Volume 14

火幹木，蟄蟲蚤出，蚿雷蚤行；土幹木，胎夭卵毈，鳥蟲多傷；金幹木，有兵；水乾木，春下霜。

When fire interferes with wood, hibernating insects come out early, and earthworms and thunder move early; when earth interferes with wood, fetuses die young, eggs do not hatch, and birds and insects are often injured; when metal interferes with wood, there are military affairs; when water interferes with wood, frost falls in spring.

土幹火，則多雷；金幹火，草木夷；水乾火，夏雹；木幹火，則地動。

When earth interferes with fire, there is much thunder; when metal interferes with fire, grasses and trees are wounded; when water interferes with fire, hail falls in summer; when wood interferes with fire, the ground shakes.

金乾土，則五穀傷有殃；水乾土，夏寒雨霜；木乾土，?蟲不為；火乾土，則大旱。

When metal interferes with earth, the five grains are injured and suffer calamity; when water interferes with earth, summer is cold and frost falls; when wood interferes with earth, naked creatures do not multiply; when fire interferes with earth, there is great drought.

水乾金，則魚不為；木幹金，則草木再生；火幹金，則草木秋榮；土幹金，五穀不成。

When water interferes with metal, fish do not multiply; when wood interferes with metal, grass and trees grow again; when fire interferes with metal, grass and trees bloom in autumn; when earth interferes with metal, the five grains are not completed.

木幹水，冬蟄不藏；土幹水，則蟄蟲冬出；火幹水，則星墜；金幹水，則冬大寒。

When wood interferes with water, winter hibernators do not hide away; when earth interferes with water, hibernating insects come out in winter; when fire interferes with water, stars fall; when metal interferes with water, winter is very cold.

五行變至，當救之以德，施之天下，則咎除；不救以德，不出三年，天當雨石。木有變，春凋秋榮，秋木在，春多雨，此繇役眾，賦歛重，百姓貧窮叛去，道多飢人；救之者，省繇役，薄賦歛，出倉谷，振困窮矣。火有變，冬溫夏寒，此王者不明，善者不賞，惡者不絀，不肖在位，賢者伏匿，則寒暑失序，而民疾疫；救之者，舉賢良，賞有功，封有德。土有變，大風至，五穀傷，此不信仁賢，不敬父兄，淫泆無度，宮室榮；救之者，省宮室，去雕文，舉孝悌，恤黎元。金有變，畢昴為回三覆，有武，多兵，多盜寇，此棄義貪財，輕民命，重貨賂，百姓趣利，多奸軌；救之者，舉廉潔，立正直，隱武行文，束甲械。水有變，冬溼多霧，春夏雨雹，此法令緩，刑罰不行；救之者，憂囹圄，案奸宄，誅有罪，五日。

When a change of the five phases arrives, it should be remedied with virtue and carried out across the world, and then the blame is removed; if it is not remedied with virtue, within three years Heaven will rain stones. If wood changes, withering in spring and flourishing in autumn, with trees still standing in autumn and much rain in spring, this is because labor service is heavy and taxes burdensome, the people are poor and rebellious, and there are many hungry people on the roads. The way to remedy it is to reduce labor services, lighten taxes, bring out granary grain, and relieve the poor. If fire changes, warm in winter and cold in summer, this is because the true king is not clear-sighted, does not reward the good or dismiss the evil, the unworthy are in office and the worthy hide away, so cold and heat lose their order and the people have epidemics. The way to remedy it is to recommend the worthy and good, reward the meritorious, and enfeoff the virtuous. If earth changes, with great wind coming and the five grains injured, this is because he does not trust the benevolent and worthy, does not respect his father and elder brothers, is licentious beyond measure, and his palaces are showy. The way to remedy it is to reduce palaces, remove carving, recommend the filial and fraternal, and show concern for the common people. If metal changes, with the Bi and Mao constellations turning three times, there will be military affairs, many troops and many bandits, this is because righteousness is abandoned, wealth is coveted, the people's lives are lightly regarded, goods and bribes are heavily regarded, the people chase profit, and there is much treachery. The way to remedy it is to recommend the honest, set up the upright, hide military affairs and practice civil virtue, and put away arms and armor. If water changes, with winter wet and foggy and hail in spring and summer, this is because laws and orders are lax and punishments are not carried out. The way to remedy it is to be concerned about prisons, investigate treachery and crime, execute the guilty, [a rare character lost in transcription] five days.

王者與臣無禮，貌不肅敬，則木不曲直，而夏多暴風，風者，木之氣也，其音角也，故應之以暴風。王者言不從，則金不從革，而秋多霹灤，霹灤者，金氣也，其音商也，故應之以霹灤。王者視不明，則火不炎上，而秋多電，電者，火氣也，其音徵也，故應之以電。王者聽不聰，則水不潤下，而春夏多暴雨，雨者，水氣也，其音羽也，故應之以暴雨。王者心不能容，則稼穡不成，而秋多雷，雷者，土氣也，其音宮也，故應之以雷。

When a true king lacks ritual toward his ministers and his bearing is not solemn and reverent, then Wood cannot bend and straighten, and summer has many violent winds. Wind is the qi of Wood, whose tone is jue, and so violent winds answer to it. When the true king's words are not followed, then Metal does not follow its change, and autumn has many thunderclaps. Thunderclap is the qi of Metal, whose tone is shang, and so thunderclaps answer to it. When the true king's sight is not clear, then Fire does not flame upward, and autumn has much lightning. Lightning is the qi of Fire, whose tone is zhi, and so lightning answers to it. When the true king's hearing is not keen, then Water does not moisten downward, and spring and summer have many violent rains. Rain is the qi of Water, whose tone is yu, and so violent rain answers to it. When the true king's mind cannot embrace, then sowing and reaping do not succeed, and autumn has much rolling thunder. Thunder is the qi of Earth, whose tone is gong, and so thunder answers to it.

五事：一曰貌，二曰言，三曰視，四曰聽，五曰思，何謂也？夫五事者，人之所受命於天也，而王者所修而治民也，故王者為民，治則不可以不明，準繩不可以不正。王者貌曰恭，恭者，敬也；言曰從，從者，可從；視曰明，明者，知賢不肖，分明黑白也；聽曰聰，聰者，能聞事而審其意也；思曰容，容者，言無不容。恭作肅，從作乂，明作哲，聰作謀，容作聖。何謂也？恭作肅，言王者誠能內有恭敬之姿，而天下莫不肅矣。從作乂，言王者言可從，明正從行，而天下治矣。明作哲，哲者，知也，王者明，則賢者進，不肖者退，天下知善而勸之，知惡而恥之矣。聰作謀，謀者，謀事也，王者聰，則聞事與臣下謀之，故事無失謀矣。容作聖，聖者，設也，王者心寬大無不容，則聖能施設，事各得其宜也。

The Five Affairs: the first is called bearing, the second speech, the third sight, the fourth hearing, the fifth thought; what does this mean? The Five Affairs are the mandate that people receive from Heaven, and what the true king cultivates in order to govern the people. So the true king, acting for the people, cannot but be clear in governing, and the standard cannot but be upright. The true king's bearing is called courtesy, and courtesy is reverence; speech is called compliance, and compliance means being able to be followed; sight is called clarity, and clarity is knowing the worthy from the unworthy and distinguishing black from white; hearing is called acuity, and acuity is being able to hear matters and examine their meaning; thought is called capaciousness, and capaciousness is that in speaking there is nothing he cannot take in. Courtesy produces solemnity, compliance produces order, clarity produces wisdom, acuity produces counsel, and capaciousness produces sagehood. What does this mean? Courtesy producing solemnity means that if the true king really has a reverent bearing within, there is no one in the world who is not solemn. Compliance producing order means that if the true king's words can be followed, are clear and upright, and are carried out accordingly, the world is governed. Clarity producing wisdom: wisdom is knowing; if the true king is clear, then the worthy are advanced and employed and the unworthy dismissed, and the world knows good and is encouraged, and knows evil and is ashamed. Acuity producing counsel: counsel is planning affairs; if the true king is acute, then he hears of affairs and plans with his ministers, and so there is no failure of planning in affairs. Capaciousness producing sagehood: sagehood is arranging and applying; if the true king's mind is broad and there is nothing he cannot embrace, then his sagehood can arrange and apply, and affairs each get what is fitting.

王者能敬則肅，肅則春氣得，故肅者主春。春，陽氣微，萬物柔易移，弱可化。於時陰氣為賊，故王者欽欽不以議陰事，然後萬物遂生，而木可曲直也。春行秋政，則草木凋；行冬政，則雪；行夏政，則殺。春失政則。

If the true king can be reverent, he is solemn, and when solemn he obtains the qi of spring, and so solemnity governs spring. In spring, the yang qi is faint, and the ten thousand things are tender and easily moved, weak and able to be transformed. At this time yin qi acts as a thief, and so the true king is respectful and does not use yin affairs for deliberation, and then the ten thousand things grow smoothly and Wood can bend and straighten. If spring carries out the governance of autumn, grass and trees wither; if it carries out the governance of winter, snow falls; if it carries out the governance of summer, killing occurs. If spring loses its governance then, (the original text probably has missing words here.)

王者能治則義立，義立則秋氣得，故乂者主秋。秋氣始殺，王者行小刑罰，民不犯則禮義成。於時陽氣為賊，故王者輔以官牧之事，然後萬物成熟，秋，草木不榮華，金從革也。秋行春政，則華；行夏政，則喬；行冬政，則落。秋失政，則春大風不解，雷不發聲。

If the true king can govern, righteousness is established, and when righteousness is established he obtains the qi of autumn, and so order governs autumn. The qi of autumn begins to kill, and the true king carries out minor punishments, and if the people do not offend, ritual and righteousness are accomplished. At this time yang qi acts as a thief, and so the true king assists with the affairs of official herding, and then the ten thousand things ripen. In autumn, grass and trees do not flower, and Metal follows its change. If autumn carries out the governance of spring, they flower; if it carries out the governance of summer, they grow tall; if it carries out the governance of winter, they fall away. If autumn loses its governance, then spring's great winds do not subside and thunder does not sound.

王者能知，則知善惡，知善惡，則夏氣得，故哲者主夏。夏，陽氣始盛，萬物兆長，王者不揜明，則道不退塞。而夏至之後，大暑隆，萬物茂育懷任，王者恐明不知賢不肖，分明白黑，於時，寒為賊，故王者輔以賞賜之事，然後夏草木不霜，火炎上也。夏行春政，則風行；秋政，則水行；冬政，則落。夏失政，則冬不凍在，五穀不藏，大寒不解。

If the true king can know, he knows good and evil; knowing good and evil, he obtains the qi of summer, and so wisdom governs summer. In summer, yang qi begins to flourish and the ten thousand things start to grow. If the true king does not shade his clarity, the Way is not withdrawn or blocked. After the summer solstice, great heat is at its height, and the ten thousand things flourish and conceive; the true king may fear that though he is clear, he may not know worthy from unworthy and distinguish black from white. At this time cold acts as a thief, and so the true king assists with the affairs of rewards and gifts, and then in summer grass and trees do not have frost and Fire flames upward. If summer carries out the governance of spring, the wind blows; if it carries out the governance of autumn, water flows; if it carries out the governance of winter, they fall away. If summer loses its governance, then in winter ice does not form, the five grains are not stored, and the great cold does not break.

