Yang Xiong

- Yangzi Fayan

- Xu
Xu

When Tian gives birth to the masses, they are naive and
ignorant. They give free reign to their desires and
original natures, and their intelligence is undeveloped.
To teach them the proper principles, I have written
"Learning and Practice."

In the time from the Duke of Zhou down to Confucius,

rulers were accomplished in the dao of kingship.
Afterwards, the great precepts were abandoned, and the
various masters drew emblems for their own banners.
Thus, I have written "My Master."

Xu: Everything has an original essence, but it is unfolded

in myriad forms. If one's actions cannot be brought to
completion, one must seek the root of the matter in
oneself. Thus, I have written "Cultivating the Self."

Xu: Vast! Vast is Tian's Dao! In the past the sages

completed it. If one goes too far, he loses the mean. If
one doesn't go all the way, he doesn't reach the Dao. It
cannot be defiled or maligned. Thus, I have written
"Asking About the Dao."

Xu: Shen (
() and xin (
() are shadowy and indistinct, but
they are the warp and woof of the world, and their
workings are bound up with the Dao, de, ren, yi, and li.
Thus I have written "Asking About Shen."

Xu: When wisdom is splendid and bright, shining everywhere

without limit, one may avoid unforeseen dangers and
Heavenprotect his Heaven
-decreed destiny. Thus, I have written
"Asking about Seeing Clearly."

Xu: Sayings of the past spread throughout Heaven and Earth,

serving as an aid to daimonic clarity. Profound and
great, vast and broad, they surpass recent sayings. Thus
I have written "The Seldom Seen."

Xu: The sage, keenly intelligent and profoundly good,

continues the work of Tian and fathoms the divine.
Surpassing the common herd, he sets the standard. Thus,
I have written "Five Hundred Years."
9

Xu: In establishing government, rousing the multitude, and

influencing the world, nothing is superior to the
harmony of the mean. The key to implementing the harmony
of the mean lies in knowing the people's feelings. Thus,
I have written "Foreknowledge."

10

Xu: Since the time of Confucius, rulers of kingdoms,

generals, chancellors, ministers, gentlemen, and famous
officials have been variously and nonnon-uniformly judged.
I have uniformly judged them by the standards of the
sage. Thus, I have written "Zhong and Li."

11

Xu: From the time of Confucius down to the Dao of the Han,
for virtuous conduct there were Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian,
and for Han Gaozu's arms and legs there were Xiao He and
Cao Shen. Now, for ranking the eminence and lowliness of
famous generals, I have examined and evaluated them.
Qian."
Thus, I have written "Yuan and Q
ian."

12

Xu: The junzi is pure to the end and earns a fine

reputation. His actions follow standards and norms, and
he completely develops the principles of the sage. Thus,
I have written "The Junzi."

13

Xu: In terms of filial devotion, nothing is greater than

pacifying one's parents. In pacifying one's parents,
nothing is greater than pacifying the spirits. In
pacifying the spirits, nothing is greater than making
the xin of the whole world joyful. Thus I have written
"The Ultimate in Filial Devotion."

- Learning and
Practice
Practice

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

As for learning, putting it into practice is

best;
best
; putting it into words is second best;
best;
instructing others is next. To do none of
these is to be a common person.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone said: Some people take up study

because they covet a long life. Can this be
called loving to learn?
learn?
Yangzi said: This is not loving to learn. One
who loves learning does not covet anything
else.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Did Tian's dao not reside in Confucius?

Confucius?
Confucius
Confucius
s cart having come unharnessed,
does Tian's dao not lie with these ru of
today?
today
? If they again harnessed up the cart,
then nothing could be better than to make all
tongues.
ru to have metal mouths with wooden tongues
.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone said: Study has no benefits, what can

it do for one's zhi?
zhi?
Yangzi said: You have not yet thought about
it. If you have a knife, you sharpen it;
it; if
you have jade, you polish it. If you do not
useful?
sharpen and polish them, how are they useful
?
Sharpening and polishing, their zhi lies in
these;
these
; if this was not the case, then you
might as well stop.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

The dying moth larva encountered the wasp.

The wasp snatched it away saying, "B
"Be like
me, be like me." After awhile, they were
alike. How quickly the seventy disciples
Confucius!
became like Confu
cius!

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Studying in order to cultivate it, thinking

in order to refine it, making friends in
order to polish it, achieving fame in order
to venerate it, being untiring in order to
finish it: this can be referred to as loving
to learn.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Confucius studied the Duke of Zhou, and Yan

Yuan studied Confucius. If Hou Yi and Pang
Meng had broken their bows, Wang Liang given
up the horsewhip, and Gong Shuban thrown away
his axes, and if all had studied the Duke of
Zhou, Confucius, and Yan Yuan, who could say
wrong?
they were wrong
?

Someone said: This kind of fame or that kind

of fame, a person attains one kind and that's
it.
Yangzi said: Among streams there are great
rivers;
rivers
; among mountains there are great
peaks. The high and the great, these are what
the common man cannot surpass.
8

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone asked: The world speaks of forging

gold. Can gold be forged?
forged?
Yangzi said: I have heard that when one meets
a junzi, one asks about "forging" men, not
about forging gold.
"forged"?
The other said: Can men be "forged"
?
forged
Yangzi said: Confucius for
ged Yan Yuan.
The other, surprised, said: Excellent! I
asked about forging gold and I learn about
"forging" men.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

10

Study is the means by which one cultivates

the xing. Looking, hearing, speaking, manner,
and thought are aspects of the xing. If one
studies, then it becomes rectified.
Otherwise, it becomes deviant.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

11

A teacher, a teacher! This is the command for

a young boy. Devoting attention to study is
not as good as devoting attention to finding
a teacher. The teacher is a man's mold and
pattern. Molds that do not mold and patterns
that do not pattern are not rare.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

In a oneone-lane market, one cannot exhaust the

different ways of calculating prices;
prices; in a
text of one roll, one cannot exhaust the

different interpretations given to it. In a

oneone-lane market, one must establish a
price;
standard price
; for a text of one roll, one
must establish its authoritative teacher.
12

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

13

Practice, practice! By means of practicing

what is false, one overcomes what is true.
How much more does practicing what is true
overcome what is false. Indeed! Those who
study should examine what is true and that's
all.
Someone said: How can one know what is true
it?
and practice it
?
Yangzi said: Looking at the sun and moon, one
knows the faintness of the multitude of
stars. Gazing upon the sage one knows the
pettiness of the multitude of other
doctrines.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

14

Learning was the business of those who were

rulers, oh how long ago! Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang,
Wen, and Wu's intensity! Confucius's
brilliance, oh how long ago!

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone asked about advancing.

Yangzi said: Be like water.
The other said: Because it does not stop
day
night?
flowing da
y or night
?
Yangzi said: This is it! That which fills up
and then flows out gradually, is it not
water?
water
?
Someone asked about the flight of the wild
goose.
Yangzi said: If it is not the direction he
wants to go, he does not go. If it is not the
wants
place he wan
ts to land, he does not land. His
flight is like water.
wood?
May I ask about the gradual growth of wood
?
Yangzi said: It is rooted below and gradually

grows upward, that is wood! Indeed, it is

just like water!
15

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

16

I have yet to see a fondness for embellishing

one's de that was like people's fondness for
embellishing the beams and railings of their
houses.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Birds and beasts are motivated by their

desires. Is the common man any different?
different? The
worthy are different from the common man, and
the sage is different from the
the worthy. There
was a purpose to the creation of li and yi.
As for people who do not study the Confucian
Dao
Dao
even if they are without worries, are
they not still like animals.

17

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:
Practice
:...:

18

Study is the means by which one

become a junzi. There are those
yet do not attain the goal, but
never been one who did not seek
attain it.

seeks to
who seek and
there has
and yet did

...
... :

19

Learning and
Practice:...:

A horse that looks up to a thoroughbred is a

worthy harnessharness-mate for a thoroughbred.
People who look up to Yan Yuan can indeed be
followers Yan Yuan.
Someone said: Is it easy to be a follower of
Yan?
Yan
?
to
Yangzi said: If you look up t
o him, it is.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

He said: In the past, Yan looked up to the

Master, Zheng Kaofu looked up to Yin Xifu,
Gongzi Xisi looked up to Zheng Kaofu. If you
do not desire to look up to someone, then
that's that. But if you do look up to them,
then who can stop you?
you?
Someone said: The Confucian Books and the
Classics are the same, but the world does not
studied?
respect the Books. Can they still be studied
?
Yangzi said: They can.
The other person snickered, saying: They
should only be used for passing government
exams and determining ranks.
Dao;
Yangzi said: Great men study for the Dao
;
small men study for profit. Are you for the
profit?
Dao, or are you for profit
?
The other said: Plowing without any harvest,
hunting without a feast: are these really
"hunting"?
"plowing" and "hunting"
?
Yangzi said: Planting the Dao and getting the
Dao, hunting de and getting de, these are the
harvest and feast. I have never seen Shen and

Chen side by side. Therefore, the junzi

values changing for the good. Those who
change for the good, are they not the sage's
followers?
followers
? The hundred rivers study the sea
sea;
and arrive at the sea
; mounds and foothills
not
study the mountains but do n
ot reach to the
mountains. For this reason, the junzi hates
to draw the line.
20

...
... :

21

Learning and
Practice:...:

Factions formed from cliques are even worse

than a flock of crows;
crows; indeed, crows
crows do no
more than steal food. Acquaintances lacking
sincerity are superficial acquaintances.
Friends without heart are surface friends.

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone addressed Yangzi: The property that

you manage is nothing like Dan Gui's wealth.
Yangzi said: I have heard that when gentlemen

talk together, they discuss ren and yi. When

merchants talk together, they discuss wealth
and profit. So much for his wealth! So much
for his wealth!
The other said: If in life a gentleman lacks
the means to support himself and dies without
the means to be buried, then what is to be
done?
done
?
Yangzi said: Using only those means which are
sufficient to support oneself, this is the
height of supporting oneself. Using only
those means which are sufficient to be
buried, this is the best of burials.
22

23

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone said: Yi Dun's wealth was a means to

be filial, isn't this indeed the best?
best? Yan
Yuan was so poor that he starved!
Yangzi said: The other used crude means, Yen
used the essentials. The other used a crooked
dao, Yan used the correct Dao. Was Yan
inferior
rior?
inferior?
infe
rior
? Was Yan inferior
?

...
... :

24

Learning and
Practice:...:

Someone said: Allow me to tie the red sash

and carry the gold stamp, and my happiness
could not be measured.
Yangzi said: The happiness of one who holds a
position in government is not as good as Yan
Yuan's happiness. Yan Yuan's happiness [came
from]
himself]
from
] inside [himself
], the happiness of one
in
who holds a position i
n government [comes
from]
himself]
from
] outside [himself
].
The other said: May I ask what comes from
inside oneself when one is always poor.
Yangzi said: If Yan did not have Confucius,
even if he had got all under Heaven, it would
happy.
not have been sufficient to make him ha
ppy.
The other said: But he still suffered, did he
not?
not
?
Yangzi said: Yan's suffering lay in the
height of Confucius's profundity .
Startled, the other said: Well then, was this
happy?
suffering not just the reason he was happy
?

...
... :

Learning and
Practice:...:

Yangzi said: Teaching and establishing the

Dao without stopping Confucius. Studying
and transmitting Confucius's teaching without
stopping Yan Yuan.

The other said: One couldn't hope to

establish the Dao like Confucius. One
couldn't have the strength to transmit the
teaching like Yan Yuan.
Yangzi said: You have not yet thought about
it. Who is stopping you?
you?

[?]

- My Master
Master
1

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: When my Master was young, were

you good at fu?
fu?
Yangzi said: Yes. As a youngster I practiced
cutting bronze, seal, and tally scripts.
After a moment he said: Adults do not do this.
The other said: Can fu not be used for
remonstration
satire?
remonstra
tion through satire
?
Yangzi said: Satire! Once it satirizes, then it
should stop. When it does not end, I am afraid
that it does not avoid becoming encouragement.
The other said: Like the silken beauty of misty
gauze?
gauze
?
Yangzi said: It is the worm in women's work.
The other said: The Swordsman's Treatise says:

The sword can be used to protect the

body.
body.
Yangzi said: But can the skills of a swordsman
make men more skilled in li?
li?

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: Were the fu of Jing Cha, Tang

Le, Song Yu, and Mei Cheng not of value?
value?
Yangzi said: They were excessive by necessity.
The other said: What do you mean by
"excessive?
"excessive
?"
Yangzi said: The fu of those who wrote shi
style verse achieved beauty by means of
standards. The fu of those who wrote ci style
verse achieved beauty by means of going to
excess. If the Confucian school had used fu,
have]
Jia Yi [would have
] ascended the hall and Sima
have]
Xiangru [would have
] entered the inner
chambers. How could they have, if not for
having used [fu]
fu]!

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked about those who can reverse black

and white and dazzle the eyes with unorthodox
colors.
Yangzi said: Look clearly.
The other said: What if I hear music like that
Wei?
of Zheng and Wei
?
Yangzi said: Listen clearly.
The other said: Li Zhu and Music Master Kuang
What
done?
are already dead. Wh
at can be done
?
SingleYangzi said: Single
-mindedly concentrate on
seeing and hearing and that's all.

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: All music is based on the five

tones and the twelve note scale, yet some music
is ceremonial, and some is [like that of]
of] Zheng
Why?
and Wei. Why
?
said:
Yangzi s
aid: If it is proper and correct, then
it is ceremonial. If it is excessive and
unrestrained, then it is like that of Zheng and
Wei.

May I ask about the fundamentals of making

music?
music?
Yangzi said: If the huangzhong is used as the
root for producing the twelve
twelve note scale, and
if one uses moderation and a correct attitude
to make the notes of properly equal pitch, then
one can insure that the music of Zheng and Wei
will not be able to enter into and defile one's
music.
5

...
... :

My Master:

Someone said: Women have beauty, but do books

not also have beauty?
beauty?
Yangzi said: They do. With women, one hates
cosmetics that ruin their beauty. With books,
one hates excessive words that create chaos in
laws and institutions.

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: Was Qu Yuan wise or not?

not?
Yangzi said: Like jade, like chiseled jade
jade

transformed into reds and greens! But such was

his wisdom, such was his wisdom!
7

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: Does the junzi esteem words?

words?
Yangzi said: The junzi esteems reality. When
the reality goes beyond the words, it is
unrefined. When the words go beyond the
reality, then it is exaggerated like fu. When
the reality and the words are in balance, then
it is a standard. Both words and comportment
fully adequate, that is how to embellish de.

...
... :

My Master:

Someone asked: Gongsun Long took his ten

thousand clever words to be a model. Can they
model?
be used as a model
?
Yangzi said: Cutting wood to make chess pieces
and scraping hides to make a ball, these kinds
of activities all have a model. But as for
those things that do not accord with the model
of the former kings, the junzi does not take
them as a model.

...
... :

My Master:

10

Looking at the the Confucian Books is

comparable to looking at mountains and water:
Ascending Mt. Tai, one knows the small and
winding landscape of the other mountains of the
range, how much more that of the little hills.
blueFloating on the blue
-green ocean, one knows the
muddiness
muddi
ness of the rivers, how much more that of
the dried up marshes. Throwing away the boat
and yet crossing a great river, there has never
this]
been anyone who could do this
]. Thowing away
the Five Classics and yet reaching the Dao,
there has never been anyone who could do this
either! As for one who rejects the regular
delicacies and is fond of strange dishes, how
tastes?
do you know that he can recognize tastes
? As
for one who abandons the great sage and loves
the various philosophers, how do you know that
he can recognize
recognize the Dao?
Dao?

...
... :

My Master:

11

A trail down a mountain ravine cannot be

followed to the end;
end; a door facing a wall
cannot be entered.
The other said: From where can one enter?
enter?
Yangzi said: Confucius. Confucius is the door.
The other said: Have you passed through
door?
Confucius's door
?
Yangzi said: The door! The door! How could I be
the only one who has not entered through the
door?
door
?

...
... :

My Master:

12

Someone wanted to study the Cangjie and the

Shipian.
Yangzi said: The Shi! The Shi! It is better
than forgetting about and losing it!

