his words is not as good as obtaining why he said them. To obtain why he said them is what words cannot say. So the Way that can be spoken is not the constant Way. The Duke of Zhou served King Wen without acting on his own authority, matters did not depend on himself; his body seemed unable to bear his clothes, his words seemed unable to leave his mouth, and in what he carried out for King Wen, he was earnest and attentive as if unable, fearing to lose it; he can be said to have been able to be a son. When King Wu died, King Cheng was young, and the Duke of Zhou carried on King Wen's work, stepped on the Son of Heaven's seat and registers, listened to the government of the world, put down the disorder of the barbarians, executed the crimes of Guan and Cai, and, bearing an axe and standing before the screen, had the feudal lords come to court, punished and rewarded and decided without any need to consult; his awe shook Heaven and Earth and his reputation overawed the four seas; he can be said to have been able to be martial. When King Cheng grew up, the Duke of Zhou returned the seat and registers and handed over government, faced north and offered the gift of a subject, serving as a minister, requesting before acting and reporting back after acting, without a willful heart and without a look of boasting; he can be said to have been able to be a minister. So one man changed three times, which is how he answered the times. How much more so when a ruler repeatedly changes ages and a state repeatedly changes rulers, and people use their position to reach their likes and dislikes and use authority to supply their appetites, yet want to use one rite of conduct and one fixed law to match the times and changes; that they cannot match what is appropriate is also clear. So what a sage follows is called the Way, and what he does is called affairs. The Way is like metal and stone, with one tone and no change; affairs are like the zither, with each string retuned. So laws, institutions, ritual and righteousness are tools for governing people, but they are not what governs. So taking benevolence as the constant and righteousness as the guiding thread is what does not change through ten thousand generations. As for assessing a person's talent according to the person and examining the use according to the time, even if it changed daily, that would be fine. Where in the world are there fixed rules!

當於世事，得於人理，順於天地，祥於鬼神，則可以正治矣。古者人醇工龐，商樸女重，是以政教易化，風俗易移也。今世德益衰，民俗益薄，欲以樸重之法，治既弊之民，是猶無鏑銜策錣而御馯馬也。昔者，神農無制令而民從，唐、虞有制令而無刑罰，夏后氏不負言，殷人誓，周人盟。逮至當今之世，忍詢而輕辱，貪得而寡羞，欲以神農之道治之，則其亂必矣。伯成子高辭為諸侯而耕，天下高之。今時之人，辭官而隱處，為鄉邑之下，豈可同哉！古之兵，弓劍而已矣，槽矛無擊，脩戟無刺。晚世之兵，隆沖以攻，渠幨以守，連弩以射，銷車以鬥。古之伐國，不殺黃口，不獲二毛。於古為義，於今為笑。古之所以為榮者，今之所以為辱也。古之所以為治者，今之所以為亂也。夫神農、伏羲不施賞罰而民不為非，然而立政者不能廢法而治民。舜執干鏚而服有苗，然而征伐者不能釋甲兵而制彊暴。由此觀之，法度者，所以論民俗而節緩急也；器械者，因時變而制宜適也。夫聖人作法而萬物制焉，賢者立禮而不肖者拘焉。製法之民，不可與遠舉；拘禮之人，不可使應變。耳不知清濁之分者，不可令調音；心不知治亂之源者，不可令製法。必有獨聞之耳，獨見之明，然後能擅道而行矣。夫殷變夏，周變殷，春秋變周，三代之禮不同，何古之從！大人作而弟子循。知法治所由生，則應時而變；不知法治之源，雖循古，終亂。今世之法籍與時變，禮義與俗易，為學者循先襲業，據籍守舊教，以為非此不治，是猶持方枘而周員鑿也，欲得宜適致固焉，則難矣。今儒墨者稱三代、文武而弗行，是言其所不行也；非今時之世而弗改，是行其所非也。稱其所是，行其所非，是以盡日極慮而無益於治，勞形竭智而無補於主也。今夫圖工好畫鬼魅，而憎圖狗馬者，何也？鬼魅不世出，而狗馬可日見也。夫存危治亂，非智不能；

What suits worldly affairs, obtains human principle, follows Heaven and Earth, and is auspicious to the spirits, can then be set right and governed. In ancient times people were pure and generous, craftsmen sturdy and solid, merchants plain, and women steady, so government and instruction were easy to transform and customs easy to change. In the present age virtue has declined further and popular customs grown thinner, and to use the law of plain sincerity to govern a people who are already corrupted is like trying to drive a wild horse with no bit or bridle, no whip and no sharp point (a character that is rare was lost in the original transcription). Formerly, Shennong had no ordinances and the people followed; Tang Yao and Yu Shun had ordinances but no punishments; the lord of Xia did not go back on his word, the Yin people swore oaths, and the Zhou people made covenants. When it came to the present age, people put up with insults and curses and make light of shame, are greedy and have little shame, and if one wished to govern with Shennong's Way, there would surely be disorder. Bocheng Zigao declined to be a feudal lord and went to farm, and the world esteemed him. People of today who resign from office and live in seclusion become the lowest of the village; how can they be the same! In ancient times soldiers had only bows and swords, spears were not thrust and long halberds not stabbed. The soldiers of late ages assault with high siege carriages, defend with great screens, shoot with linked crossbows, and fight with melting carriages. In ancient times when attacking a state, they did not kill yellow-mouthed children or capture gray-haired old men. In antiquity this was righteousness; today it is a joke. What the ancients counted as glory is exactly what is counted as shame now. What the ancients counted as order is exactly what is counted as disorder now. Shennong and Fuxi did not apply rewards and punishments and the people did no wrong, but those who set up government cannot abandon the law in governing the people. Shun held shield and axe and made the Miao submit, but those who campaign cannot put down armor and weapons and restrain the strong and violent. From this it follows that laws and standards are used to weigh popular customs and regulate the slow and urgent; implements and tools are set to what is suitable according to the changes of the times. The sage makes laws and the myriad things are restrained by them; the worthy establishes ritual and the unworthy are bound by it. A people restrained by laws cannot be used for far-reaching undertakings; people bound by ritual cannot be made to respond to change. One whose ear does not know the distinction of clear and turbid cannot be asked to tune sounds; one whose heart does not know the source of order and disorder cannot be asked to make laws. One must have an ear that hears alone and an eye that sees alone, and only then can one take the Way into his own hands and carry it out. Yin changed Xia, Zhou changed Yin, and the Spring and Autumn period changed Zhou; the rituals of the Three Dynasties differ, so what antiquity is there to follow! A great man creates and his disciples follow. If one knows how legal order arose, one changes with the times; if one does not know the source of legal order, even following the ancients, one ends in disorder. Now the legal records of the present age change with the times and ritual and righteousness change with custom, but those who study follow their predecessors, adhere to old work, rely on texts and keep old teaching, thinking that without this there is no governing, like trying to fit a square tenon into a round mortise, wanting to get a fit that is suitable and firm, which is difficult. Now the Confucians and Mohists praise the Three Dynasties, Wen and Wu, but do not practice it, which is to speak of what they do not practice; they criticize the present age but do not change, which is practicing what they criticize. They praise what is right and practice what is wrong, so all day they use up their thoughts with no benefit to governance, wear out their bodies and exhaust their wisdom with no help to the ruler. Now painters like to paint ghosts and demons and dislike painting dogs and horses; why? Ghosts and demons do not appear in the world, whereas dogs and horses can be seen every day. To preserve the endangered and govern disorder, without wisdom one cannot;