王者無失謀，然後冬氣得，故謀者主冬。冬，陰氣始盛，草未必死，王者能聞事審謀慮之，則不侵伐，不侵伐且殺，則死者不恨，生者不怨。冬日至之後，大寒降，萬物藏於下，於時，暑為賊，故王者輔之以急斷之事，以水潤下也。冬行春政，則蒸；行夏政，則雷；行秋政，則旱，冬失政，則夏草木不實，霜，五穀疾枯。

If the true king has no failure of planning, then he obtains the qi of winter, and so counsel governs winter. In winter, yin qi begins to flourish, and grass and trees do not necessarily die. If the true king can hear of affairs and examine plans, he will not invade or attack; not invading and attacking and also killing, the dead will not resent and the living will not complain. After the winter solstice, great cold descends and the ten thousand things are stored below. At this time heat acts as a thief, and so the true king assists with affairs of swift decision, and Water moistens downward. If winter carries out the governance of spring, it steams and stagnates; if it carries out the governance of summer, there is thunder; if it carries out the governance of autumn, there is drought. If winter loses its governance, then in summer grass and trees do not bear fruit, frost falls, and the five grains are blighted and wither.

人之言：醞去煙，鴟羽去眯，慈石取鐵，頸金取火，蠶珥絲於室，而弦絕於堂，禾實於野，而粟缺於倉，蕪荑生於燕，橘枳死於荊，此十物者，皆奇而可怪，非人所意也。夫非人所意而然，既已有之矣，或者吉凶禍福、利不利之所從生，無有奇怪，非人所意如是者乎，此等可畏也。孔子曰：“君子有三畏：畏天命，畏大人，畏聖人之言。”彼豈無傷害於人，如孔子徒畏之哉！以此見天之不可不畏敬，猶主上之不可不謹事，不謹事主，其禍來至顯，不畏敬天，其殃來至闇，闇者不見其端，若自然也，故曰：堂堂如天殃。言不必立校，默而無聲，潛而無形也。由是觀之，天殃與主罰所以別者，闇與顯耳，不然其來逮人，殆無以異，孔子同之，俱言可畏也。天地神明之心，與人事成敗之真，固莫之能見也，唯聖人能見之，聖人者，見人之所不見者也，故聖人之言亦可畏也，奈何如廢郊禮？郊禮者，人所最甚重也，廢聖人所最甚重，而吉凶利害在於冥冥不可得見之中，雖已多受其病，何從知之！故曰：問聖人者，問其所為，而無問其所以為也，問其所以為，終弗能見，不如勿問，問為而為之，所不為而勿為，是與聖人同實也，何過之有！詩云：“不騫不忘，率由舊章。”舊章者，先聖人之故文章也，率由各，有修從之也，此言先聖人之故文章者，雖不能深見而詳知其則，猶不知其美譽之功矣。今郊事天之義，此聖人故，故古之聖王，文章之最重者也，前世王莫不從重粟精奉之，以事上天，至於秦，而獨闕然廢之，一何不率由舊章之大甚也。天者，百神之大君也，事天不備，雖百神猶無益也，何以言其然也，祭而地神者，春秋譏之，孔子曰：“獲罪於天，無所禱也。”是其法也。故未見秦國致天福如周國也，詩云：“唯此文王，小心翼翼，昭事上帝，允懷多福。

People say: wine lees can remove smoke, owl feathers can remove dust that makes the eyes squint, the lodestone draws iron, the neck-metal mirror draws fire, silkworms spin in the room yet the strings in the hall are cut, grain bears fruit in the field yet the grain in the granary is lacking, the wuyi grows in Yan, and tangerine and trifoliate orange die in Jing. These ten things are all strange and remarkable, not what people would expect. Since things not expected by people are nevertheless like this, perhaps the origins of auspicious and inauspicious, calamity and blessing, benefit and harm are also strange, not as people expect, like this? This kind of thing is to be feared. Confucius said: "The gentleman has three fears: he fears the mandate of Heaven, he fears great men, and he fears the words of the sages." Do these things do harm to people, such that Confucius feared them in vain? From this we see that Heaven must be revered, just as a ruler must be served with care. If one does not serve a ruler with care, the calamity arrives with great clarity; if one does not revere Heaven, the misfortune arrives in great obscurity. The obscure cannot be seen in its beginnings, as if natural. Therefore it is said: openly as Heaven's misfortune. This says that it need not be verified at once, silent without sound and hidden without form. From this, the difference between Heaven's misfortune and the ruler's punishment is only obscurity and clarity; otherwise, when they arrive on a person, there is hardly any difference. Confucius saw them as the same, and said both are to be feared. The heart of heaven, earth, and the spirits, and the truth of success and failure in human affairs, indeed no one can see, and only the sages can see. A sage is one who sees what people cannot see, and so the sage's words too are to be feared. How could the suburban sacrifice be abandoned? The suburban sacrifice is what people value most. To abandon what the sages value most, while good and ill fortune and benefit and harm lie in the dark and cannot be seen, even if one has already suffered much from the illness, how would one know? So it is said: ask the sages what they did, and do not ask the reason why they did it. If you ask the reason why, in the end you cannot see it, so it is better not to ask. Ask what they did and do it, and what they did not do, do not do; then you are the same in substance as the sages, and what fault is there! The Greater Odes, "Jia Le," say: "Not diminished, not forgotten, following the old statutes." The old statutes are the old texts of the former sages. Following them, each cultivates and follows. This is to say that the old texts of the former sages, even if one cannot deeply see and know their rules in detail, still do not know the merit of its fair repute. Now to serve Heaven with the suburban sacrifice is the established practice of the sages, and so it is the weightiest in the writings of the ancient sage kings. None of the earlier kings failed to attach importance to it and serve Heaven with fine grain; but when it came to Qin, it alone was abandoned entirely, how extremely contrary to following the old statutes. Heaven is the great lord of the hundred spirits. If serving Heaven is not complete, even the hundred spirits are of no benefit. On what ground is this said? Sacrificing to the spirits of the earth is criticized in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Confucius said: "One who offends Heaven has none to pray to." This is that rule. So I have not seen Qin attract Heaven's blessings as Zhou did. The Greater Odes, "Da Ming," say: "Only this King Wen, cautious and careful, clearly served the Lord on High, sincerely drawing many blessings.

”多福者，非謂人也，事功也，謂天之所福也，傳曰：周國子多賢蕃殖，至於駢孕男者四，四產而得八男，皆君子俊雄也，此天之所以興周國也，非周國之所能為也。今秦與周俱得為天子，而所以事天者異於周，以郊為百神始，始入歲首，必以正月上辛日先享天，乃敢於地，先貴之義也，夫歲先之，與歲弗行也，相去遠矣。天下福若無可怪者，然所以久弗行者，非灼灼見其當而故弗行也，典禮之官常嫌疑莫能昭昭明其當也，今切以為其當與不當，可內反於心而定也。堯謂舜曰：“天之歷數在爾躬。”言察身以知天也，今身有子，庸不欲其有子禮也！聖人正名，名不虛生，天子者，則天之子也，以身度天，獨何為不欲其子之有子禮也！今為其天子，而闕然無祭於天，天何必善之！所聞曰：天下和平，則災害不生。今災害生，見天下未和平也，天下所未和平者，天子之教化不政也。詩曰：“有覺德行，四國順之。”覺者，著也，王者有明著之德行於世，則四方莫不響應風化，善於彼矣。故曰：悅於慶賞，嚴於刑罰，疾於法令。

" By "many blessings" is meant not people but achievements, the blessings sent down by Heaven. The tradition says: the descendants of Zhou were often worthy and multiplied, so that four times a birth produced two boys, and in four births there were eight boys, all gentlemen, outstanding and heroic. This is how Heaven raised up Zhou, not something Zhou could do. Now Qin and Zhou both became Sons of Heaven, but how they served Heaven was different from Zhou. They made the suburban sacrifice the beginning of the hundred spirits' sacrifices, entering the new year and without fail in the first month on the first xin day, first making offerings to Heaven, and only then daring to extend to Earth, which is the principle of honoring what is first. To do this first each year versus not doing it for a year is very different. The blessings of the world seem not to be anything strange, yet the reason it has long gone undone is not that they saw clearly that it was proper and deliberately did not do it, but that the officials of ritual were often doubtful and could not clearly see what is proper. Now to truly judge whether it is proper or not, one can return to one's own heart to settle it. Yao said to Shun: "The calendrical numbers of Heaven are in your person." This means examining one's own self to know Heaven. Now if one has a son of one's own, would one not wish him to have the ritual of a son! The sages rectified names, and names do not arise from nothing. The Son of Heaven is the son of Heaven. Measuring Heaven by one's own self, why would one alone not think of one's own son's having the ritual of a son! Now to be its Son of Heaven but entirely lack sacrifice to Heaven, why should Heaven treat him well? What is heard is: when the world is at peace, calamities do not arise. Now calamities arise, which shows that the world is not yet at peace. The reason the world is not at peace is that the Son of Heaven's teaching has not been set right. The Greater Odes, "Yi," say: "With upright and manifest virtue, the four states comply." "Jue" means manifest. If a true king has manifest virtue in the world, then none in the four quarters fail to respond to his influence and turn to goodness there. So it is said: more pleasing than rewards, more severe than punishments, more urgent than laws and decrees.

郊義：春秋之法，王者歲一祭天於郊，四祭於宗廟，宗廟因於四時之易，郊因於新歲之初，聖人有以起之，其以祭，不可不親也。天者，百神之君也，王者之所最尊也，以最尊天之故，故易始歲更紀，即以其初郊，郊必以正月上辛者，言以所最尊首一歲之事，每更紀者，以郊郊祭首之，先貴之義，尊天之道也。

The meaning of the suburban sacrifice: by the rule of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the true king sacrifices to Heaven once a year at the suburban altar and four times in the ancestral temple. The ancestral temple follows the changes of the four seasons, and the suburban sacrifice follows the beginning of the new year. The sages had reasons for raising it, and for the sacrifice it must be done in person. Heaven is the lord of the hundred spirits and what the true king honors most. Because of honoring Heaven most, he changes the beginning of the year and renews the calendar, and uses that beginning for the suburban sacrifice. The suburban sacrifice must be on the first xin day of the first month, meaning that he takes what he honors most as the start of the year's affairs. Each time the calendar is renewed, to begin with the suburban sacrifice is the principle of honoring what is first and the Way of venerating Heaven.