...
... :

My Master:

13

Someone said: Suppose there is a man who says

that his surname is Kong, and his name Zhongni.
If he enters Confucius's gate, ascends his
hall, sits in his chair, and wears his clothes,
Confucius?
then may he be called Confucius
?
Yangzi said: His outer appearance (wen), yes.
His zhi, no.
zhi?
The other said: May I dare ask about zhi
?
Yangzi said: One who has a sheep's zhi and a
tiger's skin sees grass and is happy, sees a
jackal and shivers. He forgets he is wearing a
tiger's skin.

...
... :

My Master:

14

The sage is in the tiger class, his stripes

(wen) are bright and distinct. The junzi is in
the leopard class, his spots (wen) are colorful
and abundant. The sophists are in the wildcat
class, their markings (wen) are collected
wildcat
together thickly. If the wild
cat transforms,
then he is a leopard. If the leopard
transforms, then he is a tiger.

...
... :

My Master:

15

People who love books but do not seek

instruction from Confucius are like a bookshop.
Those who love to engage in persuasion but do
not seek instruction from Confucius talk like
jingling bells. What the junzi says does not
corrupt others. What he listens to is without
disorder.
exaggeration. Corruption results in disord
er.
Exaggeration results in the unorthodox. There
have been those who transmitted the straight
crooked;
dao but gradually went crooked
; but there has
never been anyone who transmitted the crooked
dao and gradually went straight.

...
... :

My Master:

Confucius's dao
daohow clear and easy it is!
Someone said: Starting from his youth and
practicing it, one studies until his hair turns
white, and he is still confused. How can you
easy?
say it is so clear and easy
?
Yangzi said: I am referring to its not being
crooked in order to deal with the crooked, and

not being crafty in order to deal with the

crafty. If it were crooked and crafty, even
though you had ears and eyes, how would you be
able to correct them.
16

...
... :

My Master:

17

If you hear much, then hold onto the essential.

If you see much, then hold onto the profound.
If you do not hear much, then nothing is
essential. If you do not see much, then nothing
is profound.

...
... :

My Master:

18

Three hundred green robes

robesbut what about the
color?
color
? Three thousand scraps of hemp
hempbut what
cold?
about the cold
?

...
... :

My Master:

19

The dao of the junzi is easy in four ways:

being simple, it is easy to use;
use; being
essential, it is easy to grasp;
grasp; being bright,
see;
it is easy to see
; being the model, it is easy
to explain.

...
... :

My Master:

20

After thunderous winds and heavy rains, one

knows that a big house is a shelter. After
harsh government and a chaotic age, one knows
the sage is a bastion wall.

...
... :

My Master:

21

Among the ancients, Yang Zhu and Mo Di blocked

the road, Mengzi spoke and burst it open,
making the road broad. There were others after
him who blocked the road. I humbly compare
myself to Mengzi.

...

... :

My Master:

Someone asked: Each person affirms what he

affirms and denies what he denies
denieswho will set
right?
them right
?
Yangzi said: If the ten thousand things are
confused and disorderly, they are corrected by
Tian;
Tian
; if the multitude of words are confused
and chaotic, then they are judged by the
sage.
Someone said: Whence can one look to a sage to
judgment?
render judgment
?
Yangzi said: When he is alive, there is the
man;
man
; when he is gone, there are the Books.
Their guiding principle is the same.

[?]

- Cultivating the Self

Self
1

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Cultivating oneself is the bow;

bow; rectifying
one's thoughts is the arrow;
arrow; establishing yi
is the target. Being settled and then

shooting, the shot will inevitably hit the

bull'sbull's
-eye.
2

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Man's xing is a mixture of good and bad. If

he cultivates its good aspects, then he
becomes a good man. If he cultivates its bad
aspects, then he becomes a bad man. As for
qi, is it not the horse that one rides toward
bad?
good or bad
?

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Someone said: Confucius's abilities were

many. Since he was not employed, was he not
distressed and worried.
Yangzi said: The sage takes pleasure in Tian
and knows ming. Since he takes pleasure in
Tian, he is not distressed. Since he knows
ming, he is not worried.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Someone asked about inscriptions.

Yangzi said: Inscriptions! Inscriptions! They
are intended to make people conscientious.

...
... :

Cultivating
Self:...:
the Self
:...:

The sage's words can be practiced, but making

people believe them cannot be done. Thus, the
junzi assiduously studies and diligently puts
them into practice.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

To refine one's goods and then go to market;

market;
To cultivate oneself and then make friends;
friends;
To perfect one's
one's plans and then act
act
[This is]
is] the dao of success.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:
8

That which the junzi is cautious about are

his speech, li, and writings.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

If he does not flatter in interacting with

superiors and does not boast in interacting
with inferiors, then he can create
friendships.
Someone said: The junzi keeps to himself;
himself; why
others?
must he interact with others
?
Yangzi said: When Heaven and Earth interact,
born;
the myriad things are born
; when men interact
Dao,
with the D
ao, accomplishments of merit are
himself?
completed. Why must he keep to himself
?

...
... :

Cultivating

If you love the great but do not employ it,

then the great is not great. If you love the

the Self:...:

10

lofty but do not employ it, then the lofty is

not lofty.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:
11

Looking up at Tian's Hall one knows the

lowliness of the world's station.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

12

Even with the perfection of Gong Yizi and

Dong Zhongshu's talents, if they had not
distinguished the good clearly, and if they
had not used a steadfast mind, then how could
they have so prevailed?
prevailed?

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Someone asked about the function of ren, yi,

li, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
Yangzi said: Ren is your dwelling;
dwelling; yi is the

road;
road; li is your clothing;
clothing; wisdom is a
candle;
candle; and trustworthiness is a tally. Live
in the dwelling, walk the
the road, straighten
your clothing, use the candle to light your
way, and clasp the tally. The junzi is
unmoved, but when he acts, he will succeed.
13

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

14

Have determination! Mengzi said: "Now, there

have been those who were determined but did
not reach the goal, but there has never been
one who was not determined and yet did reach
the goal."

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Someone asked about governing oneself.

Yangzi said: Govern yourself by using
Confucius as a model.
The other said: 'Govern yourself by using
Confucius as a model.' But people like
Confucius are rare!

Yangzi said: Use a good horse to lead other

horses.
horses. Indeed, can this not be done?
done?
The other said: If one plants too large a
field, the weeds grow higher and higher. If
one thinks of those far away, the heart grows
more miserable.
Yangzi said: The sun shines, the moon is
bright. If for three years you do not see the
light of the sun, you will inevitably go
blind. If for three years you do not see the
light of the moon, your spirit will become
obscured. Once the spirit is withered and
vision has been destroyed, like a blind man
poke
using a walking stick to p
oke at the ground
to find the road, you simply walk in
darkness.
15

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Someone asked: What must one do to be called

man?
a man
?
Yangzi said: If one adopts the four serious
qualities and leaves behind the four
frivolous qualities, then he may be called a
man.

Someone said: What does one call the four

serious qualities?
qualities?
Yangzi said: Taking words seriously, taking
actions seriously, taking demeanor seriously,
and taking one's interests seriously. If
one's words are serious, then he has a model.
one
If one
s actions are serious, then he has
de. If one's demeanor is serious, then he has
majesty.
maj
esty. If his interests are serious, then
he has patience.
The other said: May I dare ask about the four
qualities?
frivolous qualities
?
Yangzi said: If words are taken lightly, then
one invites trouble. If behavior is taken
demeanor
lightly, then one invites faults. If demea
nor
is taken lightly, then one invites disgrace.
If interests are taken lightly, then one
invites excess.
16

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

The Li contains many rites.

Someone said: Waiting until evening and still
not eating the meat, the meat inevitably
out;
dries out
; waiting until evening and still
not drinking the wine, the wine inevitably
sours. The guest and host's hundred bows and
too
three toasts of wine, are these not to
o

extravagant?
extravagant?
Yangzi said: If there is substance without
ornamentation, then it is unrefined. If there
is ornamentation without substance, then it
is like a business transaction. If
ornamentation and substance are paired, then
it is li.
17

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

When the mountain rooster is so plump, has he

not obtained his ambition?
ambition?
Someone said: But Yan Hui, having only one
bowl of rice and one gourd of drink, was
that?
emaciated. What about that
?
Yangzi said: When an enlightened ruler is at
government
the top, governm
ent officials are treated to
cattle and sheep, and so obtain their
ambition, just like the mountain rooster.
When a benighted ruler is on top, government
officials get a bowl of rice and a gourd of
drink, or pick wild vegetables, they also
ambition,
obtain their amb
ition, just like the mountain
emaciated?
rooster. How can he be emaciated
? The
lightness of a thousand jun lies in Wu Huo's
strength. The happiness of one bowl of food
and one gourd of drink lies in Yan Hui's de.

18

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

19

Someone asked: What is the difference between

the leather hide of a plow ox and that of a
ox?
black or red ox
?
Yangzi said: They are the same.
The other said: If so, then why not use the
sacrifice?
plow oxen for sacrifice
?
Yangzi said: If you are going to express
filial devotion to the spirits, then you do
not dare use plow oxen. If you kill sheep and
slaughter pigs to entertain guests and feast
then
the army, t
hen what difference does it make
not?
if you use plow oxen or not
?

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Those who had de delighted in asking the sage

for instruction.
Someone said: The men who ruled in Lu rarely
had de, how is it that they delighted in
instruction
ruction?
asking Confucius for inst
ruction
?
Yangzi said: In fact, none of those who ruled

Lu were able to delight in asking Confucius

for instruction! Had they delighted in asking
Confucius for instruction, then Lu would have
become a Zhou in the East.
20

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

21

Someone asked: If someone had leaned on

Confucius's wall, strummed the music of Zheng
and Wei, or recited the books of Han Feizi
and Zhuang Zhou, then would he have invited
gate?
them to enter his gate
?
Yangzi said: If they were barbarians of the
Yi or the Mo, then he would have invited them
in. If they were his neighbors, then he would
have run them off. What a pity, when people
turn to making the robe before the tunic is
complete.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

The sage's ear does not follow what is false,

nor does his mouth work at sounding good. The

worthy man's ears and mouth must still choose

what he listens to and says;
says; the common man
has no selectivity about these things.
Someone asked: What does the common man
pursue?
pursue
?
Yangzi said: Wealth, honor, long life.
man?
The other said: The worthy man
?
Yangzi said: Yi.
sage?
The other said: The sage
?
Yangzi
(
Yang
zi said: Shen (
).
If one observes the worthy, one understands
the common man. If one observes the sage, one
understands the worthy. If one observes
Heaven and Earth, then he understands the
sage.

All under Heaven have three loves: The

average man loves to fulfill his own desires;
desires;
the worthy man loves to correct himself;
himself; the
sage loves to be his own teacher.
All under Heaven have three ways to examine
themselves: The average man uses the
circumstances of his family to examine
himself;
himself
; the worthy man uses the
circumstances of the state to examine
himself;
himself
; the sage uses the situation of all

under Heaven to examine himself.

The world has three doors: Coming from
natural desires, one enters from the animal
door. Coming from li and yi, one enters from
the human door. Coming from spiritual wisdom,
one enters from the sage's door.
22

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

23

Someone asked: What must a shi do to satisfy

himself?
himself
?
Yangzi said: If inwardly he makes himself
broad and deep, and outwardly makes himself
strict and restrained, then he can be
satisfied.

...
... :

24

Cultivating
the Self:...:

The junzi is so extremely cautious about his

de that regrets and distress do not arise.
How can he commit a major offense?
offense?

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:
25

The superior shi's ears are attuned to de;

de;
common shi's ears are attuned to themselves.

...
... :

Cultivating
the Self:...:

Those whose words were shameful, and whose

actions were disgraceful
disgracefulConfucius avoided
them.

[?]

- Asking About the Dao

Dao
1

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about the Dao.

Yangzi said: The Dao is pervasive
pervasivethere is
nothing it does not penetrate.
The other said: Can it lead in other
directions?
directions
?
Yangzi said: That which leads to Shun, Yao,
and King Wen is the correct dao. Those which
do not lead to Shun, Yao, and King Wen are
the other daos. The junzi follows the correct

one and not the others.

2

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about the Dao.

Yangzi said: The Dao is like a road or a
river. The carts and boats hustle and bustle,
not stopping day or night.
The other said: How does one get on the
it?
straight dao and follow it
?
Yangzi said: Although the road is crooked, if
it still reaches the Xia, then follow it.
Although the river is winding, if it still
reaches the ocean, then follow it.
said:
The other sa
id: So although one's affairs may
involve a crooked path, if it still reaches
it?
the sage, then follow it
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

The Dao, de, ren, yi, and li can be compared

to one's body. Now, using the Dao to lead it;
it;
using de to complete it;
it; using ren to make it
human;
human
; using yi to make its behavior
appropriate;
appropriate
; and using li embody it
itthis is
Tian. If they are united, then the body is
complete.
comp
lete. If they are separated, then it
falls apart. A person whose four limbs work
together
together
his body is complete.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about the manifestation of

de.
Yangzi said: Nobody is aware of its
influence. When those above act, those below
are influenced.
The other said: May I ask why nobody is aware
influence?
of its influence
?
Yangzi said: If you put li into practice
there, but the people get the benefits here,
it?
how could they be aware of it
?
The other said: What about those who do not
de?
perform li and yet have de
?
Yangzi said: Li is the bodily frame. If a
person does not perform li, how can he attain
de?
de
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about Tian.

Yangzi said: In Tian I see the action of
wuwei.
The other said: The one who cuts and carves
the multitude of forms, is it not Tian?
Tian?
Yangzi said: Exactly because it does not cut
and carve, the multitude of forms are cut and
were
carved. If things we
re cut and carved by
Tian, where could the strength to sustain it
from?
come from
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

As for the Laozi's words about Dao and de, I

have adopted them;
them; as for its attacks on ren
and yi, cutting off li, and doing away with
learning, I have not adopted them.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

How can I enlighten others! Only the sage is

able to enlighten. Others
thers only make things
obscure. Great is the sage, his words are the
ultimate! When he opens [the door]
door], you can
see the vastness of everything within the
four oceans. When the door is slammed shut,
you cannot see what is inside the walls of
your own room.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

The sage's words are like water and fire.

Someone asked about water and fire.
Yangzi said: As for water, the more you
measure it, the deeper it gets. The more you
trace it to its source, the broader it
becomes. As for fire, the more you use it,
the brighter it gets. The more you build it

up, the more intense it becomes.

9

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

10

If I were allowed to govern all under Heaven,

but did not use li, wen, and the Five
Teachings, then I would also consider
Huangdi, Yao, and Shun to be tumors and
cysts.

...
... :

11

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone said: In the primordial past there

were no laws and institutions but yet there
was order. Thus laws and institutions
institutions are not
a means to order.
Yangzi said: The sages hated the primeval
time. Thus, laws and institutions were
established by Fu Xi and were completed by
Yao
Yao. No Fu, no Yao
li and yi eliminated
the sage would not adopt this.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

12

Someone asked: Among the all the world's li,

whose li and music is correct?
correct?
Yangzi said: Use the Central Kingdom's li to
correct the others.
ingdom?
The other said: Which is the Central Kingdom
?
Yangzi said: Where the Five Constants of
governance obtain, that which is supported by
the seven taxes, that which is at the center
of Heaven and Earth is the Central Kingdom.
As for those who live beyond these borders,
men?
can they even be considered men
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

As for the sage's governance of all under

Heaven, he uses li and music as the standard.
If there were no
no li and music, then people
would be the same as beasts. If li and music
were different, then people would be like the
barbarian tribes of the north. I have seen
philosophers slight li and music, but I have
not seen a sage slight li and music. Who has

writings
writings that are not produced by the brush,
or words that are not produced by the tongue?
tongue?
I see Heaven's Constants as the brush and
tongue of emperors and kings.
13

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

14

Wisdom requires knowledge. Now with wisdom,

if one puts to use what has previously not
been used, and adds to what has previously
not been added to, then there is neither an
excess nor an insufficiency.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

15

If you deeply understand implements, boats,

carts, and dwellings, then li comes naturally
from yourself.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about the greatest of sounds.

Yangzi said: It is not thunder and lightning.
Deep and deafening, growing fuller and

overflowing the longer it lasts

laststhis sound
is entrusted to the sage!
16

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

17

Someone asked: Is it the Dao to follow

tradition or not?
not?
Yangzi said: If tradition is appropriate,
follow
then f
ollow it. If not, then change it.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked about wuwei.