道而先稱古，雖愚有餘。故不用之法，聖王弗行；不驗之言，聖王弗聽。天地之氣，莫大於和。和者，陰陽調，日夜分，而生物。春分而生，秋分而成，生之與成，必得和之精。故聖人之道，寬而栗，嚴而溫，柔而直，猛而仁。太剛則折，太柔則卷，聖人正在剛柔之間，乃得道之本。積陰則沉，積陽則飛，陰陽相接，乃能成和。夫繩之為度也，可卷而伸也，引而伸之，可直而睎，故聖人以身體之。夫脩而不橫，短而不窮，直而不剛，久而不忘者，其唯繩乎！故恩推則懦，懦則不威；嚴推則猛，猛則不和；愛推則縱，縱則不令；刑推則虐，虐則無親。昔者，齊簡公釋其國家之柄，而專任大臣將相，攝威擅勢，私門成黨，而公道不行，故使陳成田常、鴟夷子皮得成其難。使呂氏絕祀而陳氏有國者，此柔懦所生也。鄭子陽剛毅而好罰，其於罰也，執而無赦。舍人有折弓者，畏罪而恐誅，則因猘狗之驚以殺子陽，此剛猛之所致也。今不知道者，見柔懦者侵，則矜為剛毅；見剛毅者亡，則矜為柔懦。此本無主於中，而見聞舛馳於外者也，故終身而無所定趨。譬猶不知音者之歌也，濁之則鬱而無轉，清之則燋而不謳。及至韓娥、秦青、薛談之謳，侯同、曼聲之歌，憤於志，積於內，盈而發音，則莫不比於律而和於人心。何則？中有本主以定清濁，不受於外而自為儀表也。今夫盲者行於道，人謂之左則左，謂之右則右，遇君子則易道，遇小人則陷溝壑。何則？目無以接物也。故魏兩用樓翟、吳起而亡西河，湣王專用淖齒而死於東廟，無術以御之也。文王兩用呂望、召公奭而王，楚莊王專任孫叔敖而霸，有術以御之也。夫絃歌鼓舞以為樂，盤旋揖讓以修禮，厚葬久喪以送死，孔子之所立也，而墨子非之。兼愛尚賢，右鬼非命，墨子之所立也，而楊子非之。全性保真，不以物累形，楊子之所立也，而孟子非之。

To speak of the Way yet always speak first of antiquity, even a fool has enough to spare. So the sage kings do not practice laws that are not used, and do not listen to words that are not borne out. Of the qi of Heaven and Earth, none is greater than harmony. Harmony is when yin and yang are in tune and day and night are divided, and things are born. Birth occurs at the spring equinox and completion at the autumn equinox, and birth and completion must obtain the essence of harmony. So the Way of the sage is generous yet solid, strict yet warm, soft yet straight, and fierce yet benevolent. Too hard and it breaks, too soft and it curls; the sage stands exactly between hard and soft and so obtains the root of the Way. When yin gathers it sinks, when yang gathers it flies, and only when yin and yang meet can harmony be formed. A cord used as a measure can be rolled up and stretched; pulled out, it can be straight and sighted along, so the sage examines it with his own body. That which is long but not crosswise, short but not exhausted, straight but not harsh, and lasting without being forgotten, is perhaps only the cord! So when kindness is pushed, one becomes timid, and when one is timid one has no authority; when strictness is pushed, one becomes fierce, and when one is fierce there is no harmony; when love is pushed, one becomes lax, and when lax there is no command; when punishment is pushed, one becomes cruel, and when cruel there is no closeness. Formerly Duke Jian of Qi let go the handle of the state and relied solely on great ministers and generals, who seized authority and monopolized power, formed cliques in private houses, so that the public way could not be carried out, and so Chen Chengtian Chang and Chiyi Zipi were able to achieve their rebellion. This left the Lu line cut off from sacrifice and the Chen line holding the state; this came from softness and timidity. Zi Yang of Zheng was resolute and fond of punishment, and in punishing he held fast and would not pardon. A retainer broke a bow and, fearing guilt and execution, took advantage of the stir of a mad dog to kill Zi Yang; this was brought about by harshness. Now those who do not know the Way, when they see the soft and timid invaded, pride themselves on being firm; when they see the firm perish, they pride themselves on being soft. This is because there is no root within as master, and what is seen and heard outside runs about in confusion, so for life they have no settled direction. It is like one who does not know music singing: when the voice is low it is dull and has no turns, when it is clear it is shrill and does not make a tune. As for the singing of Han E, Qin Qing and Xue Tan, the songs of Hou Tong and Man Sheng, with indignation in the aim and accumulation within, they fill up and then give voice, and none fails to match the pitches and harmonize people's hearts. Why? Because within there is a root as master to settle the clear and turbid, not receiving it from outside but making oneself the standard. Now a blind man walking on the road, if people say left he goes left and if they say right he goes right; meeting a noble man, he walks the road easily, and meeting a petty man, he falls into a ditch. Why? Because his eyes have no way to meet things. So Wei employed Lou Huan, Zhai Huang and Wu Qi all together and lost Xihe, and King Min relied only on Nao Chi and died in the eastern temple, because they had no art to control them. King Wen employed Lu Wang and Duke Shao both and became king, and King Zhuang of Chu relied only on Sunshu Ao and became hegemon, because they had an art to control them. Singing, strings, drums and dances as music, bowing and yielding as the cultivation of ritual, and lavish burial and long mourning to see off the dead were established by Confucius, and Mozi criticized them. Universal love, honoring the worthy, reverence for spirits and rejection of fate were established by Mozi, and Yang Zi criticized them. Preserving life, keeping what is genuine and not letting things burden the body were established by Yang Zi, and Mencius criticized them.

趨捨人異，各有曉心。故是非有處，得其處則無非，失其處則無是。丹穴、太蒙、反踵、空同、大夏、北戶、奇肱、脩股之民，是非各異，習俗相反，君臣上下，夫婦父子，有以相使也。此之是，非彼之是也；此之非，非彼之非也；譬若斤斧椎鑿之各有所施也。禹之時，以五音聽治，懸鐘鼓磬鐸，置鞀，以待四方之士，為號曰：「教寡人以道者擊鼓，諭寡人以義者擊鐘，告寡人以事者振鐸，語寡人以憂者擊磬，有獄訟者搖鞀。」當此之時，一饋而十起，一沐而三捉髮，以勞天下之民，此而不能達善效忠者，則才不足也。秦之時，高為臺榭，大為苑囿，遠為馳道，鑄金人，發適戍，入芻稿，頭會箕賦，輸於少府。丁壯丈夫，西至臨洮、狄道，東至會稽、浮石，南至豫章、桂林，北至飛狐、陽原，道路死人以溝量。當此之時，忠諫者謂之不祥，而道仁義者謂之狂。逮至高皇帝，存亡繼絕，舉天下之大義，身自奮袂執銳，以為百姓請命於皇天。當此之時，天下雄俊豪英暴露於野澤，前蒙矢石，而後墮谿壑，出百死而紿一生，以爭天下之權，奮武厲誠，以決一旦之命。當此之時，豐衣博帶而道儒墨者，以為不肖。逮至暴亂已勝，海內大定，繼文之業，立武之功，履天子之圖籍，造劉氏之貌冠，總鄒、魯之儒墨，通先聖之遺教，戴天子之旗，乘大路，建九斿，撞大鐘，擊鳴鼓，奏咸池，揚干鏚。當此之時，有立武者見疑。一世之間，而文武代為雌雄，有時而用也。今世之為武者則非文也，為文者則非武也，文武更相非，而不知時世之用也。此見隅曲之一指，而不知八極之廣大也。故東面而望，不見西牆；南面而視，不睹北方；唯無所嚮者，則無所不通。國之所以存者，道德也；家之所以亡者，理塞也。堯無百戶之郭，舜無置錐之地，以有天下。禹無十人之眾，湯無七里之分，以王諸侯。