春秋之義，國有大喪者，止宗廟之祭，而不止郊祭，不敢以父母之喪廢事天地之禮也。父母之喪，至哀痛悲苦也，尚不敢廢郊也，庸足以廢郊者，故其在禮亦曰：喪者不祭，唯祭天為越喪而行事。夫古之畏敬天而重天郊如此甚也，今群臣學士不探察曰：“萬民多貧，或頗飢寒，足郊乎！”是何言之誤，天子父母事天，而子孫畜萬民，民未遍飽，無用祭天者，是猶子孫未得食，無用食父母也，言莫逆於是，是其去禮遠也。先貴而後賤，庸貴於天子，天子號天之子也，奈何受為天子之號，而無天子之禮，天子不可不祭天也，無異人之不可以不食父，為人子而不事父者，天下莫能以為可，今為天之子而不事天，何以異是。是故天子每至歲首，必先郊祭以享天，乃敢為地，行子禮也；每將興師，必先郊祭以告天，乃敢征伐，行子道也。文王受命而王天下，先郊乃敢行事，而興師伐崇，其詩曰：“芃芃棫樸，薪之槱之。濟濟闢王，左右趨之。濟濟闢王，左右奉璋。奉璋峨峨，髦士攸宜。”此郊辭也。其下曰：“淠彼涇舟，烝徒橶之。周王於邁，六師及之。”此伐辭也。其下曰：“文王受命，有此武功，既伐於崇，作邑於豐。”以此辭者，見文王受命則郊，郊乃伐崇，伐崇之時，民何處央乎！

The meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals: when a state has a great mourning, it halts the sacrifices in the ancestral temple, but does not halt the suburban sacrifice, not daring to use the mourning of parents to abandon the ritual of serving Heaven and Earth. The mourning of parents is grief and anguish to the utmost, and yet one does not dare abandon the suburban sacrifice; what could be enough to abandon it? So the rites also say: a person in mourning does not sacrifice, and only the sacrifice to Heaven goes on despite mourning. The ancients revered Heaven and valued the suburban sacrifice this deeply. Now the ministers and scholars without investigating say: "The ten thousand people are mostly poor, and some are quite hungry and cold; is it fitting to hold the suburban sacrifice?" How mistaken these words are. The Son of Heaven serves Heaven as a parent and nurtures the ten thousand people as children and grandchildren. If the people have not yet all been fed, one need not sacrifice to Heaven; this is like saying that if the children and grandchildren have not yet had food, one need not feed one's parents; no words are more contrary than these, and they are very far from ritual. Honoring first and the lowly after, is there anyone more honored than the Son of Heaven? The title "Son of Heaven" means son of Heaven; how can one receive the title of Son of Heaven and not have the ritual of the Son of Heaven? The Son of Heaven cannot fail to sacrifice to Heaven, no differently than a person cannot fail to feed his father. If one is a son and does not serve his father, no one in the world could consider that acceptable; now to be the son of Heaven and not serve Heaven, how is this different? For this reason, every time at the beginning of the year the Son of Heaven must first make the suburban sacrifice to offer to Heaven, and only then dare to do so for Earth; this is to follow the ritual of a son. Every time he is about to raise an army, he must first make the suburban sacrifice to report to Heaven, and only then dare to campaign; this is to follow the way of a son. King Wen received the mandate and became king of the world; first he made the suburban sacrifice and only then dared to act, and he raised an army and attacked Chong. The ode says: "The oak and the pu tree flourish, cut down and piled up. The dignified king, left and right hasten to him. The dignified king, left and right carry the jade zhang. Carrying the zhang they are solemn, and the outstanding men are fitting." This is the words of the suburban sacrifice. Below it says: "That boat on the Jing floats, and the many row it with oars. The king of Zhou goes forth, and the six armies follow." This is the words of the campaign. Below that it says: "King Wen received the mandate; he had this martial deed; having attacked Chong, he built a city at Feng." From these words we see that when King Wen received the mandate he made the suburban sacrifice, and only after the sacrifice did he attack Chong. At the time of attacking Chong, how could the people have suffered disaster!

古者歲四祭，四祭者，因四時之生庸而祭其先祖父母也。故春曰祠，夏曰礿，秋曰嘗，冬曰蒸，此言不失其時以奉祭先祖也，過時不祭，則失為人子之道也。祠者，以正月始食韭也，礿者，以四月食麥也，嘗者，以七月嘗黍稷也，蒸者，以十月進初稻也，此天之經也，地之義也，孝子孝婦緣天之時，因地之利，地之菜茹瓜果，藝之稻麥黍稷，菜生谷熟，永思吉日，供具祭物，齋戒沐浴，潔清致敬，祀其先祖父母，孝子孝婦不使時過已，處之以愛敬，行之以恭讓，亦殆免於罪矣。

In ancient times there were four sacrifices a year. The four sacrifices were made with the produce of the four seasons to sacrifice to forebears and parents. So spring is called ci, summer yue, autumn chang, and winter zheng. This means not losing the season in offering sacrifices to the ancestors. To pass the season and not sacrifice is to lose the way of a son. The ci is when the first chives of the first month are eaten; the yue is eating wheat in the fourth month; the chang is tasting millet in the seventh month; the zheng is offering the new rice in the tenth month. This is the constant of Heaven and the rightness of Earth. The filial son and filial daughter-in-law follow Heaven's seasons and rely on Earth's benefits: the vegetables, gourds, and fruits of the earth, the planted rice, wheat, millet, and sorghum; as the vegetables grow and the grain ripens, they always think of an auspicious day, prepare the offerings, fast and bathe, purify themselves and show reverence, and sacrifice to their ancestors and parents. The filial son and daughter-in-law do not let the season pass them by, treat each other with love and respect, and act with courtesy and deference, and so may nearly be free of fault.

已受命而王，必先祭天，乃行王事，文王之伐崇是也，詩曰：“濟濟闢王，左右奉璋。奉璋峨峨，髦士攸宜。”此文王之郊也。其下之辭曰：“淠彼涇舟，烝徒橶之。周王於邁，六師及之。”此文王之伐崇也。上言奉璋，下言伐崇，以是見文王之先郊而後伐也。文王受命則郊，郊乃伐崇，崇國之民方困於暴亂之君，未得被聖人德澤，而文王已郊矣，安在德澤未洽者不可以郊乎！

Having received the mandate and become king, one must first sacrifice to Heaven before undertaking royal affairs, as King Wen's attack on Chong shows. The Greater Odes, "Yu Pu," say: "The dignified king, left and right carry the jade zhang. Carrying the zhang they are solemn, and the outstanding men are fitting." This is King Wen's suburban sacrifice. The words below say: "That boat on the Jing floats, and the many row it with oars. The king of Zhou goes forth, and the six armies follow." This is King Wen attacking Chong. Above it speaks of carrying the zhang, below it speaks of attacking Chong; from this we see that King Wen made the suburban sacrifice first and attacked afterward. When King Wen received the mandate he made the suburban sacrifice, and only after the sacrifice did he attack Chong. The people of Chong were then suffering under a tyrannical ruler and had not yet been covered by the sage's virtue and favor, and yet King Wen had already made the suburban sacrifice. If one whose virtue and favor have not yet reached all cannot hold the suburban sacrifice, then where could it be held!

周宣王時，天下旱，歲惡甚，王憂之，其詩曰：“倬彼雲漢，昭回於天。王曰：‘嗚呼！何辜今之人！天降喪亂，餓饉荐臻。靡神不舉，靡愛斯牲。圭璧既卒，寧莫我聽！旱既太甚，蘊隆蟲蟲。不殄禋祀，自郊徂宮。上下奠瘞，靡神不宗。后稷不克，上帝不臨，耗射下土，寧刃我躬’”宣王自以為不能乎后稷，不中乎上帝，故有此災，有此災，愈恐懼而謹事天，天若不予是家，是家者安得立為天子，立為天子者，天予是家，天予是家者，天使是家，天使是家者，是家天之所予也，天之所使也，天已予之，天已使之，其間不可以接天，何哉？故春秋凡譏郊，未嘗譏君德不成於郊也，乃不郊而祭山川，失祭之敘，逆於禮，故必譏之，以此觀之，不祭天者，乃不可祭小神也。郊因先卜，不吉，不敢郊；百神之祭不卜，而郊獨卜，郊祭最大也。春秋譏喪祭，不譏喪郊，郊不闢喪，喪尚不闢，況他物。郊祝曰：“皇皇上天，照臨下土，集地之靈，降甘風雨，庶物群生，各得其所，靡今靡古，維予一人某，敬拜皇天之祜。”夫不自為言，而為庶物群生言，以人心庶天無尤焉，天無尤焉，而辭恭順，宜可喜也。右郊祀九句，九句者，陽數也。

In the time of King Xuan of Zhou, there was drought in the world and the harvest was very bad, and the king was troubled. The ode says: "How bright is that Milky Way, its light turning across the sky. The king says: 'Alas! What offense have the people of today committed! Heaven has sent down death and disorder, and famine follows one upon another. There is no spirit I have not sacrificed to, and I have spared none of these animals. The jade tablets and discs are already used up; how could they not have heard me! The drought is already too severe, stifling heat flourishing like insects. The sacrifices have not ceased, from the suburbs to the palace. Above and below I have offered and buried, and there is no spirit I have not honored. Houji cannot help, the Lord on High does not descend, the lower earth is wasted; will the blade fall upon my own self?'" King Xuan thought himself unable to match Houji and not in accord with the Lord on High, and so had this calamity; having this calamity, he grew more fearful and served Heaven with care. If Heaven had not given the throne to this house, how could it be set up as Son of Heaven? One established as Son of Heaven is given by Heaven to this house; what Heaven gives to this house is what Heaven employs; what Heaven employs, that house is what Heaven has given and employed. Heaven has already given and already employed, yet in between one cannot connect with Heaven; why is that? Therefore, whenever the Spring and Autumn Annals criticizes the suburban sacrifice, it never criticizes the ruler's virtue as unaccomplished in the suburban sacrifice, but rather criticizes not holding the suburban sacrifice yet sacrificing to mountains and rivers, which loses the order of sacrifice and goes against ritual, and so must be criticized. Seen this way, those who do not sacrifice to Heaven are those who must not sacrifice to minor spirits. For the suburban sacrifice, one first divines, and if it is not auspicious one does not dare hold it; the sacrifices to the hundred spirits are not divined, but the suburban sacrifice alone is divined, because the suburban sacrifice is the greatest. The Spring and Annals criticizes sacrificing during mourning but does not criticize the suburban sacrifice during mourning. The suburban sacrifice does not avoid mourning; if even mourning is not avoided, how much less other things. The suburban prayer says: "August Heaven above, shining down on the lower earth, gathering the spirit of Earth, sending down sweet wind and rain, the myriad things and multitudes of living beings each find their places; whether now or in antiquity, only I, one man, named so and so, respectfully bow to August Heaven's blessing." He does not speak for himself but for the myriad things and multitudes of living beings, hoping with a human heart that Heaven has no resentment. If Heaven has no resentment and the words are respectful, it should be pleasing. The above are nine lines of the suburban sacrifice. Nine lines is a yang number.

父者，子之天也，天者，父之天也，無天而生，未之有也。天者，萬物之祖，萬物非天不生，獨陰不生，獨陽不生，陰陽與天地參然後生，故曰：父之子也可尊，母之子也可卑，尊者取尊號，卑者取卑號，故德侔天地者，皇天右而子之，號稱天子；其次有五等之爵以尊之，皆以國邑為號；其無德於天地之間者，州、國、人、民；甚者不得系國邑，皆絕骨肉之屬，離人倫，謂之閽盜而已，無名姓號氏於天地之間，至賤乎賤者也；其尊至德，巍巍乎不可以加矣，其卑至賤，冥冥其無下矣。春秋列序位，尊卑之陳，累累乎可得而觀也，雖闇至愚，莫不昭然，公子慶父罪亦不當繫於國，以親之故，為之諱，而謂之齊仲孫，去其公子之親也，故有大罪不奉其天命者，皆棄其天倫。人於天也，以道受命，其於人，以言受命；不若於道者，天絕之，不若於言者，人絕之；臣子大受命於君，辭而出疆，唯有社稷國家之危，猶得發辭而專安之盟是也。天子受命於天，諸侯受命於天子，子受命於父，臣妾受命於君，妻受命於夫，諸所受命者，其尊皆天也，雖謂受命於天亦可。天子不能奉天之命，則廢而稱公，王者之後是也；公侯不能奉天子之命，則名絕而不得就位，衛侯朔是也；子不奉父命，則有伯討之罪，衛世子蒯聵是也；臣不奉君命，雖善，以叛言，晉趙鞅入於晉陽以叛是也；妾不奉君之命，則媵女先至者是也；妻不奉夫之命，則絕夫不言及是也；曰不奉順於天者，其罪如此。