Yangzi said: Why must there be goalgoal-directed
action?
action
? In antiquity Shun and Yu inherited
Yao's imperial title and practiced Yao's dao.
Laws and standards of measurement were clear,
li and music were established. They let their
hands drop to their sides and watched all
prosper
people under Heaven prosper
this was wuwei.
But as for those who inherited the throne
after Jie and Zhou, when laws were abandoned
and ritual and music were lost, to sit

quietly and watch the death of all people

Heaven
under Heaven
would this have been
been wuwei?
wuwei?
18

19

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked: In primordial past rulers

covered the people's eyes and ears, yet the
people still saw and heard. Because they saw,
their eyes were difficult to cover. Because
they heard, their ears were difficult to
block up.
Yangzi
Yangzi said: From the time Tian began to give
birth to mankind, it made their eyes able to
see and their ears able to hear. Thus, show
them li and let them hear music.
If you do not show them li and let them hear
music, although you have control over people,
them?
how will you be able to educate them
?

...
... :

Asking About
Dao:...:
the Dao
:...:

Someone asked about the new and the worn out.

Yangzi said: If it is new, then wear it. If
it is worn out, then either improve it or get
rid of it.
This passage resonates with FY:4.16 above and

reflects a pragmatic element in Yang's

thought.
20

21

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked: Those who live in the

primordial past cherished de and did not
cherish li. Small children are emotionally
mother;
attached to their mother
; colts and calves
li?
follow their mother. W hen do they use li
?
Children
Yangzi said: Children and cattle! Childr
en
and cattle cherish their mothers but do not
cherish their fathers. Cherishing one's
mother is love. Cherishing one's father is
reverence. Cherishing only the mother and not
the father is not as good as cherishing both
mother and father.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

The tacticians say: By planning tactics, one

does not have to fight and can reduce the
other's troops to submission. This was the
way of Yao and Shun.
Yangzi said: Not fighting and reducing the
other's troops to submission, this was the
way of Yao and Shun. But bloodied necks
collars
staining collars
could this have been the
Shun?
way of Yao and Shun
? Bragging about jade but
stone
"tactics?
peddling stone
are these not your "tactics
?"
The other asked: Using tactics or discarding
them
better?
them
which is better
?
Yangzi said: Discarding them is better.
The other said: If you led the six armies,
employ?
whom would you employ
?
Yangzi said: If you lead by following the
Dao, then all the tacticians in the world
envoys;
will become your envoys
; if you lead by
departing from the Dao, then all the
tacticians in the world will become your
enemies. Thus, the ruler of all under Heaven
investigates leadership, and that's all.
The other asked: To threaten the feudal
lords, you must attack! That is the strength
tactics
discarded?
of tactics. How can t
actics be discarded
?
Yangzi said: "To threaten the feudal lords,
tactics"
you must use tactics"
this may be so. But it
is not as good as threatening the feudal
lords without need of tactics.

The other said: Without tactics, how can a

general attack?
attack?
Even
Yangzi said: Ev
en if he cannot but attack,
does he not have the Sima fa?
fa? Why are tactics
necessary?
necessary
?
22

...
... :

23

Asking About
the Dao:...:

The methods of Shen Buhai and Han Feizi were

the ultimate of inhumaneness. How can one use
people like cattle and sheep?
sheep? If one uses
them as cattle and sheep, then do foxes,
crickets, and earthworms not become the
recipients of the lou and winter
sacrifices?
sacrifices
?
The other said: If a knife or brush is not
sharp, then you just put it to the
acceptable?
grindstone. Is that not acceptable
?
Yangzi said: If putting people to the
grindstone were acceptable, then the Qin were
the best at it!

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

24

Someone said: If the study of forms and names

does not accord with the Dao, why is it so
natural?
natural
?
Yangzi said: Why must it be forms and names?
names?
Chess, fencing, acrobatics, and magic are all
natural." Seeking the natural from the
dao;
great is the correct dao
; seeking it from the
petty is the crooked dao.

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

25

Someone asked: Were the laws and institutions

of Shen Buhai and Han Feizi not a model?
model?
Yangzi said: "Model" refers to the laws and
institutions of Yao, Yu Shun, Cheng Tang, and
the Duke of Zhou. How could it refer to Shen
Feizi?
Buhai and Han Feizi
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

26

If Zhuang Zhou, Shen Buhai, and Han Feizi had

not contradicted and made light of the sages,
but rather had immersed themselves in their
chapters, how would even Yan Yuan and Min
them?
Ziqian surpassed them
?

...
... :

Asking About
the Dao:...:

Someone asked: Can anything be learned from

Zhou?
Zhuang Zhou
?
Yangzi said: Make one's desires few.
Can anything be learned from Zou Yan?
Yan?
SelfYangzi said: Self
-control. As for Zhou
lacking the yi of rulers and subjects, and
Yan's ignorance of what lies between Heaven
and Earth, even if I were their neighbor, I
would not visit them.

[?]

- Asking About Shen

Shen
1

...
... :


Asking About Someone asked about shen.
Yangzi said: It is a matter of using the xin.
Shen:
May I ask about it?
it?
Yangzi said: Immerse yourself in Heaven, and
you will understand Heaven. Immerse yourself
in Earth, and you will understand Earth.
Heaven and Earth are the unfathomable
daimonic, but once the xin is immersed in
them, then one may fathom them. How much more
men?
so with men
? How much more so with the
affairs?
principles of worldly affairs
?
May I dare ask about immersing the xin in
sagehood?
sagehood
?
Yangzi said: In the past, Confucius immersed
himself in King Wen, and he reached him. Yan
Yuan also immersed himself in Confucius, and
reach
failed to r
each him only by a little bit. Shen
simply lies in immersion and that's all.
2

...
... :

Asking About Heaven's daimon, Heaven's clarity

clarity
Illuminate and understand the four corners of
Shen:
the world. Heaven's essence, Heaven's purity
purity
The myriad things arise in all their types.

...
... :

Asking About Is man's xin not daimondaimon-like?

like? If you hold onto
it, then it abides. If you let go of it, it is
Shen:
gone. One who is able constantly to hold onto
it and allow it to abide, he alone is a sage!
4

...
... :

Asking About The sage preserves shen and seeks out the
ultimate, completes the world's great peace,
Shen:
brings about great prosperity for the world,
and bridges the division between Tian and
mankind, making them without separation.
5

...
... :

Asking About When the dragon curls up in the mud, the

lizard runs wild. The lizard! The lizard!
Shen:
How can he understand the dragon's intention?
intention?
The other said: The dragon inevitably wants to
not?
fly to Heaven, does he not
?
Yangzi said: When it's time to fly, then he
flies. When it's time to hide, then he hides.
Flying and hiding, he does not eat carelessly,
and his form cannot be grasped and restrained.

The other said: If the sage cannot be

restrained, then how was King Wen imprisoned
Youli?
at Youli
?
Yangzi said: The dragon is a dragon because he
is not restrained. The sage is a sage because
he does not grasp onto only one alternative.
6

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked: Can the Classics be edited or

added to?
to?
Shen:
Yangzi said: The Yijing began with eight
trigrams, and King Wen created the sixtysixty-four

hexagrams. What was added can be known. As for

the Book of Songs, Book of Documents, Book of
Rites, and the Spring and Autumn Annals, some
were based on earlier versions, some were
original works, but all were completed by
Confucius. What was added can be known. Thus,
Heavenso;
is
the Dao is not Heaven
-so
; it i
s built of
responses to the times. Its emendations and
additions can be known.
7

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: When the Yijing is missing a

single hexagram, even if you are stupid, you
Shen:
know it is missing something. But the Book of
Documents does not provide over half the text,
and even those who study it do not know what
is missing. It's a pity that the preface to
the Book of Documents is not as good as that
of the Yijing.
Yangzi said: The Yijing is for calculations.
That is the reason the hexagrams can be
Yijing
counted. If the Yijing
s preface were like
the preface to the Book of Documents, even
Confucius would not know what to do with it.

...
... :

Asking About Those in the past who transmitted the Book

ook of
Documents arranged it in one hundred chapters.
Shen:
And then suddenly the "Admonition on Wine" had
parts missing. Now they are gone!
9

...
... :

Asking About The documents of Shun and the Xia are

straightforward, the Documents of Shang is
Shen:
broadbroad-minded, and the Documents of Zhou very
serious. But as for those who came after the
Zhou, their documents were vulgar.
10

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked: Can the sage's Classics be made

easy to understand
understand?
?
Shen:
Yangzi said: It is not possible. If Heaven

could be measured instantly then it would be

only a shallow
shallow cover over the world of things.
If Earth could be fathomed instantly, then it
would be a thin support for the world of
things. But they are great! The ten thousand
things are bounded by Heaven and Earth, and
are
the persuasions of the many philosophers a
re
surrounded by the Five Classics.
11

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked: As for the sage's management of

affairs, was he not able to make things clear
Shen:
like the sun and the moon?
moon? Why the unceasing
disputation of later generations?
generations?
Yangzi said: Blind music master Kuang was able
to penetrate the mysteries of music, but even
Kuang could not make different ears be alike.
Yi Ya was able to blend flavors, but Yi Ya was
not able to make different mouths be alike.
12

...
... :

Asking About When the junzi speaks, the dark must examined
with the bright;
bright; the far must be examined with
Shen:
the near;
near; the great must be examined with the

small;
small; and the secret must be examined with
the known. To speak without verification is
called "reckless." Is the junzi
junzi reckless?
reckless? He
is not reckless.
13

...
... :

Asking About Language is not able to fully

fully express what is
in one's xin, and writings are not able to
Shen:
fully express what one wants to say. How
troublesome! Only the sage is able to grasp
the meaning of language and the essence of
writing. It is like when the shining sun
cleanse
illuminates, or when the rivers cleanse
they
are so great that nothing can resist them. For
facetomeeting face
-to
-face, exchanging letters,
expressing the xin's desires, or breaking
through the barriers between people
peoplethere is
nothing like language. For summarizing the
under
affairs of all un
der Heaven, for recording the
old and explaining what is far away, for
making known the darkness of antiquity and
transmitting unclear matters from a thousand
miles away, there is nothing like writing.
Thus, language is the xin's voice. Writing is

the xin's
xin's pictures. When voice and pictures
take form, they are seen both by the junzi and
the small man. The voice and writing, these
are what move the feelings of the junzi and
the small man.
14

...
... :

Asking About The sage's words rush like a river. If you

flow with them, then everything goes smoothly.
Shen:
If you go against them, you meet with
disaster. It's just like a river!
15

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: Was Confucius a sage?

sage? Why could
he not occupy an official position in his
Shen:
time?
time? Even Fan Ju and Cai Ze were not like
that!
sages?
Yangzi said: Were Fan and Cai sages
? If Fan
and Cai were sages, then what does it mean to
sage?
be a sage
?
16

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: As for Liu An, Prince of

Huainan, and the Grand Historian Sima Qian,
Shen:
did they not posses much knowledge?
knowledge? How
complex they are!
Yangzi said: Complex! Complex! Most people's
shortcoming is using much knowledge to be
"complex." Only the sage is not complex.
17

...
... :

Asking About Books that do not accord with the Confucian

Classics are not books. Sayings that do not
Shen:
accord with the Confucian Classics are not
books
sayings. Such book
s and teachings proliferate
like tumors.
18

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: Confucius once said, "I

transmit, but do not create." So why have you
Shen:
written the Tai xuan jing?
jing?

Yangzi said: Its content I have transmitted.

Only the book itself have I written.
19

...
... :

Asking About Born but not yet sprouted, that was my young
son Tong Wu! Only nine years old, and yet he
Shen:
discussed the text of the Tai xuan jing with
me.
20

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: Why have you written the Tai
xuan jing?
jing?
Shen:
Yangzi said: For the purpose of explaining ren
and yi.
The other said: What other philosopher doesn't
yi?
explain ren and yi
?
Just
don
complex
Yangzi said: J
ust don
t be complex
and
that's all.
21

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked about the difficult and easy

aspects of the Classics.
Shen:
Yangzi said: Survival and loss.
The other did not understand.
Yangzi said: If the text completely survives,
then it is easy. If parts of it are lost, then
it is difficult. Was Ji Zha of Yanling's
perfect?
knowledge of music not almost perfect
? But if
abandoned,
music had been abando
ned, even Zha could not
have attained such an understanding of it. If
it is like the ritual and music of the Zhou,
for which almost everything is preserved, then
everything can be performed without
difficulty. If it is like the ritual and music
of the Qin, for which almost nothing is
preserved, then everything can only be
performed with difficulty.
22

...
... :

Asking About Upper garments without lower garments, I have

never known this to be practicable. Lower
Shen:
garments without upper garments, I have never
known this to be practicable. Upper garments
and lower garments, do they not go together?
together?

23

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked about wen (culture/

(culture/civility).
Yangzi said: It is a matter of compliance.
Shen:
The other asked about wu (warfare/
(warfare/martiality).
Yangzi said: It is a matter of conquest.
The other did not understand.
into
Yangzi said: Affairs being put i
nto their
proper order is called "compliance."
Overcoming one's own selfish desires is called
"conquest."
24

...
... :

Asking About Those who handle affairs capably and display

honor through their actions
actionsdo they not have
Shen:
de?
de?
The other said: Confucius said, "Those who
honor?
recognize de are few." What about honor
?
Yangzi said: Whether or not others recognize
me, I act, and my honor is great. If it were
necessary that I be recognized before I act,
then my honor would be insignificant.
25

...
... :

Asking About Someone said: Confucius said, "The junzi

worries about leaving the world without having
Shen:
established a reputation." So why not use
power to obtain it?
it? Those with highhigh-ranking
office can seek a reputation.
Yangzi said: The junzi seeks a reputation for
having de. The rulers of Liang, Qi, Zhao, and
Chu did not lack for wealth and rank, but were
reputable?
they reputable
? Zheng Zizhen of Gukou did not
will
bend his wil
l and farmed at the foot of the
mountains, yet his reputation shook the
highoffice?
capital. But did he have high
-ranking office
?
highoffice?
Did he have high
-ranking office
?
26

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked about people.

Yangzi said: They are difficult to understand.
Shen:
The other said: Why are they difficult to

understand?
understand?
Yangzi said: Telling the difference between
Mt. Tai and an antant-hill, or the Yellow and
Yangzi Rivers from drainage ditches is not
difficult. But telling the difference between
a great sage and a glib talker is difficult.
Indeed, one who can discriminate between
things that are similar can understand people
without difficulty.
27

...
... :

Asking About Someone asked: Have you not taken from Zou Yan
and Zhuang Zhou?
Zhou?
Shen:
Yangzi said: If it is de, then I have taken
it. If it is mistaken, then I have not.
What do you mean by de and "mistaken."
Yangzi said: In speaking of Heaven, Earth, and
Man, that which is in line with the Confucian
Classics is de. Otherwise, it is mistaken. The
junzi does not let speech that is mistaken
come out of his mouth.

[?]

- Asking About Seeing Clearly

Clearly
1

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked about seeing clearly.

Yangzi said: Focus on what is subtle.
The other said: How can focusing on what is
clearly?
subtle be seeing clearly
?
Yangzi said: If it is subtle and yet you can
perceive it, then can you not see wayward
action
clearly?
acti
on clearly
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Having keen hearing and eyesight is the

best. Not being able to hear clearly is
having
truly like not ha
ving ears. Not being able
to see clearly is truly like not having
eyes.
Dare I ask about superior clarity of sight
hearing?
and hearing
?
Yangzi said: Dazzlingly bright, only Tian
sees and hears perfectly. The one who is
able to raise up its eyes to see far and
wide and lower its ears to the ground, is it
Tian?
not Tian
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked: Can someone who understands

even the most trivial affairs be called a
teacher?
teacher
?
Yangzi said: What kind of teacher is this?
this?
this?
What kind of teacher is this
? The trivial
affairs of the world are not few.
Understanding them all, is this called being
teacher?
a teacher
? The value of a teacher is knowing
great knowledge. A teacher who only
understands the trivial is indeed worthless.

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Mengzi detested "those who passed my gate

but did not enter my inner chambers."
Someone said: Are there others you detest as
well?
well
?
Yangzi said: Those who pick my flowers but
do not eat my fruit.

