The Sayings of Confucius's House, Volume 5

宰我曰：“請問帝堯．”孔子曰：“高辛氏之子，曰陶唐，其仁如天，其智如神，就之如日，望之如云，富而不驕，貴而能降，伯夷典禮，夔龍典樂，舜時夔典樂龍作納言然則堯時龍亦典樂者也舜時而仕，趨視四時，務元民始之，務先民事以為始也流四凶而天下服，其言不忒，其德不回，四海之內，舟輿所及，莫不夷說．”夷平心說古通以為悅字

Zai Wo said: "May I ask about Emperor Yao?" Confucius said: "He was a son of the Gaoxin clan, called Taotang. His benevolence was like Heaven, his wisdom like a spirit; approaching him was like the sun, looking at him from afar was like clouds. He was rich and not arrogant, noble and able to humble himself. Bo Yi managed ritual, and Kui and Long managed music [in Shun's time Kui managed music and Long was Minister of Communications, so in Yao's time Long also managed music]. Shun then entered service, hurrying about to inspect the four seasons, making sure to put the people's affairs first [making the people's affairs first the starting point], banished the Four Evildoers and the world submitted. His words had no error and his virtue no crookedness. Within the four seas, wherever boats and carts reached, none were not at peace and in joy." ["Yi" means level; the word is an ancient equivalent of "joy."]

宰我曰：“請問帝舜．”孔子曰：“喬牛之孫，瞽瞍之子也，曰有虞，舜孝友聞於四方，陶漁事親，為陶器躬捕魚以養父母寬裕而溫良，敦敏而知時，畏天而愛民，恤遠而親近，承受大命，依於二女，堯妻舜以二女舜動靜謀之於二女叡明智通，為天下帝，命二十二臣率堯舊職，躬己而已，天平地成，巡狩四海，五載一始，三十年在位，嗣帝五十載，陟方岳，死於蒼梧之野而葬焉．”宰我曰：“請問禹．”孔子曰：“高陽之孫，鯀之子也，曰夏後，敏給克齊，其德不爽，爽忒其仁可親，其吾可信，聲為律，身為度，以身為法度也亹亹穆穆，為紀為綱，其功為百神之主，禹治水天下既平然後百神得其所其惠為民父母，左準繩，右規矩，左右言常用也履四時，所行不違四時之宜據四海，任皋繇伯益，以贊其治，興六師以徵不序，四極之民，莫敢不服．”孔子曰：“予大者如天，小者如言，民悅至矣，予也，非其人也．”言不足以明五帝之德也宰我曰：“予也不足以戒，敬承矣．”他日，宰我以語子貢，子貢以復孔子，子曰：“吾欲以顏狀取人也，則於滅明改矣；吾欲以言辭取人也，則於宰我改之矣；吾欲以容貌取人也，則於子張改之矣．”宰我聞之，懼，弗敢見焉．

Zai Wo said: "May I ask about Emperor Shun?" Confucius said: "The grandson of Qiaoniu and son of Gusou, called Youyu. Shun's filial piety and brotherly affection were known in the four quarters; he made pottery and caught fish to serve his parents [made pottery and personally fished to support his parents], was generous and gentle, quick and knew the time, revered Heaven and loved the people, cared for the distant and drew close the near. He received the great mandate, relying on two women [Yao married his two daughters to Shun, and Shun planned his actions with the two women], was brilliant and wise and penetrating, and became emperor of the world. He appointed twenty-two ministers, led the old offices of Yao, and himself simply did nothing. Heaven was level and earth was complete, and he toured the four seas, beginning once every five years. He ruled for thirty years and held the imperial seat for fifty, ascended the Square Peak, and died in the wilds of Cangwu and was buried there." Zai Wo said: "May I ask about Yu?" Confucius said: "The grandson of Gaoyang and son of Gun, called Lord of Xia. He was quick and could keep order, his virtue had no error [shuang means deviation], his benevolence could be approached and his words trusted. His voice was the pitch pipes and his body the standard [he took himself as the standard], he was diligent and solemn, and made the guide and the thread. His merit was lord of the hundred spirits [when Yu controlled the waters and the world was settled, then the hundred spirits each found their place], and his kindness was the parent of the people. On his left were the plumb line, on his right the compass and square [left and right mean he constantly used them], he followed the four seasons [his actions did not go against the seasons' suitability], held the four seas, employed Gao Yao and Bo Yi to assist in governing, raised the six armies to punish the disobedient, and the people of the four extremes none dared not submit." Confucius said: "Yu, the great is like heaven and the small is like words, and the people's joy has reached the extreme. Yu, you are not that man." [That is, not enough to make clear the virtue of the Five Emperors.] Zai Wo said: "Yu is not worth warning, and I respectfully accept." On another day Zai Wo told this to Zigong, and Zigong told Confucius. Confucius said: "I wanted to choose people by appearance, and I corrected that over Tantai Mieming; I wanted to choose people by speech, and I corrected that over Zai Wo; I wanted to choose people by demeanor, and I corrected that over Zizhang." Zai Wo heard of it, was afraid, and dared not see him again.

季康子問於孔子曰：“舊聞五帝之名，而不知其實，請問何謂五帝？”孔子曰：“昔丘也聞諸老聃曰：‘天有五行，水火金木土，分時化育，以成萬物．一歲三百六十日五行各主七十二日也化生長育一歲之功萬物莫敢不成’其神謂之五帝．五帝五行之神佐生物者而讖緯皆為之名字亦為妖怪妄言古之王者，易代而改號，取法五行，五行更王，終始相生，亦象其義．法五行更王終始相生始以木德王天下其次以生之行轉相承而諸說乃謂五精之帝下生王者其為帝或無可言也更古衡反王音旺故其為明王者而死配五行，是以太皞配木，炎帝配火，黃帝配土，少皞配金，顓頊配水．”康子曰：“太皞氏其始之木何如？”孔子曰：“五行用事，先起於木，木東方萬物之初皆出焉，是故王者則之，而首以木德王天下，其次則以所生之行，轉相承也．”木生火火生土之屬王天音旺康子曰：“吾聞勾芒為木正，祝融為火正，蓐收為金正，玄冥為水正，后土為土正，此五行之主而不亂稱曰帝者，何也？

Ji Kangzi asked Confucius: "Long ago I heard the names of the Five Emperors but do not know the reality; may I ask what are called the Five Emperors?" Confucius said: "Long ago Qiu heard Lao Dan say: 'Heaven has the Five Phases, water, fire, metal, wood, and earth, which divide and transform in season to complete the ten thousand things. [The year has three hundred sixty days, and each phase governs seventy-two days; transformation, birth, growth, and nurture are the work of a year, and none of the ten thousand things dare not be completed.]' Those spirits are called the Five Emperors. [The Five Emperors are the spirits of the Five Phases, who assist in producing and nurturing the ten thousand things. The apocryphal texts all give them names, which is also strange and false talk.] In ancient times, true kings changed their titles with each dynasty, modeling on the Five Phases. The Five Phases take turns ruling, each end and beginning producing the next, which also follows that principle. [Modeling on the Five Phases taking turns ruling and each end and beginning producing the next, first they ruled the world with the virtue of Wood, and next followed the phase it produced, passing on in turn. The various theories, however, say that the emperors of the five essences descended to produce kings, and some of these emperors have nothing to be said about them.] So those who were enlightened kings were paired with the Five Phases when they died. Thus Taihao is paired with Wood, Emperor Yan with Fire, the Yellow Emperor with Earth, Shaohao with Metal, and Zhuanxu with Water." Kangzi said: "Taihao's clan first used Wood; what about that?" Confucius said: "When the Five Phases operate, they first arise from Wood. Wood is in the east, and the first birth of the ten thousand things comes out from it. Therefore the true kings modeled on it, first ruling the world with the virtue of Wood, and then following the phase it produced in turn." [Wood produces Fire, Fire produces Earth, and so on.] Kangzi said: "I have heard that Gou Mang was the head of Wood, Zhu Rong the head of Fire, Ru Shou the head of Metal, Xuan Ming the head of Water, and Hou Tu the head of Earth. These are the managers of the Five Phases, yet they are not called emperors indiscriminately; why?"

”孔子曰：“凡五正者，五行之官名，五行佐成上帝而稱五帝，太皞之屬配焉，亦云帝，從其號．天至尊物不可以同其號亦兼稱上帝上天以其五行佐成天事謂之五帝以地有五行而其精神在上故亦為帝五帝黃帝之屬故亦稱帝亦從天五帝之號故王者雖號稱帝而不或曰天帝而曰天子者而天子與父其尊卑相去遠矣曰天王者言乃天下之王也昔少皞氏之子有四叔，曰重、曰該、曰修、曰熙，實能金木及水，使重為勾芒，該為蓐收，修及熙為玄冥，顓頊氏之子曰黎為祝融，共工氏之子曰勾龍為后土，此五者，各以其所能業為官職．各以一行之官為職業之事生為上公，死為貴神，別稱五祀，不得同帝．”五祀上公之神故不得稱帝也正史者五正不及五帝五帝不及天地而不設者以祭社為祭地不亦失之遠矣且土與火水俱為五行是地之子也以子為母不亦顛倒失尊卑之序也康子曰：“如此之言，帝王改號於五行之德，各有所統，則其所以相變者，皆主何事？”在木家而尚赤所以問也孔子曰：“所尚則各從其所王之德次焉．木次火而木家尚赤者以木德義之著修其母兼其子夏后氏以金德王，色尚黑，大事歛用昏，大事喪昏時亦黑也戎事乘驪，黑馬也牲用玄；殷人用水德王，色尚白，水家尚青而尚白者避土家之尚青大事歛用日中，日中白也戎事乘翰，翰白色馬牲用白；周人以木德王，色尚赤，大事歛用日出，日出時亦赤也戎事乘騵，騵馬白腹牲用騂．騂赤色也此三代之所以不同．”康子曰：“唐虞二帝，其所尚者何色？”孔子曰：“堯以火德王，色尚黃，舜以土德王，色尚青．”土家宜尚白土者四行之主王於四季五行用事先起於水色青是以水家避土土家尚白康子曰：“陶唐有虞夏後，殷周獨不配五帝，意者德不及上古耶，將有限乎？

Confucius said: "The five heads are the official titles of the Five Phases. The Five Phases assist and complete the Lord on High and are called the Five Emperors, and Taihao and others who are paired with them are also called emperors, following that title. [Heaven is the most honored, and things cannot share its title, and it is also called the Lord on High. Heaven is called the Five Emperors because the Five Phases assist in completing Heaven's work; the earth has the Five Phases and their essence is above, and so they are also called emperors. The Five Emperors such as the Yellow Emperor are also called emperors, following the title of the Five Emperors of Heaven. So true kings, though titled emperor, do not say Lord of Heaven but Son of Heaven, and the distance in honor between Son of Heaven and his father is great; to say Heavenly King means a king of the world.] In the past, Shaohao had four sons who were uncles, called Chong, Gai, Xiu, and Xi, who could truly manage metal, wood, and water; he made Chong into Gou Mang, Gai into Ru Shou, and Xiu and Xi into Xuan Ming; Zhuanxu's son called Li became Zhu Rong; Gonggong's son called Gou Long became Hou Tu. These five each used what they were able to do as the work of their office [each used the office of a phase as their work]. In life they were high dukes, and in death honored spirits, additionally called the Five Sacrifices, and not to be equated with the emperors." [The Five Sacrifices are spirits of high dukes, so they cannot be called emperors. In the standard histories the five heads are not equal to the Five Emperors, and the Five Emperors are not equal to heaven and earth. Not establishing earth and making sacrifice to the altar of the soil serve as sacrifice to earth is also very far off, is it not? Moreover earth, fire, and water are all of the Five Phases and sons of earth, and to treat a son as a mother is also to invert and lose the order of honor and humility.] Kangzi said: "By such words, emperors and kings change titles by the virtue of the Five Phases, each with its own domain; then what do those who change from one another each govern?" [The Wood house honors red, and so he asked.] Confucius said: "What they honor follows the order of the virtue by which they rule. The next after Wood is Fire, and the Wood house honors red because the righteousness of Wood virtue is manifest, cultivating the mother and extending to the child. The Lord of Xia ruled by the virtue of Metal, honored the color black, used dusk for great affairs of shrouding [great affairs means funerals, and dusk is also black], rode black horses in military affairs [dark horses], and used black for sacrificial animals; the Yin people ruled by the virtue of Water, honored the color white [the Water house should honor blue-green but honors white, to avoid the Earth house's honoring blue-green], used midday for great affairs of shrouding [midday is white], rode han horses in military affairs [han means white horses], and used white for sacrificial animals; the Zhou people ruled by the virtue of Wood, honored the color red, used sunrise for great affairs of shrouding [sunrise is also red], rode white-bellied horses in military affairs [the original text here has a rare character, a white-bellied horse], and used red-brown for sacrificial animals [xing means red]. This is how the Three Dynasties differed." Kangzi said: "What color did the two emperors Tang and Yu honor?" Confucius said: "Yao ruled by the virtue of Fire and honored yellow; Shun ruled by the virtue of Earth and honored blue-green." [The Earth house should honor white; earth is master of the four phases and rules through the four seasons; when the Five Phases operate they begin first from the water color blue-green, and so the Water house avoids Earth, and the Earth house honors white.] Kangzi said: "Taotang, Youyu, the Lord of Xia, Yin, and Zhou alone are not paired with the Five Emperors; is it that their virtue did not reach that of high antiquity, or is there a quota?"

”孔子曰：“古之平治水土，及播殖百穀者眾矣，唯勾龍氏兼食於社，兼猶配也而棄為稷神，易代奉之，無敢益者，明不可與等．故自太皞以降，逮於顓頊，其應五行，而王數非徒五而配五帝，是其德不可以多也．”

Confucius said: "In ancient times there were many who leveled the waters and soils and sowed the hundred grains, but only Gou Long was also paired and fed at the altar of the soil ["also" is like paired], and Qi became the god of grain, and were sacrificed to through the changes of dynasties, with no one daring to add to them, showing that they cannot be equated with them. So from Taihao to Zhuanxu, those who accorded with the Five Phases and ruled numbered more than five, yet paired with the Five Emperors, because their virtue could not be more numerous."