The father is the son's Heaven, and Heaven is the father's Heaven. To be born without Heaven has never been. Heaven is the ancestor of the ten thousand things, and the ten thousand things are not born without Heaven: yin alone does not give birth, yang alone does not give birth, and only when yin and yang join with Heaven and Earth is there birth. So it is said: the son of a father can be honored, the son of a mother can be lowly. The honored take honored titles and the lowly take lowly titles. So those whose virtue matches Heaven and Earth are aided by August Heaven, who takes them as sons and gives them the title Son of Heaven; next come those honored by the five ranks of nobility, all using states and cities as titles; those between heaven and earth without virtue are called province, state, person, or people; still lower ones cannot be attached to a state or city, and all are cut off from the bonds of flesh and blood and leave human relations, and are called only gate-robbers, with no name, surname, title, or clan between heaven and earth, the most lowly of the lowly; the honored reach perfect virtue, lofty and incapable of being exceeded, while the lowly reach the utmost abasement, dim with nothing lower. The Spring and Annals sets out the ranks and the arrangement of honored and lowly, which can be viewed in a long line, and even the most benighted find nothing unclear. The guilt of Prince Qingfu should also not be attached to the state; because of kinship, it conceals for him and calls him Zhongsun of Qi, removing his kinship as a prince. So those with great crimes who do not accept Heaven's mandate all have their heavenly relations abandoned. A person receives the mandate from Heaven by the Way, and from other people by words. Those who do not comply with the Way, Heaven cuts off; those who do not comply with words, people cut off. A minister receives a great mandate from his ruler, takes leave and goes out beyond the border, and only when the altars of the state are endangered may he issue words and act on his own authority, as in the covenant of An. The Son of Heaven receives the mandate from Heaven, the feudal lords from the Son of Heaven, the son from the father, ministers and concubines from the ruler, the wife from the husband. In all that is received, the one honored is Heaven, and even to say one receives the mandate from Heaven is acceptable. If the Son of Heaven cannot carry out Heaven's mandate, he is deposed and called duke, as in the descendants of the true king; if a duke or marquis cannot carry out the Son of Heaven's mandate, he is named and cut off and cannot take his position, as with Shuo, Marquis of Wei; if a son does not carry out his father's mandate, he bears the guilt of being attacked by the hegemon, as with Kuaikui, heir of Wei; if a minister does not carry out the ruler's mandate, even if good, it is called rebellion, as in Zhao Yang of Jin entering Jinyang and rebelling; if a concubine does not carry out the ruler's mandate, then it is the accompanying bride who arrives first; if a wife does not carry out the husband's mandate, then she is cut off from the husband and he is not mentioned. It is said: those who do not comply with Heaven have guilt like this.

孔子曰：“畏天命，畏大人，畏聖人之言。”其祭社稷、宗廟、山川、鬼神，不以其道，無災無害；至於祭天不享，其卜不從，使其牛口傷，鼷鼠食其角，或言食牛，或言食而死，或食而生，或不食而自死，或改卜而牛死，或卜而食其角，過有深淺薄厚，而災有簡甚，不可不察也；猶郊之變因其災，而之變應而無為也，見百事之變之所不知而自然者，勝言與！以此見其可畏，專誅絕者，其唯天乎！臣殺君，子殺父，三十有餘，諸其賤者則損，以此觀之，可畏者，其唯天命、大人乎！亡國五十有餘，皆不事畏者也，況不畏大人，大人專誅之，君之滅者，何日之有哉！魯宣違聖人之言，變古易常，而災立至，聖人之言可不慎！此三畏者，異恉而同致，故聖人同之，俱言其可畏也。

Confucius said: "Fear the mandate of Heaven, fear great men, and fear the words of the sages." When sacrifices to the altars of the state, the ancestral temple, mountains and rivers, and ghosts and spirits are not done according to their proper way, there is no calamity and no harm; but when the sacrifice to Heaven is not accepted, the divination does not comply, the ox's mouth is wounded and a shrew gnaws its horn: some say it gnawed the ox, some say it gnawed and the ox died, or gnawed and it lived, or did not gnaw and it died of itself, or the divination was changed and the ox died, or the divination was done and it gnawed the horn. Faults have shallow and deep, thin and thick, and calamities have mild and severe, and one must examine them. Like the changes of the suburban sacrifice that follow from the calamity, and the response to those changes is nothing done, one sees that the changes in a hundred things are unknown and natural, and one cannot finish speaking of them! From this we see it is to be feared. Those who devote themselves to cutting off are probably only Heaven! Ministers who killed rulers and sons who killed fathers number over thirty, and for the lowly the number is diminished. Seen this way, what is to be feared is probably only the mandate of Heaven and great men! Over fifty states have perished, all because they did not serve and did not fear. How much more so one who does not fear great men, whom the great men devote themselves to killing; how many days does a ruler's ruin have left! Duke Xuan of Lu went against the words of the sages, changed the ancient rules, and altered the constants, and calamity arrived at once. Can the words of the sages be disregarded! These three fears have different meanings but converge, and so the sage regarded them as the same and called them all to be feared.

廷尉臣湯昧死言，臣湯承製以郊事問故膠西相仲舒。臣仲舒對曰：“所聞古者天子之禮，莫重於郊，郊常以正月上辛者，所以先百神而最居前，禮三年喪，不祭其先而不敢廢郊，郊重於宗廟，天尊於人也。王制曰：‘祭天地之牛繭栗，宗廟之牛握，賓客之牛尺。’此言德滋美而牲滋微也。春秋曰：‘魯祭周公，用白牡。’色白、貴純也。‘帝牲在滌三月。’牲貴肥潔而不貪其大也。凡養牲之道，務在肥潔而已，駒犢未能勝芻豢之食，莫如令食其母便。”臣湯謹問仲舒：“魯祀周公用白牡，非禮也。”臣仲舒對曰：“禮也。”臣湯問：“周天子用騂犅，群公不毛。周公、諸公也，何以得用純牲？”仲舒對曰：“武王崩，成王立，而在襁褓之中，周公繼文武之業，成二聖之功，德漸天地，澤被四海，故成王賢而貴之，詩云：‘無德不報。’故成王使祭周公以白牡，上不得與天子同色，下有異於諸侯。臣仲舒愚以為報德之禮。”臣湯問仲舒：“天子祭天，諸侯祭土，魯何緣以祭郊？”臣仲舒對曰：“周公傅成王，成王遂及聖，功莫大於此，周公，聖人也，有祭於天道，故成王令魯郊也。”臣湯問仲舒：“魯祭周公用白牡，其郊何用？”臣仲舒對曰：“魯郊用純騂犅，周色上赤，魯以天子命郊，故以騂。”臣湯問仲舒：“祠宗廟或以鳧當鳧，鳧非鳧，可用否？”仲舒對曰：“鶩非鳧，鳧非鶩也。臣聞孔子入太廟，每事問，慎之至也。陛下祭躬親，齋戒沐浴，以承宗廟，甚敬謹，奈何以鳧當鶩，鶩當鳧，名實不相應，以承太廟，不亦不稱乎！臣仲舒愚以為不可。臣犬馬齒衰，賜骸骨，伏陋巷，陛下乃幸使九卿問臣以朝廷之事，臣愚陋，曾不足以承明詔，奉大對。臣仲舒昧死以聞。”

The Commandant of Justice, your servant Tang, at the risk of death submits: your servant Tang received the imperial decree and asked the late Chancellor of Jiaoxi, Zhongshu, about the suburban sacrifice. Your servant Zhongshu replied: "As I have heard, among the rituals of the Sons of Heaven in ancient times, none was weightier than the suburban sacrifice. The suburban sacrifice is always on the first xin day of the first month, in order to precede the hundred spirits and stand foremost. By the ritual, in the three-year mourning, one does not sacrifice to one's ancestors but does not dare abandon the suburban sacrifice. The suburban sacrifice outweighs the ancestral temple, and Heaven is more honored than people. The Royal Regulations say: 'The ox sacrificed to heaven and earth has horns like a cocoon or chestnut; the ox of the ancestral temple has horns like a handful; the ox for guests has horns a foot long.' This means that the finer the virtue, the humbler the sacrificial animal. The Spring and Autumn Annals says: 'Lu sacrificed to the Duke of Zhou with a white bull.' White in color values purity. 'The Lord's sacrificial animal stays in the purification hall for three months.' For the animal, fat and clean is valued and size is not coveted. In all ways of raising sacrificial animals, one strives only for fat and clean. A calf or colt that cannot yet bear the fodder of grain-fed animals is better left to eat its mother's milk." Your servant Tang respectfully asks Zhongshu: "Lu sacrificing to the Duke of Zhou with a white bull was against ritual." Your servant Zhongshu replied: "It was in accord with ritual." Your servant Tang asked: "The Zhou Son of Heaven used a red bull, and the other dukes used mixed-colored animals. The Duke of Zhou was one of the dukes; why could he use an animal of pure color?" Zhongshu replied: "When King Wu died and King Cheng took the throne, he was still in swaddling clothes; the Duke of Zhou continued the work of Wen and Wu and accomplished the merit of the two sages, his virtue soaked heaven and earth and his favor covered the four seas, and so King Cheng honored and valued him. The Book of Songs says: 'There is no virtue not repaid.' So King Cheng had Lu sacrifice to the Duke of Zhou with a white bull: above, it could not be the same color as the Son of Heaven's, and below, it differed from the feudal lords'. Your servant Zhongshu's humble view is that this is the ritual of repaying virtue." Your servant Tang asked Zhongshu: "The Son of Heaven sacrifices to Heaven and the feudal lords sacrifice to the soil; on what basis did Lu hold the suburban sacrifice?" Your servant Zhongshu replied: "The Duke of Zhou assisted and tutored King Cheng, and King Cheng then reached sagehood, and no merit is greater than that. The Duke of Zhou was a sage and had a sacrifice in the way of Heaven, and so King Cheng allowed Lu to hold the suburban sacrifice." Your servant Tang asked Zhongshu: "Lu sacrificed to the Duke of Zhou with a white bull; what did it use for the suburban sacrifice?" Your servant Zhongshu replied: "Lu used a pure red bull for the suburban sacrifice. Zhou's color honored red, and Lu held the suburban sacrifice by the Son of Heaven's order, and so used red." Your servant Tang asked Zhongshu: "In sacrificing in the ancestral temple, some use a wild duck in place of a domestic duck; a wild duck is not a domestic duck; may it be used?" Zhongshu replied: "A domestic duck is not a wild duck, and a wild duck is not a domestic duck. Your servant has heard that when Confucius entered the Grand Temple, he asked about everything, with the utmost care. Your Majesty personally sacrifices, fasts and bathes, and serves the ancestral temple with great reverence; how could you take a wild duck for a domestic duck, or a domestic duck for a wild duck? If name and reality do not correspond, and one uses this to serve the Grand Temple, is that not also unfitting! Your servant Zhongshu's humble view is that it cannot be done. Your servant, with dog-and-horse years declining, was granted leave to return my bones, and lies in a humble lane, yet Your Majesty has condescended to have a Minister ask your servant about court affairs. Your servant is foolish and crude and not even fit to receive the clear edict and offer a great reply. Your servant Zhongshu, at the risk of death, reports."