Orientation, taking and leaving differ for everyone, and each has a clear heart. So right and wrong have their places; when one finds the place there is no wrong, and when one loses the place there is no right. The peoples of Danxue, Taimeng, Fanzhong, Kongtong, Daxia, Beihu, Qigong and Xiugu differ in right and wrong, and their customs are opposite; they have rulers and subjects, high and low, husband and wife, father and son, but use them to direct one another. What is right here is not what is right there; what is wrong here is not what is wrong there; it is like axes, hammers and chisels each having its own use. In the time of Yu, he listened to government by the five notes, hung bells, drums, chimes and clappers, and set up a hand drum to await scholars from the four quarters, and gave the order: "Those who teach me with the Way, strike the drum; those who instruct me with righteousness, strike the bell; those who inform me of affairs, shake the clapper; those who inform me of worries, strike the chime; those with lawsuits, shake the hand drum." At that time, he rose ten times during a single meal, and held his hair three times during a single washing, toiling for the people of the world, and if even so there were still those who could not reach him to do good and offer loyalty, it was because his talent was not enough. In the time of Qin, terraces and pavilions were built high, parks were opened wide, speedways were built long, golden statues were cast, exiles were sent to garrison, fodder and straw were collected, taxes were collected by head count in baskets and sent to the privy treasury. Strong men in their prime went west to Lintao and Didao, east to Kuaiji and Fushi, south to Yuzhang and Guilin, and north to Feihu and Yangyuan, and the dead on the roads could be measured by ditches. At that time, those who remonstrated loyally were called inauspicious, and those who spoke of benevolence and righteousness were called mad. When it came to the High Emperor, he preserved the lost and continued the severed, raised the great righteousness of the world, and himself rolled up his sleeves and took a sharp weapon, to petition Heaven on behalf of the people. At that time the heroes and outstanding men of the world lay exposed in the wilds, arrows and stones before them and ravines behind them, going through a hundred deaths to seek a single life, to contend for the power of the world, rousing martial spirit and stirring sincerity, to decide the fate in a single morning. At that time, those who wore loose robes and wide sashes and praised the Confucians and Mohists were regarded as unworthy. When the violence and disorder had been overcome and all within the seas was settled, they inherited the literary tradition and established martial achievements, stepped on the Son of Heaven's registers, made the Liu family's hat, gathered the Confucians and Mohists of Zou and Lu, penetrated the surviving teachings of the former sages, wore the Son of Heaven's banner, rode the great chariot, raised nine pennants, struck the great bell, beat the resounding drum, played the Xianchi, and raised shields and axes. At that time, those who established martial matters were suspected. Within one age, the civil and the martial alternated as female and male, each used at its time. Now those who do martial things criticize the civil, and those who do civil things criticize the martial; civil and martial criticize one another yet do not know the use of the time. This is seeing a finger in a corner and not knowing the breadth of the eight extremes. So if one faces east and looks, one cannot see the western wall; if one faces south, one cannot see the north; only one who faces no direction has nowhere he cannot reach. What preserves a state is the Way and virtue; what destroys a family is blocked principle. Yao had no walled town of a hundred households and Shun had no land to stick an awl in, yet they held the world. Yu had no crowd of ten men and Tang had no fief of seven li, yet they became kings among the feudal lords.

文王處岐周之間也，地方不過百里，而立為天子者，有王道也。夏桀、殷紂之盛也，人跡所至，舟車所通，莫不為郡縣，然而身死人手，而為天下笑者，有亡形也。故聖人見化以觀其徵。德有盛衰，風先萌焉。故得王道者，雖小必大；有亡形者，雖成必敗。夫夏之將亡，太史令終古先奔於商，三年而桀乃亡。殷之將敗也，太史令向藝先歸文王，年而紂乃亡。故聖人之見存亡之跡，成敗之際也，非待鳴條之野，甲子之日也。今謂彊者勝則度地計眾，富者利則量粟稱金，若此，則千乘之君無不霸王者，而萬乘之國無不破亡者矣。存亡之跡，若此其易知也，愚夫惷婦皆能論之。趙襄子以晉陽之城霸，智伯以三晉之地擒；湣王以大齊亡，田單以即墨有功。故國之亡也，雖大不足恃；道之行也，雖小不可輕。由此觀之，存在得道而不在於大也，亡在失道而不在於小也。詩云：「乃眷西顧，此惟與宅。」言去殷而遷於周也。故亂國之君，務廣其地而不務仁義，務高其位而不務道德，是釋其所以存，而造其所以亡也。故桀囚於焦門，而不能自非其所行，而悔不殺湯於夏臺；紂居於宣室，而不反其過，而悔不誅文王於羑里。二君處彊大勢位，修仁義之道，湯、武救罪之不給，何謀之敢當！若上亂三光之明，下失萬民之心，雖微湯、武，孰弗能奪也？今不審其在己者，而反備之於人，天下非一湯、武也，殺一人，則必有繼之者也。且湯、武之所以處小弱而能以王者，以其有道也；桀、紂之所以處彊大而見奪者，以其無道也。今不行人之所以王者，而反益己之所以奪，是趨亡之道也。武王克殷，欲築宮於五行之山。周公曰：「不可！夫五行之山，固塞險阻之地也。使我德能覆之，則天下納其貢職者迴也。使我有暴亂之行，則天下之伐我難矣。」此所以三十六世而不奪也。周公可謂能持滿矣。

King Wen lived between Qi and Zhou, his land did not exceed a hundred li, yet he was established as Son of Heaven, because he had the kingly Way. When Jie of Xia and Zhou of Yin were at their height, wherever human footprints reached and boats and carriages passed, all were made commanderies and counties, yet they died at others' hands and were laughed at by the world, because they had the form of ruin. So the sage sees transformation and observes its omens. Virtue has flourishing and decline, and the wind sprouts first. So one who has the kingly Way, though small, must become great; one who has the form of ruin, though successful, must fail. When Xia was about to perish, Zhonggu, the grand scribe, first fled to Shang, and three years later Jie was lost. When Yin was about to fall, Xiang Yi, the grand scribe, first turned to King Wen, and (a rare character was lost in transcription) years later Zhou was lost. So the sage sees the traces of survival and ruin and the junctures of success and failure, without waiting for the field of Mingtiao or the day of jiazi. Now those who say that the strong win measure the land and count the people, and that the rich profit measure the grain and weigh the gold; if so, no ruler of a thousand chariots would fail to become a hegemon or king and no state of ten thousand chariots would fail to be broken and lost. The traces of survival and ruin are this easy to know, and even foolish husbands and wives can discuss them. Zhao Xiangzi became hegemon relying on the city of Jinyang, and Zhibo was captured relying on the land of the Three Jin; King Min perished relying on great Qi, and Tian Dan achieved merit relying on Jimo. So a state's perishing, even if large, is not enough to rely on; where the Way is practiced, even if small, it must not be despised. From this it follows that survival lies in obtaining the Way and not in largeness, and ruin lies in losing the Way and not in smallness. The Book of Songs says: "Then he looked west, and then made a home with it." This speaks of leaving Yin and moving to Zhou. So the rulers of disordered states strive to widen their land and do not strive for benevolence and righteousness, strive to raise their position and do not strive for the Way and virtue; this is to abandon what preserves them and create what destroys them. So Jie was imprisoned at Jiaomen and could not criticize his own conduct, but regretted not having killed Tang at Xiatai; Zhou lived in Xuanshi and did not turn back his own faults but regretted not having executed King Wen at Youli. The two rulers, in strong and great positions, had they cultivated the Way of benevolence and righteousness, Tang and Wu would not have been in time to make amends for their offenses, so what plot would they dare undertake! If above they disordered the brightness of the three lights and below lost the hearts of the myriad people, even without Tang and Wu, who could not seize them? Now one does not examine what lies in oneself but guards against others; the world does not have only one Tang and one Wu, and killing one person, there will surely be another to follow. Moreover, the reason Tang and Wu could become kings from small and weak positions was that they had the Way; the reason Jie and Zhou were seized from strong and great positions was that they lacked the Way. Now to not practice what makes a person king and instead add to what gets oneself seized is the way toward ruin. When King Wu conquered Yin, he wished to build a palace on the Mountain of the Five Phases. The Duke of Zhou said: "No! The Mountain of the Five Phases is a place of fortified, dangerous barriers. If my virtue can cover it, then the roads by which the world brings tribute will wind about. If I have violent and disorderly conduct, it will be hard for the world to attack me." This is why they were not seized for thirty-six generations. The Duke of Zhou can be said to have been able to keep fullness.