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone said: Confucius's affairs kept him

busy all his life. Tian must have become
weary belaboring him!
Yangzi said: Tian did not only belabor
Confucius, it also belabored itself. But
weary?
does Tian become weary
? Tian delights in
being Tian, the sage delights in being the
sage.

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked: Among birds there is the

phoenix, among beasts there is the unicorn.
Can all birds and beasts really become a
unicorn?
phoenix or unicorn
?
Yangzi said: The difference between other
birds and the phoenix, and other beasts and
the unicorn, are of form and nature. How can
this be so with the other people's
sage?
relationship to the sage
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone said: Indeed, the sage's dao is of

no benefit in common practice. To read the
sage's writings but continue in ordinary
behaviors
behaviors
why not just get rid of the
writings?
sage's writings
?
Yangzi said: How much you fail to
understand! If one reads the sage's writings
behaviors,
but continues in ordinary behaviors
, he
still has knowledge of the sage's teachings.
To get rid of the writings is foolishness.
Was Li Si not the one who made fools of the
Qin?
Qin
? He threw the writings into the fire!

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:
Clearly
:...:

Someone asked: What do people honor?

honor?
Yangzi said: They honor wisdom.
The other said: Many people are killed
because of their wisdom. Why do they honor
it?
it?
Yangzi said: In the past, Gao Yao used his
wisdom to remonstrate with the emperor Shun.
He was far from getting himself killed. Jizi
used his wisdom to layout the Hongfan for
King Wu. He too was far from getting himself

killed.
9

...
... :

10

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Confucius was a sage, but some said that he

was inferior to Zigong. Zigong
Zigongs own words
cleared up the issue, so that afterwards,
such an idea was dropped. Indeed! If those
who read the the sage's writings oppose
Zigong on this issue, then although they may
them?
have read much, what good has it done them
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

How magnificent! Cheng Tang was glorious and

inherited the Mandate. King Wen was profound
profound
and virtuous.
Someone said: What do you mean by "Cheng
Tang was glorious and inherited the
Mandate?
Mandate
?"
Yangzi said: He made the Shang to transform
from a small kingdom into a great dynasty.
glorious?
Is this not glorious
? He revolted against
the Xia using Heaven's Mandate, is this not
itself?
to inherit the Mandate itself
?
"K
What do you mean by "
King Wen was profound

and virtuous?
virtuous?"
Yangzi said: Doubling the Yijing's trigrams
to make hexagrams, was this not profound?
profound?
Making the Zhou gradually become honorable
this
exemplary?
and great, is th
is not exemplary
?
11

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked about fate.

Yangzi said: Fate is Tian's decree, it is
not man
mans doing. What is effected by man is
not fate.
May I ask what you mean by "effected by
man?
man
?"
Yangzi said: Situations in which one may
either survive or perish, live or die, are
not matters of fate. Fate is what cannot be
avoided.
other
The o
ther said: What about Yan Yuan and Ran
Geng?
Geng?
Yangzi said: Because of fate, they could not
avoid an early death. But if you choose to
stand under a wall that is about to
collapse, where moving will summon disaster
that
and any action will result in death, is tha
t

fate?
fate?
12

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

13

Fortunate people treat their good fortune as

bad fortune.
Unfortunate people treat their bad fortune
as good fortune.

..
...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:
14

Time! Time! How slowly it comes and how

quickly it goes. The junzi races with it.

...
... :

15

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Recklessly exaggerated speech destroys

societal norms. Unrestrained desires destroy
Selfthe law. Self
-indulgence destroys de. The
junzi is careful in speech, cautious in
desire, and pressed by time.

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:
16

I have not seen a thundering storm that was

able to stir a deaf person.

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked: What is the junzi like in

times of just government?
government?
Yangzi said: He is like the phoenix.
What is he like in chaotic times?
times?
Yangzi said: He is like the phoenix.
The other did not understand.
Yangzi said: You have yet to think it
through. If it is a time of just government,
he appears. If it is a time of chaos, he
hides. When the wild goose flies high and
him?
far, how can the archer hope to shoot him
?
The jiao ming carefully chooses a place to
gather and eats only pure things. When the
phoenix takes off, he flies to the hall of
Yao.

17

...
... :

18

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

A successful dragon lays low or rises to

view in accordance with his integrity and
advantage.
The other said: How does the dragon use his
integrity and advantage and thereby succeed?
succeed?
Yangzi said: If the time is not right, he
integrity?
hides. Is this not integrity
? If the time is
right, he rises. Is this not seizing an
advantage?
advantage
? If one is able both to hide and
to rise, and act according to the times, is
this not indeed success?
success?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked about preserving one's life.

Yangzi said: It is a matter of illuminated
wisdom.
The other said: If the young and
preserve
unenlightened can preser
ve themselves, then
how is it only a matter of illuminated
wisdom?
wisdom
?
Yangzi said: The junzi only values using his
wisdom to preserve his life. If it means
blundering in panic down a darkened road

like a fool and somehow preserving his life,

the junzi would not
not value it.
19

...
... :

20

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

The purity of Gong Sheng and Gong She from

Chu were lofty indeed! Zhuang Zun of Shu
lived in deep seclusion, and his talents
were truly valuable. He neither acted for
attention and respect, nor did he serve in
government in order to obtain wealth and
honor.
honor
. He hid himself for a long time and
did not deviate from his principles. Even if
one had the pearls of the Sui or the He Shi
Bi, how could these surpass the value of
Zhuang's integrity. I raise him up as a
banner
precious?
banner
is he not indeed precious
? I greatly
admire
admir
e Zhuang, his position was difficult to
maintain. If he did not aspire to equal Xu
You, then he aspired to equal Bo Yi. What
had?
greedy desires could he have had
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

21

Someone asked: Yao was about to cede all

under Heaven to Xu You, but Xu You was
ashamed. Did this really happen?
happen?
Yangzi said: That is how those who like to
exaggerate would tell it. In fact, Xu You
had no worldly desires at all. If one truly
understood the seriousness with which Yao
abdicated to Shun, then one would know that
he would not have rashly abdicated to Xu
You. Those who like to exaggerate have built
up the story and gone beyond the truth of
story
the matter. The stor
y of Chaofu washing out
his ears, isn't this also the same sort of
exaggeration?
exaggeration
? To frighten people the way
don
haunted places do, don
t you need the dark
night?
of night
?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing

The swallow flits around, coming and going

without restraint.

Clearly:...:

22

Someone said: What do you admire about the

swallow?
swallow?
Yangzi said: When it is time to come, he
comes. When it is time to go, he goes. One
go
who is able to come and go
that describes a
swallow, does it not?
not?

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone said: Han Feizi wrote the

the Difficulty
of Persuaders and ended up dying because of
the difficulties of persuasion. Dare I ask
why the situation turned back on him?
him?
Yangzi said: The Difficulty of Persuaders is
probably what killed him.
Why?
The other said: Why
?
Yangzi said: A junzi acts in accord with li
and stops in accord with yi. If he conforms
to the ruler's opinion he serves in
government, otherwise he retires. He stands
firm and does not worry that he does not
conform. Now, if he is a persuader and
then
worries about not conforming, the
n he will
stop at nothing.
The other said: Is it not worth worrying

whether one's persuasion will fail to

conform?
conform?
Yangzi said: If one's persuasion does not
follow the Dao, that is worth worrying
about! But following the Dao and not
conforming
conformingthis is nothing
nothing to worry about!
23

...
... :

Asking About
Seeing
Clearly:...:

Someone asked about wisdom.

Yangzi said: Make your thoughts completely
clear.
He asked about action.
Yangzi said: Let your de pervade everywhere.

[?]

- The Seldom Seen

Seen
1

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

I have seldom seen people who love the distant

past. Reading recent literature, hearing
recent speech, people turn their backs on the
past.
Someone said: How can the situation be that
serious?
serious
? The gates of those who teach the dao

of the former kings are filled with students.

Yangzi said: That is because they cannot avoid
it. If they could, they would. Those who could
avoid doing it and yet would not, how few they
are!
2

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

He who loves to exhaust his xin in the sage's

dao is a junzi. Other people also love to
exhaust their xin, but not necessarily in the
sage's dao.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Hearing and seeing much, and basing one's

knowledge on the correct dao this is the
height of knowledge. Hearing and seeing much,
but basing one's knowledge on a crooked dao,
this is confusion.

...
... :

The Seldom

The beauty in a worthy man's plans lies in

Seen:

bending what is human to follow the Dao. The

imperfection in a small man's plans lies in
bending the Dao to what is human.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone asked: Do the Five Classics have

explications?
explications
?
Yangzi said: Only the Five Classics truly are
explications. For discussing Heaven, there is
no explication better than the Yijing. For
discussing affairs, there is no explication
Documents.
better than the Book of Docume
nts. For
discussing li, there is no explication better
heart
than the Liji. For discussing the heart
s
intention, there is no explication [better
than]
than
] the Shijing. For discussing universal
principle, there is no explication better than
Annals.
the Spring and Autumn Ann
als. Excluding these,
all other explications are trifling indeed.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Like trees sprouting in spring, great is the

hand that leads me on! Although Confucius died
five hundred years ago, it is as if he were
still here.
Someone said: All under Heaven unceasingly
now?
bicker and make persuasions. Where is he now
?
Yangzi said: Do not talk like that! The world
been
has b
een without the sage for a long time.
Just as crying children only recognize their
own mother, those unceasingly bickering
Confucian scholars study only their own
Singleteachers. Single
-mindedly concentrate on the
essentials, Confucius lies therein.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone said: "Excellent jade need not be

carved, and beautiful words need not be
refined." What would you say about that?
that?
Yangzi said: If jade were not carved, then
into
yufan could not be made i
nto implements. If
their speech were not refined, the Yaodian and

Gao Yao mo could not have become classics.

8

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone said: Sima Qian said that the Five

Classics are not as concise as the Laozi. In
one's whole life one could not exhaust their
variations, and until one's death, one could
not fully examine their content.
Yangzi said: If this were so, then the Duke of
Zhou and Confucius merely confused and harmed
later generations. When people studied in the
past, they still had to plow the land and
support themselves, yet within three years
they could penetrate one text. As for people
studying today, not only do they ornament the
commentary]
Classics with flowery [commentary
], they also
proceed to embroider their belts and the
carrying cases for the texts. What does this
have to do with the Laozi?
Laozi?
The other said: Can the commentaries of the
concise?
scholars be made more concise
?
Yangzi said: They could be condensed,
explained and put in order.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

10

Someone said: Does the junzi listen to music?

music?
Yangzi said: The junzi only listens to it if
it is correct. If it is wild in its excess, is
opposed to the correct, or submerges one in
pleasure, then the junzi does not listen.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone asked: Does one attend the junzi by

playing chess?
chess?
Yangzi said: When sitting in attendance on the
junzi, one listens to him talk;
talk; if there is a
feast, then one observes him perform ritual.
chess?
How could he engage in playing chess
?
The other quoted the Lunyu: "Then there are
the chess players, are there not?
not?"
Yangzi said: "Playing chess is better than
nothing.
doing nothing.
But is attending the junzi
nothing?
merely "better than doing nothing
?" One cannot
in
attend a junzi in this way. When you sit i
n
attendance on a junzi: darkness becomes

enlightened;
enlightened; obstructions become penetrated;
penetrated;
lacking becomes having;
having; disgrace becomes
honor;
honor
; failure becomes success. How is this
nothing?
merely "better than doing nothing
?"
11

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

12

The jiao ming bird soars to Heaven

Heavenis it not
because of the six shafts of his feathers?
feathers? But
if you plucked them out and attached them to
the cuckoo, would they not be burdensome?
burdensome?

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

13

Thunder shaking in the sky,

Wind pressing near the mountains,
Clouds blowing to the four corners of the
Earth,
hollows
Rain flowing into the hollows

affairs?
Are these not Tian' s affairs
?

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

14

Wei Wuhou and Wu Qi were sailing on the West

River, praising the strategic defensibility of
the river and mountains. Wu Qi said:
said: "The fate
of the kingdom lies in the de of the ruler,
not in the strategic defensibility of the
pass."
Yangzi said: What perfect words! If Qi's
employment of strategy and troops were always
like this, then how could even Tai Gong have
him?
surpassed him
?

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

15

Someone asked: The Zhou prized the nine

cauldrons. Were they not treasures?
treasures?
Yangzi said: They were precious among vessels.
vesselBut such vessel
-treasures depend on the people
who use them. Only then can they truly become
treasures.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

16

From the time of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen

of Jin down to the Qin unification, there was
nobody worthy of admiration.
Someone said: If the Qin lacked anyone worthy
of admiration, then how did they unify the
empire?
empire
?
Yangzi said: What I refer to by "admiring" is
admiring de. If you admire warfare, then since
the beginning of creation, there have been
none like the Qin.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone asked: The state of Lu employed ru and

was cut down to size. Why?
Why?
Yangzi said: Lu did not employ true ru. In the
past, the Duke of Zhou was appointed by the
Zhou court, all with the four seas anxiously
rushed to the capital to pay their respects.
men
When Confucius was employed by Lu, the m
en of
Qi trembled with fear and returned the
territory they had invaded in Lu. Thus, we
know Lu did not otherwise employ true ru. If
Lu had employed true ru, they would not have
had any enemies in the world. How could they
size?
have been cut down to size
?

17

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

18

To cross the vast ocean, one needs the

strength of a large storied boat. But if the
boatman does not have an oar, how will he
it?
drive it
?

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

19

Someone said: Can chariots that have been

destroyed in front of ramparts or boats that
saved?
have been sunk be saved
?
Yangzi said: No.
The other said: Then of what use is wisdom?
wisdom?
Yangzi said: Use wisdom before the destruction
and sinking. Waiting until a severe frost to
seek robes and furs, is that not indeed too
late?
late
?

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

20

Ruling a kingdom is like sailing a boat! If

the boat is settled, then the people are
settled.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

21

If you show kindheartedness by being generous

to those below, the people will forget about
death. If you show loyalty by protecting those
above, the ruler's thoughts will be on
rewards. As for those who put themselves last,
others put them first. As for those who put
themselves below others, others raise them up.
How true these words are!

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

Someone said: Sang Hongyang instituted special

monopolies on salt and iron that were
profitable, and the kingdom's expenditures

were abundant. Why not institute special

monopolies now?
now?
Yangzi said: Compare it to a father and son.
For the benefit of the father, you institute
monopolies against the son. But even if there
is a profit for the father, what about the
son?
son
? As for what Bu Shi said, is it not
indeed?
correct indeed
?
22

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

23

Someone said: If one accorded with the laws of

the Qin, made them clear and practiced them,
would it not result in peace?
peace?
Yangzi said: It can be compared to the zither
and the harp. If you took Zheng and Wei's
melodies and made music master Kui accord with
them, he surely never would have produced the
Xiaoshao music.

...
... :

The Seldom

Someone said: If one lived under the Qin and

Seen:

24

embraced the Zhou's books

booksWhat benefit would
that have been?
been?
Yangzi said: If the whole world were cold,
would mink and fox furs not indeed be warm?
warm?
The other said: Whether you burn with fire or
scald with boiling water, warm is still warm.
Yangzi said: Warm indeed! But that age was
surely a cold one!

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

25

Looking for it at the wrong time,

Travelling the wrong road
road
Indeed, one will never reach it.

...
... :

The Seldom
Seen:

The Qin's own officials turned their backs Qin

law, just as Qin law turned its back the
sage's law. The Qin completely disregarded the
Dao of Heaven and Earth, and in the end Heaven
and Earth indeed completely disregarded the
Qin.

[?]

- Five Hundred Years

Years
1

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

Someone asked: Every five hundred years a sage

appears. Is there truth in this?
this?
Yangzi said: Yao, Shun, and Yu were rulers and
subjects to one another, all [during]
during] the same
era. Wen, Wu, and the Duke of Zhou, were
fathers and sons, all during the same era. But
Tang
Ta
ng and Confucius were born several centuries
removed from each other. As for using the past
to forecast what is to come, whether it be a
thousand years or one year, one cannot know.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:
3

The sage has the means to emulate Heaven and

Earth, himself making a triad with them!

