Hidden Emptiness: Title Attribution and the Seven-Chapter Outline

《潛虛》﹝宋﹞司馬光撰。

Hidden Emptiness was written by Sima Guang (courtesy name Junshi) of the Northern Song. This book imitates the form of Yang Xiong’s Supreme Mystery, taking “emptiness” (xu, 虛) as the origin of the ten thousand things, and establishing a separate set of image-and-number names to deduce human affairs.

萬物皆祖於虛，生於氣。氣以成體，體以受性，性以辨名，名以立行，行以俟命。故虛者，物之府也；氣者，生之戶也；體者，質之具也；性者，神之賦也；名者，事之分也；行者，人之務也；命者，時之遇也。

The ten thousand things under Heaven all take “emptiness” as their first ancestor, and are born from “qi” (氣). Qi gathers and becomes “body” (form); the form receives it as “nature”; nature is distinguished and “names” (distinctions of status) are discerned; names being fixed, “conduct” (the doing of affairs) is established; conduct being accomplished, one awaits the judgment of “destiny” (the fortune of the time). Therefore “emptiness” is the storehouse in which the ten thousand things are gathered; “qi” is the door through which life enters and leaves; “body” is where material is complete; “nature” is the endowment bestowed by spirit; “name” is the boundary between things; “conduct” is the office a person ought to fulfill; “destiny” is a person’s encounter within the timing of events—these seven are the outline on which the book’s seven chapters found their argument.

氣圖●

“The Diagram of Qi.” The original book here appended a diagram, arranging the generating numbers and completing numbers of the Five Phases in black and white dots; in the present recension the diagram is lost, and only the mark indicating the diagram’s place remains.

體圖●

“The Diagram of Body.” A diagram was originally appended here as well; now only the place-mark remains. “Body” is the ranks of form and substance into which qi condenses; the ten ranks of honor and lowliness below are its schema.

一等象王，二等象公，三等象嶽，四等象牧，五等象率，六等象侯，七等象卿，八等象大夫，九等象士，十等象庶人。一以治萬，少以制眾，其惟綱紀乎！綱紀立而治具成矣。

The first rank symbolizes the Son of Heaven; the second, the Three Dukes; the third, the Four Peaks (great ministers of the quarters); the fourth, the provincial governors; the fifth, the commanders of troops; the sixth, the feudal lords; the seventh, the high ministers; the eighth, the grandees; the ninth, the shi (gentlemen); the tenth, the common people. To govern the ten thousand people with one person, to restrain the many with the few—what else can one rely on but the guiding cords and regulating strands? Once the guiding cords and regulating strands are established, the implements of government are complete.

心使身，身使臂，臂使指，指操萬物；或者不為之使，則治道病矣。卿詘一，大夫詘二，士詘三，庶人詘四，位愈卑，詘愈多，所以為順也；詘雖多，不及半，所以為正也。正順，?墜之大誼也。

The heart directs the body; the body directs the arms; the arms direct the fingers; the fingers then handle the ten thousand things. So long as one joint fails to obey direction, the Way of government goes wrong. Therefore the high minister is diminished by one part, the grandee by two, the shi by three, the commoner by four—the lower the rank, the greater the diminution; this is called “accordance” (shun). Yet however much the diminution, it never exceeds half; this is called “correctness” (zheng). When “correctness” and “accordance” are both present, that is the greatest principle between Heaven and Earth (the marked character is a lacuna in the original; zhui is an ancient graph for “earth”).

性圖●

“The Diagram of Nature.” The original diagram is lost; the place-mark survives. “Nature” is the endowment the form receives; this diagram arranges the sequence of human natures in the two grades “pure” and “paired.”

凡性之序，先列十純。十純既浹，其次降一，其次降二，其次降三，其次降四，最後五配，而性備矣。始於純，終於配，天地之道也。

In arranging the order of “nature,” one first lists the ten “pures,” that is, natures that are single and unmixed. After the ten pures have been gone through completely, one descends one rank, then two, then three, then four, and last come the five “paired,” that is, natures formed by the pairing of two natures; the kinds of human nature are then complete. To begin with the “pure” and end with the “paired” is precisely the principle by which Heaven and Earth produce things, from the one to the many.

名圖●

“The Diagram of Names.” The original diagram is lost; the place-mark survives. “Name” is the distinguishing title each obtains after original nature has differentiated; this diagram takes the directional numbers of the River Chart as its frame.

一六置後，二七置前，三八置左，四九置右，通以五十。五行葉序，卬而瞻之，宿躔從度。卬則為宮，俯則為墜。卬得五宮，俯得十數。

One and six are placed at the rear, two and seven at the front, three and eight at the left, four and nine at the right, and five and ten run through the center: this is the directional placement of the generating and completing numbers of the River Chart. The Five Phases accord in sequence (ye is xie, to accord); raising the head to look up (ang is yang, to look up), the lodges of the stars move each according to their degrees: what looking up faces are the star palaces of Heaven; what looking down faces is the great earth. Looking up one obtains the five palaces; looking down one obtains the ten numbers.