昔者，周書有言曰：「上言者，下用也；下言者，上用也。上言者，常也；下言者，權也。」此存亡之術也。唯聖人為能知權。言而必信，期而必當，天下之高行也。直躬其父攘羊而子證之，尾生與婦人期而死之。直而證父，信而溺死，雖有直信，孰能貴之！夫三軍矯命，過之大者也。秦穆公興兵襲鄭，過周而東。鄭賈人弦高將西販牛，道遇秦師於周、鄭之間，乃矯鄭伯之命，犒以十二牛，賓秦師而卻之，以存鄭國。故事有所至，信反為過，誕反為功。何謂失禮而有大功？昔楚恭王戰於陰陵，潘尪、養由基、黃衰微、公孫丙相與篡之。恭王懼而失體，黃衰微舉足蹶其體，恭王乃覺。怒其失禮，奪體而起，四大夫載而行。昔蒼吾繞娶妻而美，以讓兄，此所謂忠愛而不可行者也。是故聖人論事之局曲直，與之屈伸偃仰，無常儀表，時屈時伸。卑弱柔如蒲韋，非攝奪也；剛強猛毅，志厲青云，非本矜也；以乘時應變也。夫君臣之接，屈膝卑拜，以相尊禮也；至其迫於患也，則舉足蹶其體，天下莫能非也。是故忠之所在，禮不足以難之也。孝子之事親，和顏卑體，奉帶運履；至其溺也，則捽其髮而拯，非敢驕侮，以救其死也。故溺則捽父，祝則名君，勢不得不然也。此權之所設也。故孔子曰：「可以共學矣，而未可以適道也。可與適道，未可以立也。可以立，未可與權。」權者，聖人之所獨見也。故忤而後合者，謂之知權；合而後舛者，謂之不知權。不知權者，善反醜矣。故禮者，實之華而偽之文也，方於卒迫窮遽之中也，則無所用矣。是故聖人以文交於世，而以實從事於宜，不結於一跡之塗，凝滯而不化，是故敗事少而成事多，號令行於天下而莫之能非矣。猩猩知往而不知來，乾鵠知來而不知往，此脩短之分也。

Formerly the Book of Zhou had a saying: "The words above are what those below use; the words below are what those above use. The words above are the constant; the words below are the expedient." This is the art of survival and ruin. Only a sage can know the expedient. To always keep one's word and always keep an appointment is a lofty conduct in the world. Zhigong's father stole a sheep and his son testified; Weisheng made an appointment with a woman and died there. To be straight and testify against one's father, to be trustworthy and drown, even if there is straightness and trustworthiness, who would value it? For the three armies to falsely claim orders is among the great offenses. Duke Mu of Qin raised troops to attack Zheng, passing Zhou and heading east. Xian Gao, a merchant of Zheng, was about to go west to sell oxen and met the Qin army on the road between Zhou and Zheng, and so falsely used the command of the Earl of Zheng, rewarded them with twelve oxen, treated the Qin army as guests, and made them withdraw, thereby preserving the state of Zheng. So in matters, when circumstances reach a certain point, trustworthiness becomes a fault and deceit becomes merit. What is meant by losing ritual yet having great merit? Formerly King Gong of Chu fought at Yinling, and Pan Wang, Yang Youji, Huang Shuaiwei and Gongsun Bing rescued him by grabbing him out. King Gong was frightened and his body became limp, and Huang Shuaiwei raised his foot and kicked his body, and only then did King Gong wake. He was angry at the lack of ritual, roused himself and got up, and the four grandees carried him away. Formerly Cang Wurao took a wife who was beautiful and gave her up to his elder brother, which is what is called loyal love that cannot be put into practice. So the sage discusses the straitness and crookedness of affairs, bending and stretching, bowing and rising with them, without a fixed standard, sometimes bending and sometimes stretching. Being lowly, weak and soft like rushes and reeds is not being seized; being firm, strong and fierce, with an aim raised to the blue clouds, is not originally boasting; it is used to ride the times and respond to change. In the meeting of ruler and minister, to bend the knee and bow low is used for mutual respect and ritual; but when pressed by calamity, one raises his foot and kicks his body, and no one in the world can criticize it. So where loyalty is, ritual is not enough to blame it. A filial son serving his parent speaks with a pleasant face and a lowered body, holding the sash and handing over the shoes; but when the parent is drowning, he seizes him by the hair to rescue him, not daring to be arrogant or insulting but using it to save him from death. So to seize the father's hair when he is drowning, and to call the ruler by his name when praying, are things the situation forces. This is why the expedient is established. So Confucius said: "One may study together, yet not yet go to the Way together. One may go to the Way together, yet not yet stand together. One may stand together, yet not yet use the expedient together." The expedient is what the sage alone sees. So those who first clash and then unite are said to know the expedient; those who first unite and then fall into confusion are said not to know it. For those who do not know the expedient, what is good turns ugly. So ritual is the flower of reality and the form of falsehood, and in the midst of urgency and desperation it is of no use. So the sage meets the world with form and acts for what is fitting with reality, not tied to a road of one footprint, stagnant and unchanged, so there is less failure and more success, and his commands go through the world without anyone able to criticize them. The orangutan knows how to go but not how to come, the dry swan knows how to come but not how to go; this is the difference of long and short.

昔者萇弘，周室之執數者也，天地之氣，日月之行，風雨之變，律曆之數，無所不通，然而不能自知，車裂而死。蘇秦，匹夫徒步之人也，靻蹻贏蓋，經營萬乘之主，服諾諸侯，然不自免於車裂之患。徐偃王被服慈惠，身行仁義，陸地之朝者三十二國，然而身死國亡，子孫無類。大夫種輔翼越王句踐，而為之報怨雪恥，擒夫差之身，開地數千里，然而身伏屬鏤而死。此皆達於治亂之機，而未知全性之具者。故萇弘知天道而不知人事，蘇秦知權謀而不知禍福，徐偃王知仁義而不知時，大夫種知忠而不知謀。聖人則不然，論世而為之事，權事而為之謀，是以舒之天下而不窕，內之尋常而不塞。使天下荒亂，禮義絕，綱紀廢，彊弱相乘，力征相攘，臣主無差，貴賤無序，甲冑生蟣蝨，燕雀處帷幄，而兵不休息，而乃始服屬臾之貌，恭儉之禮，則必滅抑而不能興矣。天下安寧，政教和平，百姓肅睦，上下相親，而乃始立氣矜，奪勇力，則必不免於有司之法矣。是故聖人者，能陰能陽，能弱能彊，隨時而動靜，因資而立功，物動而知其反，事萌而察其變，化則為之象，運則為之應，是以終身行而無所困。故事有可行而不可言者，有可言而不可行者，有易為而難成者，有難成而易敗者。所謂可行而不可言者，趨舍也；可言而不可行者，偽詐也；易為而難成者，事也；難成而易敗者，名也。此四策者，聖人之所獨見而留意也。誳寸而伸尺，聖人為之；小枉而大直，君子行之。周公有殺弟之累，齊桓有爭國之名，然而周公以義補缺，桓公以功滅醜，而皆為賢。今以人之小過揜其大美，則天下無聖王賢相矣。故目中有疵，不害於視，不可灼也；喉中有病，無害於息，不可鑿也。河上之丘冢，不可勝數，猶之為易也。水激興波，高下相臨，差以尋常，猶之為平。昔者曹子為魯將兵，三戰不勝，亡地千里。

Formerly Chang Hong was a keeper of the arts and numbers of the house of Zhou, and the qi of Heaven and Earth, the movement of the sun and moon, the changes of wind and rain and the numbers of pitch pipes and calendars were all known to him, but he could not know himself and was torn apart by carriages and died. Su Qin was a commoner on foot, wearing straw sandals and carrying a bamboo hat, who managed rulers of ten thousand chariots and made the feudal lords agree, yet he could not himself escape the calamity of being torn apart by carriages. King Yan of Xu wore kindness and mercy and personally practiced benevolence and righteousness, and thirty-two states came to court him over land, but he died and his state was lost, and no descendant of his kind remained. The grandee Zhong assisted King Goujian of Yue, avenged his shame for him, captured Fuchai, and opened up several thousand li of land, but he himself fell on the Shulou sword and died. All these understood the pivot of order and disorder yet did not know the tool for preserving life. So Chang Hong knew the Way of Heaven but not human affairs, Su Qin knew stratagems but not fortune and misfortune, King Yan of Xu knew benevolence and righteousness but not the times, and the grandee Zhong knew loyalty but not planning. The sage is not like this; he judges the age and handles affairs, weighs affairs and makes plans, so that he extends to the world without being loose, and enters the narrowest space without being blocked. Suppose the world is desolate and in disorder, ritual and righteousness are cut off, the guiding threads are slack, the strong and weak encroach on each other, they seize from each other by force, ruler and ministers are not distinguished, noble and lowly have no order, armor breeds lice, swallows and sparrows nest in tent curtains, and troops do not rest; if one then begins to take on a yielding appearance and a ritual of respect and frugality, one will surely be wiped out and unable to rise. When the world is at peace, government and instruction are harmonious, the people are solemn and harmonious, high and low are close, and one then begins to stand on his pride and seize by martial courage, one will surely not escape the officials' law. So the sage can be yin and can be yang, can be weak and can be strong, moves and rests with the times, establishes merit in accordance with the resources; when things move he knows their reverse, when affairs sprout he sees their change, when they transform he gives them an image, when they turn he gives them a response, so he carries it out all his life and is not trapped. So among affairs, there are those that can be practiced but not spoken, those that can be spoken but not practiced, those easy to do but hard to complete, and those hard to complete and easy to ruin. What can be practiced but not spoken is orientation, taking and leaving; what can be spoken but not practiced is falsehood and deceit; what is easy to do but hard to complete is a task; what is hard to complete and easy to ruin is a name. These four stratagems are what the sage alone sees and keeps in mind. To bend an inch to stretch a foot, the sage does; to bend in small matters and be straight in great ones, the noble man practices. The Duke of Zhou had the burden of killing his brother, and Duke Huan of Qi had the name of contending for the state, but the Duke of Zhou made up the lack with righteousness and Duke Huan wiped out the shame with merit, and both became worthy. Now if one covers a person's great beauty with his small faults, the world would have no sage kings or worthy chancellors. So a flaw in the eye does not hinder seeing, but one must not burn it; a disease in the throat does not hinder breathing, but one must not cut it open. The mounds by the river are too many to count, yet they are counted as level. When water is stirred up into waves, high and low neighbor each other with a difference of several feet, yet they are counted as level. Formerly Cao Zi led troops for Lu, fought three battles without winning and lost a thousand li of land.

