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Chapter 25 of 25
皇极经世
The hexagrams manifested by heaven, earth, and the myriad things—if not directly interacting with Qian and Kun—are born from the two hexagrams Pi and Tai. The Pi and Tai hexagrams are precisely the gateway through which the yin and yang of Qian and Kun intersect. Tracing back to the origin, Qian and Kun arise from the odd and even numbers, and odd and even numbers are born from the Supreme Ultimate.
What heaven and earth bestow upon me is called destiny; destiny internalized within oneself is called nature; nature manifested throughout the myriad things is called principle.
"Shuo Yi" refers to the yang qi being born from the north and coming to an end when it reaches the north—this speaks of the principle of cyclical transformation. 🌱
In spring, yang qi holds sway, so droughts are frequent; in autumn, yin qi holds sway, so rain is abundant. 🌧
The word "yuan" has two meanings: first, the beginning that gives birth to heaven and earth, namely the Supreme Ultimate; second, within the myriad things each has its own beginning—this is the root of life.
The heart of heaven and earth is the foundation of birthing and nurturing the myriad things; the feeling of heaven and earth is the condition of the myriad things, penetrating the conditions of ghosts and spirits.
Zhuangzi and Huizi strolled on the bridge over the Hao River. Zhuangzi said, "The minnows swim out in leisurely ease—this is the joy of fish." This is precisely exhausting one's own nature to exhaust the nature of all things. Not only fish—nothing in the world is otherwise. One like Zhuangzi may well be called skilled at penetrating the nature of things.
Laozi understood the substance of the Yijing. "Without thought, without action" is the state of mystical unity with the One. The sage uses this to wash his heart and withdraws into the hidden and subtle.
Tai Ji is the ultimate of the Way; Tai Xuan is the origin of the Way; Tai Su is the root of color; Tai Yi is the beginning of number; Tai Chu is the inception of affairs. Their achievement returns to unity.
Primeval broth can be harmonized, dark wine can be diluted—then creation itself can be harmonized and can be diluted.
Exchanging positions, there is no attachment to the "self."
Sincerity is the governing instrument—without trace, without location. How remarkable was Marquis Liu, Zhang Liang, skilled at concealing his function!
Classics such as the Suwen and the Yinfu have reached the utmost in the principle of esoteric arts.
If Gusou had killed a man, Shun would have regarded abandoning the empire like discarding a worn-out straw sandal, carrying his father on his back and fleeing to the seashore to live in seclusion, joyfully content all his life and forgetting the empire. Though the sage possesses the vastness of the empire, he cannot alter the natural love of kinship. ❤️
Someone asked the meaning of "Manifesting benevolence, concealing function." The reply: "As the sun and moon illumine the earth, as the four seasons revolve to complete the year—this is manifesting benevolence; its degrees and laws proceed thus, yet people do not know why—this is concealing function."
The noble person plays with the images, plays with the numbers, plays with the statements, and plays with the meanings in the Yijing.
The Dui hexagram governs delight. Other hexagrams all have attachments and harms, but only the principle of friends discussing and learning together delights in this without harm—thus it speaks of ultimate principle.
The principle of the Mean does not descend from heaven nor rise from earth, but rather measures the principle of all things, gauges human feelings, and acts in what brings peace—this is attaining the Way.
The four virtues yuan, heng, li, zhen each contain matters of good fortune, misfortune, regret, and remorse. Though one acts in virtue, if one goes against the times, misfortune may result.
Tang banished Jie, and King Wu punished Zhou, yet it was not considered regicide. As Mencius said: Men and women should not touch when giving and receiving—this is propriety; rescuing a sister-in-law who has fallen into water by hand—this is expediency. Thus Confucius both honored the benevolence of the Yi barbarians and praised the righteousness of Tang and Wu. The Yi have benevolence, Tang and Wu have righteousness—yet only Tang and Wu could do such things; for others it would be usurpation.