閔子騫為費宰，問政於孔子．子曰：“以德以法．夫德法者，御民之具，猶御馬之有銜勒也．君者，人也，吏者，轡也，刑者，策也，夫人君之政，執其轡策而已．”子騫曰：“敢問古之為政．”孔子曰：“古者天子以內史為左右手，內史掌王八柄及？事之法納以詔王聽治命孤卿大夫則策命以四方之事書則讀之王制祿則費為之賞則亦如之故王以為左右手費芳未反以德法為銜勒，以百官為轡，以刑罰為策，以萬民為馬，故御天下數百年而不失．善御馬正銜勒，齊轡策，均馬力，和馬心，故口無聲而馬應轡，策不舉而極千里；善御民，壹其德法，正其百官，以均齊民力，和安民心，故令不再而民順從，刑不用而天下治．是以天地德之，天地以有為德而兆民懷之，懷歸夫天地之所德，兆民之所懷，其政美，其民而眾稱之．其民為眾所稱舉也今人言五帝三王者，其盛無偶，威察若存，其盛以明察帝若存其故何也？其法盛，其德厚，故思其德，必稱其人，朝夕祝之，升聞於天，上帝俱歆用永厥世而豐其年．不能御民者，棄其德法，專用刑辟，譬猶御馬，棄其銜勒而專用棰策，其不制也，可必矣．夫無銜勒而用棰策，馬必傷，車必敗；無德法而用刑，民必流，國必亡．治國而無德法，則民無修，民無修則迷惑失道，如此上帝必以其為亂天道也．苟亂天道，則刑罰暴，上下相諛，諂諛莫知念忠，俱無道故也．今人言惡者，必比之於桀紂，其故何也？

Min Ziqian was magistrate of Fei and asked Confucius about government. Confucius said: "Use virtue and law. Virtue and law are the instruments for driving the people, just as driving horses has bit and bridle. The ruler is the man, the officials are the reins, and punishments are the whip. The government of a ruler is just to hold the reins and whip." Ziqian said: "May I ask about government in antiquity?" Confucius said: "In ancient times the Son of Heaven took the Interior Secretary as his left and right hands [the Interior Secretary managed the king's eight handles and the laws of affairs, brought them in to proclaim to the king and listen to his governing; appointed the lonely ministers and grandees with edicts, and read documents on matters of the four quarters; when the king set stipends he proclaimed them, and also with rewards, so the king took him as left and right hands], took virtue and law as bit and bridle, the hundred officials as reins, punishments as the whip, and the ten thousand people as horses, and so drove the world for hundreds of years without error. One good at driving horses sets the bit and bridle right, arranges the reins and whip evenly, equalizes the horses' strength and harmonizes their hearts, and so with no sound from the mouth the horses respond to the reins, and without raising the whip they reach a thousand li. One good at driving the people unifies virtue and law, sets the hundred officials right, to equalize the people's strength and harmonize and settle their hearts, and so without further orders the people follow, and without using punishments the world is governed. Therefore heaven and earth take him as virtue [heaven and earth take having action as virtue] and the million people turn to him ["huai" means turn to]. What heaven and earth take as virtue and the million people turn to is fine government, and his people are praised by the multitude [his people are praised by the multitude]. When people speak now of the Five Emperors and Three Kings, their prosperity has no peers, and their stern discernment seems still present [that prosperity came from discernment, and the emperors seem still present]; what is the reason? Their laws flourished and their virtue was deep, so thinking of that virtue one must praise that person, praying morning and evening, ascending to Heaven, with the Lord on High all receiving it, so that his generations are long and his harvests abundant. One who cannot drive the people abandons virtue and law and uses punishment alone, like driving a horse by abandoning the bit and bridle and using only a whip and goad; failing to control it is certain. Without bit and bridle and using whip and goad, the horse is sure to be hurt and the cart sure to be wrecked; without virtue and law and using punishment, the people are sure to flee and the state sure to perish. Governing a state without virtue and law, the people have no cultivation; people without cultivation are confused and lose the Way. In such a case, the Lord on High will surely think he throws the Way of Heaven into disorder. If the Way of Heaven is disordered, punishments become cruel, those above and below flatter each other, and in flattery no one thinks of loyalty, all because of the lack of the Way. Now when people speak of evil, they must compare it to Jie and Zhou; what is the reason?

其法不聽，其德不厚，故民惡其殘虐，莫不吁嗟，朝夕祝之，升聞於天，上帝不蠲，降之以禍罰，災害並生，用殄厥世．故曰德法者御民之本．古之御天下者，以六官總治焉，冢宰之官以成道，治官所以成道司徒之官以成德，教官所以成德宗伯之官以成仁，祀官所以成仁司馬之官以成聖，治官所以成聖聖通征伐所以通天下也司寇之官以成義，刑官所以成義司空之官以成禮．事官所以成禮禮非事不立也六官在手以為轡，司會均仁以為納，納驂馬轡轡系軾前者司會掌邦之六典八法之戒以周知四方之治冢宰之副故不在其六轡至當納位故曰御四馬者執六轡，御天下者正六官．是故善御馬者正身以總轡，均馬力，齊馬心，迴旋曲折，唯其所之，故可以取長道，可赴急疾，此聖人所以御天地與人事之法則也．天子以內史為左右手，以六官為轡，已而與三公為執六官，均五教，齊五法．仁義禮智信之法也故亦唯其所引，無不如志，以之道則國治，冢宰治官以之德則國安，德教成以之仁則國和禮之用和為貴則國安以之仁則國和，以之聖則國平，通治遠近則國平也以之禮則國安，事物以禮則國定也以之義則國義，義平也刑罰當罪則國平此御政之術．過失人之情，莫不有焉，過而改之，是為不過．故官屬不理，分職不明，法政不一，百事失紀曰亂，亂則飭冢宰；飭謂整攝人也地而不殖，財物不蕃，萬民飢寒，教訓不行，風俗淫僻，人民流散曰危，危則飭司徒；父子不親，長幼失序，君臣上下，乖離異志曰不和，不和則飭宗伯；賢能而失官爵，功勞而失賞祿，司勳之職屬之司馬士卒疾怨，兵弱不用曰不平，不平則飭司馬；刑罰暴亂，奸邪不勝曰不義，不義則飭司寇；

His laws are not obeyed and his virtue is not deep, so the people hate his cruelty and none fails to sigh, cursing him morning and evening, the curses rising to Heaven; the Lord on High does not forgive, sends down calamity and punishment, and disasters arise together, in order to cut off his line. Therefore it is said that virtue and law are the root of directing the people. In ancient times, those who directed the world governed through the six offices as a whole. The office of the Chief Steward was used to accomplish the Way [the office of governing is how the Way is accomplished], the office of the Minister of Education to accomplish virtue [the office of teaching is how virtue is accomplished], the office of the Minister of Rites to accomplish benevolence [the office of sacrifice is how benevolence is accomplished], the office of the Minister of War to accomplish sagehood [the office of governing is how sagehood is accomplished; "sage" means penetrating, and campaigns are how one penetrates the world], the office of the Minister of Crime to accomplish righteousness [the office of punishment is how righteousness is accomplished], and the office of the Minister of Works to accomplish ritual [the office of works is how ritual is accomplished; ritual cannot stand without work]. The six offices are held in the hand as reins, and the Minister of Accounts balances benevolence as the inner rein ["na" is the rein of the outer horse, tied before the rail; the Minister of Accounts governs the warnings of the six statutes and eight laws of the state so as to know the governance of the four quarters, and is the deputy to the Chief Steward, so he is not among the six reins, but is exactly in the place of the inner rein]. Therefore it is said that one who drives four horses holds six reins, and one who directs the world sets right the six offices. Thus one good at driving horses straightens himself and gathers the reins, balances the strength of the horses, aligns the horses' hearts, and in winding and turning goes only where he directs, so he can go long distances and can race to urgent matters. This is how the sage directs Heaven and Earth and human affairs. The Son of Heaven takes the Interior Scribe as his left and right hands and the six offices as his reins, and then, together with the Three Dukes, holds the six offices, balances the five teachings, and aligns the five laws [the laws of benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom, and good faith]. So things follow only where he leads, and nothing fails to meet his aims. If the Way is used, the state is governed [the Chief Steward is the governing official]; if virtue is used, the state is secure [virtuous teaching is accomplished]; if benevolence is used, the state is harmonious [where the use of ritual values harmony, the state is secure, and where benevolence is used, the state is harmonious]; if sagehood is used, the state is at peace [penetrating governance near and far, the state is at peace]; if ritual is used, the state is settled [using ritual in affairs and things, the state is settled]; if righteousness is used, the state is level and upright [righteousness is level; when punishments fit the crime, the state is level]. This is the method of directing government. Faults are human nature, and no one is without them. To have a fault and correct it is to have none. Therefore when the offices are not governed, the division of duties is not clear, laws and government are not unified, and the hundred affairs lose their order, this is called disorder, and disorder is corrected through the Chief Steward ["chi" means to put in order people]; when land is not cultivated, goods do not multiply, the myriad people are hungry and cold, instruction is not carried out, customs are licentious, and people scatter, this is called danger, and danger is corrected through the Minister of Education; when fathers and sons are not close, old and young lose their order, and ruler and minister, high and low, are estranged in purpose, this is called disharmony, and disharmony is corrected through the Minister of Rites; when the worthy and able lose office and rank, and those with merit lose reward and salary [the office of merit belongs to the Minister of War], when soldiers resent, and the army is weak and cannot be used, this is called unevenness, and unevenness is corrected through the Minister of War; when punishments are violent and disordered and the wicked cannot be overcome, this is called unrighteousness, and unrighteousness is corrected through the Minister of Crime;

度量不審，舉事失理，都鄙不修，財物失所曰貧，貧則飭司空．故御者同是車馬，或以取千里，或不及數百里，其所謂進退緩急，異也．夫治者同是官法，或以致平，或以致亂者，亦其所以為進退緩急異也．古者天子常以季冬考德正法，以觀治亂，德盛者治也，德薄者亂也．故天子考德，則天下之治亂，可坐廟堂之上而知之，夫德盛則法修，德不盛則飭，法與政鹹德而不衰．法與政皆合於德則不殺故曰王者又以孟春論之德及功能．能德法者為有德，能行德法者為有行，行下孟反能成德法者為有功，能治德法者為有智．故天子論吏而德法行，事治而功成，夫季冬正法，孟春論吏，治國之要．”

when measures are not examined, undertakings lose their order, towns and borders are not kept up, and goods lose their place, this is called poverty, and poverty is corrected through the Minister of Works. Therefore, those who drive with the same carriages and horses, some reach a thousand li, while others do not reach a few hundred li, because of the difference in how they advance, retreat, slow down, and hurry. Those who govern with the same officials and laws, some bring about peace, some bring about disorder, also because of the difference in how they advance, retreat, slow down, and hurry. In ancient times the Son of Heaven regularly in the last month of winter examined virtue and set laws straight in order to observe order and disorder. Where virtue was abundant there was order; where virtue was thin there was disorder. So when the Son of Heaven examines virtue, the order or disorder of the world can be known while sitting in the temple hall. When virtue is abundant, laws are well kept; when virtue is not abundant, they are corrected. When laws and government both accord with virtue, they do not decline [when laws and government both accord with virtue, they are not diminished]. So the king in the first month of spring again assesses the virtue of officials and also their merit and ability. Those who can carry out virtue and law have virtue; those who can promote virtue and law have conduct; those who can accomplish virtue and law have merit; those who can govern virtue and law have wisdom. So when the Son of Heaven assesses officials, virtue and law are carried out, affairs are governed, and merit is accomplished. Setting laws straight in the last month of winter and assessing officials in the first month of spring are the essentials of governing a state."

子夏問於孔子曰：“商聞易之生人及萬物，鳥獸昆蟲，各有奇耦，氣分不同，易主天地以生萬物言受氣各有分數不齊同分扶問反而凡人莫知其情，唯達德者能原其本焉．天一，地二，人三，三如九，九九八十一，一主日，日數十，故人十月而生；一主日從一而生日者陽從奇數日數十從甲至癸也八九七十二，偶以從奇，奇主辰，辰為月，月主馬，故馬十二月而生；偶以承奇陰以承陽辰數十二從子至亥也奇居宜反七九六十三，三主鬥，鬥主狗，故狗三月而生；鬥次日月故以主斗六九五十四，四主時，時主豕，故豕四月而生；音不過五故五為音四九三十六，六為律，律主鹿，故鹿六月而生；三九二十七，七主星，星主虎，故虎七月而生；星二十八宿為四方方有七度七主星也二九一十八，八主風，風為蟲，故蟲八月而生；風之數盡於八凡蟲為風風為蟲也其餘各從其類矣．鳥魚生陰而屬於陽，故皆卵生．魚遊於水，鳥遊於云，故立冬則燕雀入海化為蛤．蠶食而不飲，蟬飲而不食，蜉蝣不飲不食，萬物之所以不同．介鱗夏食而冬蟄，介甲蟲也齕吞者八竅而卵生，八竅鳥屬齕下沒反齟●者九竅而胎生，九竅人及獸屬齟壯所反●疾雀反四足者無羽翼，戴角者無上齒，無角無前齒者膏，無角無後齒者脂，淮南取此義曰無角者膏而無前有角者脂而無後膏豚屬而脂羊屬無前後皆謂其銳小者也晝生者類父，夜生者似母，是以至陰主牝，至陽主牡．敢問其然乎？

Zixia asked Confucius: "I have heard that the Changes produces humans and all things, birds, beasts, and insects, each with odd or even, and the portions of qi differ [the Changes governs Heaven and Earth in giving birth to the myriad things, meaning that the portions of qi they receive are uneven]; none of the ordinary people knows the facts, and only one who has penetrated virtue can trace the root. Heaven is one, earth is two, man is three; three threes are nine, nine nines are eighty-one. One governs the sun, and the sun's number is ten, so humans are born in the tenth month [one governs the sun, beginning from one; the sun is yang and follows the odd numbers; the sun's number is ten, from jia to gui]. Eight nines are seventy-two; the even follows the odd, and the odd governs the hours, the hours are the months, and the months govern the horse, so horses are born in the twelfth month [the even follows to receive the odd, yin receives yang; the number of hours is twelve, from zi to hai]. Seven nines are sixty-three; three governs the Dipper, the Dipper governs the dog, so dogs are born in the third month [the Dipper comes next to the sun and moon, so it governs the Dipper]. Six nines are fifty-four; four governs the seasons, the seasons govern the pig, so pigs are born in the fourth month. Four nines are thirty-six; six is the pitch-pipes, the pitch-pipes govern the deer, so deer are born in the sixth month. Three nines are twenty-seven; seven governs the stars, the stars govern the tiger, so tigers are born in the seventh month [the stars are the twenty-eight lodges forming the four quarters, each quarter has seven degrees, and seven governs the stars]. Two nines are eighteen; eight governs the wind, the wind is insects, so insects are born in the eighth month [the number of wind ends at eight; all insects are wind, and wind is insects]. The rest each follows its kind. Birds and fish are born in yin and belong to yang, so they are all born from eggs. Fish swim in water and birds swim among the clouds, so at the start of winter swallows and sparrows enter the sea and turn into clams. Silkworms eat and do not drink, cicadas drink and do not eat, mayflies neither drink nor eat; this is how the myriad things differ. Shelled and scaled creatures eat in summer and hibernate in winter ["jie" means shelled creatures]. Those that swallow with the mouth have eight openings and are oviparous [the eight openings refer to birds]; those that chew with teeth have nine openings and are viviparous [the nine openings refer to humans and beasts]. Four-footed creatures have no wings, and those with horns have no upper teeth; those without horns and without front teeth are fatty, those without horns and without back teeth are grease [the Huainanzi takes this meaning and says: those without horns are fatty and have no front teeth, those with horns are grease and have no back teeth; fat is of the pig kind, grease is of the sheep kind; no front or back all means the teeth are sharp and small]. Those born by day resemble the father, those born by night resemble the mother. Therefore the utmost yin governs the female and the utmost yang governs the male. May I ask whether this is so?"

