11

或問：「淵、騫之徒惡乎在？」曰：「寢。」或曰：「淵、騫曷不寢？」曰：「攀龍鱗，附鳳翼，巽以揚之，勃勃乎其不可及也。如其寢！如其寢！」

Someone asked: "Where are the disciples of Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian?" Yang Xiong said: "Buried in obscurity." Someone said: "Why were Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian not buried in obscurity?" Yang Xiong said: "They clung to the dragon's scales and attached themselves to the phoenix's wings, rising with the wind, so vigorous that one could not catch up. How could they be buried in obscurity! How could they be buried in obscurity!"

七十子之於仲尼也，日聞所不聞，見所不見，文章亦不足為矣。

For the seventy disciples, each day with Confucius they heard what they had never heard and saw what they had never seen, and writing essays was no longer worth doing.

君子絕德，小人絕力。或問「絕德」。曰：「舜以孝，禹以功，皋陶以謨，非絕德邪？」「力」。「秦悼武、烏獲、任鄙扛鼎抃牛，非絕力邪？」

The exemplary person is unsurpassed in virtue, and the petty person is unsurpassed in strength. Someone asked about "unsurpassed virtue." Yang Xiong said: "Shun through filial piety, Yu through achievement, and Gao Yao through counsel; is that not unsurpassed virtue?" Asked about "strength." Yang Xiong said: "King Dao Wu of Qin, Wu Huo and Ren Bi, who lifted tripods and wrestled oxen; is that not unsurpassed strength?"

或問「勇」。曰：「軻也。」曰：「何軻也？」曰：「軻也者，謂孟軻也。若荊軻，君子盜諸。」「請問孟軻之勇。」曰：「勇於義而果於德，不以貧富、貴賤、死生動其心，於勇也，其庶乎！」

Someone asked about "courage." Yang Xiong said: "Ke." Asked: "Which Ke?" Yang Xiong said: "Ke means Meng Ke (Mencius). As for Jing Ke, the exemplary person regards him as a bandit." "May I ask about the courage of Meng Ke." Yang Xiong said: "Courageous in righteousness and resolute in virtue, not shaken in his original heart by poverty or wealth, noble or humble status, or life and death; as for courage, that is almost it!"

魯仲連𠎯而不制，藺相如制而不𠎯。

Lu Zhonglian was bold and unrestrained and not held by limits; Lin Xiangru was restrained and not bold.

或問「鄒陽」。曰：「未信而分疑，忼辭免罿，幾矣哉！」

Someone asked about "Zou Yang." Yang Xiong said: "Before he was even trusted, he could discern suspicions, and with stirring words he saved himself from the net; dangerous!"

或問：「信陵、平原、孟嘗、春申益乎？」曰：「上失其政，姦臣竊國命，何其益乎！」

Someone asked: "Were the lords of Xinling, Pingyuan, Mengchang and Chunshen of benefit?" Yang Xiong said: "Above, the reins of government were lost, and treacherous ministers stole the mandate of the state; where is the benefit!"

樗裡子之知也，使知國如葬，則吾以疾為蓍龜。

As for the wisdom of Chuli Zi, if he had known the state as he knew burial sites, I would take illness as my yarrow and tortoise shell.

「周之順、赧，以成周而西傾；秦之惠文、昭襄，以西山而東並，孰愈？」曰：「周也羊，秦也狼。」「然則狼愈與？」曰：「羊、狼一也。」

"Kings Shun and Nan of Zhou, relying on Chengzhou, toppled westward; Kings Huiwen and Zhaoxiang of Qin, relying on the western mountains, annexed eastward; which was better?" Yang Xiong said: "Zhou was a sheep and Qin was a wolf." "Then was the wolf better?" Yang Xiong said: "A sheep and a wolf are the same."

或問：「蒙恬忠而被誅，忠奚可為也？」曰：「壍山堙谷，起臨洮，擊遼水，力不足而死有餘，忠不足相也。」

Someone asked: "Meng Tian was loyal and yet was killed; what is there left for loyalty to do?" Yang Xiong said: "He dug through mountains and filled valleys, building from Lintao and connecting to the Liao River; his strength fell short and his death was more than enough; his loyalty did not even reach the point of being an adequate aide."