Yin is the shadow of yang; ghosts are the shadows of humans. 👻
Duke Mu of Qin had merit toward the Zhou house, could turn to good and correct his faults—the best among the Five Hegemons. Marquis Wen of Jin served the king diligently for generations and moved King Ping to Luoyang—next. Duke Huan of Qi united the feudal lords nine times without military force—again next. King Zhuang of Chu came next by virtue of the state's strength. Duke Xiang of Song, though he claimed hegemony, was weak in power; when he convened the feudal lords he was seized by Chu—not worth discussing. Those who study the Spring and Autumn Annals—if they do not first determine the merits and faults of these four states, then affairs lack overall coherence, and the sage's heart cannot be grasped. Between the Spring and Autumn period, none with merit were greater than these four states, and none with faults were greater than these four states—thus these four are the foremost of merit and the beginning of guilt. Some say the Spring and Autumn Annals is not a book of nature and destiny—this is wrong.
As to the record that the sacrificial ox for the suburban sacrifice had its mouth injured, and the replacement ox was re-divined, and when the ox died the suburban sacrifice was not held, yet the three astronomical sacrifices were still performed—this is disparagement of the affairs of Lu. How could the sage have had any intent in this? Because of his absence of self. Is this not speech arising from nature and destiny? The Spring and Autumn Annals bestows praise and blame all according to events—how could it allow personal private intention? The Spring and Autumn Annals is the sage's editing, the utmost public-spiritedness of the world. Yet people do not know the reason the sage was thus public. As when the ox's injury reveals Lu's transgressive suburban sacrifice, when the initial presentation of six feather dances reveals the former covert use of eight rows, when the new construction of the Ji Gate reveals there had been no Ji Gate before—none of these involve the sage's deliberate intention. Thus it is said the Spring and Autumn Annals is a book of exhausting nature.
The Yijing as a text accords with the principle of nature and destiny and follows the natural. Confucius severed the four (no forethought, no insistence, no obstinacy, no self), followed his heart's desire, and threaded all with one—he was a man of complete destiny. Yanzi's fasting of the mind and repeated emptiness—this was a man fond of learning. Zigong accumulated much as learning, conjectured to seek the Way, unable to hollow out his mind, extinguish his views, and entrust himself to principle—he was a man not yet having received destiny. The Spring and Autumn Annals follows natural principle without establishing private intention—therefore it is a book of exhausting nature.
The first and top lines both belong to the extreme of a hexagram, but the top line is over-extreme and inferior to the first line's advance. The second and fifth lines both occupy the central position, but the second line's yin centrality is inferior to the fifth line's yang centrality. The third and fourth lines both occupy positions off-center, but the third line, resting atop the lower trigram, is inferior to the fourth line's proximity to the ruler.
Human nobility encompasses the myriad things: respecting oneself and attaining one's nobility, one can thereby govern all categories.
The study of ultimate principle cannot be attained without ultimate sincerity.
The Suwen and the Yinfu are books from the Seven Kingdoms period.
Manifesting benevolence, concealing function—was Confucius not skilled at concealing his function?
Zhuangzi and Xunzi's followers erred in disputation.
Boyi upheld righteousness, refused the grain of Zhou, and starved to death—he could only attain benevolence. 🌾
When three walk together, there must be my teacher—extending even to befriending the worthy of a village, the worthy of the world; finding the world insufficient, advancing further to discourse on the ancients—nothing can be added beyond this.
When righteousness weighs heavy, the inner is heavy; when profit weighs heavy, the outer is heavy.
One who can cure diseases that all physicians can cure cannot be called a superior physician; one who can cure what others cannot—this is a superior physician under heaven. One who can handle what people cannot handle can thereby do what people cannot do.
People fear self-contentment; contentment halts progress. Thus Yu was not self-contented—this is why he was worthy. Even in learning, one should constantly feel insufficiency and not look down from a height, thinking oneself exalted.
If a person applies the mind, there must be gain—only with differences of more or less, and the depth of wisdom and knowledge varies.
Exhausting principle then knowing nature, exhausting nature then knowing destiny, knowing destiny then knowing the ultimate.