”孔子曰：“然，吾昔聞老聃亦如汝之言．”子夏曰：“商聞山書曰：‘地東西為緯，南北為經，山為積德，川為積刑，高者為生，下者為死，丘陵為牡，溪谷為牝，蚌蛤龜珠，與日月而盛虛．月盛則蚌蛤之屬滿月虧則虛是故堅土之人剛，弱土之人柔，墟土之人大，沙土之人細，息土之人美，●土之人醜．●耗字也息土細緻●土麤疏者也食水者善遊而耐寒，食土者無心而不息，螟屬不氣息也食木者多力而不治，血氣不治淮南子曰多力而弗戾亦不治之貌者也食草者善走而愚，食桑者有緒而蛾，食肉者勇毅而捍，食氣者神明而壽，食谷者智惠而巧，不食者不死而神．故曰羽蟲三百有六十，而鳳為之長；毛蟲三百有六十，而麟為之長；甲蟲三百有六十，而龜為之長；鱗蟲三百有六十而龍為之長；？蟲三百有六十而人為之長．此幹？之美也．幹天？地’殊形異類之數，王者動必以道動，靜必以道靜，必順理以奉天地之性，而不害其所主，謂之仁聖焉？”子夏言終而出，子貢進曰：“商之論也何如？”孔子曰：“汝謂何也？”對曰：“微則微矣，然則非治世之待也．”孔子曰：“然，各其所能．”孔子曰然子貢治世不待世事世事之急然亦各其所知能也

Confucius said: "It is so. I once heard Lao Dan say the same as you say." Zixia said: "I, Shang, have heard from the Book of Mountains: 'East-west on the earth is the woof, and north-south is the warp. Mountains accumulate virtue, and rivers accumulate punishment. The high is life and the low is death. Hills are male and valleys are female. Clams, turtles, and pearls wax and wane with the sun and moon. [When the moon is full, clams and the like are full, and when the moon wanes, they are empty] Therefore people of hard land are firm, people of soft land are gentle, people of hill land are large, people of sandy soil are slender, people of fertile land are beautiful, and people of thin land are ugly. [People of fertile soil are delicate, and people of poor soil are coarse] Those who drink water are good at swimming and tolerate cold, those who eat earth have no heart and do not breathe [the moth kind do not breathe], those who eat wood are strong but not well regulated [the blood and qi are not regulated; the Huainanzi says strong but not violent, which is also a look of being unregulated], those who eat grass are good at running but stupid, those who eat mulberry have silk and turn into moths, those who eat meat are fierce and tough, those who eat qi are spirit-like and long-lived, those who eat grain are wise and skillful, and those who eat nothing do not die and are divine. Therefore of feathered creatures there are three hundred and sixty, and the phoenix is their chief; of furred creatures there are three hundred and sixty, and the qilin is their chief; of shelled creatures three hundred and sixty, and the turtle is their chief; of scaled creatures three hundred and sixty, and the dragon is their chief; of naked creatures three hundred and sixty, and man is their chief. This is the beauty of Heaven and Earth.' ["Gan" here means Heaven] Of the different forms and different kinds, in number, a king in moving must move according to the Way, and in stillness must be still according to the Way, and must follow principle in upholding the nature of Heaven and Earth, and not harm what he governs; is that called benevolent and sagely?" When Zixia had spoken, he went out. Zigong came forward and said: "What of Shang's discussion?" Confucius said: "What do you think?" He answered: "It is subtle, but it is not what a well-governed age waits for." Confucius said: "So it is; each has what he is able to do." [Confucius said it is so. Zigong thought a well-governed age does not wait for these things and that the affairs of the world are urgent, but each also has what he is able to know]

魯哀公問於孔子曰：“人之命與性何謂也？”孔子對曰：“分於道謂之命，分於道謂始得為人故下句雲性命之始形於一謂之性，人各受陰陽以剛柔之性故曰形於一也化於陰陽，象形而發謂之生，化窮數盡謂之死．故命者，性之始也，死者，生之終也，有始則必有終矣．人始生而有不具者五焉，目無見、不能食、不能行、不能言、不能化．及生三月而微煦，煦睛人也煦子句反然後有見，八月生齒，然後能食，三年？合，然後能言，十有六而精通，然後能化．陰窮反陽，故陰以陽變，陽窮反陰，故陽以陰化．是以男子八月生齒，八歲而齔，女子七月生齒，七歲而齔，十有四而化，一陽一陰，奇偶相配，陽奇數陰偶數？桑才反齔初覲反奇居宜反然後道合化成，性命之端，形於此也．”公曰：“男子十六精通，女子十四而化，是則可以生民矣．而禮男子三十而有室，女子二十而有夫也，豈不晚哉？”孔子曰：“夫禮言其極，不是過也．男子二十而冠，有為人父之端，女子十五許嫁，有適人之道，於此而？

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "What do they mean by human fate and nature?" Confucius answered: "What is divided from the Way is called fate [being divided from the Way means first being able to become a person, so the next sentence speaks of the beginning of nature and fate], and what takes form in unity is called nature [each person receives yin and yang and forms a nature of firm or gentle, so it is said to take form in unity]; changing within yin and yang, taking shape and arising is called life, and when the change is exhausted and the number of qi is used up it is called death. So fate is the beginning of nature, death is the end of life, and where there is a beginning there must be an end. A newborn lacks five things: the eyes cannot see, it cannot eat, cannot walk, cannot speak, and cannot reproduce. When it is three months old and the eyes slightly gleam ["xu" means the pupils can shine on people], then there is seeing; at eight months the teeth grow, and then it can eat; at three years the fontanelle closes, and then it can speak; at sixteen the vital essence flows, and then it can reproduce. When yin is exhausted it returns to yang, so yin changes by yang; when yang is exhausted it returns to yin, so yang transforms by yin. Therefore boys grow teeth at eight months and change them at eight years; girls grow teeth at seven months and change them at seven years, and at fourteen can reproduce. One yang and one yin, odd and even in pairs [yang is the odd number and yin the even number], and then the Way joins and transforms; the beginning of nature and fate takes form here." Duke Ai said: "A boy's essence flows at sixteen and a girl can reproduce at fourteen, so then they can bear and raise people. Yet ritual stipulates that a man has a household at thirty and a woman has a husband at twenty; is that not late?" Confucius said: "Ritual speaks of the limit and does not go beyond it. A man is capped at twenty and has the beginning of being a father; a woman is betrothed at fifteen and has the way of marrying. At this time, however,

，則自婚矣．群生閒藏乎陰，而為化育之始，陰為冬也冬藏物而為化育始故聖人因時以合偶，男子窮天數也．極霜降而婦功成，嫁娶者行焉．季秋霜降嫁娶者始於此詩云將子無怒秋以為期也冰泮而農桑起，婚禮而殺於此．泮散也正月農事起蠶者採桑婚禮始殺言未正也至二月農事始起會男女之無夫家者奔者期盡此月故也詩云士如歸妻迨冰未泮言如欲使妻歸當及冰未泮散之盛時也．殺所戒反男子者，任天道而長萬物者也，知可為，知不可為，知可言，知不可言，知可行，知不可行者，是故審其倫而明其別謂之知，所以效匹夫之聽也．聽宜為德女子者，順男子之教而長其理者也，為男子長養其理也是故無****之義，而有三從之道，幼從父兄，既嫁從夫，夫死從子，言無再醮之端，始嫁言醮禮無再醮之端統言不改事人也．醮子肖反教令不出於閨門，事在供酒食而已，無閫外之非儀也，閫門限婦人以自專無閫外之威儀詩云無非無儀酒食是議閫苦本反不越境而奔喪，事無擅為，行無獨成，參知而後動，可驗而後言，晝不遊庭，夜行以火，所以效匹婦之德也．”行下孟反孔子遂言曰：“女有五不取：逆家子也亂家子也世有刑人子也世有惡疾子也喪父長子也此五者皆不取也矣逆家子者，謂其逆德亂家子者，謂其****世有刑人子者，謂其棄於人也有惡疾子者，謂其棄於天也喪父長子．謂其無受命也婦有七出，三不去．七出者：不順母父出無子出淫僻出惡疾出姑疾出多口舌出竊盜出不順父母出者，謂其逆德也無子者，謂其絕世也淫僻者，謂其亂族也嫉妒者，謂其亂家也惡疾者，謂其不可供粢盛也多口舌者，謂其離親也竊盜者；謂其反義也三不去者：謂有所取無所歸，一也與共更三年之喪，二也先貧賤，後富貴．三也凡此聖人所以順男女之際，重婚姻之始也．”

they pair up by themselves. The many creatures lie hidden within yin, and this is the beginning of reproduction [yin is winter, and in winter things are stored away, and it is the beginning of reproduction]. Therefore the sage matches pairs according to the seasons, and men exhaust the number of Heaven. With the frost's descent, women's work is completed and the business of marriage is carried out [in the last month of autumn at the frost's descent, marriage begins; the Book of Odes says: please do not be angry, with autumn as the date]. When the ice melts, farming and mulberry work begin, and wedding rites are reduced here ["pan" means to scatter. In the first month farming work begins, and silk-raising women gather mulberry, and wedding rites begin to be reduced, meaning they are not yet at the proper time. In the second month, when farming work begins to rise, men and women without spouses are brought together, and the deadline for elopement is all within this month. The Book of Odes says: 'If the gentleman wishes to bring home his wife, let him do so while the ice has not yet melted.' This means that if one wants to bring home his wife, he should hurry while the ice has not yet scattered]. A man bears the Way of Heaven and nurtures the myriad things, and knows what can be done and what cannot be done, what can be said and what cannot be said, what can be carried out and what cannot be carried out. Therefore examining the relations and categories and clearly distinguishing them is called knowing, by which he models himself on the virtue of the common man ["hearing" here should be "virtue"]. A woman follows the teaching of a man and nurtures that principle [nurturing that principle for the man]. Therefore she has no righteousness of acting by herself but has the Way of the three obediences: when young she obeys her father and brothers, when married she obeys her husband, and when the husband dies she obeys her son. This means there is no beginning of a second marriage [a first marriage is called the jiao rite; having no beginning of a second marriage means in general that she does not change to serve another]. Instructions and orders do not leave the women's quarters, and her affairs are only providing wine and food, without ceremony outside the door ["kun" is the threshold; if a woman acts on her own authority she has no dignity outside the door. The Book of Odes says: 'Without fault, without ceremony, only discussing wine and food']. She does not cross the border to attend a funeral, does not do things on her own initiative, does not complete conduct alone, moves only after verifying and knowing, speaks only after being able to confirm, does not wander in the courtyard by day, and uses a torch when walking at night. By this she models the virtue of the common wife." Confucius continued: "A woman has five types not to be married: the daughter of a rebellious family, the daughter of a licentious family, the daughter of a family with generations of those punished, the daughter of a family with generations of a malignant disease, and the eldest daughter who has lost her father. These five are not to be married. The daughter of a rebellious family means her virtue is contrary; the daughter of a licentious family means their licentiousness; the daughter of a family with generations of those punished means she was rejected by people; the daughter with a malignant disease means she was rejected by Heaven; the eldest daughter who has lost her father means she has not received a father's command. A wife may be put away on seven grounds, and there are three grounds on which she is not put away. The seven: disobedience to parents-in-law, being childless, licentiousness, malignant disease, jealousy, talkativeness, and theft. Disobedience to parents-in-law means her virtue is contrary; childlessness means the line is cut off; licentiousness means the clan is thrown into disorder; jealousy means the household is thrown into disorder; malignant disease means she cannot provide sacrificial offerings; talkativeness means kin are driven apart; theft means going against righteousness. The three not put away: if she has no home to return to after the marriage, one; if they have together passed through the three-year mourning, two; if they were poor and lowly first and rich and honored later, three. All of these are how the sage accords with the relation of man and woman and values the beginning of marriage."

孔子曰：“禮之所以象五行也，服之制有五等其義四時也，故喪禮有舉焉，有恩有義，有節有權．所以舉象四時其恩厚者其服重，故為父母斬衰三年，以恩制者也；門內之治恩掩義，門外之治義掩恩，資於事父以事君而敬同，尊尊貴貴，義之大也，故為君亦服衰三年，以義制者也；三日而食，三月而沐，期而練，毀不滅性，不以死傷生，喪不過三年，齊衰不補，墳墓不修，除服之日，鼓素琴，示民有終也，凡此以節制者也；資於事父以事母而愛同，天無二日，國無二君，家無二尊，以治之，故父在為母齊衰期者，見無二尊也；百官備，百物具，不言而事行者，扶而起，謂天子諸侯也言而後事行者，杖而起，卿大夫士也身自執事行者，面垢而已，謂庶人也此以權制者也．親始死三日不怠，三月不懈，期悲號，三年憂哀之殺也，聖人因殺以制節也．”殺所戒反

Confucius said: "Ritual models itself on the five phases, and the system of mourning garments has five grades; its principle models the four seasons. Therefore the mourning rites have what they highlight: there is affection and righteousness, there is regulation and expedience [what is highlighted models the four seasons]. Where affection is deep, the mourning garment is heavy, so for parents one wears the unhemmed sackcloth for three years, set by affection. In governing within the gate, affection overcomes righteousness; in governing outside the gate, righteousness overcomes affection. By taking the serving of the father as the model for serving the ruler, reverence is the same, and honoring the honored and valuing the valued is the greatest of righteousness, so for a ruler too one wears mourning for three years, set by righteousness. One eats after three days, bathes after three months, changes to the training garment after a year, harm to the body does not destroy life, one does not use death to hurt the living, mourning does not exceed three years, the lesser mourning garment is not hemmed, the grave is not tended, and on the day mourning is removed one plays the plain zither, showing the people that there is an end; all of these are set by regulation. By taking the serving of the father as the model for serving the mother, love is the same. Heaven does not have two suns, a state does not have two rulers, a household does not have two senior heads, so as to govern. So when the father is alive, mourning for the mother is for one year, showing that there are not two senior heads. If all officials are in place and all things are in place, and affairs are carried out without speaking, one rises supported [referring to the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords]; if affairs are carried out only after speaking, one rises leaning on a staff [ministers, grandees, and officers]; if affairs are carried out only when one handles them oneself, one just has a dirty face [referring to commoners]. These are set by expedience. For three days after a relative has just died one is not lax, for three months one does not slacken, for a year one wails, and for three years one's grief gradually diminishes. The sage sets measures according to the gradual diminishing."

孔子閒居，子張子貢言遊侍，論及於禮．孔子曰：“居，汝三人者，吾語汝以禮，周流無不遍也．”子貢越席而對曰：“敢問如何？”子曰：“敬而不中禮謂之野，恭而不中禮謂之給，勇而不中禮謂之逆．”子曰：“給奪慈仁．”巧言足恭捷給之人似仁非仁故言給奪慈仁．中陟仲反下同子貢曰：“敢問將何以為此中禮者？”子曰：“禮乎，夫禮所以制中也．”子貢退，言遊進曰：“敢問禮也，領惡而全好者與？”領理惡烏故反好呼報反與羊諸反子曰：“然．”子貢問何也？子曰：“郊社之禮，所以仁鬼神也；禘嘗之禮，所以仁昭穆也饋奠之禮，所以仁死喪也；射饗之禮，所以仁鄉黨也；食饗之禮，所以仁賓客也．明乎郊社之義，禘嘗之禮，治國其如指諸掌而已．是故居家有禮，故長幼辨以之；閨門有禮，故三族和以之；朝廷有禮，故官爵序以之；田獵有禮，故戎事閒以之；軍旅有禮，故武功成．是以宮室得其度，鼎俎得其象，物得其時，樂得其節，車得其軾，鬼神得其享，喪紀得其哀，辯說得其黨，黨類百官得其體，政事得其施，各得其所宜施行之加於身而措於前，凡眾之動，得其宜也．”言遊退，子張進曰：“敢問禮何謂也？

Confucius was at leisure, with Zizhang, Zigong, and Yan You in attendance, and they spoke of ritual. Confucius said: "Sit, you three, and I will tell you of ritual, which pervades everywhere without exception." Zigong stepped beyond his mat and answered: "May I ask how?" Confucius said: "Reverence not in accord with ritual is called rustic; respectfulness not in accord with ritual is called fawning; courage not in accord with ritual is called rebellious." Confucius said: "Fawning usurps kindness and benevolence." [One who speaks cleverly and is excessively respectful, quick to oblige others, resembles benevolence but is not benevolence, so it is said that fawning usurps benevolence] Zigong said: "May I ask how to be in accord with ritual?" Confucius said: "Ritual, ritual is what sets the mean." Zigong withdrew, and Yan You came forward and said: "May I ask whether ritual governs evil and preserves good?" Confucius said: "Yes." Zigong asked why. Confucius said: "The rites of the suburban and earth sacrifices are used to show benevolence to the spirits; the rites of the ancestral sacrifices are used to show benevolence to the ancestral order; the rites of offerings and libations are used to show benevolence to the dead and mourning; the rites of archery and banquets are used to show benevolence to the village; the rites of feasts are used to show benevolence to guests. If one understands the meaning of the suburban and earth sacrifices and the rites of the ancestral sacrifices, governing the state is like pointing to the palm of one's hand. Therefore when there is ritual at home, old and young are thereby distinguished; when there is ritual in the women's quarters, the three clans are thereby harmonious; when there is ritual at court, offices and ranks are thereby ordered; when there is ritual in hunting, military affairs are thereby practiced; when there is ritual in the army, martial achievement is thereby accomplished. Thus palaces and houses obtain their measure, tripods and sacrificial stands obtain their form, things obtain their seasons, music obtains its measure, carriages obtain their crossbars, spirits obtain their offerings, mourning obtains grief, debates obtain their like ["dang" means kind], the hundred officials obtain their structure, and government affairs obtain their execution [each obtains what is fitting to carry out]. Applied to the body and set before one, all the movements of the multitude obtain what is fitting." Yan You withdrew, and Zizhang came forward and said: "May I ask what ritual means?