元餘者，物之始終，故無變；齊者，中也，包斡萬物，故無位。

“Origin” (yuan) and “Remainder” (yu) stand for the beginning and end of the ten thousand things, and themselves do not take part in change; “Even” (qi) is the center, wrapping and turning the ten thousand things, and therefore occupies no fixed direction.

逡至之氣，起於元，轉而周三百六十四變，變尸一日，乃授於餘而終之。以步、廿、曳、軌以葉歲紀。

The qi that then arrives starts from “Origin,” turns through a circuit of three hundred sixty-four “changes,” each change presiding over one day (shi means to preside), and is finally handed to “Remainder” to close and conclude; then the several names “pace,” “twenty,” “drag,” and “track” are used to adjust it so that it accords with the year and the seasons.

人之生，本於虛。虛然逡形，形然逡性，性然逡動，動然逡情，情然逡事，事然逡德，德然逡家，家然逡國，國然逡政，政然逡功，功然逡業。業終則返於虛矣。

The root of human life is in “emptiness” (below, the character qun is used as hou, “after”): after emptiness there is form; after form, nature; after nature, movement; after movement, feeling; after feeling, affairs; after affairs, virtue; after virtue, the family is ordered; the family being ordered, the state is governed; the state being governed, there is policy; policy being practiced, there is merit; merit being accomplished, there is estate; when estate reaches its end, it returns again to “emptiness.”

故萬物始於元，著於裒[蒲侯]，存於齊，消於散，訖於餘，五者形之運也。柔、剛、雍、昧、昭，姓之分也。容、言、慮、聆、覿，動之官也。

Therefore the ten thousand things begin at “Origin,” become conspicuous at “Pou” (gathered accumulation; the fanqie reading is pu-hou), continue at “Even,” diminish at “Scatter,” and end at “Remainder”: these five names are the course of “form.” “Soft,” “Hard,” “Harmonious,” “Obscure,” and “Bright” are the five classes of xing (endowed nature, written with the surname graph). “Countenance,” “Speech,” “Deliberation,” “Hearing,” and “Seeing” are the five faculties of “movement,” referring respectively to demeanor, speech, thought, hearing, and vision.

繇、懠[箋西]、得、罹、耽[都含]，情之訹[恤]也。前、卻、庸、妥[吐火]、蠢[尺尹]，事之變也。訒[刃]、宜、忱、喆、戛，德之塗也。

“Yao” (joy), “Qi” (anger), “De” (contentment), “Li” (encountering sorrow), and “Dan” (indulgence) are the five states of “feeling” when it is stirred and issues forth (xu, read xu, means to draw forth). “Forward” (advance), “Retreat,” “Yong” (holding to the constant), “Tuo” (settling to rest), and “Chun” (restless stirring) are the five changes of “affairs.” “Ren” (speech slow and weighty), “Yi” (fitting), “Chen” (trustworthy), “Zhe” (wise), and “Jia” (measured) are the five paths along which “virtue” proceeds. The square brackets in the original are all phonetic notes.

特、偶、匿、續、考，家之綱也。範、徒、丑、隸、林，國之紀也。禋[因]、準、資、賓、或，政之務也。斆[效]、理、績、育、聲，功之具也。興、痡[鋪]、泯、造、隆，業之著也。

“Te” (single), “Ou” (spouse), “Ni” (mutual concealment), “Xu” (succession), and “Kao” (elder) are the five cords of the “family.” “Fan” (statutes), “Tu” (the multitude), “Chou” (kindred gathering), “Li” (subordinate service), and “Lin” (assembly) are the five strands of the “state.” “Yin” (sacrifice), “Zhun” (legal institutions), “Zi” (resources), “Bin” (guest rites), and “Huo” (used as yu, “domain,” referring to arms and the defense of the soil) are the five offices of “policy.” “Xiao” (teaching), “Li” (governance), “Ji” (achievement), “Yu” (nurture), and “Sheng” (the teaching of reputation) are the five implements that accomplish “merit.” “Xing” (rising), “Pu” (affliction), “Min” (extinction), “Zao” (creation), and “Long” (flourishing) are the five manifest aspects of “estate.”

為人上者將何為哉？養之、教之、理之而已。養之，故人賴以生也；教之，故人賴以明也；治之，故人賴以乂也。

What should a ruler who stands above the people do? Nothing but nurture them, teach them, and govern them. Nurture them, and the people depend on this to live; teach them, and the people depend on this to understand principle; govern them, and the people depend on this to be at peace (yi means to settle and govern).

夫如是，故人愛之如父母，信之如卜筮，畏之如雷霆，是以功成而名白也。夫為人上而不能養，則人離叛矣；養而不能教，則人餚亂矣；教而不能治，則人抵捍矣。三具者亡而祈有功者，可得乎？

If he can do this, the people will honor him as they honor parents, trust him as they trust turtle-and-milfoil divination, and fear him as they fear thunder; then merit is accomplished and his name is made plain. Conversely, if one stands above the people and cannot nurture them, the people scatter and rebel; if one nurtures but cannot teach, the people become mixed and confused (yao is used as xiao, to confuse); if one teaches but cannot govern, the people resist and oppose. When nurture, teaching, and government are all absent and one still hopes to accomplish merit—how can that be done?