使曹子計不顧後，足不旋踵，刎頸於陳中，則終身為破軍擒將矣。然而曹子不羞其敗，恥死而無功。柯之盟，揄三尺之刃，造桓公之胸，三戰所亡，一朝而反之，勇聞於天下，功立於魯國。管仲輔公子糾而不能遂，不可謂智；遁逃奔走，不死其難，不可謂勇；束縛桎梏，不諱其恥，不可謂貞。當此三行者，布衣弗友，人君弗臣。然而管仲免於累紲之中，立齊國之政，九合諸侯，一匡天下。使管仲出死捐軀，不顧後圖，豈有此霸功哉！今人君論其臣也，不計其大功，總其略行，而求其小善，則失賢之數也。故人有厚德，無問其小節；而有大譽，無疵其小故。夫牛蹄之涔不能生鱣鮪，而蜂房不容鵠卵，小形不足以包大體也。夫人之情，莫不有所短。誠其大略是也，雖有小過，不足以為累。若其大略非也，雖有閭裡之行，未足大舉。夫顏喙聚，梁父之大盜也，而為齊忠臣。段幹木，晉國之大駔也，而為文侯師。孟卯妻其嫂，有五子焉，然而相魏，寧其危，解其患。景陽淫酒，被髮而御於婦人，威服諸侯。此四人者，皆有所短，然而功名不滅者，其略得也。季襄、陳仲子立節抗行，不入洿君之朝，不食亂世之食，遂餓而死。不能存亡接絕者何？小節伸而大略屈。故小謹者無成功，訾行者不容於眾，體大者節疏，蹠距者舉遠。自古及今，五帝三王，未有能全其行者也。故易曰：「小過亨，利貞。」言人莫不有過，而不欲其大也。夫堯、舜、湯、武，世主之隆也；齊桓、晉文，五霸之豪英也。然堯有不慈之名，舜有卑父之謗，湯、武有放弒之事，五伯有暴亂之謀。是故君子不責備於一人，方正而不以割，廉直而不以切，博通而不以訾，文武而不以責。求於一人則任以人力，自修則以道德。責人以人力，易償也；自修以道德，難為也。難為則行高矣，易償則求澹矣。

Suppose Cao Zi had counted without regard for what came after, not turned his heels, and cut his throat in the ranks; then for life he would have been a general who lost his army and was captured. But Cao Zi did not take defeat as shame but took dying without merit as disgrace. At the covenant of Ke, he drew a three-foot blade and pressed it against Duke Huan's chest, and what had been lost in three battles was reversed in one morning; his courage was known to the world, and his merit was established in the state of Lu. Guan Zhong assisted Prince Jiu and could not bring him to success, so he cannot be called wise; fleeing and running away, not dying for that hardship, he cannot be called brave; bound in fetters, not avoiding that shame, he cannot be called steadfast. With these three conducts, a commoner would not take him as a friend and a ruler would not take him as a minister. But Guan Zhong was freed from bonds, established the government of Qi, convened the feudal lords nine times and set the world right at once. If Guan Zhong had put his life on the line and thrown away his body, with no regard for the plans behind, where would this hegemonic achievement have come from! Now a ruler assessing his ministers does not count their great merit but gathers their rough conduct and seeks their small virtues, and this loses the numbers of the worthy. So when a person has great virtue, do not ask about his small economies; when he has great fame, do not pick at his small incidents. The water in an ox's hoofprint cannot produce sturgeon or tuna, and a bee's cell cannot hold a swan's egg, because small forms are not enough to contain great bodies. In human nature, there is no one without shortcomings. If the broad outlines are right, even with small faults, they are not enough to be a burden. If the broad outlines are not right, even with good conduct in the village, it is not worth raising up. Yan Chuanju was a great bandit of Liangfu but became a loyal minister of Qi. Duangan Mu was a great broker of Jin but became the teacher of Marquis Wen. Meng Mao married his own sister-in-law and had five sons, yet served as chancellor of Wei, calmed its danger and solved its troubles. Jing Yang was drunk on wine, with hair loose and driven by women, yet his awe subdued the feudal lords. These four all had shortcomings, yet their merit and fame did not perish, because they got the broad outlines right. Ji Xiang and Chen Zhongzi established lofty integrity and acted high-mindedly, did not enter the court of a foul ruler, did not eat the food of a disordered age, and so starved to death. They could not preserve the lost or continue the severed; why? Small economies were stretched and the broad outline was bent. So the careful and cautious do not succeed, those who slander others' conduct are not accepted by the many, those of large frame have widely spaced joints, and those with large feet stride far. From antiquity to now, among the Five Emperors and Three Kings, none could be complete in conduct. So the Changes says: "Small excess, prosperous; correctness is beneficial." This says that no one is without faults, but one should not let them grow large. Yao, Shun, Tang and Wu were the most flourishing among the rulers of the world; Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin were the heroes among the Five Hegemons. Yet Yao had the name of being unkind, Shun the slander of treating his father lowly, Tang and Wu the acts of banishing and killing, and the Five Hegemons violent and disorderly schemes. So the noble man does not seek completeness from one person; he is upright but does not use it to cut, honest and straight but does not use it to press, broad and penetrating but does not use it to disparage, civil and martial but does not use it to demand. In seeking from others, he assigns according to human strength; in cultivating himself, he uses the Way and virtue. Demanding from people by their strength is easy to repay; cultivating oneself by the Way and virtue is hard to do. What is hard to do makes conduct lofty; what is easy to repay makes demands satisfied.

夫夏后氏之璜不能無考，明月之珠不能無纇，然而天下寶之者，何也？其小惡不足妨大美也。今志人之所短，而忘人之所修，而求得其賢乎天下，則難矣。夫百里奚之飯牛，伊尹之負鼎，太公之鼓刀，甯戚之商歌，其美有存焉者矣。眾人見其位之卑賤，事之洿辱，而不知其大略，以為不肖。及其為天子三公，而立為諸侯賢相，乃始信於異眾也。夫發於鼎俎之間，出於屠酤之肆，解於累紲之中，興於牛頜之下，洗之以湯沐，祓之以爟火，立之於本朝之上，倚之於三公之位，內不慚於國家，外不愧於諸侯，符勢有以內合。故未有功而知其賢者，堯之知舜；功成事立而知其賢者，市人之知舜也。為是釋度數而求之於朝肆草莽之中，其失人也必多矣。何則？能效其求，而不知其所以取人也。夫物之相類者，世主之所亂惑也；嫌疑肖象者，眾人之所眩耀。故狠者類知而非知，愚者類仁而非仁，戇者類勇而非勇。使人之相去也，若玉之與石，美之與惡，則論人易矣。夫亂人者，芎藭之與藳本也，蛇床之與麋蕪也，此皆相似者。故劍工惑劍之似莫邪者，唯歐冶能名其種；玉工眩玉之似碧盧者，唯猗頓不失其情；闇主亂於姦臣小人之疑君子者，唯聖人能見微以知明。故蛇舉首尺，而修短可知也；象見其牙，而大小可論也。薛燭庸子，見若狐甲於劍而利鈍識矣；臾兒、易牙，淄、澠之水合者，嘗一哈水而甘苦知矣。故聖人之論賢也，見其一行而賢不肖分矣。孔子辭廩丘，終不盜刀鉤；許由讓天子，終不利封侯。故未嘗灼而不敢握火者，見其有所燒也；未嘗傷而不敢握刃者，見其有所害也。由此觀之，見者可以論未發也，而觀小節可以知大體矣。故論人之道，貴則觀其所舉，富則觀其所施，窮則觀其所不受，賤則觀其所不為，貧則觀其所不取。視其更難，以知其勇；動以喜樂，以觀其守；委以財貨，以論其仁；