或問：「呂不韋其智矣乎？以人易貨。」曰：「誰謂不韋智者與？以國易宗。不韋之盜，穿窬之雄乎？穿窬也者，吾見擔石矣，未見雒陽也。」

Someone asked: "Was Lü Buwei wise enough? He traded a person for goods." Yang Xiong said: "Who says Buwei was wise? He traded a state for his own clan. Buwei's theft was perhaps the champion among wall-piercing thieves? Among wall-piercing thieves, I have seen those who stole a dou or a dan of grain, but I have never seen one who stole Luoyang."

「秦將白起不仁，奚用為也？」「長平之戰，四十萬人死，蚩尤之亂，不過於此矣。原野猒人之肉，川穀流人之血，將不仁，奚用為！」「翦？」曰：「始皇方獵六國，而翦牙欸。」

"The Qin general Bai Qi was inhumane; what was the use of employing him?" "At the battle of Changping, four hundred thousand people died, and the disaster of Chiyou was no worse than this. The wilds were sated with human flesh, and rivers and valleys ran with human blood; the commander was inhumane, so what was the use of employing him!" "And Wang Jian?" Yang Xiong said: "The First Emperor was hunting down the six states, and Wang Jian was only a claw and fang catching his breath."

或問：「要離非義者與？不以家辭國。」曰：「離也，火妻灰子，以求反於慶忌，實蛛蝥之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」「政？」「為嚴氏犯韓，刺相俠累，曼面為姊，實壯士之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」「軻？」「為丹奉於期之首、燕督亢之圖，入不測之秦，實刺客之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」

Someone asked: "Was Yao Li not a righteous man? He did not use his family as an excuse for the sake of the state." Yang Xiong said: "Yao Li burned his wife and reduced his son to ashes to seek a return strike against Qingji; he was in fact a kind of spider, how can he be called righteous?" "And Nie Zheng?" "For Yan Zhongzi, he offended the state of Han and assassinated the chancellor Xia Lei, and disfigured his face for the sake of his sister; he was in fact a kind of stout fellow, how can he be called righteous?" "And Jing Ke?" "For Prince Dan of Yan, he presented the head of Fan Yuqi and the map of Dukang in Yan, and entered the unfathomable Qin; he was in fact a kind of assassin, how can he be called righteous?"

或問：「儀、秦學乎鬼谷術，而習乎縱橫言，安中國者各十餘年，是夫？」曰：「詐人也，聖人惡諸。」曰：「孔子讀而儀、秦行，何如也？」曰：「甚矣！鳳鳴而鷙翰也。」「然則子貢不為與？」曰：「亂而不解，子貢恥諸；說而不富貴，儀、秦恥諸。」

Someone asked: "Zhang Yi and Su Qin studied the art of Guiguzi and were practiced in the words of the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances, each keeping China at peace for more than ten years; is that so?" Yang Xiong said: "They were deceivers, and the sages loathed them." Asked: "Confucius read the classics while Yi and Qin put them into practice; how about that?" Yang Xiong said: "That goes too far! The call of a phoenix on the wings of a bird of prey." "Then did Zigong not do this kind of thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Zigong was ashamed when disorder could not be resolved; Yi and Qin were ashamed when their persuasion did not bring wealth and rank."

或曰：「儀、秦其才矣乎？跡不蹈已。」曰：「昔在任人，帝曰難之，亦才矣。才乎才，非吾徒之才也。」

Someone said: "Yi and Qin were talented enough, were they not? Their footsteps did not tread their old paths." Yang Xiong said: "In the past, when the emperor spoke of employing such men he said it was very hard; it was talent of a kind. Talent, indeed talent, but not talent of our kind."

美行：園公、綺裡季、夏黃公、角里先生。言辭：婁敬、陸賈。執正：王陵、申屠嘉。折節：周昌、汲黯。守儒：轅固、申公。菑異：董相、夏侯勝、京房。

Fine conduct: Yuangong, Qiliji, Xiahuanggong and Luli Xiansheng. Eloquence: Lou Jing and Lu Jia. Holding to the correct way: Wang Ling and Shentu Jia. Bending one's principles: Zhou Chang and Ji An. Preserving Confucianism: Yuan Gu and Shen Gong. Portents and anomalies: Dong Zhongshu, Xiahou Sheng and Jing Fang.