Wherever loss precedes gain, gain brings no joy; if gain precedes loss, then loss is hard to bear, and one will certainly reach the point of losing one's moral resolve.
A person must be inwardly weighted. When the inner is weighty, the outer is light. If the inner is light, the outer must be weighty—the pursuit of profit and fame will go to every extreme.
Those under heaven who speak of reading books are many; those who can truly read are few. If one obtains the true joy of heavenly principle, what book cannot be read? What hardness cannot be broken? What principle cannot be refined?
Heavenly time, earthly geography, human affairs—these three are not easily known.
Natural endowment comes from heaven; learning comes from humans. Natural endowment emerges from within; learning enters from without. From sincerity to clarity is nature; from clarity to sincerity is learning.
Boyi and Liuxia Hui each attained one facet of the sage. Boyi attained the sage's purity; Liuxia Hui attained the sage's harmony. Confucius was at times pure, at times harmonious, at times active, at times still—thus he attained the sage's timing.
In the Tai Xuan, nine days correspond to two hexagrams, and one remaining hexagram corresponds to four and a half days.
The art of war requires first that the people are prosperous, granaries full, treasuries stocked, troops strong, names upright, heaven's timing favorable, and earthly advantage gained—only then can one raise an army.
Laozi's five thousand words are largely all elucidations of the principle of things. 📖
Now suppose someone climbs two platforms; when both are equal in height, one does not see the height difference; when one is taller, then one knows the other is lower. A state, a family, an individual—all are the same principle. One who can manage himself can manage a family; one who can manage a family can manage a state; one who can manage a state can manage the world. The heart is the root of the body, the family is the root of the state, and the state is the root of the world. The heart can move the body; if the heart does not desire it, can the body do it?
One's spirit should be hidden and skillfully used; exposed openly, there are few who do not fail. Like a sharp blade—when objects come, it cuts them; but if one relies on the blade's sharpness to seek cutting, both blade and object are harmed.
When words arise from sincerity, the heart finds no toil yet remains at ease, and in time people will surely trust. Crafting falsehood and wielding artifice may deceive for a time, but prolonging it brings certain ruin.
People value virtue; men of talent among the petty are not rare. Therefore talent cannot be relied upon, and virtue cannot be lacking.
Heaven and earth, sun and moon—only enduring. Thus people should hold the long view and not see only what is before their eyes.
When the noble person dwells in the fields, he does the affairs of the fields; when he stands in the imperial hall, he does the affairs of the hall—thus in no situation does he fail to find himself at ease.
Wisdom, strategy, and clever power may prevail for a time, but they eventually exhaust themselves. Only ultimate sincerity endures as long as heaven and earth.
If heaven and earth were annihilated, ultimate sincerity could cease; thus since heaven and earth cannot be annihilated, ultimate sincerity also never ceases.
Building a chariot indoors yet being usable throughout the world—because the track gauge matches. Following righteousness and principle, conforming to human feeling, one can travel wherever the sun and moon shine.
Gathering the goodness of the world makes one broad; relying only on oneself makes one narrow.
Han Confucians regarded returning to orthodoxy after reversing the standard as expediency—this captures only one facet. Expediency is what balances the weight of things. The sage exercising expediency weighs matters and acts accordingly, fitting what is appropriate—that is all. Thus holding the mean without expediency is still one-sided. Wang Tong said the Spring and Autumn Annals is the expediency of the kingly Way—no one but Wang Tong could reach this. Thus expediency in one person is the expediency of one person; in a village, the expediency of a village; up to the world, the expediency of the world. Though applications differ, its manner is one.
A bow is inherently strong or weak; when two people draw one bow, the strong person thinks the bow weak, and the weak person thinks it strong. Why does not the strong person, not regarding his own strength as excessive, refrain from calling the bow weak—and why does not the weak person, not regarding his own strength as insufficient, refrain from calling the bow strong? How can they have thought so little? The bow has no strength or weakness—the strength of the two people differs. Now suppose a cup of food is presented before two greatly starving people. If they yield to each other, both get food; if they seize from each other, they fight—and not merely fight, perhaps neither gets the food. These two cases both reflect human feelings; few understand this, but whoever understands it sees that all affairs under heaven are likewise.