凡執贄：天子用暢，公侯用玉，卿用羔，大夫用雁。雁乃有類於長者，長者在民上，必施然有先後之隨，必俶然有行列之治，故大夫以為贄。羔有角而不任，設備而不用，類好仁者；執之不鳴，殺之不諦，類死義者；羔食於其母，必跪而受之，類知禮者；故羊之為言猶祥與，故卿以為贄。玉有似君子。子曰：“人而不曰如之何，如之何者，吾末如之何也矣。”故匿病者，不得良醫，羞問者，聖人去之，以為遠功而近有災，是則不有。玉至清而不蔽其惡，內有瑕穢，必見之於外，故君子不隱其短，不知則問，不能則學，取之玉也。君子比之玉，玉潤而不汙，是仁而至清潔也；廉而不殺，是義而不害也；堅而不硻，過而不濡，視之如庸，展之如石，狀如石，搔而不可從繞，潔白如素而不受汙，玉類備者，故公侯以為贄。暢有似於聖人者，純仁淳粹，而有知之貴也，擇於身者，盡為德音，發於事者，盡為潤澤，積美陽芳香以通之天，暢亦取百香之心獨末之，合之為一，而達其臭氣暢於天，其淳粹無擇，與聖人一也，故天子以為贄，而各以事上也。觀贄之意，可以見其事。

For all those who carry gifts of introduction: the Son of Heaven uses fragrant sacrificial wine, dukes and marquises use jade, ministers use lambs, and grandees use wild geese. The wild goose resembles an elder: elders stand above the people, and so they must proceed leisurely with those who follow in order, and must govern evenly with ranks in line, and so grandees use it as their gift. The lamb has horns but does not use them, setting up defenses without using them, resembling a person who loves benevolence; seized, it does not cry, killed, it does not bleat, resembling a person who dies for righteousness; when a lamb nurses from its mother, it kneels to receive it, resembling a person who knows ritual. So the character for sheep is like that for auspice, and therefore ministers use it as their gift. Jade resembles the gentleman. Confucius said: "If a person does not say 'what is to be done, what is to be done,' there is nothing I can do for him." So those who conceal an illness cannot get a good physician; those who are ashamed to ask, the sage leaves them, thinking they are far from merit and close to calamity, and then there is nothing left. Jade is purest and does not conceal its flaws; if there are blemishes within, they certainly show outside, and so the gentleman does not hide his shortcomings, asks when he does not know, and learns when he cannot do something; this is taken from jade. The gentleman compares himself to jade: jade is smooth and not soiled, being benevolent and supremely clean; it has edges and does not harm, being righteous and not harming; it is hard but not brittle and passes through but is not soft; looked at it seems ordinary, unfolded it is like stone, shaped like stone, but scratched it cannot be followed around, and white as plain silk and not stained. Jade is complete in these kinds, so dukes and marquises use it as their gift. Fragrant wine resembles the sage: purely benevolent and unmixed, with the nobility of knowing. What it chooses in the person is all virtuous sound; what is issued in affairs is all moistening grace. It accumulates fine yang and fragrance to reach Heaven. Fragrant wine takes the heart of the hundred scents, uses only their tips, and combines them into one, so that its aroma reaches Heaven freely. It is pure and without selection, and is one with the sage, so the Son of Heaven uses it as his gift, and each uses it to serve those above. By observing the meaning of the gift, one can see the matter.

山則巃嵷崔，嶊嵬●巍，久不崩，似仁人志士。孔子曰：“山川神隻立，寶藏殖，器用資，曲直合，大者可以為宮室臺榭，小者可以為舟輿畜灄，大者無不中，小者無不入，持斧則斫，折鐮則艾，生人立，禽獸伏，死人入，多其功而不言，是以君子取譬也。且積土成山，無損也；成其高，無害也；成其大，無虧也；小其上，泰其下，久長安後世，無有去就，儼然獨處，惟山之意。詩云：‘節彼南山，惟石巖巖；赫赫師尹，民具爾瞻。’此之謂也。”

As for a mountain, it is lofty and towering (a rare character in the original text, lost in transcription), high and sheer (a character damaged in the original), lasting long without collapse (a rare character in the original text, lost in transcription), like a benevolent person of high aspiration. Confucius said: "Mountains and rivers establish their spirits, treasures are produced and multiplied, utensils are drawn from them, and crooked and straight alike fit: the large can make palaces, terraces, and pavilions, and the small can make boats, carts, and stored goods. The large are all useful and the small all go in. Take an axe and fell, break a sickle and reap. The living stand on top of it, birds and beasts hide inside it, and the dead are buried in it. It does much good yet says nothing, and so the gentleman takes it as a comparison. Moreover, soil heaped up makes a mountain without loss; accomplishing its height does no harm; accomplishing its greatness suffers no deficiency. Small above and secure below, long steady for later ages, without coming or going, it stands solemnly alone there, which is simply the meaning of a mountain. The Lesser Odes, 'Jie Nan Shan,' says: 'That lofty southern mountain, with rocks piled layer upon layer; the mighty Shi Yin, the people all look to you.' This is what it speaks of."

水則源泉混混澐澐，晝夜不竭，既似力者；盈科後行，既似持平者，循微赴下，不遺小間，既似察者；循溪谷不迷，或奏萬里而必至，既似知者；障防山而能清淨，既似知命者；不清而入，潔清而出，既似善化者；赴千仞之壑，入而不疑，既似勇者；物皆困於火，而水獨勝之，既似武者；鹹得之而生，失之而死，既似有德者。孔子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫，不捨晝夜。”此之謂也。

As for water, the springs gush and flow without drying up day or night, already like a person of strength; filling hollows and then going forward, already like a person who holds level; following the finest passages to go low and not leaving out small gaps, already like a person of discernment; following valleys without losing the way, or going ten thousand li and surely arriving, already like a person of knowledge; blocked and dammed in the mountains yet able to be clear, already like a person who knows fate; entering unclear and leaving pure, already like a person good at transforming others; rushing into a ravine a thousand fathoms deep and entering without hesitation, already like a brave person; when all things are hard pressed by fire, water alone can overcome it, already like a martial person; all obtain it and live, lose it and die, already like a person of virtue. Confucius said by the river: "What passes is like this, never stopping day or night." This is what it speaks of.

春旱求雨，令縣邑以水日禱社稷山川，家人祀戶，無伐名木，無斬山林，暴巫，聚尪，八日於邑東門之外，為四通之壇，方八尺，植蒼繒八，其神共工，祭之以生魚八、玄酒、具清酒、膊脯，擇巫之潔清辯利者以為祝，祝齋三日，服蒼衣，先再拜，乃跪陳，陳已，復再拜，乃起。祝曰：“昊天生五穀以養人，今五穀病旱，恐不成實，敬進清酒膊脯，再拜請雨。雨幸大澍，即奉牲禱。”以甲乙日為大蒼龍一，長八丈，居中央，為小龍七，各長四丈，於東方，皆東鄉，其間相去八尺，小童八人，皆齋三日，服青衣而舞之，田嗇夫亦齋三日，服青衣而立之，鑿社，通之於閭外之溝，取五蝦蟆，錯置社之中，池方八尺，深一尺，置水蝦蟆焉，具清酒、膊脯，祝齋三日，服蒼衣，拜跪陳祝如初，取三歲雄雞與三歲豭豬，皆燔之於四通神宇，令民闔邑里南門，置水其外，開邑里北門，具老豭豬一，置之於裡北門之外，市中亦置豭豬一，聞鼓聲，皆燒豭豬尾，取死人骨埋之，開山淵，積薪而燔之，信道橋之壅塞，不行者決瀆之，幸而得雨，報以處一，酒鹽黍財足，以茅為席，毋斷。

Seeking rain in spring when there is drought: order the counties and towns on water days to pray to the altars of the state, mountains, and rivers; households sacrifice to the door; do not fell famous trees or cut the mountain forests; have the shamans exposed to the sun and gather the emaciated; on the eighth day outside the east gate of the town, make an altar open on all four sides, eight feet square, and set up eight lengths of blue-green silk; the spirit is Gonggong, and sacrifice with eight fresh fish and dark wine, with clear wine and dried meat prepared. Choose a shaman from the neighborhood who is pure and eloquent as invocator. The invocator fasts three days, wears blue-green clothes, first bows twice, and only then kneels and presents the invocation; when finished presenting, bows twice again, and only then rises. The invocation says: "August Heaven produces the five grains to feed people; now the five grains suffer from drought, and I fear they cannot ripen. I respectfully offer clear wine and dried meat and bow twice to ask for rain. If rain falls abundantly, I will offer sacrificial animals in thanks." On jia and yi days make one great blue-green dragon, eight zhang long, placed in the center; make seven small dragons, each four zhang long, in the east, all facing east, eight feet apart. Eight boys fast for three days and dance wearing blue-green clothes. The field overseer also fasts for three days and stands wearing blue-green clothes. Dig open the altar and connect it to the ditch outside the neighborhood gate; take five toads and place them mixed in the altar. Make a pool eight feet square and one foot deep, and place water toads in it. Prepare clear wine and dried meat. The invocator fasts three days, wears blue-green clothes, and bows, kneels, and presents the invocation as at first. Take a three-year-old rooster and a three-year-old boar and burn them in the open-sided spirit hall. Order the people to close the south gate of the town and let water out, open the north gate of the town, prepare an old boar and place it outside the north gate, and place one boar in the market as well. When the drum sounds, all burn boar tails. Bury the bones of the dead, open the mountain ravines, pile up firewood and burn it, clear blockages in roads and bridges, and open ditches where they do not pass. If rain is fortunately obtained, offer one animal in thanks, with wine, salt, millet, and goods sufficient, and use thatch for mats without cutting it.

夏求雨，令縣邑以水日，家人祀灶，無舉土功，更火浚井，暴釜於壇，臼杵於術，七日為四通之壇於邑南門之外，方七尺，植赤繒七，其神送尤，祭之以赤雄雞七、玄酒，具清酒、膊脯，祝齋三日，服赤衣，拜跪陳祝如春辭。以丙刃日為大赤龍一，長七丈，居中央，又為小龍六，各長三丈五尺，於南方，皆南鄉，其間相去七尺，壯者七人，皆齋三日，服赤衣而舞，司空嗇夫亦齋三日，服赤衣而立之，鑿社，而通之閭外之溝，取五蝦暮，錯置里社之中，池方七尺，深一尺，具酒脯，祝齋，衣赤衣，拜跪陳祝如初，取三歲雄雞豭豬，燔之四通神宇，開陰閉陽如春也。

Seeking rain in summer: order the counties and towns on water days, households sacrifice to the stove, do not undertake earthworks, change the fire and dredge the wells, expose the cauldrons on the altar to the sun and place mortars and pestles on the roads. On the seventh day outside the south gate of the town make an altar open on all four sides, seven feet square, and set up seven lengths of red silk; the spirit is Chiyou, and sacrifice with seven red roosters and dark wine, with clear wine and dried meat prepared. The invocator fasts three days, wears red clothes, and bows, kneels, and presents the invocation as in the spring words. On bing and ding days (the original text writes "bing ren"; ren is a miswriting of ding) make one great red dragon, seven zhang long, placed in the center; also make six small dragons, each three zhang five chi long, in the south, all facing south, seven feet apart. Seven strong men fast for three days and dance wearing red clothes. The overseer of works also fasts for three days and stands wearing red clothes. Dig open the altar and connect it to the ditch outside the neighborhood gate; take five toads and place them mixed in the neighborhood altar. Make a pool seven feet square and one foot deep. Prepare wine and dried meat. The invocator fasts, wears red clothes, and bows, kneels, and presents the invocation as at first. Take a three-year-old rooster and boar and burn them in the open-sided spirit hall. Open yin and close yang as in spring.

季夏禱山陵以助之，令縣邑十日壹徙市於邑南門之外，五日禁男子無得行入市，家人祠中溜，無舉土功，聚巫市傍，為之結蓋，為四通之壇於中央，植黃繒五，其神后稷，祭之以母?五、玄酒，具清酒、膊脯，令各為祝齋三日，衣黃衣，皆如春祠。以戊己日為大黃龍一，長五丈，居中央，又為小龍四，各長二丈五尺，於南方，皆南鄉，其間相去五尺，丈夫五人，皆齋三日，服黃衣而舞之，老者五人，亦齋三日，衣黃衣而立之，亦通社中於閭外之溝，蝦蟆，池方五尺，深一尺，他皆如前。

In late summer, pray at the mountains and mounds to assist: order the counties and towns to move the market once every ten days to outside the south gate of the town, and for five days forbid men from entering the market. Households sacrifice to the central courtyard, do not undertake earthworks, gather the shamans beside the market, and give them shelter. In the center make an altar open on all four sides and set up five lengths of yellow silk; the spirit is Houji, and sacrifice with five female (a character lost in transcription in the original text) animals and dark wine, with clear wine and dried meat prepared. Have each act as invocator, fast three days, and wear yellow clothes, all as in the spring sacrifice. On wu and ji days make one great yellow dragon, five zhang long, placed in the center; also make four small dragons, each two zhang five chi long, in the south, all facing south, five feet apart. Five men fast for three days and dance wearing yellow clothes. Five elders also fast for three days and stand wearing yellow clothes. Also connect the altar to the ditch outside the neighborhood gate. The toad pool is five feet square and one foot deep. Everything else is as before.