或問「蕭、曹」。曰：「蕭也規，曹也隨。」「滕、灌、樊、酈」。曰：「俠介。」「叔孫通」。曰：「槧人也。」「爰盎」。曰：「忠不足而談有餘。」「晁錯」。曰：「愚。」「酷吏」。曰：「虎哉！虎哉！角而翼者也。」「貨殖」。曰：「蚊。」曰：「血國三千，使捋踈、飲水、褐博，沒齒無愁也。」或問「循吏」。曰：「吏也。」「遊俠」。曰：「竊國靈也。」「佞幸」。曰：「不料而已。」

Someone asked about "Xiao He and Cao Can." Yang Xiong said: "Xiao He planned and Cao Can followed." "Lord Teng, Guan Ying, Fan Kuai and Li Shang." Yang Xiong said: "Assistants and supporters." "Shusun Tong." Yang Xiong said: "A man of documents." "Yuan Ang." Yang Xiong said: "Not enough loyalty and too much talk." "Chao Cuo." Yang Xiong said: "Foolish." "Harsh officials." Yang Xiong said: "Tigers! Tigers! With horns and wings besides." "Merchants." Yang Xiong said: "Mosquitoes." He added: "They suck the blood of three thousand states, yet leave people to glean ears of grain, drink water and wear coarse brown cloth, with no grief or resentment until death." Someone asked about "upright officials." Yang Xiong said: "Those are the real officials." "Wandering knights." Yang Xiong said: "They steal the majesty of the state." "Flatterers and favorites." Yang Xiong said: "Not worth counting."

或問「近世社稷之臣」。曰：「若張子房之智，陳平之無悟，絳侯勃之果，霍將軍之勇，終之以禮樂，則可謂社稷之臣矣。」或問：「公孫弘、董仲舒孰邇？」曰：「仲舒欲為而不可得者也，弘容而已矣。」

Someone asked about "ministers who were pillars of the state in recent times." Yang Xiong said: "Like Zhang Zifang's wisdom, Chen Ping's freedom from disorder, the Marquis of Jiang Zhou Bo's decisiveness and General Huo's courage, and then completing it with ritual and music, one may be called a pillar of the state." Someone asked: "Between Gongsun Hong and Dong Zhongshu, who is closer?" Yang Xiong said: "Zhongshu was one who wanted to act but could not; Gongsun Hong merely found a place for himself."

或問「近世名卿」。曰：「若張廷尉之平，雋京兆之見，尹扶風之絜，王子貢之介，斯近世名卿矣。」「將」。曰：「若條侯之守，長平、冠軍之徵伐，博陸之持重，可謂近世名將矣。」「請問古。」曰：「鼓之以道德，徵之以仁義，輿屍、血刃，皆所不為也。」

Someone asked about "famous ministers of recent times." Yang Xiong said: "Like the fairness of Commandant of Justice Zhang, the insight of Jun, Governor of the Capital, the integrity of Yin, Governor of Fufeng, and the integrity of Wang Zigong; these are the famous ministers of recent times." "Generals." Yang Xiong said: "Like the steadfast defense of the Marquis of Tiao, the campaigns of Changping and Guanjun, and the gravity of Bolu, they may be called famous generals of recent times." "May I ask about antiquity." Yang Xiong said: "They inspired with moral virtue and campaigned with humaneness and righteousness; returning with corpses on the carts and blood on the blades was something they did not do."

張騫、蘇武之奉使也，執節沒身，不屈王命，雖古之膚使，其猶劣諸！

Zhang Qian and Su Wu, as envoys, kept their integrity until death and did not bend the king's command; even the excellent envoys of antiquity could not match them!