The learning of the a priori is governed by sincerity. With ultimate sincerity one can penetrate the spirits and illumination; without sincerity one cannot attain the Way.
Good medicine should not leave the hand; good words should not leave the mouth.
Matters must be measured by strength; measuring strength enables endurance.
Learning takes human affairs as its greatest concern; the classics of today are the human affairs of antiquity.
Beyond the three commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Lu Chun and Dan Zhu may be studied in tandem.
Jizha's talent approaches Boyi's. Shuxiang, Zichan, and Yanzi were equal in talent. Guanzhong used schemes and numbers, understood the principle of things late—on the whole, his capacity surpassed others.
The Five Hegemons are the foremost of merit and the beginning of guilt. The Spring and Autumn Annals is Confucius's book of punishments. Merits and faults do not cancel each other. The sage first praises their merits, then censures their faults—therefore even wrongdoers with merit must be recorded; one cannot be unforgiving. The "new" in "new construction of the two towers" is censure, punishing that there was none before; the "initial" in "initial presentation of six feather dances" is praise, because they had previously overstepped with eight rows. 🏛
A certain person received the Spring and Autumn Annals from Yin Shilu, who received it from Mu Bolang. The same person later attacked Bolang, saying: "The Spring and Autumn Annals has no praise—all is censure." Tian Shugu said: "Sun Fu also said the Spring and Autumn Annals has censure but no praise." The reply: When propriety and law are in ruins and rulers and ministers are in confusion, and there are those who can perform small good deeds, how could one not advance them? Moreover, the Five Hegemons indeed had merit for the world. And the Five Hegemons, though falling short of the kingly way, were they not better than usurpers and interlopers? How could one not acknowledge them! Those who study the Spring and Autumn Annals—if they do not distinguish name and substance, and do not determine the merits and faults of the Five Hegemons, they cannot yet be said to study the Spring and Autumn Annals. When first fixing the merits and faults of the Five Hegemons and then studying the Spring and Autumn Annals, the great outline stands. If one seeks everything detail by detail, there is no coherence.
All people in learning go wrong through excessive self-assertion.
King Ping, though titled king, was truly no match for the feudal lords of a single state; Jin, though a marquis, in fact usurped royal prerogatives—these are precisely matters of name and substance in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Zigong wished to abolish the sacrificial sheep at the first-of-the-month ceremony. The sheep is the name; the rite is the substance. Where the name endures but the substance is gone, that is still better than both name and substance being destroyed. Having preserved the name, how do we know no true king will arise in later ages? Thus there is something to await.
The Spring and Autumn Annals was written for the weakness of rulers and the strength of ministers—therefore it is called a book of titles and duties.
The difficulty of the sage lies in not losing benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness while accomplishing great deeds. How can this be achieved? It lies in the four severances (no forethought, no insistence, no obstinacy, no self).
"Having horses, one lends them for others to ride"—this is forsaking oneself to follow others.
Someone asked what "the scarcity of talent" means. The reply: "It is upon facing great affairs that one sees the scarcity of talent." Asked: "Why is only talent mentioned?" Reply: "Talent is the fine endowment from heaven; it is through learning that one perfects this talent." Asked: "Were there not ancients who achieved meritorious careers without learning—why then must one speak of learning?" Reply: "Zhou Bo and Huo Guang accomplished great affairs, yet precisely because they had no learning, they were not wholly good. Without learning one cannot illuminate principle; without illuminating principle, one is obstinate and unreceptive."
A person of outstanding talent necessarily possesses firm resolve. Balanced firmness is sufficient to establish undertakings and face hardship; if directed to other ends, it becomes evil instead. Thus Confucius remarked of Shen Cheng, "How can he be called firm?"—for having desires, he surely lacks firmness.