秋暴巫尪至九日，無舉火事，無煎金器，家人祠門，為四通之壇於邑西門之外，方九尺，植白繒九，其神少昊，祭之以桐木魚九，玄酒，具清酒、膊脯，衣白衣，他如春。以庚辛日為大白龍一，長九丈，居中央，為小龍八，各長四丈五尺，於西方，皆西鄉，其間相去九尺，鰥者九人，皆齋三日，服白衣而舞之，司馬亦齋三日，衣白衣而立之，蝦蟆，池方九尺，深一尺，他皆如前。

In autumn, have shamans and emaciated persons exposed to the sun for nine days, do not undertake fire work, do not melt metal vessels, and households sacrifice to the gate. Outside the west gate of the town make an altar open on all four sides, nine feet square, and set up nine lengths of white silk; the spirit is Shaohao, and sacrifice with nine paulownia-wood fish and dark wine, with clear wine and dried meat prepared, wearing white clothes, and the rest as in spring. On geng and xin days make one great white dragon, nine zhang long, placed in the center; make eight small dragons, each four zhang five chi long, in the west, all facing west, nine feet apart. Nine widowers fast for three days and dance wearing white clothes. The Minister of War also fasts for three days and stands wearing white clothes. The toad pool is nine feet square and one foot deep. Everything else is as before.

冬舞龍六日，禱於名山以助之，家人祠井，無壅水，為四通之壇於邑北門之外，方六尺，植黑繒六，其神玄冥，祭之以黑狗子六、玄酒，具清酒、膊脯，祝齋三日，衣黑衣，祝禮如春。以壬癸日為大黑龍一，長六丈，居中央，又為小龍五，各長三丈，於北方，皆北鄉，其間相去六尺，老者六人，皆齋三日，衣黑衣而舞之，尉亦齋三日，服黑衣而立之，蝦蟆、池，皆如春。

In winter, dance the dragons for six days and pray at famous mountains to assist. Households sacrifice to the well and do not block the water. Outside the north gate of the town make an altar open on all four sides, six feet square, and set up six lengths of black silk; the spirit is Xuanming, and sacrifice with six black puppies and dark wine, with clear wine and dried meat prepared. The invocator fasts three days, wears black clothes, and the invocation ritual is as in spring. On ren and gui days make one great black dragon, six zhang long, placed in the center; also make five small dragons, each three zhang long, in the north, all facing north, six feet apart. Six elders fast for three days and dance wearing black clothes. The commandant also fasts for three days and stands wearing black clothes. The toad pool is all as in spring.

四時皆以水日，為龍必取潔土為之，結蓋，龍成而發之。四時皆以庚子之日，令吏民夫婦皆偶處。凡求雨之大體，丈夫欲藏匿，女子欲和而樂。

In all four seasons it is on water days. In making the dragons one must take clean earth to make them and cover them with shelter, and when the dragons are finished they are opened. In all four seasons on the gengzi day, order officials and people, husbands and wives, to stay together in pairs. The general principle of all rain-seeking: men must hide away, and women must be harmonious and joyful.

雨太多，令縣邑於土日塞水瀆，絕道，蓋井，禁婦人不得行入市，令縣鄉里皆掃社，下縣邑若丞合史嗇夫三人以上，祝一人，鄉嗇夫若吏三人以上，祝一人，里正父老三人以上，祝一人，皆齋三日，各衣時衣，具處一，黍鹽美酒財足祭社，擊鼓三日，而祝先再拜，乃跪陳，陳已，復再拜，乃起。祝曰：“嗟！天生五穀以養人，今淫雨太多，五穀不和，敬進肥牲清酒，以請社靈，幸為止雨，除民所苦，無使陰滅陽，陰滅陽，不順於天，天之常意在於利人，人願止雨，敢告於社。”鼓而無歌，至罷乃止。凡止雨之大體，女子欲其藏而匿也，丈夫欲其和而樂也，開陽而閉陰，闔水而開大，以朱絲縈社十週，衣赤衣赤幘，三日罷。二十一年八月甲申朔丙午，江都相仲舒告內史中尉：陰雨太久，恐傷五穀，趣止雨，止雨之禮，廢陰起陽，書十七縣、八十離鄉，及都官吏千石以下夫婦在官者，鹹遣婦歸，女子不得至市，市無詣井，蓋之，勿令洩，鼓用牲於社。祝之曰：“雨以太多，五穀不和，敬進肥牲，以請社靈，社靈幸為止雨，除民所苦，無使陰滅陽，陰滅陽，不順於天，天意常在於利民，願止雨，敢告。”鼓用牲於社，皆壹以辛亥之日，書到，即起縣社令長若丞尉官長，各城邑社嗇夫裡吏正里人皆出，至於社，下餔而罷，三日而止，未至三日，天?亦止。

Too much rain: order the counties and towns on earth days to block the water channels, cut off the roads, cover the wells, and forbid women from entering the market. Order the counties, townships, and neighborhoods all to sweep the altar of the state. Down to the county and town, where there are three or more among deputy, clerk, and overseer, one invocator; where there are three or more among township overseers or officials, one invocator; where there are three or more among neighborhood heads and elders, one invocator. All fast for three days, each wearing the clothing of the current season, and prepare one pig and millet, salt, fine wine, and goods sufficient to sacrifice to the altar. Beat the drum for three days; the invocator first bows twice, and only then kneels and presents the invocation, and when finished bows twice again and only then rises. The invocation says: "Alas! Heaven produced the five grains to feed people; now excessive rain is too much and the five grains are not in harmony. I respectfully offer a fat animal and clear wine to ask the spirit of the altar, hoping the rain will stop and what troubles the people be removed, and that yin not extinguish yang. Yin extinguishing yang is not in accord with Heaven. Heaven's constant intent is to benefit people. The people wish the rain to stop; I dare report to the altar." Beat the drum but do not sing, and stop only when it is finished. The general principle of all stopping of rain: women must hide away, and men must be harmonious and joyful. Open yang and close yin, close water and open fire. Wind red silk around the altar ten times, wearing red clothes and red caps, for three days to finish. In the twenty-first year, eighth month, first day jiashen, on the bingwu day, Zhongshu, Chancellor of Jiangdu, announced to the Interior Minister and the Commandant: the yin rains have lasted too long and I fear they will damage the five grains; stop the rain quickly. The ritual of stopping rain is to abolish yin and raise yang. The document arrived in seventeen counties and eighty township divisions, and among all the officials of the capital offices with salary of a thousand shi or less whose husbands and wives were in office, all were to send their wives and children back, women were not to go to the market, and the market was not to go to the well; cover the wells so they do not leak. Beat drums and offer animals at the altar. The invocation says: "Because the rain is too much and the five grains are not in harmony, I respectfully offer a fat animal to ask the spirit of the altar; may the spirit of the altar fortunately stop the rain, remove what troubles the people, and not let yin extinguish yang. Yin extinguishing yang is not in accord with Heaven. Heaven's intent is constantly to benefit the people. May the rain stop; I dare report." Beat drums and offer animals at the altar, always on the xinhai day. When the document arrives, begin: the county altar officials, magistrates, deputies, commandants, and chiefs, and the altar overseers, neighborhood officials, heads, and neighborhood people of each town all come out and go to the altar and remain until the shen hour in the afternoon, for three days and then stop. Before three days were up, Heaven (a character lost in transcription in the original text) had stopped as well.

五穀食物之性也，天之所以為人賜也，宗廟上四時之所成，受賜而薦之宗廟，敬之性也，於祭之而宜矣。宗廟之祭物之厚無上也，春上豆實，夏上尊實，秋上朹實，冬上敦實。豆實，韭也，春之所始生也；尊實，●也，夏之所受初也；朹實，黍也，秋之所先成也；敦實，稻也，冬之所畢熟也。始生故曰祠，善其司也；夏約故曰礿，貴所受初也；先成故曰嘗，嘗言甘也；畢熟故曰蒸，蒸言眾也；奉四時所受於天者而上之，為上祭，貴天賜且尊宗廟也，孔子受君賜則以祭，況受天賜乎！一年之中，天賜四至，至則上之，此宗廟所以歲四祭也。故君子未嘗不食新，新天賜至，必先薦之，乃敢食之，尊天敬宗廟之心也，尊天，美義也，敬宗廟，大禮也，聖人之所謹也，不多而欲潔清，不貪數而欲恭敬。君子之祭也，躬親之，致其中心之誠，盡敬潔之道，以接至尊，故鬼享之，享之如此，乃可謂之能祭。祭者，察也，以善逮鬼神之謂也，善乃逮不可聞見者，故謂之察，吾以名之所享，故祭之不虛，安所可察哉！祭之為言際也與，祭然後能見不見，見不見之見者，然後知天命鬼神，知天命鬼神，然後明祭之意，明祭之意，乃知重祭事，孔子曰：“吾不與祭，如不祭。祭神如神在。”重祭事如事生，故聖人於鬼神也，畏之而不敢欺也，信之而不獨任，事之而不專恃，恃其公，報有德也，幸其不私與人福也，其見於詩曰：“嗟爾君子，毋恆安息，靜共爾位，好是正直，神之聽之，介爾景福。”正直者，得福也，不正者，不得福，此其法也，以詩為天下法矣。何謂不法哉？其辭直而重有再嘆之，欲人省其意也，而人尚不省，何其忘哉！孔子曰：“書之重，辭之復。嗚呼！不可不察也，其中必有美者焉。”此之謂也。

The five grains are the nature of food and are what Heaven gives to people. In the ancestral temple one offers what the four seasons have accomplished, receiving the gift and presenting it in the temple; this is the nature of reverence and is fitting for sacrifice. Among the sacrifices of the ancestral temple, no material offering is more generous than these. In spring one offers the contents of the dou vessel, in summer the contents of the zun vessel, in autumn the contents of the bian vessel, and in winter the contents of the dui vessel. The dou offering is chives, which begin to grow in spring; the zun offering is (a character is missing in the source text), which summer first receives; the bian offering is millet, which autumn brings to completion first; the dui offering is rice, which winter completes in ripening. Because it is the beginning of growth, it is called ci, praising its management; because summer is simple, it is called yue, valuing what is first received; because it is first completed, it is called chang, meaning sweet; because it is completed in ripening, it is called zheng, meaning abundant. Presenting up what the four seasons receive from Heaven as the highest sacrifice values Heaven's gift and honors the ancestral temple. When Confucius received a gift from the ruler he used it for sacrifice, how much more when receiving a gift from Heaven! Within a year Heaven's gifts arrive four times, and when they arrive they are offered, which is why the ancestral temple has four sacrifices a year. So the gentleman never eats anything new without first offering it: when Heaven's new gift arrives, it must first be presented before one dares to eat, out of a heart that honors Heaven and respects the ancestral temple. Honoring Heaven is a fine righteousness and respecting the ancestral temple is a great ritual, and these are what the sage is careful about: not seeking much but wanting purity, not coveting frequency but wanting reverence. In the gentleman's sacrifice he does it himself, giving the sincerity of his heart and exhausting the way of reverence and purity, to receive the most honored, so that the spirits partake. Only when they partake to this extent can it be called able to sacrifice. Sacrifice (ji) is examination (cha), meaning reaching the spirits by goodness. When goodness reaches what cannot be heard or seen, it is called examination. If I partake because of the name, then the sacrifice is empty; how can it be examined! The word 'sacrifice' probably means 'boundary' (ji). Only through sacrifice can one see the unseen; seeing that unseen, one then knows the mandate of Heaven and the spirits; knowing the mandate of Heaven and the spirits, one then understands the meaning of sacrifice; understanding the meaning of sacrifice, one knows to value sacrificial affairs. Confucius said, 'If I do not take part in the sacrifice, it is as if I had not sacrificed. Sacrifice to the spirits as if the spirits were present.' Valuing sacrificial affairs is like serving the living. So the sage toward the spirits fears and does not dare to deceive, trusts but does not rely on them alone, serves them but does not depend on them exclusively: he depends on their impartiality, rewarding those with virtue, and is glad that they do not give blessings privately. This is seen in the Lesser Odes, 'Xiao Ming' in the Book of Songs: 'Alas, you gentlemen, do not rest constantly; quietly and respectfully hold your position and love the upright. The spirits will listen and give you great blessing.' The upright receive blessing and those who are not upright do not receive blessing; this is the law, and making the poem a standard for the world, how can it be said not to be taken as a model? Its wording is direct and weighty, with repeated sighs, wanting people to examine its meaning, yet people still do not know how to examine; how forgetful! Confucius said, 'The repetitions in the Documents and the repeated phrasing in the words. Alas! One must not fail to examine them, for there must be something fine in them.' This is what it means.