”子曰：“禮者，即事之治也，君子有其事必有其治，治國而無禮，譬猶瞽之無相，倀倀乎何所之，相息亮反倀三良反譬猶終夜有求於幽室之中，非燭何以見．故無禮則手足無所措，耳目無所加，進退揖讓無所制．是故以其居處長幼失其別，閨門三族失其和，朝廷官爵失其序，田獵戎事失其策，軍旅武功失其勢，宮室失其度，鼎俎失其象，物失其時，樂失其節，車失其軾，鬼神失其享，喪紀失其哀，辯說失其黨，百官失其體，政事失其施，加於身而措於前，凡動之眾失其宜，如此則無以祖洽四海．”祖始也洽合無禮則無以為眾法無以合聚眾子曰：“慎聽之，汝三人者，吾語汝，禮猶有九焉，大饗有四焉，語汝有九其四大饗所以待賓之禮其五動靜之威儀也語魚據反苟知此矣，雖在畎畝之中，事之聖人矣．在畎畝之中猶焉為聖人兩軍相見，揖讓而入門，入門而懸興，興作樂一也揖讓而升堂，升堂而樂闋，二也下管象舞，夏鑰序興，下管堂下吹管象武舞也夏文舞也執鑰鑰如笛序以更作三也陳其薦俎，序其禮樂，備其百官，四也所以大饗有四也如此而後君子知仁焉．行中規，五也．行下孟反中陟仲反旋中矩，六也鑾和中採薺，採薺樂曲名所以為和鑾之節七也客出以雍，雍樂曲名在周頌八也徹以振羽．亦樂曲名九也是故君子無物而不在於禮焉，入門而金作，示情也；金既鳴聲終始若一故以示情也升歌清廟，示德也；清廟所以頌文王之德也下管象舞，示事也．凡舞舉事是故古之君子，不必親相與言也，以禮樂相示而已．夫禮者，理也，樂者，節也，無禮不動，無節不作，不能詩，於禮謬，詩以言禮不能樂，於禮素，素質於德薄，於禮虛．”非其人則禮不虛行子貢作而問曰：“然則夔其窮與？

Confucius said: "Ritual is the ordering of affairs. The gentleman, when he has an affair, must have its ordering. To govern a state without ritual is like a blind man with no one to support him, wandering vaguely not knowing where to go; it is like seeking all night in a dark room: without a candle, how could one see? So without ritual, hands and feet have no place to rest, ears and eyes no place to be applied, and advancing, retreating, bowing, and yielding have no restraint. Hence in domestic life, old and young lose their distinctions, in the inner chambers the three kindreds lose harmony, in the court rank and office lose order, in hunting and military affairs plans are lost, in military ventures and martial merit advantage is lost, in palaces and houses standards are lost, in cauldrons and sacrificial stands appearance is lost, in things the seasons are lost, in music the measure is lost, in carriages the crossbar is lost, in ghosts and spirits the sacrifices are lost, in mourning grief is lost, in debate one's kind is lost, among the hundred officials the proper structure is lost, in government the implementation is lost, and applied to one's person or set before one's eyes, the movements of all the multitude lose what is fitting. In such a case there would be no way to begin and unite the four seas." ["Zu" means begin, "qia" means unite. Without ritual there is no way to set a model for the multitude, and no way to gather and unite them.] Confucius said: "Listen carefully, you three. I tell you that ritual has nine more, and the grand banquet has four [I tell you there are nine, of which four are the rituals of the grand banquet for receiving guests and the other five are dignified conduct in motion and stillness]. If you know these, even in the midst of the fields, serving him would make you a sage [one can be a sage even among the fields]. When two rulers meet, they bow and yield and enter the gate; on entering the gate the bells and chimes sound, one; bowing and yielding and ascending the hall, and with the ascent the music ceases, two; below the hall pipes are played and the Xiang dance is performed, and the Xia and the flute alternately arise [playing pipes below the hall is pipes played below; Xiang is a martial dance, Xia a civil dance, holding the flute, and the flute resembles a pipe, in sequence they alternate], three; setting out the offerings and stands, arranging ritual and music, and having the hundred officials ready, four. So the grand banquet has four. Only in this way does the gentleman know benevolence. Walking in accord with the compass, five; turning in accord with the square, six; the carriage bells and the sound of small bells in harmony with the Caiqi [Caiqi is the name of a musical piece, used as the beat for the carriage bells], seven; when the guests go out they use the Yong [Yong is the name of a piece, in the Odes of Zhou], eight; when clearing the dishes they use the Zhen Yu [also the name of a piece], nine. Thus the gentleman has not one thing outside ritual. When he enters the gate and the metal sounds, it shows feeling [when the metal has sounded, the sound is the same from end to start, and so it shows feeling]; when he ascends the hall and the Qingmiao is sung, it shows virtue [the Qingmiao is used to praise King Wen's virtue]; pipes and the Xiang dance below the hall show affairs [all dances are to carry out affairs]. Thus the gentlemen of old did not need to speak to each other in person, and simply showed each other through ritual and music. Ritual is principle and music is measure. Without ritual there is no movement, without measure there is no action. One who cannot do the Odes is mistaken about ritual [the Odes are used to speak of ritual]; one who cannot do music is plain about ritual [plain in substance]; one who is shallow in virtue is hollow about ritual." [If he is not that kind of person, ritual is not carried out in vain.] Zigong rose and asked: "Then was Kui perhaps exhausted?

”言達於樂而不達於禮者也．與音餘子曰：“古之人與上古之人也，達於禮而不達於樂謂之素，達於樂而不達於禮謂之偏，達謂遍有所達非殊夫夔達於樂而不達於禮，是以傳於此名也，古之人也．言達於樂多故遂傳名樂凡制度在禮，文為在禮，行之其在人乎．”三子者既得聞此論於夫子也，煥若發矇焉．

This refers to one who is penetrating in music but not in ritual." Confucius said: "A person of ancient times [a person of high antiquity]. One who penetrates ritual but not music is called plain; one who penetrates music but not ritual is called partial ["da" means universally penetrating, not special]. Kui penetrated music but not ritual, and so this name has come down, a person of ancient times. [This says he penetrated music so much that the name of music was passed down.] Whatever is institution lies in ritual, whatever is adornment and action lies in ritual, and carrying it out probably lies in people." The three had heard this discussion from the Master, and it was as bright as if a covering had been lifted."

子夏侍坐於孔子曰：“敢問詩云愷悌君子，民之父母，何如斯可謂民之父母？”孔子曰：“夫民之父母，必達於禮樂之源，以致五至而行三無，以橫於天下，四方有敗，必先知之，此之謂民之父母．”子夏曰：“敢問何謂五至？”孔子曰：“志之所至，詩亦至焉；詩之所至，禮亦至焉；禮之所至，樂亦至焉；樂之所至，哀亦至焉．詩禮相成，哀樂相生，是以正明目而視之，不可得而見，傾耳而聽之，不可得而聞，志氣塞於天地，行之克於四海，此之謂五至矣．”子貢曰：“敢問何謂三無？”孔子曰：“無聲之樂，無體之禮，無服之喪，此之謂三無．”子夏曰：“敢問三無何詩近之？”孔子曰：“夙夜基命宥密，無聲之樂也；夙夜恭也基始也命信也宥寬也密寧也言以行與民信王教在寬民以安寧故謂之無聲之樂也威儀逮逮，不可選也，無體之禮也；凡民有喪，扶伏救之，無服之喪也．”子夏曰：“言則美矣，大矣，言盡於此而已？”孔子曰：“何謂其然？吾語汝，其義猶有五起焉．”語魚據反子貢曰：“何如？”孔子曰：“無聲之樂，氣志不違；無體之禮，威儀遲遲；無服之喪，內恕孔悲．無聲之樂，所願必從；無體之禮，上下和同；無服之喪，施及萬邦．既然而又奉之以三無私，而勞天下，此之謂五起．”子夏曰：“何謂三無私？”孔子曰：“天無私覆，地無私載，日月無私照．其在詩曰：‘帝命不違，至於湯齊，至湯以大心齊湯降不遲，聖敬日躋，不遲言疾躋升也湯疾行下人之道其聖敬之德日升聞也昭假遲遲，上帝是隻．湯之威德昭明遍至化行寬舒遲遲然故上帝敬其德’帝命式於九圍，九圍九州也天命用於九州謂以為天下王是湯之德也．”子夏蹶然而起，負牆而立曰：“弟子敢不志之．”

Zixia sat in attendance on Confucius and said: "May I ask about the Book of Songs saying 'the gentle and easy gentleman is the parent of the people'; how can one be called the parent of the people?" Confucius said: "One who is the parent of the people must penetrate the source of ritual and music, to reach the Five Utmosts and practice the Three Without, spanning the world. When there is decay in the four quarters, he must know of it first; this is called the parent of the people." Zixia said: "May I ask what are the Five Utmosts?" Confucius said: "Where the aim reaches, the Songs reach; where the Songs reach, ritual reaches; where ritual reaches, music reaches; where music reaches, grief reaches. The Songs and ritual complete each other, and grief and joy produce each other. Thus looking straight with the eyes, one cannot see it; listening with the ears, one cannot hear it. The aim and spirit fill heaven and earth, and in practice fill the four seas; this is called the Five Utmosts." Zigong said: "May I ask what are the Three Without?" Confucius said: "Music without sound, ritual without form, mourning without mourning garb; these are called the Three Without." Zixia said: "May I ask which verses of the Songs approach the Three Without?" Confucius said: "'From morning to night, taking leniency as the base of the mandate,' is music without sound ["morning to night is reverent," "ji" is beginning, "ming" is trust, "you" is leniency, "mi" is tranquility. It says one gives the people trust through conduct, the king's teaching lies in leniency, and the people are thus at peace, so it is called music without sound]; 'Dignified and leisurely, not to be chosen among,' is ritual without form; 'When any of the people has mourning, crawl to help them,' is mourning without mourning garb." Zixia said: "Your words are fine and great; do they stop here?" Confucius said: "Why say so? I tell you the meaning has five more arisings." Zigong said: "How so?" Confucius said: "Music without sound: the spirit does not go against; ritual without form: dignity is leisurely; mourning without mourning garb: within is sympathy and great grief. Music without sound: what is wished is surely followed; ritual without form: high and low are in harmony; mourning without mourning garb: it extends to the ten thousand states. Having been thus, one again holds the Three Without Private and toils for the world; these are called the Five Arisings." Zixia said: "What are the Three Without Private?" Confucius said: "Heaven covers without private heart, earth bears without private heart, and the sun and moon shine without private heart. In the Songs it says: 'The Lord's command does not go against, down to Tang it was made one. [Down to Tang it was made one with a great heart.] Tang descended without delay, his sagely reverence rising day by day. [Not delaying means swift, "ji" means to rise. Tang was urgent in carrying out the way of those below, and his virtue of sagely reverence rose daily and was heard.] Bright light reached everywhere, broad and leisurely, and the Lord on High respected him for it. [Tang's majestic virtue was bright and reached everywhere, his teaching carried out broadly and leisurely, so the Lord on High respected his virtue.] The Lord's command took its model from the Nine Regions. [The Nine Regions are the Nine Provinces. Heaven's mandate applied to the Nine Provinces, meaning he was king of the world.] This was Tang's virtue.'" Zixia hurriedly stood up, stood with his back to the wall, and said: "Your disciple dares not fail to record it."

孔子觀於鄉射，喟然嘆曰：“射之以禮樂也，何以射，何以聽，修身而發，而不失正鵠者，其唯賢者乎？正鵠所射者也若夫不肖之人，則將安能以求飲？詩云：‘發彼有的，以祈爾爵．的實也祈求也言發中的以求飲爾爵也勝者飲不勝者’祈，求也，求所中以辭爵．飲彼則已不飲故曰以辭爵也．中陟仲反酒者，所以養老，所以養病也．求中以辭爵，辭其養也，是故士使之射而弗能，則辭以病，懸弧之義．”弧弓也男子生則懸弧於其門明必有射事也而今不能射唯病可以為辭也於是退而與門人習射於矍相之圃，蓋觀者如堵牆焉．射至於司馬，使子路執弓矢出列延，謂射之者曰：“子路為司馬故射至使子路出延射奔軍之將，亡國之大夫，與為人後者不得入，人已有後而又為人後故曰與為人後世也其餘皆入，蓋去者半．”又使公罔之裘序點，揚觶而語曰：“先行射鄉飲酒故二人揚觶觶支義切幼壯孝悌，耆老好禮，好呼報切不從流俗，修身以俟死者在此位，蓋去者半．”序點揚觶而語曰：“好學不倦，好禮不變，耄期稱道而不亂者，在此位，八十九十日耄言雖老而能稱解道而不亂也蓋僅有存焉．”射既闋，子路進曰：“由與二三子者之為司馬，何如？”孔子曰：“能用命矣．”

Confucius watched the village archery contest and sighed, saying: "Archery must use ritual and music. By what does one shoot, by what does one listen? Cultivating oneself and only then releasing, without losing the target [the target is what is shot at], probably only the worthy can do this. As for the unworthy, how could they hope to earn a drink?" The Book of Songs says: "Hit the center of the target and seek your cup. ["Di" means real, "qi" means to seek. It means to hit the center of the target and seek to drink your cup; the winner makes the loser drink.]" "Qi" means seek, seeking what is shot to decline the cup [to make him drink is not to drink oneself, so it is said to decline the cup]. Wine is used to nourish the aged and nourish the sick. Seeking to hit the target and decline the cup is to decline that nourishing. So when a gentleman is asked to shoot and cannot, he declines by illness; this is the meaning of hanging the bow. [The "hu" is a bow. When a boy is born, a bow is hung over the door, indicating that he will certainly have archery to do; now if he cannot shoot, only illness can serve as an excuse.] Then he withdrew and practiced archery with his disciples in the garden of Jue Xiang, and the spectators were like a wall. When it came to the Marshal, he had Zilu carry bow and arrows and come forward to invite, and said to the archers [Zilu was Marshal, so in archery it came to Zilu to go out and invite]: "Defeated generals, grandees of ruined states, and those who are heirs to others may not enter [if a man already has an heir and becomes another's heir, it is called being heir to others]. All others may enter." About half left. He then had Gongwang Zhiqiu and Xu Dian raise the cups and say: "Those who in youth and prime are filial and brotherly, in old age love ritual, do not follow vulgar customs, and cultivate themselves to await death, take this place." About half left. Xu Dian raised the cup and said: "Those who love learning without weariness, love ritual without change, and at the age of ninety still speak of the right way without confusion take this place [eighty or ninety is called mao, meaning that even when old they can still explain the right way without confusion]." Probably only a few remained. When the archery was finished, Zilu came forward and said: "What do you think of You and some others serving as Marshal?" Confucius said: "He can follow orders."