The jade huang of the Xia clan cannot be without a flaw, and the bright-moon pearl cannot be without a blemish, yet the world treasures them; why? Small defects are not enough to harm great beauty. Now if one remembers what is short in people and forgets what is long in them, and wants to find worthy men in the world, it is hard. Baili Xi fed oxen, Yi Yin carried a cauldron on his back, Taigong wielded the butcher's knife, and Ning Qi sang the Shang songs; their excellence was there. The multitude saw their low status and shameful tasks, did not know their grand outline, and took them to be unworthy. Only when they became Three Dukes of the Son of Heaven and worthy chancellors of the feudal lords did people begin to believe they were different. Rising from between the cauldron and the chopping block, coming out of the butcher's and seller's stalls, being freed from bonds, and rising from under an ox's jaw, they were washed with hot water, purified with a torch fire, stood in the court, leaned on the seat of the Three Dukes, were not ashamed before the state within or before the feudal lords without; there was something in them that matched inwardly with power. So to know someone is worthy before he has merit is Yao's knowing Shun; to know someone is worthy after merit is achieved and affairs established is the market people's knowing Shun. So if one sets aside the measure and seeks in courts, markets, and thickets, one will surely lose many. Why? One can imitate such seeking but does not know how to select people. Things that resemble each other are what confuse the rulers of the age; what is suspiciously similar is what dazzles the multitude. So the savage resemble the wise but are not wise, the foolish resemble the benevolent but are not benevolent, the stubborn resemble the brave but are not brave. If the distance between people were like that between jade and stone, beauty and ugliness, judging people would be easy. What confuses people is Chuanxiong and Gaoben, snake-bed and Miwu, which all resemble each other. So sword-smiths are confused by swords resembling Moye, and only Ouye can name the kind; jade-workers are dazzled by jade resembling Bilu, and only Yi Dun does not lose the facts; dim rulers are confused by treacherous ministers and petty men resembling gentlemen, and only a sage can see the subtle and know the clear. So when a snake raises its head a foot, its length can be known; when an elephant shows its tusks, its size can be judged. Xue Zhu and Yong Zi, seeing on a sword what looks like fox armor, could tell its keenness or dullness; Yu Er and Yi Ya, with the Zi and Sheng rivers mixed, could taste a mouthful and know sweet from bitter. So when a sage judges worth, he sees one act and the worthy and unworthy are separated. Confucius declined Lingqiu and in the end did not steal a knife-hook; Xu You gave up the Son of Heaven's throne and in the end did not take being enfeoffed as profit. So one who has never been burned dares not grasp fire because he has seen what it burns; one who has never been wounded dares not grasp a blade because he has seen what it harms. From this we see that what is seen can be used to judge what has not yet been shown, and observing small acts one can know the whole. So the way of judging people: for the noble, observe whom he promotes; for the rich, observe what he gives; for the poor, observe what he will not accept; for the lowly, observe what he will not do; for the destitute, observe what he will not take. See how he changes in a hard place to know his courage; move him with joy to see how he holds; entrust wealth to him to judge his benevolence;

振以恐懼，以知其節；則人情備矣。古之善賞者，費少而勸眾；善罰者，刑省而姦禁；善予者，用約而為德；善取者，入多而無怨。趙襄子圍於晉陽，罷圍而賞有功者五人，高赫為賞首。左右曰：「晉陽之難，赫無大功，今為賞首，何也？」襄子曰：「晉陽之圍，寡人社稷危，國家殆，群臣無不有驕侮之心，唯赫不失君臣之禮。」故賞一人，而天下為忠之臣者莫不終忠於其君。此賞少而勸善者眾也。齊威王設大鼎於庭中，而數無鹽令曰：「子之譽，日聞吾耳。察子之事，田野蕪，倉廩虛，囹圄實。子以姦事我者也。」乃烹之。齊以此三十二歲道路不拾遺。此刑省姦禁者也。秦穆公出遊而車敗，右服失馬，野人得之。穆公追而及之岐山之陽，野人方屠而食之。穆公曰：「夫食駿馬之肉，而不還飲酒者，傷人。吾恐其傷汝等。」遍飲而去之。處一年，與晉惠公為韓之戰，晉師圍穆公之車，梁由靡扣穆公之驂，獲之。食馬肉者三百餘人，皆出死為穆公戰於車下，遂克晉，虜惠公以歸。此用約而為德者也。齊桓公將欲征伐，甲兵不足，令有重罪者出犀甲一戟，有輕罪者贖以金分，訟而不勝者出一束箭。百姓皆說，乃矯箭為矢，鑄金而為刃，以伐不義而徵無道，遂霸天下。此入多而無怨者也。故聖人因民之所喜而勸善，因民之所惡而禁姦，故賞一人而天下譽之，罰一人而天下畏之。故至賞不費，至刑不濫。孔子誅少正卯而魯國之邪塞，子產誅鄧析而鄭國之姦禁，以近諭遠，以小知大也。故聖人守約而治廣者，此之謂也。天下莫易於為善，而莫難於為不善也。所謂為善者，靜而無為也；所謂為不善者，躁而多欲也。適情辭餘，無所誘惑，循性保真，無變於己，故曰為善易。越城郭，踰險塞，姦符節，盜管金，篡弒矯誣，非人之性也，故曰為不善難。

rouse him with fear to know his integrity; then human nature is complete. In ancient times those who were good at rewarding spent little yet encouraged many; those good at punishing had light penalties yet treachery was stopped; those good at giving used sparingly yet it became virtue; those good at taking took in much yet were not resented. Zhao Xiangzi, besieged at Jinyang, when the siege was lifted rewarded five men of merit, and Gao He was first in the rewards. Those around him said: "In the trouble at Jinyang, He had no great merit; why is he now first in rewards?" Xiangzi said: "When Jinyang was besieged, my altars were endangered, the state was in peril, and none of the ministers failed to harbor a proud and insulting heart; only He did not lose the ritual of ruler and minister." So by rewarding one man, all in the world who are loyal ministers devoted themselves to their ruler. This is rewarding few and encouraging many toward good. King Wei of Qi set up a great cauldron in the courtyard and enumerated against the magistrate of Wuyan: "Praise of you reached my ears every day. But examining your affairs, the fields are wild, the granaries empty, and the prisons full. You serve me with treachery." Then he boiled him. Because of this, for thirty-two years Qi had no one picking up lost items on the road. This is light punishment while treachery is stopped. Duke Mu of Qin went out on a trip and his carriage broke down; the right-hand horse ran off and country people got it. Duke Mu pursued it to the south of Mount Qi and found the country people had butchered it and were eating. Duke Mu said: "Eating fine horse meat without drinking wine afterward will harm people. I fear it would harm you." He gave them all wine before leaving. A year later, in battle with Duke Hui of Jin at Han, the army of Jin surrounded Duke Mu's carriage, and Liang You Mi seized Duke Mu's outside horse, about to capture him. The more than three hundred who had eaten the horse meat all risked their lives to fight beneath the carriage for Duke Mu, so he defeated Jin and returned with Duke Hui as a captive. This is using sparingly and it becoming virtue. When Duke Huan of Qi was about to campaign, armor and weapons were insufficient; he ordered that those with grave crimes provide one rhinoceros armor and a halberd, those with light crimes ransom with metal, and those who lost a lawsuit provide a bundle of arrows. The people were all pleased, and so they straightened arrows into shafts and cast metal into blades, to attack the unrighteous and punish the Way-less, and so he became hegemon of the world. This is taking in much and not being resented. So the sage encourages good by what the people like and prohibits treachery by what the people hate, so by rewarding one man the world praises and by punishing one man the world fears. So the supreme reward is not costly and the supreme punishment is not excessive. Confucius executed Shaozheng Mao and the evil in Lu was stopped; Zichan executed Deng Xi and the treachery in Zheng was stopped; using the near to instruct the far, using the small to know the large. So the sage keeps to simplicity and rules widely; this is what is meant. In the world nothing is easier than doing good and nothing is harder than doing wrong. What is called doing good is stillness and non-action; what is called doing wrong is haste and many desires. To suit one's nature and decline surplus, not be tempted, follow nature and keep what is true, not changing oneself; hence it is said doing good is easy. To climb over walls, cross barriers, forge tallies, steal locks and gold, usurp, murder, and slander is not human nature; hence it is said doing wrong is hard.