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

Someone asked: Does the sage not have times

when he is flexible?
flexible?
Yangzi said: He has.
The other said: When is he flexible?
flexible?
Yangzi said: As for Confucius's relationship
with Nanzi, she was somebody that he did not
want to see. As for Yang Huo, he was somebody
to whom Confucius did not want to pay his
respects. Yet Confucius saw the one he did not
want to see, and he paid his respects to the
one to whom he did not want to pay his
flexible?
respects. How could he have not been flexible
?
The other said: When Duke Ling of Wei asked
about the military, why was Confucius
inflexible?
inflexible
?
Yangzi said: Confucius yielded himself to
promote the Dao. If it were a matter of
promote
yielding the Dao to prom
ote himself, even if
he could have got all under Heaven, he
wouldn't have done it.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

The sage considers his dao important and

treats his salary lightly. The common man
considers his salary important and takes his
dao lightly. The sage says, "Am I walking the
Dao?
Dao
?" The common man says, "Is my salary
increasing?
increasing
?"

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

In the past Qi and Lu had great ministers, but

history has lost their names.
Someone said: Why were they great?
great?
Yangzi said: Shusun Tong wanted to formulate
new ceremonies for rulers and ministers, and
recruited ru from Qi and Lu. There were two
men that he could not lure.
The other said: If this is so, then was it
wrong for Confucius to travel around in search
by
lords?
for employment b
y the feudal lords
?
Yangzi said: Confucius traveled around and
searched, but he did so in order to employ
himself. If he had given up on himself and
followed others, then even though he had
compass and square, level and marking line,

how could he have been able to use them?

them?
6

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

Someone asked: In Confucius's time, did the

feudal lords know he was a sage?
sage?
Yangzi said: They knew it.
The other asked: If they knew it, then why did
him?
they not employ him
?
Yangzi said: They were not able to.
The other said: They knew he was a sage, yet
were unable to employ him. May I hear the
this?
explanation for this
?
Yangzi
Yan
gzi said: If they had employed him, it
would have been appropriate to follow him. If
they had followed him, then they would have
had to abandon what they already practiced, go
against what they were accustomed to
following, improve what they degraded, and
give up what they were skilled in. It would be
like rushing headlong into the unknown. Apart
from the greatest ruler under Heaven, who
him?
could have employed him
?

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

Someone asked: When Confucius knew that his

dao could not be realized, then where did he
it?
take it
?
Yangzi said: To junzi of later generations.
The other said: If a merchant were like this,
dullhe would be dull
-witted indeed!
Yangzi said: The more sharply a common man
seeks profit, the duller he becomes. The
duller the sage becomes, the sharper his
profit. He would not feel regrets before a
of]
sages;
hundred [generations of
] sages
; he would not
be ashamed before the whole world. Among men,
none can surpass him. Honor without equal, or
wealth without comparison: which profit is
greater?
greater
?

...
... :

Five Hundred

Someone said: Is it possible to lower the

Years:

standards of Confucius's dao.

Yangzi said: Lowering [its standards]
standards] would
destroy the sage's dao, would it not?
not?
The other said: If this is so, then why did he
Lu?
leave the state of Lu
?
Yangzi said: He valued his time.
The other said: He valued his time and left.
Why?
Why
?
bunch
Yangzi said: Because of a bu
nch of slave
girls. The ruler of Lu did not listen to his
corrections. Confucius remonstrated but [the
ruler]
ruler
] would not accept his advice. Confucius
sighed, "I am sick of watching this! I will
not stuff myself with food, sit at leisure,
girls
and watch these gir
ls perform until I'm weary
of them!" From this point of view, Confucius
indeed valued his time.
time?
The other said: Does the junzi value his time
?
Yangzi said: If the junzi takes office, he
wants to implement his yi. If he retires from
wants
public life, then he wan
ts to expound his dao.
In service, he does not become weary. In
teaching, he does not become fatigued. When is
waste?
there time to waste
?

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

10

Someone said: "Should there be those who would

succeed the Zhou, even a hundred generations
hence could be known." The Qin followed the
Zhou, but did not rule using Xia li. Is
incorrect?
Confucius's statement not incorrect
?
Yangzi said: The sage's words are Tian. Is
wrong?
Tian wrong
? Those who followed the Zhou did
not want peace. If they had wanted peace,
dispensing with Xia li and using another dao
was not the way to get there.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

11

Brilliant is the light of the sun, it is the

means whereby people can use their eyes. Broad
and encompassing is the sage's dao, it is the
means by which people can use their xin.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

Someone asked: Heaven and Earth are easy to

understand, and the sage models himself on
them. Why, then, are the Five Classics so
disordered?
disordered
?

Yangzi said: That they are disordered is

probably what makes them easy to understand.
If they were already easy to understand, why
would we go about figuring and sorting out the
meanings?
meanings
?
12

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

13

Someone said: The sage is of no benefit to the

common man.
Yangzi said: What people of the world see as
beneficial to themselves is like a granary.
Take from it, and it becomes exhausted. But
Confucius possessed daimonic clarity. The
petty use it to accomplish their petty goals,
their
the great use it to accomplish thei
r great
goals. Whether it be a mountain or river,
mound or hill, grass or wood, bird or beast,
they all are thus enriched. But if you don't
use the sage's dao, even daimonic clarity
cannot be of benefit to you.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

14

Someone asked: Does the sage divine about

Heaven?
Heaven
?
Yangzi said: He divines about Heaven and
Earth.
If this is so, then how is he different from a
astrologer?
court astrologer
?
Yangzi said: The astrologer uses Heaven to
divine about man. The sage uses man to divine
about Heaven.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

15

Someone asked: Among astronomerastronomer-astrologers

there are Gan De and Shi Shen. What do you
them?
think about them
?
Yangzi said: It lies in one's de, not in the
stars. If one's de flourishes, then the stars
become its gnomon. If one's stars are
flourishing, one's de becomes a gnomon that
reflects this.

...
... :

Five Hundred

Someone asked about the great man.

Years:

16

Yangzi said: One who does not engage in petty

affairs is a great man.
May I ask about petty [affairs]?
affairs]?
Yangzi said: Affairs that are not li and yi
are petty.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:
17

The sage's words are far reaching like Tian,

the worthy's words are close like Earth.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:
18

That which produces the tinkling sound of

jade
jade
is it not the substance of jade?
jade?

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

The sage casually opens his mouth and his

words become maxims. He effortlessly wields
his brush and his writing becomes a classic.

His words can be heard but cannot be used up;

up;
his writings can be read but cannot be
exhausted.
19

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

20

The men of the Zhou had many

accomplishments;
accomplishments
;
The men of Qin had many faults.
Accomplishments reach a goal;
goal;
Faults reach no goal.
The shi of the Zhou were honorable;
honorable;
The shi of the Qin were worthless.
pleased;
The shi of the Zhou did as they pleased
;
The shi of the Qin were constrained.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

21

When the moon is not yet full, its crescent

first shines in the West. When it has already
been full, its crescent shines last in the
east. The moon is probably moving contrary to
the sun.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:
22

The crimson bow and black arrows

arrowsreceiving
them do not amount to having the Mandate.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

23

Listen carefully to previous generations,

Look carefully at what is before your own
eyes
eyes

There is no mirror closer by than these.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

24

Someone asked: How does one act and thereby

receive others' respect?
respect?
Yangzi said: By respecting others.
How does one act and thereby become
humiliated?
humiliated
?
Yangzi said: By humiliating others. The
difference between being respected and
humiliated comes only from within oneself.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

25

Someone said: It is difficult to compel

society to obey and perform li.
Yangzi said: It is precisely because it is so
difficult that you must compel society to obey
and perform li. It is like audaciously sitting
with ones legs sprawled out, or like a child
biting a fruit and gobbling it down. How are
compelled?
it
one
these compelled
? But whether it
s in on
es
nature or whether it is compelled, once one is
completely accustomed to it, it is equally
natural.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

26

Look at a drawn bow

bowit will still be good
when the tension is relaxed.
The other said: What do you mean?
mean?
Yangzi said: I simply mean that it has been
molded to shape.

...
... :

Five Hundred

For rivers there are levees, for vessels there

Years:

27

are molds. From these one can see the

indispensability li and education.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:
28

Once you survey, then you know where you can

put the posts and planks.

..
...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

29

Zhuang Zhou and Yang Zhu were reckless and

unmethodical. Mo Di and Yan Ying were stingy
and dispensed with li. Shen Buhai and Han
Feizi were devious and had no power to
transform people. Zou Yan was preposterous and
not to be believed.

...
... :

Five Hundred
Years:

The materials of the sage are Heaven and

Earth;
Earth
; next he turns to mountains and hills,
rivers and springs;
springs; and finally, birds and
beasts, grass and wood.

[?]

- Foreknowledge
Foreknowledge
1

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Foreknowledge of the future is probably

similar to shen.
May I ask about foreknowledge?
foreknowledge?
Yangzi said: I do not know. For one who knows
its dao, it is probably just like seeing the
obscure, the small, and the remote as being
completely illuminated.
2

...
... :

Foreknowledge: If you issue a decree a day before it becomes

necessary, it will be easy to implement. If
you wait until a day after it becomes
necessary, it will be difficult to implement.
3

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked: How does one rule a kingdom?

kingdom?

Yangzi said: By establishing good government.

The other said: How does one establish good
government?
government
?
Yangzi said: The root of good government lies
in the ruler himself. If the ruler is able to
cultivate himself properly, then good
government will be established.
4

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked: Does governing have a key

element?
element?
Yangzi said: Being cherished or being
despised.
The other asked about being cherished and
being despised.
Yangzi said: In the past the Duke of Zhou
attacked and rectified the four kingdoms of
the east. Shaobo carried out his duties and
resided under "the shade of the pear tree."
Being thus remembered in verse is being
Huan
cherished. H
uan of Qi wanted to pass through
Chen, but Chen would not allow him to enter,
so he arrested Yuan Taotu. This is being
despised. Alas! One who governs simply has to

pay close attention to whether he is cherished

or despised.

The other said: What makes one cherished or

despised?
despised
?
Yangzi said: Treat the elderly as elderly,
orphans;
treat orphans as orphans
; nourish the sick and
dead;
bury the dead
; let men tend their mou of land
and let women tend the mulberry trees you
will be referred to as cherished.
cherished. Treat
the elderly disrespectfully and neglect
orphans;
orphans
; abandon the sick and leave the dead
exposed;
exposed
; leave the fields uncultivated and the
empty
shuttles for weaving empty
you will be
despised.
referred to as despised.

...
... :

practice]
Foreknowledge: In governing, [practice
] daily renewal.
The other said: Do I dare ask about daily
renewal?
renewal
?
Yangzi said: Make the people see their ren as
a benefit, their yi as happiness. Encourage
them to make a name for themselves, guide them

with praise, and make them feel pleased with

themselves. This is called daily renewal.
6

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked about what troubles the people.

Yangzi said: The people have three troubles.
The other said: What are these three troubles
troubles?
bles?
Yangzi said: When the rules of government is
good but the officials are bad, this is the
first trouble. When the officials are good but
the rules of government is bad, this is the
second trouble. When the rules of government
bad,
and officials are both ba
d, this is the third
trouble. When the birds and beasts eat
people's food, when buildings are adorned with
the silk that ought to be used for clothing,
when farmers and weavers work day and night
sufficient
and it is still not sufficient
this is called
bad government.
government.
7

...
... :

Foreknowledge: The sage is one who ornaments people's zhi.

Carts and robes are used to display it;
it;
beautiful colors are used to illuminate it;
it;
singing and music are used to praise it;
it;
poetry and writings are used to make it
glorious. If the ritual vessels are not set
the
out, th
e jade and silk not properly
distributed, the zither and harp not struck,
the bells and drums not beaten, then I have no
way to recognize the sage.
8

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone said: Using the model of the sages of

the past in order to govern the present is
like gluing the pegs and trying to tune the
not?
zither, is it not
?
Yangzi said: It is.

The other said: Sage rulers are rare, but

mediocre rulers are many. Sticking only to
dao
Confucius's dao
this is like lacquering the
pegs.
Yangzi said: Have the sage's ways ever been
kingdom's]
unrelated to [the kingdom's
] flourishing and
decline?
decline
? In the past, when Yao ruled all under
grasped
Heaven, he graspe
d the guidelines of
government and appointed Shun to be ruler, and
Shun appointed Yu to be ruler. The Xia, Yin,
sons
and Zhou gave it to their sons
they were not
glued to the sages' ways, that much is clear!
Yao and Shun employed symbolic punishments to
the
make t
he laws clear. During the Xia, the types
of corporeal punishments grew to three
thousand
thousand
they were not glued to the sages'
ways, that much is clear! Yao considered the
nine tribes as his own family, and harmonized
were
the ten thousand kingdoms. Tang and Wu wer
e
martial, and attacked all within the four
directions. From these examples, we may
conclude that they were not glued to the
sages' ways, that much is clear! The Lunyu
says, Li, music, and military attacks come
Spring
from the Son of Heaven." But during the Spri
ng
and Autumn period, Qi and Jin instigated them.
They were not glued to the sages' ways, that
much is clear!

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone said: The people's ruler cannot but

study laws and ordinances.
Yangzi said: When governing the kingdom, a
junzi establishes its mainstays and
guidelines, and pays close attention to
education and culture. If he leads them by
means of ren, then those below will not harm
one another. If he appears before them
modestly, then those below will not steal from
one another. If he approaches them honestly,
then those below will not be deceitful with
one another. If he cultivates them using li
and yi, then those below will be more yielding
and increase their de. This is what the junzi
should study. If there are those who break the
law, then there are officers and jails to deal
with them.
10

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone expressed worry about [the world's]

world's]
chaos.
Yangzi said: It
Its in the mainstays and
guidelines.
The other said: How does it lie in the
guidelines?
mainstays and its guidelines
?
Yangzi said: In great affairs employ the
mainstays, in small affairs use the
the
guidelines. If t
he main lines are no good, and
neither are the connecting lines, how could a
hunting net have even one eyelet aligned.
11

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked: Duke Huan of Qi employed Guan

Zhong and became hegemon. Confucius said, "He
was a small vessel." May I ask about a great
vessel?
vessel
?
Yangzi said: A great vessel is like compass
and square, level and marking line! First you
govern yourself, and only then do you govern
others
othersthis is referred to as being a great
vessel.
12

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked: In rectifying a kingdom, what

comes first?
first?
Yangzi said: Align yourself and others will
line up.
13

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone said: In governing, do you not put

execution first and education next?
next?
Yangzi said: Indeed! Does Tian begin with
autumn and follow with spring?
spring? Or does it
first begin with spring and follow with
autumn?
autumn
?
14

...
... :

Foreknowledge: I see the black ants marching out of their

nest and hear the morning call of the
pheasant
pheasant
how can change be stopped?
stopped?
Han Jing explains that the ancients understood
black ants coming out of their nest as a
symbol of seasonal and climatic change.

15

...
... :

Foreknowledge: The people can be allowed to see the ruler

implementing de, but should not be allowed to
see punishment being carried out. If they see
de, they will be pure and simple, but if they
see punishment, there will be chaos.
16

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Using images of the dragon to bring rain is

difficult!
Yangzi said: Dragons?
Dragons? Dragons?
Dragons?
17

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone asked about the core of governing.

Yangzi said: Discriminating the true and the
false. If you can discriminate the true and
the false, then you have grasped the core of
governance. But if the true is not considered
true, and the false not considered false, then
have
governing will hav
e no core.

18

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Thunder and wind are what spur the myriad

things to action. Orders and decrees are what
spur the myriad people to action. Thunder does
not sound only once, and wind does not blow in
two directions at the same time.
19

...
... :

Foreknowledge: The sage loves to mold and perfect the culture

of the world, endowing people with the talents
of a shi and junzi. Thus, he does not conceal
himself from the world, and he does not
separate himself from the common people. One
who conceals himself from the world and
separates himself from the common people, is
sage?
he really a sage
?
20

...
... :

Foreknowledge: A hen's lack of skill is revealed in the eggs

that do not hatch. A ruler's lack of skill is
revealed in people who are uncultivated.
21

...
... :

Foreknowledge: Someone said: Suppose you were made to draft

the laws.
Yangzi said: I am not as good as Hong Gong.
The other said: What about writing memorials
emperor?
to the emperor
?
Yangzi said: I am not as good as Chen Tang.
do?
The other said: But what would you do
?
Yangzi said: What is needed is for the laws
not to be broken and memorials not to be
sharp.
22

...
... :

Foreknowledge: For the potter who molds the world, skill lies
in achieving balanced harmony. If you fire
things too hard, they break. If too soft, they
are unfinished.
23

...
... :

Foreknowledge: When a dragon is laying low or flying high it

does not grasp the center. Therefore, those
who go beyond the center, but are cautious,
and those who do not reach the center, but
leap, are close to the center.
24

...
... :

Foreknowledge: The sage's dao can be compared to the sun at

high noon. But if the sun has not reached its
apex, then it is not yet at its brightest. And
if it has gone beyond the apex, then it is
setting.
25

...
... :

Foreknowledge: The oneone-tenth tax is the correct amount of tax

for all under Heaven. If it is more, then you
will have a tax policy as cruel as that of the
emperor Jie. If it is less, then you will have
a kingdom as backward as the Mo barbarians of
the north.