孔子曰：“吾觀於鄉而知王道之易易也．易以豉反主人親速賓及介，而眾賓從之，速召至於正門之外，主人拜賓及介，而眾自入，貴賤之義別矣，別彼列反三揖至於階，三讓以賓升，拜至獻酬辭讓之節繁，及介升則省矣，至於眾賓升而受爵，坐祭立飲，不酢而降，殺之義辯矣．殺所戒反工入升歌三終，主人獻賓，記曰主人獻之於義不得為賓也下句笙入三終主又獻之是也歌鹿鳴四牡皇皇者華三篇終主人乃獻之是也笙入三終，主人又獻之，吹南陔白華華黍三篇終主人獻也間歌三終，乃歌魚麗由庚歌南有嘉魚笙崇丘歌南山有臺笙由余者也合樂三闋，合笙聲同其音歌周南召南三篇也工告樂備而遂出，樂正既告備而降言遂出自此至去不復升也一人揚觶，乃立司正焉．賓將欲去故復使一人揚觶乃立司正主威儀請安賓也知其能和，樂而不流，樂音洛賓酬主人，主人酬介，介酬眾賓，賓少長以齒，少詩照切終於沃洗者焉，知其能弟長而無遺矣．長丁丈反降脫●，升坐修爵無算，飲酒之節，旰不廢朝，暮不廢夕，旰晨飲早哺廢罷旰古旦反賓出主人迎送，節文終遂焉．知其能安燕而不亂也．貴賤既明，降殺既辯，和樂而不流，弟長而無遺，安燕而不亂，此五者足以正身安國矣，彼國安而天下安矣．故曰：‘吾觀於鄉，而知王道之易易也．易以豉反’”

Confucius said: "I watched the village wine-drinking ceremony and know that the kingly way is easy, easy. The host personally invites the principal guest and the second guest, and the other guests follow. On reaching outside the main gate, the host bows to the principal and second guests, and the other guests enter by themselves, and the principle of noble and lowly is distinguished. Three bows to the foot of the steps and three yieldings to let the guest ascend the hall; the rites of bowing on arrival, offering and returning cups, and declining and yielding are many; when it comes to the second guest ascending the hall they are fewer; when it comes to the other guests ascending the hall to receive cups, they sacrifice sitting, drink standing, and go down the hall without returning the toast, and the principle of gradual reduction is clear. The musicians enter, ascend the hall, and sing three finales, and the host offers a cup to the guest [the record says the host offers, by principle it should not be the guest; the next line says that when the pipers enter for three finales the host again offers a cup, which is this. After the three pieces 'Lu Ming,' 'Si Mu,' and 'Huang Huang Zhe Hua' have been sung, the host offers a cup]; the pipers enter for three finales and the host again offers a cup [after the three pieces 'Nan Gai,' 'Bai Hua,' and 'Hua Shu' are blown, the host offers a cup]; singing and playing alternate for three finales [then 'Yu Li' is sung with 'You Geng,' 'Nan You Jia Yu' is sung with 'Chong Qiu,' and 'Nan Shan You Tai' is sung with 'You Yi']; the combined music for three movements [the sheng sounds join with the voices, singing the three pieces of the 'Zhou Nan' and the 'Shao Nan']. The musicians report that the music is complete and go out [after the music director reports completeness and descends from the hall, it is said 'then goes out,' and from then until departure he does not ascend again]. One person raises a cup, and then the Director of Rites is established [when the guests are about to leave, one more person raises a cup, and then the Director of Rites is established to ask the guests to be at ease]. One knows they can be harmonious and joyful without excess. The guest toasts the host, the host toasts the second guest, the second guest toasts the other guests, and the guests are ordered by age and youth down to the one who pours the water for washing; one knows they can distinguish elder from younger without omission. Going down the hall to remove shoes, then ascending to sit, toasts continue without fixed number. The measure of drinking is that the morning does not neglect the audience, and the evening does not neglect the evening duties ["gan" is morning, drinking early; "bu" is evening, "fei" is to cease]. When the guests go out, the host welcomes and sees them off, and the rites are finished and complete. One knows they can be at ease in feasting without disorder. Noble and lowly are already clear, the gradation is already clear, harmony and joy without excess, distinguishing elder from younger without omission, and ease in feasting without disorder; these five are enough to set oneself right and settle the state. When that state is settled, the world is settled. So it is said: I watched the village wine-drinking ceremony and know that the kingly way is easy, easy."

子貢觀於蠟．蠟索也歲十有二月索群神而祀之今之臘也．蠟助駕反孔子曰：“賜也，樂乎？”樂音洛對曰：“一國之人皆若狂，言醉亂也賜未知其為樂也．”孔子曰：“百日之勞，一日之樂，一日之澤，非爾所知也．古民皆勤苦稼穡有百日之勞喻久也今一日使之飲酒焉樂之是君之恩澤也張而不弛，文武弗能，弛而不張，文武弗為．一張一弛，文武之道也．”弛施氏反

Zigong watched the La sacrifice [La means to seek; in the twelfth month of the year they seek out the many spirits and sacrifice to them, which is the present-day La festival]. Confucius said: "Si, are you enjoying it?" He replied: "The people of a whole state seem to have gone mad [meaning drunk and disorderly], and Si does not know where the enjoyment is." Confucius said: "A hundred days of toil and one day of enjoyment, one day of favor, is not something you know. [In ancient times the people all toiled bitterly in farming, with a hundred days of labor, which is a figure for long; now to let them drink and enjoy themselves for a day is the ruler's favor.] To only draw tight and never loosen, even Wen and Wu could not do it; to only loosen and never draw tight, Wen and Wu would not do it. One tightening and one loosening is the way of Wen and Wu."

定公問於孔子曰：“古之帝王必郊祀其祖以配天，何也？”孔子對曰：“萬物本於天，人本乎祖，郊之祭也，大報本反始也，故以配上帝．天垂象，聖人則之，郊所以明天道也．”公曰：“寡人郊而莫同，何也？”孔子曰：“郊之祭也，迎長日之至也，周人始以日至之月冬日至而日長大報天而主日配以月，故周之始郊，其月以日至，其日用上辛，至於啟蟄之月，則又祈谷於上帝，祈求也為農祈谷於上帝月令孟春之月乃以元日祈谷於上帝兼無仲冬大郊之事至於祈農與天子同故春秋傳曰夫郊祀后稷以祈農事也是故啟蟄而郊郊而後耕而說學者不知推經禮之指歸皮膚妄說至乃顛倒神只變易時日遷改兆位良可痛心者也此二者天子之禮也．魯無冬至，大郊之事降殺於天子，是以不同也．”公曰：“其言郊，何也？”孔子曰：“兆丘於南，所以就陽位也，於郊，故謂之郊焉．”兆丘於南謂之圓丘兆之於南郊也然則郊之名有三焉築為圓丘以象天自然故謂之圓丘圓丘之人所造故謂之泰壇於南郊在南說學者謂南郊與圓丘異若是則詩易尚書謂不圜丘也又不通泰壇之名或乃謂周官圜丘虛妄之言皆不通典制也曰：“其牲器何如？”孔子曰：“上帝之牛角璽栗，必在滌三月，滌所以養生具后稷之牛唯具，別祀稷時牲亦芻之三月配天之時獻故唯具之也所以別事天神與人鬼也，別彼列切牲用騂，尚赤也，用犢，貴誠也，犢質愨貴誠之美也掃地而祭於其質也，地圜丘之地掃焉而祭貴其質也器用陶匏，以象天地之性也，人之作物無可稱之故取天地之性以自然也萬物無可稱之者，故因其自然之體也．”公曰：“天子之郊，其禮儀可得聞乎？

Duke Ding of Lu asked Confucius: "The ancient emperors and kings must make the suburban sacrifice to their ancestors to pair them with Heaven; why?" Confucius replied: "The ten thousand things have Heaven as their root and people have their ancestors as their root. The suburban sacrifice is a great repayment to the root and a return to the beginning, and so one pairs with the Lord on High. Heaven lets down images and the sages model on them, and the suburban sacrifice is used to make clear the Way of Heaven." The duke said: "My suburban sacrifice is different from that of the Son of Heaven; why?" Confucius said: "The suburban sacrifice is to welcome the arrival of the long days. The Zhou people first used the month of the solstice [the winter solstice day, when days become longer] for the great repayment to Heaven, taking the sun as host and the moon as pairing. So the Zhou began the suburban sacrifice, with the month being that of the solstice and the day being the first xin day. When it came to the month of awakening from hibernation, they again prayed to the Lord on High for grain ["qi" means to seek, praying to the Lord on High for grain for agriculture. In the Monthly Ordinances only in the first month of spring is the opening day used to pray to the Lord on High for grain. Lu had no great suburban sacrifice at midwinter, but in praying for agriculture it is the same as the Son of Heaven. So the Spring and Autumn Annals tradition says: sacrificing to Houji in the suburbs to pray for agricultural affairs. Therefore the suburban sacrifice is held at the awakening from hibernation, and after the sacrifice plowing begins. The scholars who explain it do not know how to seek the direction of the classical rites, speak superficially and recklessly, to the point of inverting spirits, altering days, and moving altar positions, which is truly painful]. These two are the Son of Heaven's rites. Lu has no great suburban sacrifice at the winter solstice, being reduced from the Son of Heaven, and so it differs." The duke said: "Why is it called the suburban sacrifice?" Confucius said: "In the south a mound-site is built to approach the yang position; it is in the suburbs, and so it is called the suburban sacrifice." [A mound built in the south is called the Round Mound, with the site in the southern suburb. Then the suburban sacrifice has three names: built as a Round Mound to symbolize Heaven's naturalness, so it is called the Round Mound; the Round Mound is made by people and so is called the Grand Altar; being in the southern suburb it is called the south. The scholars who explain say that the southern suburb and the Round Mound are different, but if so, then the Songs, the Changes, and the Documents do not mention the Round Mound; and they do not understand the name of the Grand Altar, and some even say that the Round Mound of the Zhou Officials is a false statement, none of which fits the institutions.] The duke said: "What about the sacrificial animals and vessels?" Confucius said: "The ox for the Lord on High has horns like a cocoon or chestnut, and must be raised three months in the purification hall ["di" is the place for raising animals]; the ox for Houji need only be complete [when sacrificing separately to Ji the animal is also raised on fodder for three months, but when presented to pair with Heaven it need only be complete]. This distinguishes serving the heavenly spirits from human ghosts. Using a red-brown animal honors red; using a calf values sincerity [a calf is plain and sincere, the beauty of valuing sincerity]. Sweeping the ground to sacrifice values plainness [the ground is the ground of the Round Mound, sacrificing after sweeping values its plainness]. The vessels are pottery and gourd, to symbolize the nature of heaven and earth [the things made by people have nothing to be said about them, so they take the nature of heaven and earth as naturalness]. The ten thousand things have nothing to be said about them, so they rely on natural substance." The duke said: "May I hear the ritual of the Son of Heaven's suburban sacrifice?

”孔子對曰：“臣聞天子卜郊，則受命於祖廟，而作龜於禰宮，禰宮父廟也受祭天之命於祖而作龜於父廟尊祖親考之義也．卜之日，王親立於澤宮，以聽誓命，受教諫之義也，澤宮宮也誓命祭天所行威儀也王親受之故曰受教諫之義既卜，獻命庫門之內，所以誡百官也．將郊，則天子皮弁以聽報，示民嚴上也．報白也王夙興朝服以待白祭事後服袞郊之日，喪者不敢哭，凶服者不敢入國門，汜掃清路，行者必止，汜遍也清路以新土無復行之弗命而民聽，敬之至也．以王恭敬事天故民化之不令而行之也天子大裘以黼之，被袞象天，大裘為黼文也言被之大裘其有象天之文故被之道路至大壇而脫之乘素車，貴其質也，旗十有二旒，龍章而設以日月，所以法天也，既至泰壇，王脫裘矣，服袞以臨，燔柴戴冕，璪十有二旒，則天數也．臣聞之誦詩三百，不足以一獻，祭群小祀一獻之禮，不足以大饗，大饗祫祭天王大饗之禮，不足以大旅，大旅祭五帝也大旅具矣，不足以饗帝，饗帝祭天是以君子無敢輕議於禮者也．”

Confucius replied: "I have heard that when the Son of Heaven divines for the suburban sacrifice, he receives the command in the ancestral temple and burns the tortoise shell in his father's hall [the father's hall is the father's temple. Receiving the command for the sacrifice to Heaven from the ancestor and burning the tortoise shell in the father's temple is the principle of honoring the ancestor and being close to the father]. On the day of the divination, the king personally stands in the Marsh Palace to hear the oath-command, which is the principle of receiving instruction and remonstrance [the Marsh Palace is a palace; the oath-command is the dignified conduct for sacrificing to Heaven, which the king personally receives, so it is said the principle of receiving instruction]. After the divination, the command is announced inside the Armory Gate to admonish the hundred officials. When about to sacrifice, the Son of Heaven wears the leather cap to listen to the report, showing the people his sternness toward those above ["bao" means to report; the king rises early and, dressed in court robes, awaits the report of the sacrificial matters, and then puts on the robes with dragon designs]. On the day of the suburban sacrifice, those in mourning dare not weep, those in mourning garb dare not enter the city gate, the roads are thoroughly swept and clear, and travelers must halt ["fan" means thoroughly; clear the roads with fresh soil and no one walks on them again]. Without orders the people comply, which is reverence to the utmost [because the king serves Heaven with reverence, the people are transformed and act without orders]. The Son of Heaven wears the great fur robe with fu patterns and drapes the dragon robe to symbolize Heaven [the great fur robe is made with fu patterns; it means that putting on the great fur robe has the pattern symbolizing Heaven and so it is put on, and it is only taken off on reaching the road to the great altar], rides a plain carriage, valuing its plainness; the banner has twelve pennants, with dragon designs and with sun and moon, to model on Heaven. Once he has reached the Grand Altar, the king takes off the fur robe, presides at the sacrifice in the dragon robe, burns the firewood, and wears the crown with twelve strings of jade, taking the number of Heaven. I have heard: reciting three hundred songs is not enough for one offering [the sacrifice to the many minor spirits is the ritual of one offering], one offering is not enough for the great banquet [the great banquet is the joint sacrifice to the Heavenly King], the ritual of the great banquet is not enough for the great sacrifice [the great sacrifice is the sacrifice to the Five Emperors], and the great sacrifice complete is not enough to feast the Lord [feasting the Lord is the sacrifice to Heaven]. Therefore the gentleman does not dare discuss ritual lightly."