今人所以犯囹圄之罪，而陷於刑戮之患者，由嗜慾無厭，不循度量之故也。何以知其然？天下縣官法曰：「發墓者誅，竊盜者刑。」此執政之所司也。夫法令者罔其姦邪，勒率隨其蹤跡，無愚夫憃婦，皆知為姦之無脫也，犯禁之不得免也。然而不材子不勝其欲，蒙死亡之罪，而被刑戮之羞。然而立秋之後，司寇之徒繼踵於門，而死市之人血流於路。何則？惑於財利之得，而蔽於死亡之患也。夫今陳卒設兵，兩軍相當，將施令曰：「斬首拜爵，而屈撓者要斬。」然而隊階之卒皆不能前遂斬首之功，而後被要斬之罪，是去恐死而就必死也。故利害之反，禍福之接，不可不審也。事或欲之，適足以失之；或避之，適足以就之。楚人有乘船而遇大風者，波至而自投於水。非不貪生而畏死也，惑於恐死而反忘生也。故人之嗜慾，亦猶此也。齊人有盜金者，當市繁之時，至掇而走。勒問其故曰：「而盜金於市中，何也？」對曰：「吾不見人，徒見金耳！」志所欲，則忘其為矣。是故聖人審動靜之變，而適受與之度，理好憎之情，和喜怒之節。夫動靜得，則患弗過也；受與適，則罪弗累也；好憎理，則憂弗近也；喜怒節，則怨弗犯也。故達道之人，不苟得，不讓福；其有弗棄，非其有弗索；常滿而不溢，恆虛而易足。今夫霤水足以溢壺榼，而江，河不能實漏卮，故人心猶是也。自當以道術度量，食充虛，衣禦寒，則足以養七尺之形矣。若無道術度量而以自儉約，則萬乘之勢不足以為尊，天下之富不足以為樂矣。孫叔敖三去令尹而無憂色，爵祿不能累也；荊佽非兩蛟夾繞其船而志不動，怪物不能驚也。聖人心平志易，精神內守，物莫足以惑之。夫醉者，俛入城門，以為七尺之閨也；超江、淮，以為尋常之溝也；酒濁其神也。怯者，夜見立表，以為鬼也；見寢石，以為虎也；懼揜其氣也。又況無天地之怪物乎！

Now the reason people commit crimes that lead to prison and fall into the misfortune of punishment and execution is that their cravings are not satisfied and they do not follow measure. How do we know it? The world hangs the laws of the government and says: "Those who dig up graves are executed; thieves are punished." This is what the government manages. The laws net the wicked and force them to follow the tracks, and there is no foolish man or ignorant woman who does not know that those who commit treachery have no way to escape and those who break the prohibition cannot be spared. Yet an unworthy son cannot overcome his desire, and takes on the crime of death and the shame of execution. Even so, after the start of autumn, the like of the Minister of Crime arrive one after another at the door, and the blood of those executed in the market flows along the road. Why? They were confused by the gain of wealth and blinded by the fear of death. Now suppose soldiers are drawn up and arms set out, two armies facing each other, and orders are about to be issued: "Those who take a head will be given rank, those who yield will be cut in two." But the soldiers in the ranks, none of whom can advance to achieve the merit of taking a head, afterward receive the crime of being cut in two; this is leaving the fear of death and running to certain death. So the reversal of benefit and harm and the intersection of fortune and misfortune must be examined. Sometimes one wants a thing and exactly that is enough to lose it; sometimes one avoids it and exactly that is enough to bring it about. A man of Chu on a boat met a great wind, and when the waves came he threw himself into the water. It was not that he did not love life and fear death, but that he was confused by fear of death and instead forgot life. So people's cravings are like this too. A man of Qi stole gold; right when the market was busiest, he arrived and grabbed it and ran. When pressed for his reason, saying: "You stole gold in the middle of the market; why?" he answered: "I did not see people, only gold!" When the aim is on what one wants, one forgets what one is doing. So the sage examines the changes of movement and stillness, fits the measure of receiving and giving, sets in order the feelings of liking and disliking, and harmonizes the rhythm of joy and anger. When movement and stillness are fitting, misfortune does not exceed; when receiving and giving are appropriate, crime does not entangle; when liking and disliking are ordered, worry does not approach; when joy and anger have measure, resentment does not offend. So one who has penetrated the Way does not carelessly gain and does not decline good fortune; what is his he does not throw away, what is not his he does not demand; he is always full and does not overflow, always empty and easily satisfied. Now the water of eaves can overfill a jug and cup, yet the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers cannot fill a leaking vessel; the human heart is like this. One should measure oneself by the arts of the Way: food that fills an empty stomach, clothing that resists cold, is enough to nourish a body of seven chi. If one has no art of the Way to measure, and cannot be frugal oneself, then the power of ten thousand chariots is not enough to count as honor and the wealth of the world is not enough to count as joy. Sunshu Ao three times left the post of prime minister without a sign of worry, because rank and salary could not entangle him; Jing Cifei, with two flood dragons coiling around his boat, did not move his mind, because monsters could not frighten him. The sage's mind is level and his will easy, his spirit is guarded within, and nothing can confuse him. A drunk person bows to enter a city gate, thinking it a seven-chi inner door; he crosses the Yangtze and Huai thinking they are ordinary ditches; it is wine that has muddied his spirit. A timid person at night sees a standing marker and thinks it a ghost, sees a lying rock and thinks it a tiger; it is fear that has covered his qi. How much more so with monsters that do not belong to heaven and earth!

夫雌雄相接，陰陽相薄，羽者為雛，毛者為駒犢，柔者為皮肉，堅者為齒角，人弗怪也；水生蠬蜄，山生金玉，人弗怪也；老槐生火，久血為燐，人弗怪也。山出梟陽，水生罔象，木生畢方，井生墳羊，人怪之，聞見鮮而識物淺也。天下之怪物，聖人之所獨見；利害之反覆，知者之所獨明達也。同異嫌疑者，世俗之所眩惑也。夫見不可布於海內，聞不可明於百姓，是故因鬼神禨祥而為之立禁，總形推類而為之變象。何以知其然也？世俗言曰：「饗大高者而彘為上牲，葬死人者裘不可以藏，相戲以刃者太祖軵其肘，枕戶橉而臥者鬼神蹠其首。」此皆不著於法令，而聖人之所不口傳也。夫饗大高而彘為上牲者，非彘能賢於野獸麋鹿也，而神明獨饗之，何也？以為彘者，家人所常畜而易得之物也，故因其便以尊之。裘不可以藏者，非能具綈綿曼帛溫煖於身也，世以為裘者，難得貴賈之物也，而不可傳於後世，無益於死者，而足以養生，故因其資以讋之。相戲以刃太祖軵其肘者，夫以刃相戲，必為過失，過失相傷，其患必大，無涉血之仇爭忿鬥，而以小事自內於刑戮，愚者所不知忌也，故因太祖以累其心。枕戶橉而臥，鬼神履其首者，使鬼神能玄化，則不待戶牖之行，若循虛而出入，則亦無能履也，夫戶牖者，風氣之所從往來，而風氣者，陰陽相捔者也，離者必病，故託鬼神以伸誡之也。凡此之屬，皆不可勝著於書策竹帛而藏於官府者也，故以禨祥明之。為愚者之不知其害，乃借鬼神之威以聲其教，所由來者遠矣。而愚者以為禨祥，而狠者以為非，唯有道者能通其志。今世之祭井灶、門戶、箕、臼杵者，非以其神為能饗之也，恃賴其德，煩苦之無已也。是故以時見其德，所以不忘其功也。觸石而出，膚寸而合，不崇朝而雨天下者，唯太山；赤地三年而不絕流，澤及百里而潤草木者，唯江、河也；