26

...
... :

wellfield
Foreknowledge: Cultivating a well
-field
now that
thats
cultivation! Punishing with corporeal
punishment
punishmentnow that's punishment! Give the
fields to the common people to farm. Give
those who are to be punished to the common
people to castigate.
27

...
... :

Foreknowledge: If the law had no restrictions, then the

multitudes would farm the noble's fields, live
in the noble's dwelling, eat the noble's food,
and wear the noble's robes. Indeed, there
would not be enough for most people.
28

...
... :

Foreknowledge: For a kingdom not to implement its laws and

yet hope to be effective
effectivecompare it to
calculating not using rules and hoping for the
right totals.

[?]

- Zhong and Li
Li
1

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Zhong of the Southern Region was

the officer of the heavens, Li of the Northern
Region was the officer of the earth. What are
today?
these offices today
?
Yangzi said: The offices of Xi and He are
similar.
The other said: Which is similar to Zheng and
Li?
which is similar to Li
?
Yangzi said: Xi is similar to Zhong and He is
similar
similar to Li.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about the

Emperor.
Yangzi said: It falsely
the past, Yu controlled

Cycle of the Yellow

borrows his name. In

the waters flooding the

land, and now shamans dance the many Steps of

Yu. Bian Qiao was a man of Lu, and now many
called
healers are cal
led Men of Lu. Those who want to
sell what is fake inevitably borrow from the
Yu?
Lu?
genuine. The Steps of Yu
? Men of Lu
? The Cycle
of Huangdi?
Huangdi? Please!
3

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about the huntian theory.

Yangzi said: Luoxia Hong devised it, Xianyu
Wangren calculated it, and Geng Zhongcheng
created the armillary sphere. So subtle, so
subtle! No one can contradict it!

May I ask about gaitian theory?

theory?
Yangzi said: The gaitian theory! The gaitian
theory! For answering difficult questions it is
not as subtle.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Why were the rulers of Qin so

preoccupied with spirits?
spirits?
Yangzi said: Spirits are strange and
unintelligible, now seeming to be here, now
not. The sage does not speak about them.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Among Wu Zixu, Wen Zhong and Fan

Li, who was worthy?
worthy?
Yangzi said: Zi Xu helped the state of Wu make
trouble, destroyed the state of Chu, entered
the capital at Ying, whipped the corpse of King
Ping and expelled the government officials
none of this was virtuous (de). He plotted
against the state of Yue and remonstrated
against attacking Qi to no good use. Unable to
leave, he finally saw the destruction of Wu

with his own eyes. Wen Zhong and Fan Li did not
strongly remonstrate against King Gou Jian of
Yue
Yue
s plan to attack the state of Wu, and he
was held by King Fuchai of Wu for three years
on Mount Kuaiji. They caused their ruler to
yield the altars of the spirits of earth and
become a servant boy to King Fuchai. In the
end, they destroyed Wu, but none of them were
good enough to be considered worthy. In the end
Fan Li sent Wen Zhong a letter warning him to
flee and then escaped to go fatten himself!
6

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.

Yangzi said: They were rebels.
The other said: But if not for them, the Qin
would not have been destroyed.
Yangzi said: Did they really destroy the Qin?
Qin?
Im afraid that Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were
destroyed before the Qin.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone said: The six kingdoms stood together

for a long time, one now weak, the other now
strong. Qin Shi Huangdi appeared and they were
all[
all
[unified within three years. Was this
because of fortunate timing, the natural
man
doing?
defensibility of the land, or man
s doing
?
Yangzi said: All of them.
man
doing?
May I ask about man
s doing
?
Yangzi said: From the time of Duke Xiao on
down, Qin strengthened its armies and empowered
its farmers
farmersthey were like silkworms eating
man
away at the six kingdoms. This was man
s
doing.
The other said: May I ask about the natural
land?
defensibility of the land
?
Yangzi said: To the east, the Yellow River
moat;
served as a moat
; to the south, it was
mountains;
obstructed by high mountains
; to the west they
took Yong and Liang, and to the north, it was
bordered by the Jing River. When it was
advantageous, Qin expanded its territory. When
it was not, it just coiled up. This was the
land.
natural defensibility of the lan
d.
The other said: How was it due to fortunate
timing?
timing
?
Yangzi said: At that time Qin Shi Huangdi was

like an axe and his generals were like knives.

The six kingdoms were like wood, and their
generals were like meat. This was fortunate
timing.
8

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

The descendants of Bo Yi of the Qin were the

protectors of the feudal lords, but suddenly
they swallowed up all under Heaven. Why did
King Nan of Zhou to restrict their expansion.
Yangzi replied: The Son of Heaven restricts
dukes, marquis, earls, viscounts and barons
using rules of ceremony. In the rules of
ceremony there is no fault greater than
usurpation. In usurpation, no fault is greater
those than in making sacrificial offerings. In
making offerings, there is nothing more
important than the place of the ceremony, and
in the place of the ceremony, nothing is more
choosing
important than ch
oosing a place to sacrifice to
Tian. This being so, Duke Xiang, Duke Wen, Duke
Xuan and Duke Ling built their temples. In the
past, Duke Xiang usurped the Western Alter and
made offerings to the White Emperor. Dukes Wen,

Xuan and Ling built temples at Fu, Mi, Shang

and Xia to sacrifice to the Four Deities. The
Son of Heaven did not rectify this, and to the
contrary, wrongly made offerings to King Wen
and King Wu. As a result, all within the four
boundaries used their power to encroach upon
tearing
each other, teari
ng apart flesh and bone. How
Qin?
could King Nan alone control the Qin
?
9

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: In twentytwenty-six years of rule, Qin

Shi Huang had seized all under Heaven. Fifteen
years later Chu seized it, and only five years
after that Han controlled it. In a fiftyfifty-year
period, the empire had changed hands three
man?
times. Was this due to Tian or man
?
Yangzi said: Both. The Zhou installed their
sons and brothers, divided up the titles and
fiefdoms, ordered the five ranks, and
established the twelve kingdoms. Even at that
time, there were some like the Han that desired

to control the empire, but what could they do

about it?
it? Then six kingdoms became foolish and
disordered, helping Qin Shi Huang to weaken the
Zhou, and finally to brush aside their armies
seize
and seiz
e control of their kingdoms. Thus, the
empire was seized by the Qin. They ended the
Zhou system of feudal appointments and the
establishment of prefectures, and the prefects
lost their control, leaving the world orphaned
and
and separated. Xiang Yu rebelled an
d replaced
the ministers and princes, and thus empire was
taken over by Chu. In the month Chu seized
control and divided the empire into eighteen
kingdoms, Liu Bang of Han was established in
the southern mountains. He set out searching
throughout the three kingdoms at the heart of
the former Qin, and pursued Xiang Yu to
Shandong, and thus the empire was taken by the
Han. This was due to Tian.
man?
The other said: What about man
?
Yangzi said: Collecting together men of talent
planning
and respecting their knowledge, plann
ing and
calculating meticulously, and carefully acting
moment
at just the right moment
this is due to man.
Without man, Tian has nothing to rely on.
Without Tian, man cannot succeed.
10

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

11

Someone asked: When Xiang Yu was defeated at

Gaixia and close to death, he said, It is the
Tian.
will of Tian.
Is this so?
so?
Yangzi said: Han Gaozu fully used the
strategies of others, because the strategies of
others fully used their strengths. Xiang Yu
resented using the strategies of others, and
exhausted only his own strength. Those who make
full use of others are victorious, while those
who use only their own strengths are defeated.
it?
What does Tian have to do with it
?

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Qin Shi Huang and Xiang Yu both

received Tian
Tians mandate to rule, but Qin Shi
Huang was strangled on the Ba River, and
Xiangyu was cut into pieces at Hong Xi. Why
quickly
ckly?
were they cast aside so qui
ckly
?
Yangzi said: Tian honors glorious de and
overthrows excessive corruption. In the past
the Yellow Emperor, Gao Yang, Gao Xin, Tang,
Shun and the Three Dynasties all clearly
manifested de. Thus Tian honored them, used

them to unite Heaven and Earth, and

and placed them
in the Imperial Hall. This is what the people
desired, and long did their kingdoms flourish.
Xiang Yu and the Qin Shi Huang, on the other
hand, ruled by force, feuded quarrelsomely,
terrorized, and attacked each other. They
the
coldly rejected th
e three proper daos of
Heaven, Earth and Man and their reputation for
cruelty spread among the masses. Even their own
children and followers wanted to kill them, how
people?
much more so their people
? How much more so
spirits?
ghosts and spirits
? They could not have been
done away with fast enough!
12

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

13

Someone asked: If Confucius was a great sage,

the why did Tian not honor him by making him a
ruler.
Yangzi said: He had no land.
If this is so, then did Shun and Yu have land?
land?
Yangzi said: Shun had Yao to honor him with
honor
land, Yu had Shun to h
onor him with land.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

14

Someone asked about the outer appearance and

inner essence of the sage.
Yangzi said: Majestic deportment and refined
words
(wen) words
these are the outer appearance.
integrity
Virtuous (de) action and faithful integrity

this is the inner essence.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

15

Someone asked: When Emporer Yi first

established his rule, Liu Bang took Nanyang and
Xiang Ji rescued Hebei. The two regions were
split apart, some leaving, some joining. If the
Qin had capable men, why did this happen?
happen?
Yangzi said: People would not fight for the Qin
because they lost their spirit long ago.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Yangzi said: Han Xin and Qing Bu both

established themselves by the sword and became
rulers. But in the end, they ran out of time
and were killed. Were they not stupid?
stupid?

Someone said: If they were stupid, then they

would not have made names for themselves, would
they?
they
?
Yangzi said: Making a name for oneself means
having an honorable reputation. But showing no
end
that
loyalty and rebelling in the end
that
s far
from honorable.
16

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about Chunyu Yue.

Yangzi said: He stood strong, and yielded.
The other said: May I ask about it?
it?
Yangzi said: At that time the First Emperor
snapped bones like a tiger, tore open flesh
like an owl, and he bit into scholars like
sacrificial meat. Chunyu Yue courageously
raised an eyebrow at him, and in the end never
word.
said a flattering w
ord. This can be called
standing strong. He served the government
kingdom
without worrying about the kingdom
s politics,
he supported himself without worrying about
salary, and took part without worrying about
flattering anyone. He cultivated a good
reputation in private without disobeying

orders. This can be called yielding.

17

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

18

Someone asked: Mao Jiao witnessed dead bodies

being piled up like the railings around a well,
yet he persuaded Qin Shi Huang to leave empty
left
the space to the l
eft of his chariot. Cai Sheng
desired to pacify Xiang Yu at Xianyang, but he
was unable to influence him, and was then
Wasn
boiled alive. Wasn
t this because Mao was
persuasive and Cai not?
not?
Yangzi said: Cai Sheng was crazy as a monkey
monkey
ey
isn
and called Xiang Yu a monk
ey
isn
t it quite
alive?
appropriate he was boiled alive
? Mao Jiao
opposed and criticized Qin Shi Huang, and yet
got along and protected himself. But even
though he was persuasive, was he not brushing
tiger
teeth?
the tiger
s teeth
?

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Gan Luo assisted Lu Buwei, and

Zhang Piqiang awakened the minds of Chen Ping
and Zhou Bo. Both were only twelve years old!
Wasn
Wasn
t this due to the influence of Gan Mou

and Zhang Liang?

Liang?
Yangzi said: It was their natural ability, not
necessarily
necessaril
y because Gan Mou and Zhang Liang
were their grandfather and father.
19

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

20

Li Yiji convinced Liu Bang to seize the city of

Chen Liu, and afterwards, the granary at Ao. He
convinced King Tian Guang of Qi to surrender
his troops at Lixia. What clever arguments! But
when Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Qi,
Li
King Tian Guang put Li
s body in the cauldron
grease.
and boiled him down to a pool of gre
ase. How
dumb he was then!
Yangzi said: Clever arguments are for
convincing oneself. If you use them to convince
others, they can be dangerous indeed!

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Kuai Tong attempted drive Han

Xin and Liu Bang apart, but was not able to do

it, and so feigned madness and left.

Yangzi said: At the time, he met with Han Xin
Xin
s closed door. Such was his attempt to drive
them apart!
The other said: Can a crack not be driven open?
open?
Yangzi said: A worthy man takes charge of li. A
small man takes charge of cracks. How much more
does he attempt to pick open a locked door.
21

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone said: Li Si was completely loyal to the

Qin, but in the end Emperor Huhai executed him.
What
What
s the point of loyalty?
loyalty?
Yangzi said: Li Si stayed in Qin as a guest of
Lu Buwei and eventually became Prime Minister.
Using the words of an alchemist to flatter the
Emperor,
Empe
ror, he followed Qin Shi Huang on his tours
Huang
of the four seas. Upon Qin Shi Huang
s death,
he let Zhao Gao
Gaos treacherous plan to replace
the chosen successor stand, discarded the
Emperor
Emperor
s official edict, assented to the idea
and directed the orders. Where in this is
loyalty?
loyalty
?
The other said: What about Huo Guang.

Yangzi said: At the beginning of the Shiyuan

era (86
(8680 B.C.), he acted as regent for the
young Emperor Zhao, and destroyed Prince Yan
Shangguan
and Shangguan
s coup. After Zhao
Zhaos untimely
and
death, he stayed an
d played his part as regent,
first deposing his first chosen successor and
then installing Emperor Xuan. Appearing so
loyalty
it
courageous and august in his loyalty
but it
s
difficult! Because coming to the crimes of his
wasn
wife Huo Xian, in the end, it wasn
t so.
22

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked: Feng Tang met with Emperor Wen

and told him that even if he had generals like
Lian Po and Li Mu, he would not be able to use
sincere?
them. Was he not sincere
?
Yangzi said: He was raising the issue to arouse
Wen
Emperor Wen
s attention. Personally yielding
himself with the honor of being Emperor,
Yafu
Emperor Wen supported Yafu
s command of the
army. Why could he not have used Lian Po and Li
Mu?
Mu
?
other
de?
The ot
her said: What about his de
?
Yangzi said: He did not punish the children of

criminals, keep women in the palace, build new

rooms in the palace or erect a large tomb for
himself.
23

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

24

Someone asked about friendship.

Yangzi said: It is based on ren.
The other asked: Like Chen Yu and Zhang Er?
Er?
Yangzi said: A brilliant beginning.
The other asked: What about Dou Ying and Guan
Fu?
Fu
?
Yangzi said: A cruel ending.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about trustworthiness.

Yangzi said: It is a matter of not having to
one
eat one
s words.
The other said: Please name some trustworthy
people.
Yangzi said: Xun Xi of Jin, Cheng Ying of Zhao,
Gongsun Chujiu, and those who were buried alive
Qin
at Duke Mu of Qin
s side.
The other asked about yi.
Yangzi said: Conducting affairs appropriately

is called yi.
25

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

26

Someone asked: What about Ji Bu swallowing his

pride?
pride
?
Yangzi said: Those who are able to would endure
it. One who was illuminated with wisdom would
not.
The other said: Ji Bu was in an urgent
do?
situation. What would someone who was wise do
?
Yangzi said: The wise did not serve Xiang Yu to
hide?
the end. If they did, where could they hide
?
Yang is again emphasizing the doctrine of
one
timeliness here as it applies to one
s
decision to serve a tyrant. Xiang Yu and Qin
Shi Huang had the habit of killing those
and
officials an
d generals that were most useful to
them in gaining power, thinking that because
longthey were so capable, they posed a long
-term
threat to their rule.

...
... :

Zhong and

Someone asked about worthiness.