世稱東方生之盛也，言不純師，行不純表，其流風遺書，蔑如也。或曰：「隱者也。」曰：「昔之隱者，吾聞其語矣，又聞其行矣。」或曰：「隱道多端。」曰：「固也！聖言聖行，不逢其時，聖人隱也。賢言賢行，不逢其時，賢者隱也。談言談行，而不逢其時，談者隱也。昔者箕子之漆其身也，狂接輿之被其髮也，欲去而恐罹害者也。箕子之《洪範》，接輿之歌鳳也哉！」或問：「東方生名過實者，何也？」曰：「應諧、不窮、正諫、穢德。應諧似優，不窮似哲，正諫似直，穢德似隱。」「請問名。」曰：「詼達。」「惡比？」曰：「非夷尚容，依隱玩世，其滑稽之雄乎！」或問：「柳下惠非朝隱者與？」曰：「君子謂之不恭。古者高餓顯，下祿隱。」

The world praises the greatness of Dongfang Shuo, but his words did not take the pure as their teacher, and his conduct did not take the pure as its model, so his lingering influence and surviving writings are negligible. Someone said: "He was a recluse." Yang Xiong said: "The recluses of old, I have heard their words and also heard of their conduct." Someone said: "There are many paths of reclusion." Yang Xiong said: "Indeed! If the words and conduct of a sage do not meet their time, that is a sage in reclusion. If the words and conduct of a worthy do not meet their time, that is a worthy in reclusion. If the words and conduct of a talker do not meet their time, that is a talker in reclusion. In the past Jizi lacquered his body and the madman Jieyu let down his hair; they were those who wanted to leave but feared harm. Jizi had the Great Plan, and Jieyu had the phoenix song!" Someone asked: "Dongfang Shuo's fame exceeded his substance; why?" Yang Xiong said: "His replies were witty, his eloquence was inexhaustible, he could remonstrate directly, and his conduct was mixed. His witty replies were like an entertainer's, his inexhaustible eloquence like a sage's, his direct remonstrance like an upright man's, and his mixed conduct like a recluse's." "May I ask what his name should be called." Yang Xiong said: "Witty and broad-minded." "Who is he compared to?" Yang Xiong said: "Not learning from Boyi but esteeming finding a place for oneself, playing with the world by relying on reclusion; he is perhaps the champion among jesters!" Someone asked: "Was Liuxia Hui not a recluse at court?" Yang Xiong said: "The exemplary person says he was not respectful. In ancient times, being hungry yet prominent was valued highly, and taking a salary yet living in reclusion was valued lowly."

妄譽，仁之賊也；妄毀，義之賊也。賊仁近鄉原，賊義近鄉訕。

Excessive praise is a thief of humaneness; excessive slander is a thief of righteousness. Robbing humaneness comes close to the village hypocrite, and robbing righteousness comes close to village slander.

或問：「子，蜀人也，請人。」曰：「有李仲元者，人也。」「其為人也奈何？」曰：「不屈其意，不累其身。」曰：「是夷、惠之徒與？」曰：「不夷不惠，可否之間也。」「如是，則奚名之不彰也？」曰：「無仲尼，則西山之餓夫與東國之絀臣惡乎聞？」曰：「王陽、貢禹遇仲尼乎？」曰：「明星皓皓，華藻之力也與！」曰：「若是，則奚為不自高？」曰：「皓皓者，己也；引而高之者，天也。子欲自高邪？仲元，世之師也。見其貌者，肅如也；聞其言者，愀如也；觀其行者，穆如也。鄲聞以德詘人矣，未聞以德詘於人也。仲元，畏人也。」或曰：「育、賁。」曰：「育、賁也，人畏其力，而侮其德。」「請條。」曰：「非正不視，非正不聽，非正不言，非正不行。夫能正其視聽言行者，昔吾先師之所畏也。如視不視，聽不聽，言不言，行不行，雖有育、賁，其猶侮諸！」