冉有問於孔子曰：“古者三皇五帝不用五刑，信乎？”孔子曰：“聖人之設防，貴其不犯也，制五刑而不用，所以為至治也．凡夫之為奸邪竊盜，靡法妄行者，生於不足，不足生於無度，無度則小者偷盜，大者侈靡，各不知節．是以上有制度，則民知所止，民知所止，則不犯．故雖有奸邪賊盜，靡法妄行之獄，而無陷刑之民．不孝者生於不仁，不仁者生於喪祭之禮明，喪祭之禮所以教仁愛也，能教仁愛，則喪思慕祭祀，不解人子饋養之道，言孝子奉祭祀不敢解生時饋養之道同之也喪祭之禮明，則民孝矣．故雖有不孝之獄，而無陷刑之民．殺上者生於不義，義所以別貴賤，明尊卑也，貴賤有別，尊卑有序，則民莫不尊上而敬長．朝聘之禮者，所以明義也，義必明則民不犯，故雖有殺上之獄，而無陷刑之民．鬥變者生於相陵，相陵者生於長幼無序，而遺敬讓，遺忘鄉飲酒之禮者，所以明長幼之序，而崇敬讓也，長幼必序，民懷敬讓，故雖有鬥變之獄，而無陷刑之民．淫亂者生於男女無別，男女無別，則夫婦失義，禮聘享者所以別男女，明夫婦之義也，男女既別，夫婦既明，故雖有淫亂之獄，而無陷刑之民．此五者，刑罰之所以生，各有源焉．不豫塞其源，而輒繩之以刑，是謂為民設阱而陷之．刑罰之源，生於嗜慾不節，失禮度者，所以御民之嗜慾，而明好惡順天之道，禮度既陳，五教畢修，而民猶或未化，尚必明其法典以申固之．尚猶也申令固其教也其犯奸邪靡法妄行之獄者，則飭制量之度；有犯不孝之獄者，則飭喪祭之禮；有犯殺上之獄者，則飭朝覲之禮；有犯鬥變之獄者，則飭鄉飲酒之禮；有犯淫亂之獄者，則飭婚聘之禮．三皇五帝之所化民者如此，雖有五刑之用，不亦可乎！

Ran You asked Confucius: "Is it credible that the ancient Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors did not use the five punishments?" Confucius said: "When the sages set up safeguards, what they valued was that people not transgress. They established the five punishments but did not use them, and so achieved the supreme order. Those who commit treachery, theft, and reckless acts disregarding the law arise from insufficiency; insufficiency arises from the lack of law. Without law, the small steal and the great indulge in extravagance, each not knowing restraint. Therefore when there are regulations above, the people know where to stop; when the people know where to stop, they do not transgress. So even if there are lawsuits about treachery, theft and reckless acts, there are no people falling into punishment. Unfilial conduct arises from lack of humaneness, and lack of humaneness arises from the rites of mourning and sacrifice not being clear. The rites of mourning and sacrifice are used to teach humane love; if they can teach humane love, then in mourning one longs for the dead and in sacrifice one is not lax, which is the way a son provides for his parents [meaning that a filial son does not dare be lax in offering sacrifice, the same as the way of providing for them while alive]. When the rites of mourning and sacrifice are clear, the people are filial. So even if there are lawsuits about unfilial conduct, there are no people falling into punishment. Killing one's superior arises from unrighteousness. Righteousness is used to distinguish honored from lowly and to make clear the high and low. When honored and lowly are distinguished and high and low have their order, none among the people fails to honor those above and respect their elders. The rites of court audience and visits are used to make righteousness clear, and if righteousness is certainly clear, the people do not transgress. So even if there are lawsuits about killing one's superior, there are no people falling into punishment. Fighting and disorder arise from mutual encroachment, and mutual encroachment arises from elders and juniors lacking order and forgetting respect and yielding. The rite of the village drinking ceremony is used to make clear the order of elders and juniors and to promote respect and yielding. When elders and juniors certainly have order and the people hold respect and yielding, then even if there are lawsuits about fighting and disorder, there are no people falling into punishment. Licentiousness arises from men and women not being distinguished, and when men and women are not distinguished, husband and wife lose righteousness. The rite of betrothal gifts is used to distinguish man and woman and make clear the righteousness of husband and wife. When man and woman are distinguished and husband and wife are clear, then even if there are lawsuits about licentiousness, there are no people falling into punishment. These five are the reasons punishments arise, each with its source. If one does not block the sources beforehand but readily uses punishment to bind them with the carpenter's line, this is called setting traps for the people and making them fall in. The source of punishment arises from appetites and desires not being restrained. The rites and measures are used to rein in the people's appetites and desires, make clear likes and dislikes, and accord with the Way of Heaven. When the rites and measures are laid out and the five teachings are fully practiced, if there are still people not transformed, one must further make the statutes clear and reissue them to strengthen them [shang means still; reissuing orders to strengthen that teaching]. For those who offend with lawsuits about treachery, theft and reckless acts, put in order the regulations and measures; for unfilial lawsuits, put in order the rites of mourning and sacrifice; for lawsuits about killing a superior, put in order the rite of court audience; for lawsuits about fighting and disorder, put in order the rite of the village drinking ceremony; and for lawsuits about licentiousness, put in order the rites of marriage and betrothal. This is how the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors transformed the people; even if the five punishments were then used, would that not be acceptable!"

”孔子曰：“大罪有五，而殺人為下，逆天地者罪及五世，誣文武者罪及四世，逆人倫者罪及三世，謀鬼神者罪及二世，手殺人者罪及其身，故曰大罪有五，而殺人為下矣．”

Confucius said: "There are five kinds of great crimes, and killing people is the lowest. The crime of going against Heaven and Earth extends to five generations, the crime of slandering Kings Wen and Wu extends to four generations, the crime of going against human relations extends to three generations, the crime of seeking evil from ghosts and spirits extends to two generations, and the crime of killing a person with one's own hand extends to oneself. So it is said there are five kinds of great crimes, and killing people is the lowest."

冉有問於孔子曰：“先王制法，使刑不上於大夫，禮不下於庶人，然則大夫犯罪，不可以加刑，庶人之行事，不可以治於禮乎？”孔子曰：“不然，凡治君子以禮御其心，所以屬之以廉恥之節也，故古之大夫，其有坐不廉汙穢而退放之者，不謂之不廉汙穢而退放，則曰簠簋不飭；飭整齊也有坐淫亂男女無別者，不謂之淫亂男女無別，則曰帷幕不修也；有坐罔上不忠者，不謂之罔上不忠，則曰臣節未著；有坐罷軟不勝任者，不謂之罷軟不勝任，則曰下官不職；言其下官不稱移其職不斥其身也有坐幹國之紀者，不謂之幹國之紀，則曰行事不請．言不請而擅行此五者，大夫既自定有罪名矣，而猶不忍斥，然正以呼之也，既而為之諱，所以愧恥之，是故大夫之罪，其在五刑之域者，聞而譴發，譴譴讓也發始發露則白冠釐纓，盤水加劍，造乎闕而自請罪，君不使有司執縳牽掣而加之也．其有大罪者，聞命則北面再拜，跪而自裁，君不使人捽引而刑殺．捽昨沒反曰：‘子大夫自取之耳，吾遇子有禮矣，以刑不上大夫而大夫亦不失其罪者，教使然也．’所謂禮不下庶人者，以庶人遽其事而不能充禮，故不責之以備禮也．”冉有跪然免席曰：“言則美矣，求未之聞，退而記之．”

Ran You asked Confucius: "The former kings made the law so that punishments do not reach grand masters and rites do not descend to commoners. Then, when grand masters commit crimes, may punishment not be applied to them, and when commoners act, may they not be governed by ritual?" Confucius said: "It is not so. In governing a gentleman one uses ritual to restrain his heart, and so ties him to the standard of integrity and shame. Therefore among the grand masters of ancient times, there were those dismissed and banished for being corrupt and unclean, but it was not said they were dismissed and banished for corruption; it was said that the sacrificial vessels were not neatly arranged [chi means arranged neatly]; there were those who were licentious and did not distinguish men from women, but it was not said they were licentious and did not distinguish men and women; it was said that the curtains were not maintained; there were those who deceived their superiors and were disloyal, but it was not said they deceived their superiors and were disloyal; it was said that the minister's integrity was not manifest; there were those who were weak and incapable of their duties, but it was not said they were weak and incapable; it was said that subordinate officials were not fit for their posts [meaning the subordinate officials were not fit, and he was removed from the post without blaming his person]; there were those who violated the state's regulations, but it was not said they violated the state's regulations; it was said that they acted without requesting instructions [meaning they acted on their own without asking]. For these five, the grand master had already set himself a crime, yet they could not bear to rebuke him, and so named it with a proper name and afterward concealed it for him, in order to make him feel shame. Therefore when a grand master's crime fell within the five punishments, upon hearing the first sign of reproach [qian means reproach, fa means beginning to show], he would put on a white cap and tie white cap strings, hold a plate of water with a sword on it, go to the palace gate and confess himself, and the ruler did not send officials to bind and drag him. One with a great crime, on hearing the order, would face north and bow twice, kneel and kill himself, and the ruler did not send people to seize him and execute him. It was said: 'You, grand master, have taken it upon yourself; I have treated you with ritual.' That punishments do not reach grand masters and yet grand masters do not lose their crime is because they were taught to behave so. What is meant by ritual not descending to commoners is that commoners' affairs are pressing and they cannot fill out ritual, so they are not blamed by the standard of complete ritual." Ran You knelt and left his mat, saying: "Beautifully said! I had never heard this before; I shall withdraw and record it."

仲弓問於孔子曰：“雍聞至刑無所用政，至政無所用刑．至刑無所用政，桀紂之世是也；至政無所用刑，成康之世是也．信乎？”孔子曰：“聖人之治化也，必刑政相參焉，太上以德教民，而以禮齊之．其次以政焉導民，以刑禁之，刑不刑也．化之弗變，導之弗從，傷義以敗俗，於是乎用刑矣．顓五刑必即天倫．即就也就天倫謂合天意行刑罰則輕無赦，行刑罰之官雖輕猶不得作威作福刑侀也，侀成也，壹成而不可更，故君子盡心焉．”更古行反仲弓曰：“古之聽訟尤罰麗於事，不以其心，可得聞乎？”尤過也麗附也怪遇人罰之必以事相當而不與其心也孔子曰：“凡聽五刑之訟，必原父子之情，立君臣之義以權之，意論輕重之序，慎測淺深之量以別之，別彼列反悉其聰明，正其忠愛以盡之．大司寇正刑明闢以察獄，獄必三訊焉，一曰訊群臣二曰訊群吏三曰訊萬民也有指無簡，則不聽也，簡誠也有意無其誠者不論以為罪也附從輕，赦從重，附人之罪以輕為比赦人之罪以重為比疑獄則泛與眾共之，疑則赦之，皆以小大之比成也．比毗志反是故爵人必於朝，與眾共之也，刑人必於市，與眾棄之也．古者公家不畜刑人，大夫弗養也，士遇之塗，以弗與之言，屏諸四方，唯其所之，不及與政，弗欲生之也．”仲弓曰：“聽獄，獄之成成何官？”孔子曰：“成獄成於吏，吏以獄成告於正，吏獄官吏正獄官長正既聽之，乃告大司寇聽之，乃奉於王，王命三公卿士參聽棘木之下，外朝法左九棘孤卿大夫位焉右九棘公侯伯子男位焉面三槐三公位然後乃以獄之成疑於王，王三宥之以聽命，君王尚寬宥罪雖以定猶三宥之不可得輕然後刑之者也而制刑焉，所以重之也．”仲弓曰：“其禁何禁？”孔子曰：“巧言破律，巧賣法令者也遁名改作，變言與物名也執左道與亂政者殺；

Zhonggong asked Confucius: "I have heard that when punishment is at its extreme there is no way to use government, and when government is at its extreme there is no way to use punishment. When punishment is at its extreme and there is no way to use government, that was the age of Jie and Zhou; when government is at its extreme and there is no way to use punishment, that was the age of Cheng and Kang. Is this credible?" Confucius said: "The governance and transformation of the sages certainly makes punishment and government mutually used. At the highest, one guides the people with virtue and unifies them with ritual; next, one leads the people with government and restrains them with punishment, using punishment in order not to have to use punishment. If one transforms them and they do not change, leads them and they do not follow, harms righteousness and corrupts custom, only then punishment is used. In exclusive use of the five punishments one must accord with the heavenly order of relations [ji means 'accord'; according with the heavenly order means carrying out punishment in a way that matches Heaven's intent], and even if light, one does not pardon [the official carrying out punishment may not, even if the punishment is light, act with arbitrary authority]. Punishment is completion [xing means completion]; once completed it cannot be changed, so the gentleman devotes his whole heart to it." Zhonggong said: "In ancient times when hearing lawsuits, the penalty for faults was attached to the deed and not judged by the person's heart; may I hear about it?" [You means fault, li means attached; blaming a person and punishing him must correspond to the deed and not follow his heart.] Confucius said: "In general when hearing lawsuits about the five punishments, one must trace back to the feelings between father and son and set up the righteousness between ruler and minister to weigh them, use the heart to weigh the order of lightness and heaviness, and carefully measure the amounts of shallow and deep to distinguish them. One uses all one's intelligence and rectifies loyalty and love to exhaust the matter. The Grand Minister of Crime rectifies punishments and makes the law clear to examine cases, and every case is certainly questioned three times [first questioning the ministers, second the officials, third the myriad people]. If there is intention but no facts, it is not heard [jian means truth; where there is intent but not that truth, it is not judged as a crime]. In comparing and applying, follow the lighter; in pardoning, follow the heavier [in comparing a person's crime, compare it with the lighter; in pardoning a person's crime, compare with the heavier]. For doubtful cases, consult widely with the multitude; where there is doubt, pardon, and all are completed by comparing larger and smaller. Therefore conferring rank is certainly done at court, shared with the multitude; applying punishment is certainly done in the market, abandoned together with the multitude. In ancient times the ruling house did not keep those who had undergone punishment, grand masters did not support them, and officers who met them on the road did not speak to them; they were banished to the four quarters, allowed to go only where they went, not allowed to take part in government, not wished to live. Zhonggong said: "In hearing cases, in which office is the case completed?" Confucius said: "The case is completed by the clerk, and the clerk reports the completion of the case to the Chief [the clerk is the judicial clerk and the Chief is the head of judicial officials]. When the Chief has heard it, he then reports to the Grand Minister of Crime to hear it, and then it is submitted to the king. The king orders the Three Dukes, ministers and officers to deliberate under the jujube trees [the rule of the outer court: the nine jujube trees on the left are the positions of the orphan ministers and grand masters, the nine on the right are the positions of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts and barons, and facing the three locust trees are the positions of the Three Dukes], and afterward the doubtful points of the case are presented to the king. The king gives three pardons before hearing the verdict [the king honors leniency, so even when the crime is settled he pardons three times, and only when it cannot be lightened is punishment used] and then fixes the punishment, thereby showing the weight of this." Zhonggong said: "Then what do the prohibitions forbid?" Confucius said: "Those who use clever words to destroy the law [those who cleverly peddle the law], evade names and change what is made [alter words and the names of things], or hold to heterodox ways to disturb government: they are executed;

左道亂也作淫聲，淫逆也惑亂人之聲造異服，非所常見設伎奇器，以蕩上心者殺；怪異之伎可以眩曜人心之器蕩動行偽而堅，行詐偽而守之堅也．行下孟反言詐而辯，學非而博，順非而澤，順其非而滑澤以惑眾者殺；假於鬼神，時日卜筮，以疑眾者殺．此四誅者不以聽．”不聽棘木之下仲弓曰：“其禁盡於此而已？”孔子曰：“此其急者，其餘禁者十有四焉．命服命車，不粥於市；粥賣．粥餘六反圭璋璧琮，不粥於市；宗廟之器，不粥於市；兵車旍旗，不粥於市；犧牲秬鬯，不粥於市；戎器兵甲，不粥於市；用器不中度，中陟仲反不粥於市；布帛精麤，不中數，廣狹不中量，不粥於市；奸色亂正色，不粥於市；文錦珠玉之器，雕飾靡麗，不粥於市；衣服飲食，不粥於市；賣成衣服非侈必偽故禁之禁賣熟食所以厲取也？實不時，不粥於市；五木不中伐，不粥於市；鳥獸魚鱉不中殺，不粥於市．凡執此禁以齊眾者，不赦過也．”

heterodox ways are disorder. Those who make licentious sounds [licentious means perverse, sounds that confuse people], make strange clothes [not what is commonly seen], or set up strange skills and strange devices to shake the hearts of those above: they are executed [strange skills and devices that can dazzle and shake people's hearts]. Those whose conduct is deceitful and who persist in it [practicing deceit and holding to it firmly], whose speech is false and who argue skillfully, who study what is wrong but widely, who follow what is wrong and embellish it, and so confuse the multitude: they are executed. Those who borrow ghosts and spirits, auspicious days and divination to deceive the multitude: they are executed. These four kinds are executed without a hearing." [Not heard under the jujube trees.] Zhonggong said: "Do the prohibitions end here?" Confucius said: "These are the urgent ones; there are fourteen other prohibitions. Ceremonial robes and carriages given by command are not sold in the market [yu means sell]; scepters, tablets, discs and jade tubes are not sold in the market; vessels of the ancestral temple are not sold in the market; war chariots and banners are not sold in the market; sacrificial animals and black millet wine are not sold in the market; weapons and armor are not sold in the market; utensils not conforming to measure are not sold in the market; cloth and silk whose fineness or coarseness does not match the count, or whose width does not match the measure, are not sold in the market; false colors that disturb the true colors are not sold in the market; vessels of patterned brocade, pearls and jade, and carved and showy ornaments are not sold in the market; clothes and food and drink are not sold in the market [selling made-up clothes is either extravagant or false, so it is prohibited; prohibiting the sale of cooked food is to encourage taking from oneself]; fruit out of season is not sold in the market; trees not yet at the time for felling are not sold in the market; birds, beasts, fish and turtles not yet at the time for killing are not sold in the market. For those who hold to these prohibitions to unify the multitude, faults are not pardoned."