循天之道以養其身，謂之道也。天有兩和，以成二中，歲立其中，用之無窮，是北方之中用合陰，而物始動於下，南方之中用合陽，而養始美於上。其動於下者，不得東方之和不能生，中春是也；其養於上者，不得西方之和不能成，中秋是也。然則天地之美惡在？兩和之處，二中之所來歸，而遂其為也。是故東方生而西方成，東方和生，北方之所起；西方和成，南方之所養長；起之，不至於和之所不能生；養長之，不至於和之所不能成；成於和，生必和也；始於中，止必中也；中者，天地之所終始也，而和者，天地之所生成也。夫德莫大於和，而道莫正於中，中者，天地之美達理也，聖人之所保守也，詩云：“不剛不柔，佈政優優。”此非中和之謂與！是故能以中和理天下者，其德大盛，能以中和養其身者，其壽極命。男女之法，法陰與陽，陽氣起於北方，至南方而盛，盛極而合乎陰；陰氣起乎中夏，至中冬而盛，盛極而合乎陽；不盛不合。是故十月而壹俱盛，終歲而乃再合，天地久節，以此為常，是故先法之內矣，養身以全，使男子不堅牡，不家室，陰不極盛，不相接，是故身精明難衰而堅固，壽考無忒，此天地之道也。天氣先盛牡而後施精，故其精固，地氣盛牝而後化，故其化良。是故陰陽之會，冬合北方，而物動於下，夏合南方，而物動於上，上下之大動，皆在日至之後，為寒，則凝在裂地，為熱，則焦沙爛石，氣之精至於是。故天地之化，春氣生，而百物皆出，夏氣養，而百物皆長，秋氣殺，而百物皆死，冬氣收，而百物皆藏。是故惟天地之氣而精，出入無形，而物莫不應，實之至也。君子法乎其所貴，天地之陰陽當男女，人之男女當陰陽，陰陽亦可以謂男女，男女亦可以謂陰陽。

Following the Way of Heaven to nurture oneself is called the Way. Heaven has two harmonies, which accomplish two centers. A year stands in them, and its use has no end. The center of the north combines with yin, and things begin to stir below; the center of the south combines with yang, and nurturing begins to flourish above. What stirs below cannot live without obtaining the harmony of the east, which is mid-spring; what is nurtured above cannot be completed without obtaining the harmony of the west, which is mid-autumn. Then where do the good and bad of Heaven and Earth lie? They lie in the place of the two harmonies, the places to which the two centers return, and in following what they do. So the east gives life and the west completes: the east's harmony gives life, as raised by the north; the west's harmony completes, as nourished by the south. When something is raised, without reaching the place of harmony it cannot live; when it is nourished and grown, without reaching the place of harmony it cannot be completed. Completion is in harmony and life must be in harmony; beginning is in the center and ending must be in the center. The center is where Heaven and Earth begin and end; harmony is what Heaven and Earth generate and complete. No virtue is greater than harmony, and no Way is more correct than the center. The center is the principle by which the goodness of Heaven and Earth is conveyed, and what the sage keeps. The Book of Songs, 'Chang Fa' in the Hymns of Shang, says: 'Neither hard nor soft, spreading government with generous harmony.' Is this not the meaning of central harmony! So one who can govern the world with central harmony has virtue greatly flourishing; one who can nurture himself with central harmony has a life that reaches its proper years. The rule of male and female takes yin and yang as model. Yang qi arises from the north and flourishes in the south, and when flourishing reaches its limit it joins yin; yin qi arises from mid-summer and flourishes in mid-winter, and when flourishing reaches its limit it joins yang. Without flourishing it does not join. So in the tenth month all become flourishing together, and only after a full year do they join again. The long-lasting rhythm of Heaven and Earth takes this as the constant rule. So first take it as a model within: nurturing the body seeks completeness, so that a man does not establish a household before his prime, and yin and yang do not meet before they have fully flourished; so the body's essence and clarity are hard to decline and are firm, life is without error; this is the Way of Heaven and Earth. Heaven's qi first flourishes in the male and then gives essence, so its essence is firm; Earth's qi flourishes in the female and then transforms, so its transformation is good. Thus the joining of yin and yang: in winter they join in the north, and things stir below; in summer they join in the south, and things stir above. The great stirrings of up and down both come after the solstice. When it becomes cold, it freezes and splits the earth; when it becomes hot, it scorches sand and cracks stone. The essence of qi reaches this. So the transformation of Heaven and Earth: spring qi gives life, and all things come out; summer qi nurtures, and all things grow; autumn qi kills, and all things die; winter qi gathers, and all things are stored. Thus only the qi of Heaven and Earth is refined, and entering and leaving without form, nothing fails to respond, which is the utmost of reality. The gentleman takes as his model what he values. The yin and yang of Heaven and Earth correspond to male and female, and the male and female of people correspond to yin and yang. Yin and yang can also be called male and female, and male and female can also be called yin and yang.

天地之經，至東方之中，而所生大養，至西方之中，而所養大成，一歲四起，業而必於中，中之所為，而必就於和，故曰和其要也。和者，天之正也，陰陽之平也，其氣最良，物之所生也，誠擇其和者，以為大得天地之奉也。天地之道，雖有不和者，必歸之於和，而所為有功；雖有不中者，必止之於中，而所為不失。是故陽之行，始於北方之中，而止於南方之中；陰之行，始於南方之中，而止於北方之中。陰陽之道不同，至於盛，而皆止於中，其所始起，皆必於中，中者，天地之太極也，日月之所至而卻也，長短之隆，不得過中。天地之制也，兼和與不和，中與不中，而時用之，盡以為功，是故時無不時者，天地之道也。順天之道，節者、天之制也，陽者、天之寬也，陰者、天之急也，中者、天之用也，和者、天之功也，舉天地之道，而美於和，是故物生皆貴氣而迎養之，孟子曰：“我善養吾疾然之氣者也。”謂行必終禮，而心自喜，常以陽得生其意也。公孫之養氣曰：“裡藏泰實則氣不通，泰虛則氣不足，熱勝則氣□，寒勝則氣□，泰勞則氣不入，泰佚則氣宛至，怒則氣高，喜則氣散，憂則氣狂，懼則氣懾，凡此十者，氣之害也，而皆生於不中和。故君子怒則反中，而自說以和；喜則反中，而收之以正；憂則反中，而舒之以意；懼則反中，而實之以精。”夫中和之不可不反如此。故君子道至氣則華而上，凡氣從心，心、氣之君也，何為而氣不隨也，是以天下之道者，皆言內心其本也。故仁人之所以多壽者，外無貪而內清淨，心和平而不失中正，取天地之美，以養其身，是其且多且治。鶴之所以壽者，無宛氣於中，是故食在；猿之所以壽者，好引其末，是故氣四越。天氣常下施於地，是故道者亦引氣於足，天之氣常動而不滯，是故道者亦不宛氣。

The constant of Heaven and Earth: reaching the center of the east, what was produced is greatly nourished; reaching the center of the west, what was nourished is greatly completed. Four times a year things arise, and the work is bound to lie in the center. What the center does must go toward harmony, so it is said harmony is the essence. Harmony is the rectitude of Heaven and the balance of yin and yang; its qi is the best, and it is what things are born from. If one truly selects harmony, one greatly receives the nurture of Heaven and Earth. In the Way of Heaven and Earth, even where there is disharmony it must return to harmony, so that what is done succeeds; even where there is no center, it must stop at the center, so that what is done is not lost. So the movement of yang begins at the center of the north and stops at the center of the south; the movement of yin begins at the center of the south and stops at the center of the north. The ways of yin and yang differ, but when they flourish they both stop at the center, and where they begin to arise it must also be in the center. The center is the supreme ultimate of Heaven and Earth, where the sun and moon arrive and then retreat. The flourishing of long and short may not pass the center. The institutions of Heaven and Earth combine harmony and disharmony, center and not center, and use them in season, all used for achievement. So there is no untimely time, which is the Way of Heaven and Earth. Following the Way of Heaven: the node is Heaven's system; yang is Heaven's generosity; yin is Heaven's urgency; the center is Heaven's use; harmony is Heaven's achievement. Taking up the Way of Heaven and Earth, its fineness lies in harmony. So all living things value qi and go to meet and nurture it. Mencius said, 'I am good at nurturing my flood-like qi' (the source text has 'ji ran' where 'ji' is an error for 'hao'). It means conduct must end in ritual and the heart is pleased by itself, always using yang to give life to the intention. Gongsun's nurturing of qi says: 'If the inside is stored too full, qi does not flow; if too empty, qi is insufficient; if heat is dominant, qi is (a character is missing in the source text); if cold is dominant, qi is (a character is missing in the source text); if one is too tired, qi does not enter; if too idle, qi accumulates and comes; anger makes qi rise, joy makes qi scatter, sorrow makes qi go mad, and fear makes qi cower. These ten are the harms of qi and all arise from not being central and harmonious. So the gentleman, when angry, returns to the center and rejoices by himself with harmony; when joyful, returns to the center and gathers with what is right; when worried, returns to the center and extends with intention; when afraid, returns to the center and fills with essence.' One cannot fail to return to central harmony in this way. So the gentleman's Way, when it reaches qi, is splendid and rises. All qi follows the mind; the mind is ruler of qi, so how could qi not follow? So all in the world who discuss the Way say the inner mind is the root. So a benevolent man lives long because he has no outer greed and is clear within, his mind is peaceful and does not lose rectitude, and he takes the goodness of Heaven and Earth to nurture himself, so he has both much and order. The crane lives long because there is no stagnant qi within, so it eats in its place; the ape lives long because it likes to pull on its limbs, so its qi overflows in all directions. Heaven's qi constantly descends to the earth, so a man of the Way also draws his qi down to the feet; Heaven's qi constantly moves and does not stagnate, so a man of the Way also does not let his qi stagnate.