The noble person is conscious of righteousness—this is a worthy person; the petty person is conscious of profit alone. One who forgets both righteousness and profit—only the sage can do this. The noble person fears righteousness and thus refrains from certain deeds; the petty person simply fears nothing. The sage moves without overstepping the norm—what righteousness is there to fear?
In learning and nurturing the heart, the danger lies in not following the straight path. Abandon desire and profit, follow the straight path, entrust oneself to utmost sincerity—then nothing is not penetrated. The way of heaven and earth is straightforward; one should seek it by straightness. If one uses clever schemes and crooked paths to seek it, one is bending heaven and earth to follow human desire—is that not difficult?
Affairs, great and small, all pertain to the principle of heaven and humanity. Self-cultivation is the human part; whether one meets opportunity is heaven's part. Gain and loss not moving the heart—this is obeying heaven; adventurous scheming and hoping for luck is defying heaven. Seeking is human; whether one obtains is heaven's affair. If gain and loss do not move the heart, one obeys heaven; to take by force, insisting on attainment, is defying heavenly principle—disaster will surely come to those who defy heavenly principle. [Translator's note: what is meant is that planning lies with humans, accomplishment with heaven.]
The two towers of Lu and the grand suburban grand di sacrifice—both were transgressions of ritual. For a feudal lord to hold seasonal di sacrifices as regular offerings is acceptable; as for the grand di once every five years, that cannot be done.
Zhong Gong could be given a seat facing south; he could be entrusted with governance.
Who can go out without passing through the door? The door is the Way. There has never been anything accomplished without following the Way. Those who do not pass through the door are those who leap through cracks and holes.
"Listen widely, choose the good among it and follow." Though one listens widely, one must choose the good before following. "See much and remember it." "Remember" means discern—though one sees much, one must have discernment regarding it.
Luoxia Hong reformed the Zhuan Xu calendar into the Taichu calendar; Yang Ziyun modeled the Taichu and composed the Tai Xuan, which altogether has eighty-one hexagrams—nine parts distributed over two hexagrams; every one-five alternating with one-four; finely divided, four-and-a-half parts correspond to one hexagram. Qi arises from the center, hence the first hexagram is the central one. 📐
Yuan, heng, li, zhen—changing without constancy—is the transformation of the heavenly way. Good fortune, misfortune, regret, remorse—changing without fixity—is the human response.
One yin and one yang constitute the Way. The Way is soundless and formless, cannot be seen, and thus is named by borrowing the word "way/path." A person's movement necessarily follows the path. One yin and one yang is the way of heaven and earth; the myriad things are born through it and completed through it.
"Manifesting benevolence" refers to the work of heaven and earth in birthing the myriad things—what people can see; whereas that which causes the myriad things to exist is what people cannot see—this is "concealing function."
The ten heavenly stems are heaven; the twelve earthly branches are earth; stems and branches couple the functions of heaven and earth. ☯️
The Yijing begins with the Three Sovereigns; the Book of Documents begins with the Two Emperors; the Book of Odes begins with the Three Kings; the Spring and Autumn Annals begins with the Five Hegemons.
From Qian, Kun to Kan, Li—this speaks of the heavenly way; from Xian, Sun to Ji Ji, Wei Ji—this speaks of human affairs.
Human planning is the human; ghostly planning is heaven. When heaven and humanity plan together and both are acceptable, then affairs are accomplished with good fortune.
Adapting to change and through it serving the affairs of the world while not losing the great standard of ritual; adapting to change and through it following the principle of the world while not losing the great balance of righteousness—such is the way of the noble person.
The theory of the five planets began with Master Gan and Master Shi.
When human wisdom is strong, the wisdom of creatures is weak.
Zhuangzi composed the "Robber Zhi" chapter to illuminate ultimate evil—that even sages and worthies cannot transform it, because the highest intelligence and the lowest ignorance do not change.
The one Ru scholar of Lu refers to Confucius.