When male and female meet and yin and yang press on each other, those with feathers become chicks (the received text lost a rare character here), those with fur become colts and calves, the soft become skin and flesh, the hard become teeth and horns, and people do not find it strange; water produces flood dragons and clams, mountains produce metal and jade, and people do not find it strange; old locust trees produce fire, and old blood becomes phosphorus, and people do not find it strange. Mountains produce Xiaoyang, waters produce Wangxiang, trees produce Bifang, wells produce Fenyang, and people find them strange because they have heard and seen little and know things shallowly. The monsters of the world are what a sage alone sees; the reversals of benefit and harm are what the wise alone understand. Likeness, difference, and doubt are what dazzle common customs. What one sees cannot be proclaimed within the seas, what one hears cannot be explained to the people, so based on spirits and omens one sets up prohibitions, sums up forms and extends by analogy to make images. How do we know this? Common sayings say: "In sacrificing to the Great Height, use a pig as the top offering; a corpse should not be buried with fur; one who plays with blades gets his elbow pushed by the Great Ancestor; one who sleeps with his head on the threshold has his head stepped on by spirits." None of these is written in laws, nor passed down by the sages' mouths. When sacrificing to the Great Height with a pig as the top offering, it is not that a pig is worthier than wild beasts and deer yet the spirits alone enjoy it; why? Because the pig is something households constantly keep and easily obtain, so out of convenience they honor it. Fur should not be buried, not because silk and floss cannot warm the body; the world takes fur as a hard-to-get and expensive thing, which cannot be passed to later generations and is of no benefit to the dead but suffices to nourish the living, so on account of resources they make people fear. If one plays with blades and the Great Ancestor pushes the elbow, playing with blades surely leads to mistakes; injuring each other by mistake, the misfortune is surely great; with no blood feud, people fight out of anger and, over a small matter, enter punishment and execution themselves, which fools do not know to fear, so they borrow the Great Ancestor to tie up their minds. Sleeping with head on the threshold and spirits stepping on it: if spirits could mysteriously transform, they would not need doors and windows to go through, and if they passed in and out through emptiness, there would be nothing to step on. Doors and windows are where wind and air come and go, and air is where yin and yang strike; anyone who meets it surely falls ill, so they borrow spirits to give a warning. All matters of this kind cannot be fully written in books and on bamboo and silk and kept in government offices, so they are marked with fortune and misfortune. Because fools do not know harm, they borrow the awe of spirits to declare the teaching; it has come from far off. Fools think it is fortune and misfortune, the savage think it is not; only one who has the Way can penetrate that intent. Now the world sacrifices to the well and stove, doors and windows, the winnowing basket (the received text lost a rare character here), the mortar and pestle, not because they think those spirits can enjoy it, but because they rely on their virtue and have troubled them without ceasing. So seeing their virtue in season is to not forget merit. Coming out from touching rock, joining finger-breadths, and within a morning bringing rain over the world, only Mount Tai; for three years of red earth not breaking its flow and reaching a hundred li to moisten plants and trees, only the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers;

是以天子秩而祭之。故馬免人於難者，其死也葬之；牛，其死也，葬以大車為薦。牛馬有功，猶不可忘，又況人乎！此聖人所以重仁襲恩。故炎帝於火，死而為灶；禹勞天下，死而為社；后稷作稼穡，死而為稷；羿除天下之害，死而為宗布。此鬼神之所以立。北楚有任俠者，其子孫數諫而止之，不聽也。縣有賊，大搜其廬，事果發覺，夜驚而走，追，道及之，其所施德者皆為之戰，得免而遂反，語其子曰：「汝數止吾為俠。今有難，果賴而免身。而諫我，不可用也。」知所以免於難，而不知所以無難，論事如此，豈不惑哉！宋人有嫁子者，告其子曰：「嫁未必成也。有如出，不可不私藏。私藏而富，其於以復嫁易。」其子聽父之計，竊而藏之。若公知其盜也，逐而去之。其父不自非也，而反得其計。知為出藏財，而不知藏財所以出也，為論如此，豈不勃哉！今夫僦載者，救一車之任，極一牛之力，為軸之折也，有如轅軸其上以為造，不知軸轅之趣軸折也。楚王之佩玦而逐菟，為走而破其玦也，因珮兩玦以為之豫，兩玦相觸，破乃逾疾。亂國之治，有似於此。夫鴟目大而視不若鼠，蚈足眾而走不若蛇，物固有大不若小，眾不若少者。及至夫彊之弱，弱之彊，危之安，存之亡也，非聖人，孰能觀之！大小尊卑，未足以論也，唯道之在者為貴。何以明之？天子處於郊亭，則九卿趨，大夫走，坐者伏，倚者齊。當此之時，明堂太廟，懸冠解劍，緩帶而寢。非郊亭大而廟堂狹小也，至尊居之也。天道之貴也，非特天子之為尊也，所在而眾仰之。夫蟄蟲鵲巢，皆嚮天一者，至和在焉爾。帝者誠能包稟道，合至和，則禽獸草木莫不被其澤矣，而況兆民乎！

so the Son of Heaven sacrifices to them by rank. A horse that helped a person escape a calamity, when it dies, is buried; an ox, when it dies, is buried with a large cart as its pad. Oxen and horses that have merit are not to be forgotten; how much more people! This is how the sage layers benevolence and accumulates kindness. So the Flame Emperor invented fire, and when he died became the Stove God; Yu toiled for the world, and when he died became the God of the Soil; Hou Ji invented farming, and when he died became the God of Grain; Yi removed the world's harms, and when he died became Zongbu. This is how spirits were established. In northern Chu there was a man who acted as a knight-errant, and his sons and grandsons repeatedly remonstrated and stopped him but he did not listen. In the county there was a thief and they searched his hut widely; the matter was indeed discovered, and at night he fled in alarm; he was pursued and caught on the road, and those to whom he had given kindness fought for him, so he escaped and finally returned, and told his son: "You repeatedly stopped me from being a knight-errant. Now in trouble, I indeed relied on it and escaped. Your remonstrance with me cannot be used." He knew how he escaped calamity but did not know how to avoid calamity; to judge matters like this, is it not confusion! A man of Song marrying off his daughter told her: "Marriages do not necessarily last. If you are divorced, you must put things aside privately. If you save privately and are rich, remarrying will be easy." The daughter followed her father's plan, stole and hid things. Her husband's parents learned she stole, and drove her out. Her father did not blame himself and instead thought he had had a good plan. He knew to save wealth in case of divorce but did not know that saving wealth is exactly why one is divorced; to make judgments like this, is it not perverse! Now one who hires a cart to carry goods, to save a cartload's weight and use up an ox's strength, fearing the axle will break, adds another shaft and axle on top as a spare, not knowing that adding axles and shafts is exactly heading for the axle breaking. The King of Chu, wearing a jade ring-pendant, chased a hare, and because of running the pendant broke, so he wore two pendants as a precaution, and the two pendants struck each other and broke even faster. The governance of disorderly states has things like this. The owl's eyes are large but it sees worse than a mouse; the centipede's feet are many but it runs worse than a snake; things surely include cases where large is not as good as small and many is not as good as few. When the strong turns weak, the weak turns strong, danger turns to safety, survival turns to ruin, who but a sage can observe it! Large and small, noble and humble are not enough to judge; only where the Way is present is there honor. How to show it? When the Son of Heaven is at the suburban lodge, the nine ministers hurry, grand officers run, those sitting lie down, those leaning straighten. At that time, in the Hall of Light and the Great Temple, caps are taken off and swords unfastened and people sleep with loose belts. It is not that the suburban lodge is large and the temple hall small, but that the supremely honored dwells there. The honor of the Way of Heaven is not just that of the Son of Heaven; wherever it is, the multitude look up to it. Hibernating insects and magpie nests all face heaven's one, because supreme harmony is there. If the emperor can truly embrace and receive the Way and accord with supreme harmony, there is no bird, beast, plant, or tree that does not receive his benefit, let alone the myriad people!