Someone asked: "You are a man of Shu; please name a man of Shu." Yang Xiong said: "There is a man named Li Zhongyuan, who is a talented man." "What is he like as a person?" Yang Xiong said: "He does not bend his own will and does not burden his own body." Asked: "Is he of the kind of Boyi and Liuxia Hui?" Yang Xiong said: "He is neither like Boyi nor like Liuxia Hui, but between permissible and not permissible." "If so, why is his name not widely known?" Yang Xiong said: "Without Confucius, how could the starving man of the western mountain and the demoted minister of the eastern state have been known to people?" Asked: "Did Wang Yang and Gong Yu meet Confucius?" Yang Xiong said: "The bright star shines brilliantly; is it the power of ornamentation!" Asked: "If so, why does he not raise himself?" Yang Xiong said: "The brilliance is his own, but it is Heaven that lifts it high. Do you want to raise yourself? Zhongyuan is a teacher for the age. Those who see his countenance become solemn, those who hear his words become sober, those who observe his conduct become reverent. I have only heard of making people submit through virtue, and have never heard of one who has virtue being made to submit by others. Zhongyuan is one who inspires awe." Someone said: "Xia Yu and Meng Ben." Yang Xiong said: "Xia Yu and Meng Ben, people fear their strength but disdain their virtue." "Please go through it point by point." Yang Xiong said: "Do not look at what is not right, do not listen to what is not right, do not speak what is not right, do not do what is not right. One who can set right his seeing, hearing, speaking and doing was one my former teacher also held in awe. If one does not look at what one should look at, does not listen to what one should listen to, does not speak what one should speak, and does not do what one should do, then even with Xia Yu and Meng Ben, one would still be disdained!"

或問：「君子言則成文，動則成德，何以也？」曰：「以其弸中而彪外也。般之揮斤，羿之激矢，君子不言，言必有中也；不行，行必有稱也。」

Someone asked: "When the exemplary person speaks, it becomes literature, and when he acts, it becomes virtue; by what means?" Yang Xiong said: "Because he is substantial within and radiant without. When Gongshu Ban swings his axe and Hou Yi looses his arrow, the exemplary person either does not speak, or when he speaks he surely hits the mark; he either does not act, or when he acts he surely fits."

或問「君子之柔剛」。曰：「君子於仁也柔，於義也剛。」

Someone asked about "the exemplary person's softness and hardness." Yang Xiong said: "The exemplary person is soft toward humaneness and hard toward righteousness."

或問：「航不漿，沖不薺，有諸？」曰：「有之。」或曰：「大器固不周於小乎？」曰：「斯械也，君子不械。」

Someone asked: "A great ship is not used to hold broth, and a battering ram is not used to cut shepherd's purse; is that so?" Yang Xiong said: "It is." Someone said: "Is a great vessel by nature not suited to small uses?" Yang Xiong said: "That applies to implements; the exemplary person is not an implement."

或問「孟子知言之要，知德之奧」。曰：「非苟知之，亦允蹈之。」或曰：「子小諸子，孟子非諸子乎？」曰：「諸子者，以其知異於孔子也。孟子異乎？不異。」

Someone asked about "Mencius understanding the essentials of words and the depths of virtue." Yang Xiong said: "He not only knew but also sincerely put it into practice." Someone said: "You regard the various masters as small; was Mencius not also one of the various masters?" Yang Xiong said: "By 'the various masters' I mean those whose knowledge differs from that of Confucius. Is Mencius different? He is not different."

或曰：「孫卿非數家之書，侻也；至於子思、孟軻，詭哉！」曰：「吾於孫卿，與見同門而異戶也，惟聖人為不異。」

Someone said: "Xunzi's criticisms of several schools' books are still fairly simple; but when it comes to Zisi and Mencius, they are strange!" Yang Xiong said: "As for Xunzi, I see him like one from the same school but a different door; only the sages have no differences."

牛玄騂白，睟而角，其升諸廟乎？是以君子全其德。

An ox, whether black, red or white, if its coat is pure and it has horns, can it not be offered up in the ancestral temple? So the exemplary person keeps his virtue intact.

或問「君子似玉」。曰：「純淪溫潤，柔而堅，玩而廉，隊乎其不可形也。」

Someone asked about "the exemplary person being like jade." Yang Xiong said: "Pure and mellow, soft yet firm, pleasant to handle yet with edges, and if it falls it cannot be described."

或曰：「仲尼之術，周而不泰，大而不小，用之猶牛鼠也。」曰：「仲尼之道，猶四瀆也，經營中國，終入大海。它人之道者，西北之流也，綱紀夷貉，或入於沱，或淪於漢。」

Someone said: "Confucius's art is all-encompassing but not at ease, great but not small, and in use is like an ox and a mouse." Yang Xiong said: "The Way of Confucius is like the Four Great Rivers, ordering China and in the end flowing into the sea. The ways of others are thin streams of the northwest, running through the Yi and Mo lands, some flowing into the Tuo, some sinking into the Han."