孔子為魯司寇，與於蠟，既賓事畢，畢賓客之事也乃出遊於觀之上，觀宮門外闕周禮所謂象魏者也喟然而嘆．言偃侍曰：“夫子何嘆也？”孔子曰：“昔大道之行，此謂三皇五帝時大道行也與三代之英，英秀謂禹湯文武也吾未之逮也，而有記焉．大道之行，天下為公，選賢與能，講信修睦．講習也修行也睦親也故人不獨親其親，不獨子其子，所謂大道天下為公老有所終，壯有所用，矜寡孤疾，皆有所養．貨惡其棄於地，不必藏於己．力惡其不出於身，不必為人．言力惡其不出於身不以為德惠也是以奸謀閉而不興，盜竊亂賊不作．故外戶而不閉，謂之大同．今大道既隱，天下為家，各親其親，各子其子，貨則為己，力則為人．大人世及以為常，城郭溝池以為固．禹湯文武，成王周公，由此而選，言用禮義為之選也未有不謹於禮，禮之所興，與天地並，如有不由禮而在位者，則以為殃．”言偃復問曰：“如此乎，禮之急也．”孔子曰：“夫禮，先王所以承天之道，以治人之情，列其鬼神，達於喪祭鄉射冠婚朝聘．故聖人以禮示之，則天下國家可得以禮正矣．”言偃曰：“今之在位，莫知由禮，何也？”孔子曰：“嗚呼哀哉！我觀周道，幽厲傷也，幽厲二王者皆傷周道也吾舍魯何適？魯有聖人之風猶勝諸國也夫魯之郊及禘皆非禮，言失於禮而亡其義周公其已衰矣．子孫不能行其禮義杞之郊也禹，杞夏後本郊鯀周公以鯀非令德故令杞郊禹宋之郊也契，是天子之事守也，天子以杞宋二王之後，周公攝政致太平，而與天子同是禮也．諸侯祭社稷宗廟，上下皆奉其典，而祝嘏莫敢易其常法，是謂大嘉．今使祝嘏辭說，徒藏於宗祝巫史，非禮也，言君臣皆當知辭說之意議也是謂幽國；幽敝於禮醆斝及屍君，非禮也，夏曰醆殷曰斝非王者之後則屍與君不得用是謂僭君；

When Confucius was Minister of Crime in Lu, he took part in the La sacrifice; after the guests' business was finished [the guests' business being completed], he went out to wander on the watchtower [the guan is the gate-tower outside the palace gate, what the Rites of Zhou calls the xiangwei], and sighed. Yan Yan, attending him, said: "Why does the Master sigh?" Confucius said: "Formerly when the great Way was practiced [this refers to the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors when the great Way was practiced], and the outstanding men of the Three Dynasties [the outstanding ones refer to Yu, Tang, Wen and Wu], I did not live to see, but there are records. When the great Way was practiced, the world was for the public, the worthy and able were chosen, trust was practiced and harmony cultivated [jiang means practice, xiu means carry out, mu means be close]. So people did not love only their own parents or treat only their own sons as sons [this is what is called the great Way and the world as public]. The old had an end to their lives, the strong had use, and widowers, widows, orphans, the childless and the sick were all supported. Goods they disliked seeing wasted on the ground, but did not need to hoard for themselves; strength they disliked seeing not used by themselves, but did not need to use it for others [meaning they disliked strength not coming from themselves, and did not take it as a favor]. For this reason treacherous schemes were shut off and did not arise, and thieves and rebels did not appear. So outer doors were left unclosed; this is called the Great Unity. Now the great Way has vanished, the world has become a family property, each loves his own parents, each treats his own sons as sons, goods are for oneself and strength is for others. Great men take hereditary succession as constant law, and city walls and moats as security. Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Cheng and the Duke of Zhou were chosen for this [meaning chosen by ritual and righteousness], and none was not careful about ritual. The rise of ritual stands alongside Heaven and Earth. If there is anyone who holds position without going through ritual, he is regarded as a calamity." Yan Yan asked again: "Is ritual so urgent?" Confucius said: "Ritual is how the former kings received the Way of Heaven, governed human feelings, set out for ghosts and spirits, and reached to funeral, sacrifice, village archery, capping, marriage, court audience and visits. So when the sage uses ritual to show it, the world and states can be rectified with ritual." Yan Yan said: "Now none of those in office knows to go through ritual; why?" Confucius said: "Alas, how sad! When I look at the Way of Zhou, Kings You and Li harmed it [both kings You and Li harmed the Way of Zhou]. If I leave Lu, where else would I go [Lu has the manner of the sages and is better than all other states]? Lu's suburban and di sacrifices are not in accord with ritual [meaning ritual was lost and its meaning ruined], and the Duke of Zhou has probably already declined [his descendants could not carry out the ritual and righteousness]. Qi's suburban sacrifice is to Yu [Qi was the descendant of Xia, and originally sacrificed to Gun, but the Duke of Zhou, because Gun was not of good virtue, let Qi sacrifice to Yu], and Song's suburban sacrifice is to Xie; these are matters kept by the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven treated Qi and Song as the descendants of the two former dynasties. The Duke of Zhou acted as regent and brought about great peace, and shares this ritual with the Son of Heaven. When lords sacrifice to the altars of soil and grain and to the ancestral temples, both high and low carry out that canon, and the invocator and the one who relays the blessings dare not alter the constant law; this is called great goodness. If now the words of the invocation are kept only among the ancestral officials, shamans and historians, it is not ritual [meaning that ruler and ministers should both know the meaning of the words]; this is called a dark state [obscured by ritual]. Using ceremonial cups to offer to the impersonator of the dead and the ruler is not ritual [the Xia called it zhan and the Yin called it jia; if not the descendant of a former king, the impersonator and ruler may not use them]; this is called a usurping ruler;

僭侈之君冕弁兵車，藏於私家，非禮也，大夫稱家冕弁大夫之服孔子曰天子諸侯大夫冕弁服歸設奠後此謂不得賜而藏之也是謂脅君；迫於其君大夫具官，祭器不假，聲樂皆具，非禮也，大夫無田者不為祭器今皆不假故非禮是為亂國．故仕於公曰臣，仕於家曰僕．三年之喪，與新有婚者，期不使也．以衰嘗入朝，與家僕雜居齊齒，非禮也，是謂臣與君共國；天子有田，以處其子孫，諸侯有國，以處其子孫，大夫有采，以處其子孫，是謂制度；天子適諸侯，必舍其宗廟，而不禮籍入，所謂臨諸侯將舍宗廟先告其鬼神以將入止也是謂天子壞法亂紀；諸侯非問疾弔喪，而入諸臣之家，是謂君臣為謔．謔戲夫禮者，君之柄，柄亦秉持所以別嫌明微，儐鬼神，考制度，列仁義，立政教，安君臣上下也．故政不正則君位危，君位危則大臣倍，小臣竊，刑肅而俗弊則法無常，法無常則禮無別，禮無別則士不仕，民不歸，是謂疵國．是故夫政者，君之所以藏身也，言所藏於身不可以假人也必本之天效以降命，效天以下教令所謂則天之明命降於社，之謂教地，所謂因地之利降於祖廟，之謂仁義，奉祖廟彌近彌親彌遠彌尊仁義之道也降於山川，之謂興作，下命所謂祭山川者謂其興造雲雨作生萬物也降於五祀，之謂制度，下命使事五祀者以其能為人事之制度此聖人所以藏身之固也．藏身以此則固聖人參於天地，並於鬼神以治政也．處其所存，禮之序也，翫其所樂，民之治也．言聖人常所存處者禮之次序常所玩樂者民之治安也天生時，地生財，人其父生而師教之，四者君以政用之，所以立於無過之地．時及財天地之所以生而師以教之君以政用之而已故常立於無過之地也君者，人所明，非明人者也；人所養，非養人者也；

an extravagant, usurping ruler. Keeping ceremonial caps and war chariots in a private house is not ritual [a grand master is called 'a house'; the ceremonial cap is a grand master's dress; Confucius said that the Son of Heaven, lords and grand masters keep their ceremonial caps and robes, returning home after setting out offerings; this means keeping what was not bestowed]; this is called coercing the ruler [pressing upon his ruler]. A grand master has complete officials and does not borrow sacrificial vessels, and has all kinds of music; this is not ritual [a grand master without fields does not make sacrificial vessels; now they all do not borrow, so it is not ritual]; this is a disordered state. So one who serves in the ruling house is called a minister, and one who serves in a private house is called a servant. A person in three-year mourning, and one with a newly arranged marriage, is not summoned for a year. To enter the court in mourning clothes and sit mixed in a row with household servants is not ritual; this is called a minister sharing the state with the ruler. The Son of Heaven has fields to settle his descendants, a lord has a state to settle his descendants, and a grand master has a fief to settle his descendants; this is called system. When the Son of Heaven goes to a lord's place, he must lodge in his ancestral temple, but if he does not enter according to the ritual register [meaning that when visiting a lord he will lodge in the ancestral temple, and first tells the spirits that he will enter and stay], this is called the Son of Heaven damaging the law and disordering the rules. If a lord enters the home of a minister other than to inquire after illness or offer condolences, this is called ruler and minister jesting [xue means jest]. Ritual is the ruler's handle [bing also means to hold], used to distinguish suspicions, make clear the subtle, receive ghosts and spirits, examine regulations, set out humaneness and righteousness, establish government and teaching, and settle ruler and minister, high and low. So if government is not upright, the ruler's position is endangered; if the ruler's position is endangered, great ministers rebel and small ministers steal. When punishment is severe and custom corrupt, law has no constancy; when law has no constancy, ritual has no distinctions; when ritual has no distinctions, officers do not serve and the people do not turn to it; this is called a flawed state. Therefore government is what the ruler hides himself in [meaning that what is hidden in one's person cannot be lent to others], and must be rooted in Heaven, modeling on it to issue instructions [modeling on Heaven to send down commands, what is called taking Heaven's brightness as a model]. When the command goes down to the altars of the soil, it is called teaching Earth [what is called relying on the advantages of the land]; when it goes down to the ancestral temple, it is called humaneness and righteousness [in serving the ancestral temple, the nearer the closer, the farther the more honored, which is the way of humaneness and righteousness]; when it goes down to mountains and rivers, it is called raising works [the command to sacrifice to mountains and rivers, since they raise clouds and rain and give birth to the myriad things]; when it goes down to the five sacrifices of the household, it is called regulation [the command to serve the five household sacrifices, since they make human regulations]. This is how the sage hides himself securely [by this his hiding is secure]. The sage joins Heaven and Earth and stands alongside ghosts and spirits to govern. Dwelling where he preserves himself is the order of ritual; savoring what he enjoys is the governance of the people [meaning that what the sage always dwells in is the order of ritual, and what he always enjoys is the peace of the people]. Heaven gives birth to the seasons, Earth gives birth to wealth, a person is born of a father and taught by a teacher; these four the ruler employs by means of government, and so he stands on a ground without fault [seasons and wealth are what Heaven and Earth bring forth, the teacher teaches, and the ruler merely employs them by government, so he always stands on a ground without fault]. The ruler is one by whom people are made clear, not one who makes others clear; one whom people support, not one who supports others;

人所事，非事人者也．夫君者，明人則有過，為君徒欲明人而已則過謬也故養人則不足，時君失政不能為民所養事人則失位，故百姓明君以自治，養君以自安，事君以自顯，是以禮達而分定．人皆愛其死，而患其生，人皆愛惜其死而患其生之無禮也是故用人之智去其詐，用人之勇去其怒，用人之仁去其貪．國有患，君死社稷為之義，大夫死宗廟為之變．大夫有去就之義未必常死宗廟者其死宗廟者權變為也凡聖人能以天下為一家，以中國為一人，非意之，非以意貪之必有致之也必知其情，從於其義，明於其利，達於其患，然後為之．何謂人情？喜怒哀懼愛惡欲，七者弗學而能；何謂人義？父慈子孝，兄良弟悌，夫義婦聽，長惠幼順，君仁臣忠，十者謂之人義；講信修睦，謂之人利，爭奪相殺，謂之人患；聖人之所以治人七情，修十義，講信修睦，尚辭讓，去爭奪，舍禮何以治之；飲食男女，人之大欲存焉，死亡貧苦，人之大惡存焉．欲惡者，人之大端，人藏其心，不可測度，美惡皆在其心，不見其色，欲一以窮之，舍禮何以哉？故人者，天地之德，陰陽之交，鬼神之會，五行之秀．天秉陽，垂日星，地秉陰，載於山川，播五行於四時，和四氣而後月生，月生而後四時行焉布五行和四時四氣而後月生焉是以三五而盈，三五而缺，月陰道不常滿故十五日滿十五日缺也五行之動，共相竭也．竭盡也水用事盡則木用事五行用事更相盡也五行四氣十二月，還相為本；用事者為本也五聲五律十二管，還相為宮；五聲者宮商角徵羽也管十二月也一月一管陽律陰呂其用事為宮也五味六和十二食，還相為質；

one whom people serve, not one who serves others. If a ruler only wishes to make others clear, he has faults [a ruler who only wants to make others clear errs], so supporting others is insufficient [the ruler of the day loses government and cannot be supported by the people], and serving others loses his position. So the hundred clans make the ruler clear in order to govern themselves, support the ruler in order to be at peace themselves, and serve the ruler in order to be raised up themselves. Therefore ritual penetrates and names and statuses are fixed. People all cherish their death and worry about their life [people all cherish death and worry that life is without ritual]. So use others' wisdom to remove their deceit, use others' courage to remove their anger, and use others' humaneness to remove their greed. When the state has calamity, it is righteousness for the ruler to die for the altars of soil and grain, and a matter of expedience for a grand master to die for the ancestral temple [a grand master has the righteousness of leaving or staying and does not necessarily always die for the ancestral temple; dying for the ancestral temple is expedience]. When a sage can treat the world as one family and the central states as one person, it is not by mere intention [not by greedy seeking through intent], but there must be what brings it about. He must know the feelings, follow righteousness, understand benefit, and penetrate calamity, and then act. What are called human feelings? Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate and desire: these seven are known without learning. What are called human duties? A father is kind and a son is filial, an elder brother is good and a younger brother respectful, a husband is righteous and a wife obedient, an elder is generous and a younger compliant, a ruler is humane and a minister loyal: these ten are called human duties. Practicing trust and cultivating harmony is called human benefit; fighting and killing one another is called human calamity. The reason the sages govern the seven human feelings, cultivate the ten duties, practice trust and cultivate harmony, honor yielding and remove contention, is that apart from ritual what would they use to govern? Food, drink and sex are where people's great desires reside; death, loss and poverty are where people's great aversions reside. Desire and aversion are the great beginning of people. People hide their hearts, which cannot be fathomed; good and bad are all in the heart and do not show in the face. To want to exhaust them by one method, apart from ritual, what would one use? So the human being is the virtue of Heaven and Earth, the meeting of yin and yang, the joining of ghosts and spirits, and the refined essence of the five phases. Heaven holds yang and hangs down the sun and stars; Earth holds yin and bears the mountains and rivers. He spreads the five phases through the four seasons and harmonizes the four qi, and then the moon is born, and after the moon is born the four seasons move [spreading the five phases and harmonizing the four seasons and four qi, and then the moon is born]. Therefore after fifteen days it is full and after fifteen days it wanes [the moon is of the Way of yin and is not always full, so fifteen days full and fifteen days waning]. The movements of the five phases exhaust each other [jie means exhaust; when water has its turn and is exhausted, wood has its turn, and the five phases in turn exhaust each other]. The five phases, four qi and twelve months take turns as root [the one in service is the root]; the five tones, six pitches and twelve pipes take turns as the keynote [the five tones are gong, shang, jue, zhi and yu; the pipes are the twelve months, one pipe per month, yang pitches and yin pitches, and the one in service is the keynote]; the five flavors, six harmonies and twelve foods take turns as the basis;