The affairs of the world—when they begin already heavier than is fitting, they always end returning to lightness; when they begin already thicker than is fitting, they always end returning to thinness—how much more when they begin with lightness and thinness? Thus few are lost through excess heaviness; many are lost through excess lightness; few are lost through excess thickness; many are lost through excess thinness. Therefore the noble person does not worry about excess heaviness but constantly worries about excess lightness; does not worry about excess thickness but constantly worries about excess thinness.
Zhuangzi's Discussion on the Equality of All Things cannot avoid weighing things; weighing leads to contention; contention brings disharmony; disharmony brings discord. "Without thought, without action" is the mystical land of unity with the One; the sage uses this to wash his heart and withdraws into the secret and hidden.
"Before the teacher, yielding in benevolence to no one"—this is the way of advancing in benevolence.
Duke Mu of Qin, defeated in his attack on Zheng, uttered words of repentance and self-admonition—this is not merely the affair of a hegemon, but nearly approaching the kingly way. To be able to repent is to be without fault—this is why the sage recorded it at the end of the book.
Liu Xun asked about "non-action." The reply: "Speaking when the time is right—people do not tire of one's words; laughing when joy is genuine—people do not tire of one's laughter; taking when righteousness is satisfied—people do not tire of one's taking. This is what is called non-action."
Wen-Zhongzi said: "Those who delight easily in music are sure to grieve much; those who give lightly are sure to seize eagerly." Someone asked: "All the world contends for profit and abandons righteousness—what should I alone do?" Wen-Zhongzi replied: "To set aside what others contend for, and take up what others abandon—is this not the mark of a true gentleman?" Remarks such as these are words of principle and righteousness. The distinction between the inner mind and outward traces has long existed—remarks such as these are words of nature and transformation.
Zhuangzi's spirit was bold, as seen in matters like the Liang River incident, where his words reach the utmost. The "Robber Zhi" chapter speaks of matters for which there is no remedy—even a sage can do nothing about them. The "Fisherman" chapter speaks of matters that cannot be forced—even a sage cannot force them. These words set forth the principle of acting through non-action and acting through force: follow principle, and there is non-action; force things, and there is action.
Metal becomes pure and refined only after a hundred temperings—so too with a human being.
The Buddhists abandon the ways of ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife—is this the natural principle?
To be committed to the Way is to speak of it in a comprehensive sense. Commitment (zhi) means to dwell deeply in the mind. Virtue (de) is what one has realized within oneself; having form, it has a basis. Virtue is centered on benevolence, hence it is said to "rely upon" it.
Zhuangzi said: "Though the cook does not manage the kitchen, the assistant at the sacrifice does not leap over the wine-jars and meat-stands to take his place." This embodies the principle that the gentleman does not think beyond his position, and acts according to his station.
In Jin, Hu Jiegu killed Yang Chufu. The Spring and Autumn Annals records: "Jin killed its grand officer Yang Chufu." This was because the ruler leaked words—when a ruler is not discreet, he loses his ministers—hence it is recorded as the state killing him.
When a person receives the balanced and harmonious qi, hardness and softness are equal; with an excess of yang, one tends toward excessive hardness; with an excess of yin, one tends toward excessive softness.
Did the author of the Yijing not understand robbers? The sage understands the principle of all things in heaven and earth and threads them together with one unifying principle.
Descending from the honored to the lowly is called Lin (Approaching). Looking down from above to observe below is called Guan (Observing).
Be without willfulness, without necessity, without stubbornness, without ego. Speaking of them together, they are one; speaking of them separately, they are two. Speaking of them together as two, speaking of them separately, they are four. It begins with willfulness and is completed in ego. Where there is willfulness, there follows necessity—necessity is born from willfulness. Where there is stubbornness, there follows ego—ego is born from stubbornness. Willfulness means the mind sets expectations in advance; stubbornness means refusing to transform; ego means possessing a self.
Knowledge acquired through rote memorization and interrogation is not sufficient to become the foundation of accomplishment.
Learning lies in not ceasing; hence Wang Tong said: "Until the end of one's life, and no more."