Yangzi said: It is a matter of doing what

Li:

27

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

28

ordinary people are unable to do.

The other said: Please name some worthy people.
Yangzi said: Yan Yuan, Qian Lou, the Four
Greybeards of Mount Shang, and Wei Xuancheng.
The other asked about those who were heroic.
Yangzi said: Lin Ziangru acting as emissary to
yielding
Po;
Qin and yi
elding to Lian Po
; Luan Bu not
mind;
changing his mind
; Zhu Jia not seeking a
reward;
reward
; Zhi Buyi not correcting accusations
him;
against him
; and Han Anguo being a envoy
throughout the empire.

Someone asked: How does an official make a name

himself?
for himself
?
Yangzi said: Charioteer Shi
Shis response;
response;
Jin
prudence;
General Jin
s prudence
; Commander of the Guard
Zhang
caution;
ing
Zhang
s caution
; Grandee Bing
s modesty.
Someone said: May I inquire about how an
official loses his good reputation?
reputation?
Ershi
Yangzi said: Li Ershi
s seizing the territory
Er;
Qilian
command;
of Er
; Tian Qilian
s reckless command
; Adjunct
Han
Wangzhi;
Han
s accusing Xiao Wangzhi
; and Zhao
Jingbei
Jingbei
s crimes against Wei Xiang.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:
29

Someone asked about maintaining fullness.

Yangzi said: Hold on to the tippingtipping-vessel.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

30

Yang Wangsun was buried naked in order to

reform the customary practice of lavish
funerals.
Yangzi said: One reforms the generation by
means of li, but does being buried naked
this?
accomplish this
? If that reforms the
generation, then it would be even easier just
to throw the dead into a ditch.

...
... :

Zhong and
Li:

Someone asked about the Zhou Guan.

Yangzi said: It establishes the proper affairs
of the various government offices.
The other asked about the Zuo Zhuan.
Yangzi said: It is a great collection of

elegant literature.
The other said: What about the Grand Historian
Qian
Shiji?
Sima Qian
s Shiji
?
Yangzi said: It is a factual record.

[?]

- Yuan and Qian

Qian
1

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked: Who are Yan Hui and Min Ziqian's

followers?
followers
?
Yangzi said: They remain unknown.
The other said: Why did Yan Hui and Min Ziqian
unknown?
not remain unknown
?
Yangzi said: It is like holding on to the
dragon's scales or hanging on to the wings of
the phoenix. They rose on the wind, soaring to
heights that cannot be reached. How could they
remain
remain unknown! How could they rem
ain unknown!

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

When the seventy disciples were with Confucius,

every day they heard things that they had never
heard before and saw things that they had never
Indeed,
seen. In
deed, there was not enough time to
produce literary works.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

The junzi strives for incomparable de. The

petty person strives for incomparable strength.
Someone asked: What is incomparable de?
de?
Yangzi said: Shun
Shuns filial piety, Yu
Yus
Yao
planning
labors, Gao Yao
s planning
are these not
de?
examples of incomparable de
?
strength?
The other said: What about strength
?
one
Yangzi said: To lift cauldrons on one
s
shoulders or wrestle oxen like King Dao Wu of
Qin, Wu Huo or Ren Biare these not examples
strength
rength?
of incomparable st
rength
?

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked about courage.

Yangzi said: Ke had it.
The other said: Which Ke?
Yangzi said: The Ke I refer to is Meng Ke. As
for Jing Ke, a junzi would consider him a
bandit.
courage?
May I ask about Meng Ke's courage
?
Yangzi said: He was courageous in yi and
determined in de. Poverty and wealth, honor and
lowliness, and life and death did not move his
xin. In terms of courage, was he not almost
perfect?
perfect
?

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Lu Zhonglian was unsettled and did not serve in

office. Lin Xiangru served in office and was
settled.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked about Zou Yang.

Yangzi said: He was not trusted and raised his
share of suspicions, but he defended himself

with an emotional plea and escaped the bird

catcher
catcher
s net. He was almost perfect!
7

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked: Lords Xinling, Ping Yuan, Meng

Chang, and Chun Shen were of benefit to their
kingdoms, were they not?
not?
Yangzi said: When rulers lose control of the
government and villainous ministers steal the
kingdom
kingdom
s mandate, where is the benefit in
this?
this
?

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

As for Shuli Zi
Zis knowledge of the future
futureIf
he had known the fate of his kingdom like that
of his tomb, then I would take him to be my
milfoil sticks and tortoise shells.

...
... :

Yuan and

From Cheng Zhou in the East King Shen Jing and

King Nan of Zhou looked admiringly at the Qin

Qian:

10

in the west. From Xishan in the west, King

Huiwen and King Zhao Xiang of Qin stood equal
to the six kingdoms in the east. Which was
better?
better
?
Yangzi said: The Zhou were like sheep, the Qin
were like wolves.
The other said: This being so, is the wolf not
better?
better
?
wolves
are
Yangzi said: Sheep, wolves
they ar
e the same.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

11

Someone asked: Meng Tian was loyal to the Qin

and yet he was executed. What good is loyalty?
loyalty?
Yangzi said: In building the Great Wall,
Wall, he dug
trenches through the mountains and dammed up
gorges, beginning from Lin Tao and reaching
Liao Shui. His accomplishments were not
sufficient and the number of corpses was
excessive. His loyalty is not worth admiring.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

12

Someone asked: What about L

L Buwei
uweis wisdom?
wisdom?
He traded in people to make his profits.
Yangzi said: Who ever said L
L Buwei was wise?
wise?
He traded in court politics to become ancestor
shortL
uwei
to the short
-lived Qin Dynasty. Was L
Buwei

cunning
s thievery not like that of a cu
nning burglar
wall?
I
who breaks in through a hole in the wall
? I
ve
seen heists as big as three bushels, but never
one as big as Luoyang!

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

13

Someone said: General Bai Qi of the Qin was

inhumane. Why was he put to use?
use?
Yangzi said: In the battle at Chang Ping
400,000 men were killed. Even the chaos caused
by Chi You did not surpass this. The plains and
fields were covered with human flesh, the
and
rivers a
nd hollows flowed with blood. A general
so inhumane, how could he be put to use!
Jian?
The other asked: What about Wang Jian
?
Yangzi said: Qin Shi Huang hunted the six
kingdoms and Wang Jian was his teeth!

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked: Was Yao Li not one who was

righteous (yi)?
(yi)? He did not even use his family
as an excuse to refuse the commands of his
kingdom.
Yangzi said: He allowed his wife and children
to be burned to ashes in order to get close
enough to Qing Ji to assassinate him. Though he
might be outstanding among spiders and insects,
what in his actions can be considered to be
righteous?
righteous
?
The other asked about Nie Zheng.
Yangzi said: He rebelled against the Han for
Yan Sui, killed head minister Han Xialei, and
disfigured himself to protect his sister.
Though he might be outstanding among brave men,
what in his actions can be considered to be
righteous?
righteous
?
The other asked about: Jing Ke.
Yangzi said: At the request of Prince Dan of
Yan, he offered the King of Qin the head of Fan
Yuqi and a map of Dukang in Yan, and entered
into Qin with being suspected. Though he might
outstanding
be outstand
ing among assassins, what in his
righteous?
actions can be considered to be righteous
?

14

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

15

Someone asked: Zhang Yi and Su Qin studied the

arts of Gui Gu and were practiced in the
doctrines of the horizontal and vertical
alliances among the states. They brought peace
to the central kingdoms for more than ten
them?
years. What about them
?
Yangzi said: They were tacticians. The sage
detests them.
The other said: What about reading the
implementing
teachings of Confucius but implementi
ng the
Qin?
teachings of Zhang Yi and Su Qin
?
That
Yangzi said: What nonsense! That
s like having
the cry of a phoenix and the feathers of a
hawk.
Isn
The other said: Isn
t that what Zigong wanted
do?
to do
?
Yangzi said: Zigong was ashamed of not being
able to bring order to troubled times. Zhang Yi
and Su Qin were ashamed of engaging in
disputations and not obtaining wealth and
honor.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

16

Someone asked: Were Zhang Yi and Su Qin not

talented?
talented
? They did not follow the paths of
others.
Yangzi said: In the past, the emperors regarded
artful men uneasily, even though they had
talent. But talented or not, this is not our
followers
followers
kind of talent.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

17

Excellent conduct: Yuan Gong, Qi Liji, Xia

Huang, and Jiao Li.
Words and expression: Lou Jing and Lu Jia.
Upholding correct principles: Wang Ling and
Shentu Jia.
Frank remonstration: Zhou Chang and Ji An.
Protecting the Ru: Yuan Gu and Shen Gong.
Disasters and strange phenomena: Dong Zhongshu,
Xiahou
Xiahou Sheng, and Jing Feng.

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked: What about Xiao He and Cao Shen?

Shen?
Yangzi said: Xiao He made the rules, Cao Shen
followed them.
What about Teng Houying, Guan Ying, Fan Kuai
Shang?
and Li Shang
?
Yangzi said: They were chivalrous and
honorable.
Suntong?
The other said: Shu Suntong
?
Yangzi said: He was a fake copy.
Ang?
The other said: Yuan Ang
?
said:
Yangzi said
: His loyalty was insufficient and
his talk was excessive.
Cuo?
The other said: Zhao Cuo
?
Yangzi said: He was stupid.
officials?
The other said: Ruthless officials
?
Tigers
Yangzi said: Tigers! Tigers
with horns and
wings!
The other said: The profiteers?
profiteers?
They
Yangzi said: Mosquitoes! They
ve always sucked
kingdom
the kingdom
s blood dry, making people have to
only]
pick wild grasses to eat, drink [only
] water
and wear coarse clothing. How can they live
until their teeth fall out with nothing to
about?
worry about
?
The other asked about compliant officials.

Yangzi said: They were officials indeed.

The other asked about wandering swordsmen.
Yangzi said: They stole the kingdom
kingdoms
authority.
favor?
The other said: Flatters who curried favor
?
Yangzi said: They are not even worth
consideration.
18

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked about recent generations

generations
ministers to the alters of the gods of earth
and grain.
Yangzi said: If you took Zhang Liang
Liangs wisdom,
Ping
Chen Ping
s infallibility, Marquis Bo of
Jiang
Guang
Jiang
s decisiveness, and Huo Guang
s
courage, then finished them off with li and
music
music
that could indeed be called a minister
of the altars to the gods of earth and grain.

The other said: Between Gongsun Hong and Dong

Zhongshu, who was closer to this ideal?
ideal?
Yangzi said: Dong Zhongshu had the desire but
couldn
couldn
t attain it. Gongsun Hong had the right
that
appearance and that
s all.
19

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked about reputable highhigh-ranking

officers of recent generations.
Yangzi said: Zhang Shizhi
Shizhis fairness, Juan
uyi
Wengui
Buyi
s perceptiveness, Yin Wengui
s purity,
Zun
selfand Wang Zun
s self
-reliance these were the
recent
generation
qualities of the rec
ent generation
s reputable
highhigh
-ranking officials.
The other asked about military generals.
Yafu
Yangzi said: Zhou Yafu
s (the Marquis of Tiao)
defense strategy, Wei Qing (Marquis of Chang
Qubing
Ping) and Huo Qubing
s (Marquis Zhongli)
attack strategy, and Huo Guang
Guangs (Marquis of
honor
Bo Liu) grasp of honor
these were the
qualities of reputable military generals of the
recent generation.
The other asked about the ancients.
Yangzi said: They urged people on with the Dao

and de, and tamed them with ren and yi.

Cartloads of corpses
corpses and bloodstained knives
knives
these were not of their doing.
20

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

21

Zhang Qian and Su Wu were admirable envoys.

They maintained their integrity, were
unconcerned with death and never abandoned
ruler
their ruler
s commands. Even the praiseworthy
envoys of the ancients were inferior to them.

...
... :


Yuan and
Qian:

The world lauds the exuberance of Dong

Fangshuo
Fangshuo
s life. But in speaking, he was not
sincere enough to be a teacher, and in action,
he was not a sincere
sincere enough to be a role model.
The remnants of his writings that are still
floating around should be discarded.
Someone said: He was a hermit.
times
Yangzi said: The hermits of ancient times
I
ve heard of their sayings and their deeds.
The other said: The path (dao) of the hermit
has many beginnings.
Yangzi said: Indeed! If the words and actions
of the sage do not meet with their proper time,
then the sage becomes a hermit. If the words
and actions of the worthy do not meet with
worthy
their proper time, then the wort
hy become
hermits. If the words and actions of the jester
do not meet with his times, then the jester
becomes a hermit. In the ancient past, Ji Zi
covered himself in lacquer and Jie Yu unbound
his hair and feigned madness. Both feared
meeting with harm and desired to flee. Ji Zi
wrote the Hongfan (The Great Plan), and Jie Yu
Phoenix!
sang Phoenix!
to Confucius.
Fangshuo
The other asked: Why was Dong Fangshuo
s
then?
reputation so exaggerated then
?
Yangzi said: He answered with jokes, was never
straightforward
at a loss for words, made straightf
orward
remonstrations, and had a dirty character (de).

Answering with jokes, he seemed like an actor.

Never at a loss for words, he appeared to be
philosophical. With his straightforward
remonstrations he appeared genuine. And with a
seemed
dirty character, he se
emed like a hermit.
The other said: May I ask, then, what would be
a more appropriate name for him.
Yangzi said: He was a jester.
The other said: How does he compare to hermits
past?
of the past
?
Shuqi
Yangzi said: He rejected Bo Yi and Shuqi
s
and
suffering as stupid an
d esteemed comfort,
staying in the shade and making fun of the
wasn
world. But wasn
t he really the height of
ridiculousness?
ridiculousness
?
The other asked: Was Liu Xiahui not a hermit at
court?
court
?
Yangzi said: A junzi would say that he was
undignified. Among the ancients, one who was
esteemed;
hungry yet prominent was highly esteemed
; one
who was prosperous and yet reclusive was
considered lowly.
22

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Flattery is the thief of ren, and slander is

the thief of yi. The thief of ren is close to
the village worthy. The thief of yi is close to

the village detractor.

23

...
... :

Yuan and
Qian:

Someone asked: You are from Shu. May I ask

about men from Shu.
Yangzi said: There was Li Zhongyuan.
The other said: As a man, what was he like?
like?
Yangzi said: He is will was unbending in
purpose and did not implicate himself in any
wrongdoing.
other
The othe
r said: Was he a follower of Bo Yi or
Hui?
Liuxia Hui
?
Yangzi said: Neither like Bo Yi or Liuxia Hui,
he was one who had no preconceptions the
permissible and impermissible.
The other said: If this is so, then why was his
wellknown?
reputation not well
-known
?
Confucius,
Without Con
fucius, how would anyone ever heard
of the men who starved in the western mountains
or the minister who was dismissed in the

eastern kingdom.
[The other]
other] said: What if Wang Yang and Gong Yu
had met Confucius?
Confucius?
Yangzi said: Does the morning star shine so
brightly
br
ightly only because of it position high in
sky?
the sky
?
The other said: This being so, why did he not
himself?
obtain a high position himself
?
Yangzi said: What shines brightly is oneself.
It is Tian that leads one to attain a high
yourself
position. Do you desire to put yours
elf in a
position?
high position
? Li Zhongyuan was the teacher of
a generation. His demeanor was solemn, his
words aroused emotion, and his conduct was
majestic. I had heard of using de to make
others yield, but I had yet to hear of using de
others.
to yield oneself to othe
rs. Li Zhongyuan was an
awesome man.

The other said: What about Xia Yu and Meng Ben?

en?
Yangzi said: People were in awe of Xia Yu and
en
Meng Ben
s physical strength, but ridiculed
their de.
The other said: Could you please explain in
detail?
detail
?

Yangzi said: Don

Dont look at what is improper,
don
dont listen to what is improper, don
dont say
what is improper, and don
dont do what is
improper. The teachers of the ancient past
stood in awe of those who could see, hear,
to]
speak and act [according to
] what was proper.
If you look at what should not be looked at,
listen to what should not be heard, say what
should not be said, and do what should not be
en
done, then even if you had Xia Yu or Meng Ben

strength]
s [strength
] you will still only be ridiculed.

[?]