行圖、變圖、解圖●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

The three diagrams of “Conduct,” “Change,” and “Explanation.” “Conduct” is the doing of affairs practiced after names have been fixed; “Change” is the shifting of conduct within time and position; “Explanation” is the commentary attached to each change, judging its auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. All three diagrams are now lost; only twenty-four marks indicating the diagrams’ places remain.

命圖●

“The Diagram of Destiny.” The original diagram is lost; the place-mark survives. “Destiny” is the fixed allotment a person meets within time and position; what is recorded below is the divinatory method of Hidden Emptiness.

元、餘、齊三者無變，皆不占；初、上者，事之始終，亦不占。

“Origin,” “Remainder,” and “Even” themselves have no change, and are none of them used for judgment; “Beginning” and “Top” are the head and tail of an affair, and are likewise not used for judgment.

[闕]五行相乘得二十五，又以三才乘之得七十五，以為策。虛其五而用七十，分而為二，取左之一以掛於右，揲左以十而觀其餘，置而扐之。復合為一而再分之，掛、揲其右，皆如左法。

(There is a lacuna in the original here.) The Five Phases multiplied by themselves give twenty-five; multiplied again by the number of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity give seventy-five, taken as the total number of milfoil stalks. Five stalks are set aside unused, and seventy are actually used: first divide them into two portions; take one stalk from the left portion and hang it on the right hand; then count through the left portion in groups of ten stalks, see how many remain, and pinch them between the fingers to remember (this is le); then gather them and divide again; the method of hanging and counting for the right portion is the same as for the left.

左為主，右為客。先主後客者陽，先客後主者陰。觀其所合，以名命之。

The left portion is counted as “host,” the right as “guest.” Host first and guest after belongs to yang; guest first and host after belongs to yin. Observe how the numbers obtained on the host and guest sides match, and from this determine the “name” of what is divined, corresponding to the hexagram name in the Zhouyi.

既得其名，又合蓍而復分之。陽則置右而揲左，陰則置左而揲右。生純置右，成純置左。揲之以七，所揲之餘為所得之變，觀其吉凶臧否平而決之。

After obtaining the “name,” gather the milfoil stalks again and divide them anew: if it belongs to yang, set aside the right portion and count the left; if it belongs to yin, set aside the left and count the right. A “pure” of generating numbers is placed on the right; a “pure” of completing numbers is placed on the left. This time count in groups of seven stalks; the remainder is the “change” obtained; then see whether it belongs to the grade of auspicious, inauspicious, good, bad, or level, and decide accordingly.

陽則用其顯，陰則用其幽。幽者，吉凶臧否與顯戾也。欲知始終中者，以所筮之時占之。先體為始，後體為中，所得之變為終。變已主其大矣，又有吉凶臧否平者，於變之中復為細別也。

What belongs to yang is judged by its manifest side; what belongs to yin is judged by its hidden side. So-called “hidden” means that its auspicious, inauspicious, good, and bad are exactly the reverse of the manifest. To know the beginning, middle, and end of an affair, calculate from the hour at which the milfoil was taken up: the first “body” obtained is the beginning, the later “body” is the middle, and the “change” obtained is the end. The “change” has already fixed the general tendency of auspicious and inauspicious; the five grades of auspicious, inauspicious, good, bad, and level are a further subdivision within the same change.

不信不筮，不疑不筮，不正不筮，不順不筮，不蠲不筮，不誠不筮。必蠲必誠，神靈是聽。

Those who do not believe the milfoil are not given a reading; those whose minds have no difficulty are not given a reading; those whose question is not upright are not given a reading; those whose conduct does not accord with principle are not given a reading; those whose person and mind are not clean are not given a reading (juan means clean); those who are not sincere and reverent are not given a reading. One must be clean, one must be sincere and reverent, and only then will the spirits listen.

[闕]玄以準易，虛以擬玄。玄且覆瓿，而況虛乎？其棄必矣。然子云曰：「後世復有揚子雲，必知玄。」吾於子云雖未能知，固好之矣，安知後世復無司馬君實乎？

(There is a lacuna in the original here.) Yang Xiong’s Supreme Mystery was written by analogy with the Zhouyi; this Hidden Emptiness of mine is in turn written by analogy with the Supreme Mystery. In those days Liu Xin mocked that the Supreme Mystery would in future be fit only to cover a sauce jar (the History of the Han, Biography of Yang Xiong, records “I fear later people will use it to cover a sauce jar”); if even the Supreme Mystery was thus, how much more Hidden Emptiness? That it will be discarded is certain. But Master Ziyun (Yang Xiong’s courtesy name) said: if in later ages there should again be a Yang Ziyun, he will surely be able to understand the Mystery. I, though I have not been able truly to understand Ziyun’s learning, have from the first been fond of it; how then do I know that later ages will not again produce a Sima Junshi, to understand this Hidden Emptiness?