苟不治，雖滿不虛，是故君子養而和之，節而法之，去其群泰，取其眾和，高臺多陽，廣室多陰，遠天地之和也，故聖人弗為，適中而已矣。法人八尺，四尺，其中也，宮者，中央之音也，甘者，中央之味也，四尺者，中央之制也；是故三王之禮，味皆尚甘，聲皆尚和，處其身，所以常自漸於天地之道，其道同類，一氣之辨也，法天者，乃法人之辨。天之道，向秋冬而陰來，向春夏而陰去，是故古之人霜降而迎女，在泮而殺內，與陰俱近，與陽俱遠也。天地之氣，不致盛滿，不交陰陽；是故君子甚愛氣而遊於房，以體天也。氣不傷於以盛通，而傷於不時天幷；不與陰陽俱往來，謂之不時；恣其欲而不顧天數，謂之天幷。君子治身不敢違天，是故新牡十日而一遊於房，中年者倍新牡，始衰者倍中年，

If one does not govern, even when full one is not empty. So the gentleman nurtures it and makes it harmonious, regulates and models it, removes what is excessive, and takes the abundant harmony. High terraces have much yang and wide rooms have much yin, far from the harmony of Heaven and Earth, so the sage does not build them but keeps to the moderate. By human measure eight feet is the standard and four feet is its middle. Gong is the central note, sweetness is the central taste, and four feet is the central measure. So in the ritual of the Three Kings, tastes all prefer sweetness and sounds all prefer harmony, and by placing oneself thus, one is always immersing oneself in the Way of Heaven and Earth. That Way is of the same kind; it is the distinction within one qi. Modeling Heaven is modeling the distinction in humans. The Way of Heaven is such that toward autumn and winter yin comes, and toward spring and summer yin leaves. So the ancients took wives at the first frost and reduced intercourse when the ice melted, being close to both yin and yang yet far from both. When the qi of Heaven and Earth does not reach fullness, yin and yang do not meet. So the gentleman cherishes qi very much and is leisurely in the bedchamber to embody Heaven. Qi is not harmed by fullness and flows; it is harmed by being untimely and being matched with Heaven. Not going back and forth with yin and yang is called untimely; indulging desire without regard to Heaven's number is called matching Heaven. The gentleman governing himself does not dare to go against Heaven. So a newly vigorous man goes into the chamber once in ten days, a middle-aged man at double the newly vigorous interval, one beginning to decline at double the middle-aged,

中衰者倍始衰，大衰者以月當新牡之日，而上與天地同節矣，此其大略也。然而其要皆期於不極盛不相遇，疏春而曠夏，謂不遠天地之數，民皆知愛其衣食，而不愛其天氣，天氣之於人，重於衣食，衣食盡，尚猶有閒，氣盡而立終。故養生之大者，乃在愛氣，氣從神而成，神從意而出，心之所之謂意，意勞者神擾，神擾者氣少，氣少者難久矣；故君子閒欲止惡以平意，平意以靜神，靜神以養氣，氣多而治，則養身之大者得矣。古之道士有言曰：“將欲無陵，固守一德。”此言神無離形，而氣多內充，而忍飢寒也。和樂者，生之外泰也，精神者，生之內充也，外泰不若內充，而況外傷乎！忿恤憂恨者，生之傷也，和說勸善者，生之養也，君子慎小物而無大敗也，行中正，聲向榮，氣意和平，居處虞樂，可謂養生矣。凡養生者，莫精於氣，是故春襲葛，夏居密陰，秋避殺風，冬避重漯，就其和也；衣欲常漂，食慾常飢，體欲常勞，而無長佚居多也。凡天地之物，乘於其泰而生，厭於其勝而死，四時之變是也。故冬之水氣，東加於春而木生，乘其泰也；春之生，西至金而死，厭於勝也；生於木者，至金而死，生於金者，至火而死；春之所生，而不得過秋，秋之所生，不得過夏，天之數也。飲食臭味，每至一時，亦有所勝，有所不勝，之理不可不察也。四時不同氣，氣各有所宜，宜之所在，其物代美，視代美而代養之，同時美者雜食之，是皆其所宜也。故薺以冬美，而荼以夏成，此可以見冬夏之所宜服矣。冬，水氣也，薺，甘味也，乘於水氣而美

(Continuing:) one in middle decline at double that of beginning decline, and one in great decline counts one month as the newly vigorous man's one day, and so above he shares the same rhythm as Heaven and Earth. This is the outline. Yet in essence all hope that, unless fully flourishing, they do not meet; sparse in spring and sparser in summer is called not being far from the number of Heaven and Earth. People all know to love clothing and food but do not love the qi of Heaven. To a person the qi of Heaven is weightier than clothing and food: when clothing and food run out there is still an interval, but when qi runs out life ends at once. So the greatest nurturing of life lies in cherishing qi. Qi is formed from spirit, and spirit comes out of intention. Where the mind goes is called intention. When intention is strained spirit is disturbed, when spirit is disturbed qi is little, and when qi is little it is hard to last long. So the gentleman guards against desires, stops hatred to level intention, levels intention to still spirit, and stills spirit to nurture qi. When qi is abundant and governed, the greatest part of nurturing the body is achieved. The Daoists of old had a saying: 'Be about to have nothing overstepped, hold to one virtue.' This means that spirit does not leave the form and qi mostly fills the inside, so one can endure hunger and cold. Harmony and joy are the outward ease of life; spirit and essence are the inner fullness of life. Outer ease is not as good as inner fullness, much less outer injury! Anger, worry and resentment are the injuries of life; harmony, delight and encouragement to goodness are its nourishment. The gentleman is careful of small things and so has no great failure: conduct is correct and central, voice tends to flourish, qi and intention are peaceful, dwelling is comfortable, and this may be called nurturing life. In all nurturing of life, nothing is finer than qi. So wear hemp in spring, live in dense shade in summer, avoid killing wind in autumn, avoid heavy damp in winter, going toward harmony. Clothing should be loose and light, food should leave one slightly hungry, the body should be kept moving, and one should not remain idle long or sit much. All things of Heaven and Earth live riding their abundance and die suppressed by what overcomes them, as with the changes of the four seasons. So winter's water qi, going east and added to spring, gives life to wood, which is riding its abundance; spring's life, going west to metal, dies, suppressed by what overcomes it. What lives in wood dies on reaching metal; what lives in metal dies on reaching fire. What is born in spring may not pass autumn, and what is born in autumn may not pass summer, which is the number of Heaven. Food and flavors, at each season, also have what they overcome and what they do not overcome, and this principle must be examined. The qi of the four seasons is different, and each qi has what suits it. Where what suits it lies, those things in turn are good. Watching the successive goodness and nurturing in succession, and eating together mixed things that are good at the same time, are all what suits it. So shepherd's purse is good in winter and bitter herb ripens in summer, from which one can see what is suitable to take in winter and summer. Winter is water qi and shepherd's purse is sweet in taste, so riding the water qi it is good,

者，甘勝寒也，薺之為言濟與，濟，大水也；夏，火氣也，荼，苦味也，乘於火氣而成者，苦勝暑也。天無所言，而意以物，物不與群物同時而生死者，必深察之，是天之所以告人也。故薺成告之甘，荼成告之苦也，君子察物而成告謹，是以至薺不可食之時，而盡遠甘物，至荼成就也。天所獨代之成者，君子獨代之，是冬夏之所宜也。春秋雜物其和，而冬夏代服其宜，則當得天地之美，四時和矣。凡擇美之大體，各因其時之所美，而違天不遠矣。是故當百物大生之時，群物皆生，而此物獨死，可食者，告其味之便於人也，其不可食者，告殺穢除害之不待秋也，當物之大枯之時，群物皆死，如此物獨生，其可食者，益食之，天為之利人，獨代生之，其不可食，益畜之，天愍州華之間，故生宿麥，中歲而熟之，君子察物之異，以求天意，大可見矣。是故男女體其盛，臭味取其勝，居處就其和，勞佚居其中，寒暖無失適，飢飽無過平，欲惡度理，動靜順性，喜怒止於中，憂懼反之正，此中和常在乎其身，謂之得天地泰，得天地泰者，其壽引而長，不得天地泰者，其壽傷而短，短長之質，人之所由受於天也，是故壽有短長，養有得失，及至其末之，大卒而必讎於此，莫之得離，故壽之為言猶讎也，天下之人雖眾，不得不各讎其所生，而壽夭於其所自行，自行可久之道者，其壽讎於久，自行不可久之道者，其壽亦讎於不久，久與不久之情，各讎其生平之所行，今如後至，不可得勝，故曰：壽者，讎也。然則人之所自行，乃與壽夭相益損也；其自行佚，而壽長者，命益之也，其自行端，而壽短者，命損之也，以天命之所損益，疑人之所得失，此大惑也。是故天長之，而人傷之者，其長損；天短之，而人養之者，其短益；夫損益者皆人，人其天之繼歟！出其質而人弗繼，豈獨立哉！

(Continuing:) which is sweetness overcoming cold. The word for shepherd's purse (ji) is like 'ji' meaning great water. Summer is fire qi and bitter herb is bitter in taste, so riding fire qi it ripens, which is bitterness overcoming heat. Heaven has no words to say, but puts its intention into things. A thing that does not live and die at the same time as other things must be examined deeply, which is how Heaven tells people. So the ripening of shepherd's purse tells of sweet, and the ripening of bitter herb tells of bitter. The gentleman examines things and carefully completes what is announced, so when it is time that shepherd's purse cannot be eaten, he keeps far from all sweet things until bitter herb ripens. What Heaven alone brings to maturity in succession, the gentleman also alone takes in succession, which is what suits winter and summer. In spring and autumn he uses a harmony of mixed things, while in winter and summer he takes in succession what suits, and then he should obtain the goodness of Heaven and Earth, and the four seasons are in harmony. In general, the main principle of choosing what is good is to follow what is good at each time and so not be far from Heaven. So when all things are greatly born, all things are born, and this one thing alone dies: if edible, it tells that its flavor is convenient for people; if not edible, it tells to kill filth and remove harm without waiting for autumn. When all things greatly wither, all things die, and if this one thing alone lives: if edible, one eats it all the more, since Heaven alone gives life to it in succession for people's benefit; if not edible, one nurtures it all the more. Heaven pities the area between the central states, so it produces winter wheat, which ripens in the middle of the year. The gentleman examines the differences of things to seek Heaven's intention, and in general it can be seen. So male and female at their flourishing, qi and flavor taking what overcomes, dwelling going toward harmony, labor and rest placed in the middle, cold and warmth not losing what suits, hunger and fullness not exceeding balance, desire and aversion measured by principle, movement and rest following nature, joy and anger stopping at the center, worry and fear returning to rectitude: having this central harmony always on the body is called obtaining the abundance of Heaven and Earth. Those who obtain the abundance of Heaven and Earth have lives drawn long; those who do not obtain it have lives injured and short. The quality of short and long is what people receive from Heaven. So life has short and long, and nurturing has gain and loss, and in the end it must be verified here, with no one able to leave it. So the word for longevity (shou) is like 'verification.' Though people under Heaven are many, they cannot but each verify what they were born with, and early death or long life lies in what one does oneself. One who himself practices the Way that can last long has life verified as long; one who practices the Way that cannot last has life verified as not lasting. The reality of lasting or not lasting is each verified by what one practiced in life, and now it is as if arriving later; it cannot be overcome. So it is said: longevity is verification. Then what people do themselves mutually increases or decreases their life. If one lives at ease and has a long life, destiny has added to him; if one's conduct is upright and life is short, destiny has subtracted from him. To use what fate adds or subtracts to doubt what people gain and lose is a great delusion. So where Heaven makes someone long-lived and he harms himself, the length is reduced; where Heaven makes someone short-lived and he nurtures himself, the shortness is increased. Increase and decrease both lie in people, and people are the continuation of Heaven! If you take out that quality and people do not continue it, can it stand alone!