淮南說之用，不如太史公之用也。太史公，聖人將有取焉；淮南，鮮取焉爾。必也，儒乎！乍出乍人，淮南也；文麗用寡，長卿也；多愛不忍，子長也。仲尼多愛，愛義也；子長多愛，愛奇也。

The use of the learning of Huainan is not as great as the use of the Grand Historian. In the Grand Historian there is much that a sage would find worth taking; in Huainan there is little worth taking. If one must say, it is still Confucian! One who suddenly comes out and suddenly goes in is Huainan; one whose literary style is splendid but of little use is Sima Changqing; one who loves many things and cannot bear to cut them is Sima Qian. Confucius loved many things, and what he loved was righteousness; Sima Qian loved many things, and what he loved was the extraordinary.

或曰：「甚矣，傳書之不果也！」曰：「不果則不果矣，又以巫鼓。」

Someone said: "Too much! The books of biographies are not solid!" Yang Xiong said: "If they are not solid, so be it, but then shamans and ritualists add their drumbeating on top."

或問：「聖人之言，炳若丹青，有諸？」曰：「籲！是何言與？丹青初則炳，久則渝。渝乎哉？」

Someone asked: "The sage's words are as bright as cinnabar and azurite; is there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Ah! What kind of talk is that? Cinnabar and azurite are bright at first, but over time they change. Do they change?"

或曰：「聖人之道若天，天則有常矣，奚聖人之多變也？」曰：「聖人固多變。子游、子夏得其書矣，未得其所以書也；宰我、子貢得其言矣，未得其所以言也；顏淵、閔子騫得其行矣，未得其所以行也。聖人之書、言、行，天也。天其少變乎？」

Someone said: "The Way of the sage is like Heaven, and Heaven is constant; why is the sage so changeable?" Yang Xiong said: "The sage is indeed changeable. Ziyou and Zixia obtained his writings but did not obtain the reasons why he wrote them so; Zai Wo and Zigong obtained his words but did not obtain the reasons why he said them so; Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian obtained his conduct but did not obtain the reasons why he acted so. The sage's writings, words and conduct are Heaven. Does Heaven change little?"

或曰：「聖人自恣與？何言之多端也！」曰：「子未覩禹之行水與？一東一北，行之無礙也。君子之行，獨無礙乎？如何直往也！水避礙則通於海，君子避礙則通於理。」

Someone said: "Does the sage indulge himself? Why are his words so varied!" Yang Xiong said: "Have you not seen Yu control the floods? Now east, now north, and he moved without hindrance. In the exemplary person's conduct of affairs, is it only he who has no obstacles? How could he just go straight ahead! Water avoids obstacles and reaches the sea; the exemplary person avoids obstacles and reaches principle."

君子好人之好，而忘己之好；小人好己之惡，而忘人之好。

The exemplary person likes the good in others and forgets his own good; the petty person likes his own bad and forgets the good of others.

或曰：「子於天下則誰與？」曰：「與夫進者乎！」或曰：「貪夫位也，慕夫祿也，何其與？」曰：「此貪也，非進也。夫進也者，進於道，慕於德，殷之以仁義，進而進，退而退，日孳孳而不自知勌者也。」或曰：「進進則聞命矣，請問退進。」曰：「昔乎，顏淵以退為進，天下鮮儷焉。」或曰：「若此，則何少於必退也？」曰：「必進易儷，必退易儷也。進以禮，退以義，難儷也。」

Someone said: "On whose side do you stand in the world?" Yang Xiong said: "With those who strive to advance!" Someone said: "They covet that seat and admire that salary; why stand with them?" Yang Xiong said: "That is greed, not advancement. What I call advancement is advancing in the Way, aspiring to virtue, filling oneself with humaneness and righteousness, advancing when one should advance and retreating when one should retreat, diligent day after day and never aware of weariness." Someone said: "Advancing in advancing I have already been taught; may I ask about retreating and yet still advancing." Yang Xiong said: "In the past, Yan Yuan advanced by retreating, and few in the world could compare with him." Someone said: "If so, why do few insist on retreating?" Yang Xiong said: "Always advancing is easy to match, and always retreating is also easy to match. Advancing in accord with ritual and retreating in accord with righteousness is what is hard to match."