五味酸苦鹹辛甘六和者和之各有宜者春多酸秋多辛之屬是也十二食者十二月之食質本也五色六章十二衣，還相為主．五色者青赤白黑黃學記曰水無當於五色五色不得不彰五色待水而章也故人者，天地之心，於天地間如五藏之有心矣人有生最靈心五藏最聖也而五行之端，端始也能用五行也食味別聲被色而生者．聖人作則，作為則法必以天地為本，以陰陽為端，以四時為柄，以日星為紀，月以為量，鬼神以為徒，五行以為質，禮義以為器，人情以為田，四靈以為畜．以天地為本，故物可舉；天地為本則萬物苞在於其中以陰陽為端，故情可？；陰陽之為情始以四時為柄，故事可勸；四時各有事故事可得而勸也以日星為紀，故業可別；日以紀晝星以紀夜故事可得而分別也月以為量，故功有藝；有度量以成四時猶功業各有分理也藝猶理鬼神以為徒，故事有守；鬼神不相干各有守五行以為質，故事可復也；五行終則復始故事可修復也禮義以為器，故事行有考；考成人情以為田，四靈以為畜．四靈鳥獸之長四靈為畜則飲食可用何謂四靈？麟鳳龜龍謂之四靈．故龍以為畜，而魚鮪不諗；諗潛藏也鳳以為畜，而鳥不●；麟以為畜，而獸不●；●●飛走之貌也．●況必反越況越反龜以為畜，而人情不失．易曰定天下之吉凶成天下之亹亹者莫善於蓍龜人情不失也先王秉蓍龜，列祭祀，瘞，繒，宣，祝嘏，瘞謂祭祀之瘞繒謂若增封太山宣謂播宣揚之．瘞於列反繒慈陵反嘏舉下反設制度，祝嘏辭說．故國有禮，官有御，治也職有序，先王患禮之不達於下，故饗帝於郊，所以定天位也；祀社於國，所以列地利也；禘祖廟，所以本仁也；旅山川，所以儐鬼神也；

the five flavors are sour, bitter, salty, pungent and sweet, and the six harmonies are blending each to what is suitable, such as more sour in spring and more pungent in autumn; the twelve foods are the foods of the twelve months, and the basis is the root. The five colors, six patterns and twelve garments take turns as the lord [the five colors are blue-green, red, white, black and yellow; the Xue Ji says water does not take on any of the five colors, and the five colors must be manifested, waiting for water to manifest them]. So the human being is the heart of Heaven and Earth [between Heaven and Earth he is like the heart among the five viscera; humans are the most spiritual of living things, and the heart is the most holy of the five viscera], the beginning of the five phases [duan means beginning; able to use the five phases], who can distinguish flavors, discern sounds, and live clothed in colors. The sage makes models [making rules], and certainly takes Heaven and Earth as the root, yin and yang as the beginning, the four seasons as the handle, the sun and stars as the guiding thread, the moon as the measure, ghosts and spirits as his followers, the five phases as the substance, ritual and righteousness as the instruments, human feelings as the field, and the four spiritual creatures as livestock. Taking Heaven and Earth as the root, things can be taken up [with Heaven and Earth as the root, the myriad things are contained]; taking yin and yang as the beginning, feelings can be traced to their source; taking the four seasons as the handle, affairs can be encouraged [each of the four seasons has its affairs, and affairs can be encouraged]; taking the sun and stars as the guiding thread, work can be distinguished [the sun records the day and stars the night, and affairs can be distinguished]; taking the moon as the measure, achievements have their principles [having the measure to complete the four seasons is like achievements having their principles; yi is like principle]; taking ghosts and spirits as followers, affairs have their duties [ghosts and spirits do not interfere with one another, each with its duty]; taking the five phases as the substance, affairs can be restored [the five phases end and begin again, and affairs can be repaired]; taking ritual and righteousness as instruments, affairs proceed to completion [kao means completion]; taking human feelings as the field and the four spiritual creatures as livestock [the four spiritual creatures are the chiefs of birds and beasts; when they are livestock, food and drink are available]. What are the four spiritual creatures? The qilin, phoenix, tortoise and dragon are called the four spiritual creatures. So when the dragon is livestock, fish do not hide away [shen means hide away]; when the phoenix is livestock, birds do not take fright and fly; when the qilin is livestock, beasts do not take fright and run [the appearance of flying and running]; when the tortoise is livestock, human feelings are not mistaken [the Changes says: what settles the good and ill fortune of the world and completes the diligence of the world, nothing is better than the yarrow and the tortoise, so human feelings are not mistaken]. The former kings held the yarrow and the tortoise, set out sacrifices, buried silks, and proclaimed the invocations and blessings [yi means the burial in sacrifice, zeng is like adding earth to Mount Tai, xuan means to proclaim], set up regulations, and the words of invocation and blessing. So the state has ritual, the offices have control [zhi], and duties have order. The former kings feared that ritual would not reach those below, so they made offerings to the Lord on High in the suburbs in order to establish the position of Heaven; sacrificed to the altars of soil in the state in order to set out the benefits of Earth; held the di sacrifice in the ancestral temple in order to make the root of humaneness; offered the lu sacrifice to mountains and rivers in order to receive ghosts and spirits;

祭五祀，所以本事也．故宗祝在廟，三公在朝，三老在學，王養三老在學王前巫而後史，卜蓍瞽侑，皆在左右，王中心無為也，以守至正．是以禮行於郊，而百神受職，禮行於社，而百貨可極，禮行於祖廟，而孝慈服焉，孝慈之道為遠近所服焉禮行於五祀，而正法則焉．故郊社宗廟山川五祀，義之修而禮之藏．言禮之寶藏夫禮必本於太一，太一者元氣也分而為天地，轉而為陰陽，變而為四時，列而為鬼神，其降曰命，即上所為命降於天地祖廟也其官於天也，官為職分也言禮職分皆從天下來也協於分藝，藝理其居於人也，曰養．言禮之於人身所以養成人也所以講信修睦，而固人之肌膚之會，筋骸之束者；所以養生送死，事鬼神之大端；所以達天道，順人情之大竇．唯聖人為知禮之不可以已也，故破國喪家亡人，必先去其禮，禮之於人，猶酒之有糱也，君子以厚，小人以薄．聖人修義之柄，禮之序，以治人情．人情者，聖王之田也，修禮以耕之，陳義以種之，講學以耨之，耨除穢也本仁以聚之，播樂以安之．故禮者，義之實也，協諸義而協則禮，雖先王未有可以義起焉；義者藝之分，仁之節，協於藝，講於仁，得之者強，失之者喪；仁者義之本，順之體，得之者尊．故治國不以禮，猶無耜而耕；為禮而不本於義，猶耕之而弗種；為而不講於學，猶種而弗耨；講之以學，而不合以仁，猶耨而不獲；合之以仁，而不安之以樂，猶獲而弗食；安之以樂，而不達於順，猶食而不肥．四體既正，膚革充盈，人之肥也；父子篤，兄弟睦，夫婦和，家之肥也；大臣法，小臣廉，官職相序，君臣相正，國之肥也；

sacrificed to the five household spirits in order to make the root of affairs. So the invocation officials are in the temple, the Three Dukes at court, and the Three Elders in the school [the king supports the Three Elders in the school]; before the king are the shamans and behind him the historians, with diviners, blind musicians and attendants all at his left and right. The king's heart is non-acting, in order to hold to the utmost correctness. So when ritual is practiced in the suburbs, the hundred spirits receive their duties; when ritual is practiced at the altars of soil, the hundred goods can be exhausted; when ritual is practiced in the ancestral temple, filial piety and kindness are followed [the Way of filial piety and kindness is followed far and near]; when ritual is practiced at the five household sacrifices, models are upright. So the suburban sacrifice, altars of soil, ancestral temple, mountains and rivers, and the five household sacrifices are the cultivation of righteousness and the treasury of ritual [meaning the treasury of ritual]. Ritual must be rooted in the Great One [the Great One is the primordial qi], which divides into Heaven and Earth, turns into yin and yang, changes into the four seasons, and is arrayed as ghosts and spirits. What it sends down is called the command [what was said above, that the command descends to Heaven, Earth and the ancestral temple], and its duties are in Heaven [guan means duty, meaning that all duties of ritual come down from Heaven], in harmony with principle [yi means principle]. In the human person it is called nourishing [meaning that ritual is how a person is nourished and completed], used to practice trust and cultivate harmony, and to make firm the joining of the skin and the binding of sinews and bones; used as the great beginning of nourishing life, sending off the dead and serving ghosts and spirits; used as the great thoroughfare to reach the Way of Heaven and accord with human feelings. Only the sages know that ritual cannot be stopped. So one who ruins a state, breaks a family and destroys a person must first remove his ritual. For people, ritual is like yeast for wine: the gentleman makes it rich with it and the petty man makes it thin. The sage cultivates the handle of righteousness and the order of ritual to govern human feelings. Human feelings are the field of the sage-kings: they cultivate ritual to plow it, lay out righteousness to sow it, practice learning to weed it [nou means to remove weeds], gather by being rooted in humaneness, and spread music to settle it. So ritual is the fruit of righteousness; what harmonizes with righteousness and agrees with it is ritual, so even what the former kings did not have can be created by righteousness. Righteousness is the distinction of principle and the measure of humaneness; one who harmonizes with principle and practices humaneness is strong in what he gains and ruined in what he loses; humaneness is the root of righteousness and the body of compliance, and one who attains it is honored. So to govern a state without ritual is like plowing without a plow; to make ritual without being rooted in righteousness is like plowing without sowing; to make it without practicing it in learning is like sowing without weeding; to practice it in learning without being in accord with humaneness is like weeding without harvesting; to be in accord with humaneness without settling it with music is like harvesting without eating; to settle it with music without reaching compliance is like eating without getting fat. When the four limbs are upright and the skin is full, that is a person's fatness; when father and son are devoted, brothers harmonious and husband and wife in accord, that is a family's fatness; when great ministers keep the law, small ministers are honest, officials have order with one another and ruler and ministers correct one another, that is a state's fatness;

天子以德為車，以樂為御，諸侯以禮相與，大夫以法相序，士以信相考，百姓以睦相守，天下之肥也．是謂大順．順者，所以養生送死，事鬼神之常也．故事大積焉而不苑，苑滯積也並行而不謬，細行而不失，深而通，茂而有間，言有理也連而不相及，言有敘也動而不相害，此順之至也．明於順，然後乃能守危．高而不危以長守危夫禮之不同不豐殺，所以持情而合危也，合禮安也山者不使居川，渚者不使居原，用水火金木，飲食必時，用水漁人以時入澤梁乃溉灌用火季春出火季秋納火也用金以時採銅鐵用木斧斤以時入山林飲食各隨四時之宜者也冬合男女，春頒爵位，必當年德，皆所順也．用民必順，悅以使民故無水旱昆蟲之災，民無兇飢妖孽之疾．天不愛其道，地不愛其寶，人不愛其情，是以天降甘露，地出醴泉，山出器車，出銀甕丹灶之器及象車也河出馬圖，龍似馬負圖出鳳凰麒麟，皆在郊掫，龜龍在宮沼，其餘鳥獸及卵胎，皆可俯而窺也．則是無故，先王能循禮以達義，體信以達順，此順之實也．”

when the Son of Heaven takes virtue as his carriage and music as the driving, the lords associate with one another by ritual, grand masters have order with one another by law, officers complete one another by trust, and the hundred clans hold to one another by harmony, that is the world's fatness. This is called great compliance. Compliance is the constant way of nourishing life, sending off the dead and serving ghosts and spirits. So affairs greatly accumulate and are not stagnant [yuan means stagnant accumulation], run side by side without error, proceed finely without mistakes, are deep and yet penetrating, dense and yet with gaps [meaning with order], connected yet not touching [meaning with sequence], move yet do not harm one another; this is the utmost of compliance. Only when compliance is understood can one keep what is perilous [high and not perilous, to keep the perilous long]. That rituals differ, and are neither enriched nor reduced, is how one holds to the feelings and accords with peace [accord with ritual is peace]. People of the mountains are not made to live by the rivers, and people of the islets are not made to live in the plains. The use of water, fire, metal and wood, and of food and drink, is certainly according to the season [use of water: fishermen enter the marshes and weirs at the right time before irrigating; use of fire: fire is brought out in late spring and brought in in late autumn; use of metal: copper and iron are mined at the right time; use of wood: axes enter the mountains and forests at the right time; food and drink follow what suits the four seasons]. Men and women are brought together in winter and ranks are bestowed in spring, always matching the year and virtue, all of which are complied with. Employing the people must be in compliance [delighting them in employing them], so there are no calamities of flood, drought or insects, and the people have no sickness of famine or ill omen. Heaven does not begrudge its Way, Earth does not begrudge its treasures, and people do not begrudge their feelings. Therefore Heaven sends down sweet dew, Earth brings forth sweet springs, the mountains produce vessels and carriages [silver urns, cinnabar furnaces and ivory carriages], the river brings forth the dragon-horse bearing the chart, the phoenix and qilin are all in the suburban marshes, the tortoise and dragon are in the palace ponds, and the other birds and beasts, with their eggs and fetuses, can all be seen by lowering the head. There is no other reason: the former kings were able to follow ritual to penetrate righteousness and embody trust to penetrate compliance, and this is the fruit of compliance."