或曰：「人有齊死生，同貧富，等貴賤，何如？」曰：「作此者，其有懼乎？信死生齊，貧富同，貴賤等，則吾以聖人為囂囂。」

Someone said: "Some regard life and death as equal, wealth and poverty as the same, and nobility and baseness as alike; what about that?" Yang Xiong said: "Those who make such statements perhaps have fear in their hearts? If life and death were truly equal, wealth and poverty the same, and nobility and baseness alike, then I would regard the sage as someone who simply makes a commotion."

通天、地、人曰儒，通天、地而不通人曰伎。

One who comprehends heaven, earth and humanity is called a Confucian; one who comprehends heaven and earth but not humanity is called a technician.

人必先作，然後人名之；先求，然後人與之。人必其自愛也，而後人愛諸；人必其自敬也，而後人敬諸。自愛，仁之至也；自敬，禮之至也。未有不自愛敬而人愛敬之者也。

A person must first do it himself, and then others call him by that name; he must first seek it himself, and then others give it to him. A person must first love himself, and then others love him; a person must first respect himself, and then others respect him. Self-love is the utmost of humaneness, and self-respect is the utmost of ritual. There has never been one who did not love and respect himself and yet was loved and respected by others.

或問：「龍、龜、鴻、鵠不亦壽乎？」曰：「壽。」曰：「人可壽乎？」曰：「物以其性，人以其仁。」

Someone asked: "Are dragons, turtles, swans and cranes not long-lived?" Yang Xiong said: "They are long-lived." Asked: "Can a person be long-lived?" Yang Xiong said: "Things depend on their nature, and people depend on their humaneness."

或問：「人言仙者，有諸乎？」「籲！吾聞虙羲、神農歿，黃帝、堯、舜殂落而死。文王，畢；孔子，魯城之北。獨子愛其死乎？非人之所及也。仙亦無益子之彙矣！」或曰：「聖人不師仙，厥術異也。聖人之於天下，恥一物之不知；仙人之於天下，恥一日之不生。」曰：「生乎！生乎！名生而實死也。」或曰：「世無仙，則焉得斯語？」曰：「語乎者，非囂囂也與？惟囂囂為能使無為有。」或問「仙之實」。曰：「無以為也，有與無，非問也。問也者，忠孝之問也。忠臣孝子，偟乎不偟。」

Someone asked: "People say there are immortals; is there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Ah! I have heard that Fuxi and Shennong died, and that the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun passed away and died. King Wen was buried at Bi, and Confucius was buried north of the city of Lu. Is it only you who cherish your own death? That is not something people can catch up with. Immortality does no good for people of your kind!" Someone said: "The sage does not study immortality because their arts differ. In regard to the world, the sage is ashamed to be ignorant of a single thing; in regard to the world, the immortal is ashamed not to live a single day." Yang Xiong said: "Live! Live! In name alive, in fact dead." Someone said: "If there were no immortals in the world, where would such talk come from?" Yang Xiong said: "Those who say such things are none other than people who make a commotion. Only by making a commotion can one turn non-being into being." Someone asked about "the substance of immortality." Yang Xiong said: "There is no need to bother with it. Whether it exists or not is not the question to ask. What should be asked is the question of loyalty and filial piety. Loyal ministers and filial sons are too hurried to attend to such things."

或問：「壽可益乎？」曰：「德。」曰：「回、牛之行德矣，曷壽之不益也？」曰：「德，故爾。如回之殘，牛之賊也，焉得爾？」曰：「殘、賊或壽。」曰：「彼妄也，君子不妄。」

Someone asked: “Can one’s life span be increased?” Yang Xiong said: “By virtue.” The questioner said: “Yan Hui and Ran Boniu were virtuous in conduct, so why was their life span not increased?” Yang Xiong said: “It was precisely because they had virtue that it was so. If Yan Hui had been cruel and Ran Boniu had been a villain, how could it have been so for them?” The questioner said: “Some cruel and villainous people also live long.” Yang Xiong said: “That is illusory, and the superior person does not take what is illusory.”

有生者必有死，有始者必有終，自然之道也。

What has life must have death, and what has a beginning must have an end; this is the Way of nature.

君子忠人，況己乎？小人欺己，況人乎？

The superior person is loyal even to others, so how much more to himself? The petty person deceives even himself, so how much more others?