- The Junzi
Junzi
1

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: When the junzi speaks, it

becomes literature. When he acts, it becomes
de. How does this happen?
happen?
Yangzi said: It is because internally he is
like a fully drawn bow and externally he is
elegantly patterned like a tiger. He is like
Gong Shuban wielding axes and Hou Yi shooting
arrows. The junzi does not speak but that his

speech hits the mark, does not act but that his
act is in perfect balance.
2

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: When is the junzi flexible?

flexible? When
firm?
is he firm
?
Yangzi said: In matters of ren, the junzi is
flexible. In matters of yi, he is firm.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: The oar of a large storied boat

is not used as a ladle, and a war cart is not
used for gathering vegetables. Is this correct?
correct?
Yangzi said: This is correct.
The other said: So a big tool cannot do
do?
everything that a small tool can do
?
Yangzi said: Such are implements. A junzi is
not an implement.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: Did Mengzi not understand the

key points of words and the subtleties of de?
de?
Yangzi said: Not only did he understand them,
he also faithfully followed their path.
The other said: You treat all the philosophers
well?
lightly. Was Mengzi not one of them as well
?
Yangzi said: The other philosophers take their
knowledge to be different from Confucius's. Was
different?
Mengzi's different
? It was not.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said: Xunzi's book criticizing the

various schools is acceptable. But when it
comes to Zisi and Mengzi, it is misleading.
Yangzi said: My attitude toward Xunzi?
Xunzi? I see
him as having entered through the same
courtyard gate, but gone into the house through
a different door. Only a sage would not differ
from Confucius.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Only completely black, red, and white oxen with

perfect horns can be offered up in the temple
for sacrifice! Therefore, a junzi perfects his

de.
7

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said: The junzi

Yangzi said: He is pure
glossy, soft but solid,
edged
edged
his depth cannot

resembles jade.
and rippled, warm and
rounded but clean
be described.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said: Confucius's teaching is all

encompassing but impenetrable, grand but not
adaptable to small affairs. To practice it
would be like using an ox to catch a mouse.
Yangzi said: Confucius's dao is like the four
rivers;
rivers
; they pass through all the Central
Kingdom, and finally enter the great ocean.
Other masters' daos are like the streams of the
Northwest;
far Northwest
; they flow through the lands of
the the Yi and Mo barbarians, some entering the
Tuo River, some flowing into in the Han River.

...
... :

The Junzi:

10

The Huainanzi's teaching is not as the useful

as the Shiji. In the Shiji, a sage will find
use;
things he can use
; the Huainan rarely has
Inevitably,
things he can use. Inevi
tably, what he selects
to use must accord with the Confucian Dao! Now
he
he
going
that
he
s coming, now he
s going
that
s the
Huainan. Elegant literature that is rarely
that
useful, that
s Sima Xiangru. Having many
interests and not content to leave out
anything
Qian.
anything
that was Sima Q
ian. Confucius had
many interests, but his interests all revolved
around yi. Sima Qian had many interests, but he
was interested in the unusual.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said: Numerous indeed are the

falsehoods in the commentaries to the Classics!
Yangzi said: If they
theyre false, they
theyre
false
false
but worse, they also propagate the

drumming of shamans!
11

...
... :

The Junzi:

12

Someone said: The sage

sages words are bright and
clear like red and green, are they not?
not?
Yangzi said: Ugh! What sort of saying is that!
At first, red and green are bright and clear,
but after time they fade. Do the sage
sages words
fade?
fade
?

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said: The sage's dao is like Tian. But

if it is like Tian, then it should be constant.
Why, then, the sage's many changes?
changes?
Yangzi said: The sage indeed changes much.
Ziyou and Zixia understood his writings, but
they did not grasp why he wrote. Zai Wo and
understood
Zigong unde
rstood his words, but they did not
grasp why he spoke. Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian
understood his actions, but they did not grasp
why he acted. The sage's writings, words, and

actions are Tian. How can it be that Tian

changes?
rarely changes
?
13

...
... :

The Junzi:

14

Someone said: Is the sage not selfself-indulgent?

indulgent?
Why do his words flow from so many fonts?
fonts?
Yangzi said: Have you not seen how Yu made
flow?
water flow
? Sometimes east, sometimes north
north
but always flowing without obstruction. How can
obstruction?
the junzi's path alone be without obstruction
?
How can he be direct?
direct? If water avoids
obstructions, then it reaches the sea. If a
junzi avoids obstructions, he will reach the
universal principle.

...
... :

The Junzi:

15

The junzi likes what is good in others, and

forgets about what is good in himself;
himself; the
small man likes what is bad in himself and
forgets about what is good in others.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone said:
said: Of whom in the world do you
approve?
approve
?
Yangzi said: I approve of those who advance.
The other said: Why do you approve of those who
salary?
covet status and long for salary
?
Yangzi said: Coveting these is not what I mean
by advancing. Those who advance, advance in the
Dao, long for de, and make themselves
prosperous by means of ren and yi. They advance
in the Dao and advance in office, or they
retire from office and advance in the Dao,
every day being unceasing in their effort and
not knowing weariness.
said:
The other s
aid: Advancing in the Dao in order
Tian
to advance in office, this is hearing Tian
s
decree. But may I ask about retiring and
advancing?
advancing
?
Yangzi said: In the past Yan Yuan retired [from
life]
public life
] in order to advance in the Dao.
combination
Among all under Heaven, this co
mbination is
rare.
The other said: If this is the case, then why
do you not advocate retiring in every
situation?
situation
?
Yangzi said: Insisting on advancing and

advancing is an easy combination. Insisting on

retiring and retiring is also an easy
combination. But advancing according to li and
retiring according to yi
yithat is a difficult
combination!
16

...
... :

The Junzi:

17

Someone said: Some people think that life and

death are equivalent, poverty and wealth are
the same, and honor and lowliness are
indistinguishable. What do you think about
that?
that
?
Yangzi said: Does someone who thinks this way
fear?
have anything to fear
? If I believed that life
and death are equivalent, poverty and wealth
are the same, and honor and lowliness are
indistinguishable, then I would think that the
sage's dao was a bunch of frivolous nonsense.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Having a penetrating understanding of Heaven,

Earth, and Man is called ru (Confucian). Having
a penetrating understanding of Heaven and
Earth, but not understanding Man, is called

"clever."
18

...
... :

The Junzi:

19

A man must first act, then he will be

recognized. He must first seek, then it will be
given. A man must first love himself;
himself;
thereafter others will love him. A man must
must
himself;
first respect himself
; thereafter, others will
respect him. Loving oneself is the height of
ren. Respecting oneself is the height of li.
There has never been a case of a man who did
not love and respect himself, yet others loved
and respected him.

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: Do the dragon, the turtle, and

the wild swan not live long?
long?
Yangzi said: They do.
The other said: Can people live long?
long?
Yangzi said: Such animals live long because of
their nature. People live long because of their

ren.
20

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: People speak of immortals. Do

exist?
they exist
?
Yangzi sighed, saying: I have heard that Fu Xi
died;
and Shen Nong died
; that Huangdi, Yao, and Shun
away;
also passed away
; that King Wen was buried at
Bi; and that Confucius was buried north of the
Lu walls. Do you alone begrudge your death?
death? It
is not something that men can do anything
about. Indeed, immortality is of no benefit to
mankind.
mank
ind.
The other said: Sages do not study the
immortals, their skills are different. The
sage's relation to the world is such that he is
ashamed if there is one thing that he does not
understand. For the immortal, he is ashamed
that there is a single day that
that he does not
live.
Life?
life,
Yangzi said: Life
? It is called life,
but
it is really death.

The other said: If the world does not have

immortals, then where does talk of them come
from?
from
?
Isn
Yangzi said: Isn
t the talk of immortals just
nonsense?
a bunch of frivolous nonsense
? Only that sort
of nonsense is able to make something out of
nothing.
The other asked: What is the truth regarding
immortals?
immortals
?
Yangzi said: There is nothing to say. Whether
they exist or not is not a question that you
concerned
should be concern
ed with. The questions you
ought to ask about concern loyalty and filial
devotion. Do loyal ministers and filial sons
things?
have the leisure to ask about such things
? They
do not.
21

...
... :

The Junzi:

Someone asked: Can a person's longevity be

extended?
extended
?
said:
Yangzi sai
d: By means of de.
The other said: Yan Hui and Ran Geng's conduct
were de. Why was their longevity not extended?
extended?

Yangzi said: De is like this. If Yan Hui and

Ran Geng had been cruel and cunning, would they
have thus been thus remembered?
remembered?
Yes,
The other said: Ye
s, sometimes the cruel and
cunning have long life.
Yangzi said: They are reckless. But the junzi
is not reckless.
22

...
... :

The Junzi:

23

That which lives inevitably must die. That

which has a beginning inevitably has an end.
This is the dao of Nature.

...
... :

The Junzi:

The junzi is honest with others

othershow much more
so with himself! The petty man deceives
himself
himself
how much more so does he deceive
others!

[?]

- The Priority of Filial Devotion

Devotion
1

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Filial devotion is the highest priority! In

this one word all is complete, [even]
even] the
cannot]
sage [cannot
] add to it!

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

The father and mother are the child's Heaven

and Earth. Without Heaven, how is one born?
born?
Without Earth, how is one formed?
formed? Are Heaven
and Earth generous to the ten thousand
things, or are the ten thousand things
Earth?
generous to Heaven and Earth
? The
generosity
generosity
of being generous to ones
generosity!
father and mother is not generosity!
One
who served his father and mother and yet knew
enough
wasn
in himself that it was not enough
wasn
t
Shun?
this Shun
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

That which cannot be prolonged enough

enoughthis
is called serving one
ones parents. A filial
son values each day he has
has with them.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Does a filial son not make offerings to his

ancestors?
ancestors
? Does he not fast?
fast? Now, only
through the fast is one able to make the
deceased's image survive and feel connected
to those who are gone. Thus, in fasting a
filial son preserves a vision of his father
and mother. Because of this, during the fast,
one does not take guests. Men who do not make
offerings to their ancestors, are they even
otters?
as good as jackals and otters
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone asked about being a son.

Yangzi said: If one exhausts li both during
his parents life and after their death, then
may he not be referred to as a capable son?
son?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Yangzi said: Shi Fen and Shi Jian were the

perfect father and son. Without this father,
there would not have been such a son. Without
this son, there would not have
have been such a
father.
both?
Someone said: Must there be both
?
Yangzi said: Rather than Yao not having a son
and Shun not having a father, it would have
been better had Yao been the father and Shun
the son.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

A son eats coarse food and wears tattered

clothing while he gives the good food and
beautiful clothing to his parents, because he
seeks to be filial. If some say he is a
it?
phony, what can be done about it
?
Yangzi said: Suppose he wore a ru
rus robes
Confucian
and read the Confucia
n books for three months
without any lapse. Who would say he was not a
ru?
ru
?
The other said: How can you tell if he is a
phony?
phony
?

Yangzi said: If he does it when others are

around, but stops when others are not around,
then he can be called phony. In observing
people, simply examine when they act and when
that
they stop, and that
s all.
8

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

The good reputation that one makes without

seeking is best. The reputation one makes by
seeking after it is merely second best.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone asked: What are loyal words and

excellent plans?
plans?
Yangzi said: Words that accord with those of
Hou Ji and Zi Xie's are referred to as loya1.
Plans that accord with those of Gao Yao are
referred to as excellent.
The other said: What if this standard is too
lofty?
lofty
?
Yangzi said: Indeed, one must simply be
and
diligent a
nd that's all. If the standard were
lower, then Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Shang Yang, and
Li Si would also be considered loyal and

excellent.
10

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

11

The dao of Yao and Shun was august!

The dao of the Xia, Yin, and Zhou was
magnificent!
Thus their glory lives on!
The other said: What do you mean?
mean?
Yangzi said: Yao and Shun were glorious by
means of abdicating the throne. The Xia were
glorious because of their meritorious deeds,
and the Yin and Zhou because of their
righteous military campaigns.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone said: Food as delicate and finely

prepared as little ants, robes as beautiful
as paintings, a vermilion wheeled fourfour-horse
chariot, and a glittering gold seal with the
ribbons
vermilion silk ribbons
is this not
excessive?
excessive
?

Yangzi said: Because of their de, Shun and

Yu's inheritance of all under Heaven was not
excessive;
excessive
; but if it is not because of one's
de, then even five strands of silk and the
copper seal of the lowest office is still too
excessive.
12

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

13

The world is penetrated by five daos, but

there is only one means by which to walk on
them
them
it is called diligence.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone said: As for physical strength, there

are those who can carry a massive ritual
cauldron or raise military flags. In terms of
wisdom and de, are there not also those who
way?
compare in this way
?
Yangzi said: These are merely cases of one
allows
man being like a hundred. De that al
lows one
to harmonize with the stupid and foolish, and

to abdicate the ten thousand kingdoms;

kingdoms; wisdom
that clearly perceives Heaven and Earth, and
can give form to unfathomable profundity
profundityare
these merely equal to the de and wisdom of a
men?
hundred men
?
14

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

15

Someone asked about the ruler.

Yangzi said: He should be bright and
illuminating.
The other asked about the minister.
Yangzi said: He should be dutiful and have a
settling influence.
The other said: May I ask to what you refer?
refer?
is
Yangzi said: When a junzi i
s in a high
position, then he is bright and illuminates
those below. When he is in a low position,
then he is dutiful and has a settling
influence on those above.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone asked: Does the sage give attention

to strange phenomena?
phenomena?
Yangzi said: The sage attends to de;
de; strange

phenomena are secondary. Thus, constantly

cultivating de
dethis is to grasp the root.
Waiting to see strange phenomena and only
de
then cultivating de
this is to grasp the tip
of the branch. To cultivate neither the root
survive
nor the tip of the branch and yet survive

there has yet to be a case of this.

16

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

17

Heaven and Earth's accomplishments are due to

the people. The people's accomplishments are
due to the One Man. The One Man's
accomplishments are due to his xin.

...
... :

18

The Priority
of Filial...:

I have heard this from the Lunyu: "In old

age, the junzi guards against covetousness."
Those whose de increases in excellence as
older
they grow older
are they not the followers
Confucius?
of Confucius
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

19

Someone asked: De that has a beginning but no

end, or de that has an end but no beginning
beginning
which would you prefer?
prefer?
Yangzi said: Would you rather first become
ill and then be cured, or first be cured and
ill?
then become ill
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

20

Someone asked about the great.

Yangzi said: It is small.
He asked about the far away.
Yangzi said: It is near.
failed
He fail
ed to understand.
Yangzi said: The world is great, but
controlling it lies in the Dao. Is this not
indeed?
small indeed
? The four seas are far away, but
governing the kingdoms within them lies in
indeed?
the xin. Is this not near indeed
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Someone asked about exceptional wisdom and

great flourishing.

Yangzi said: Wisdom that enables one to know

the sage is called "exceptional." When
putting de into action flourishes bearing
abundant fruit, this is called "great."
21

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

22

The junzi
junzis actions are determined according
to the situation, and the situation is
understood according to li.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

23

Someone asked: What is the guiding principle

speech?
of all speech
? What is the source of all
conduct?
conduct
?
Yangzi said: The guiding principle of all
speech is virtuous (de) speech. The source of
all conduct is virtuous (de) conduct.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

24

Someone asked about times of great harmony?

harmony?
Yangzi said: Were they not the times of Yao,
Shun, King Cheng and the Duke of Zhou?
Zhou? Read
the Book of Documents and the Book of
Poetry's warmth and gentleness, and you can
learn of their harmony.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

In King Kang of the Zhou's time, hymns of

praise were sung from below, while the "Guan
Ju (The Ospreys)" was written above. This is
because the people were accustomed to order.
Duke Huan of Qi's time was chaotic, and the
Spring and Autumn Annals praised the peace
reached by Qi and Chu at Shaoling, because
were
the people we
re accustomed to chaos. Thus, if
one is accustomed to order, then he worries
at the first appearance of chaos. If one is
accustomed to chaos, one delights in the
first appearance of order.
Understanding the Late Western Han as a time
most
of decline, as Yang mo
st surely did, we might
therefore consider this passage as a
rationalization for the popularity and rising
power of Wang Mang, who seemed a promising

reformer at the time.

25

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

26

One may say the de of the Han is sincerely

missed! From the south of Huangzhi, the west
of Daxia, Dongdi, and Beinu, the barbarians
came to offer their treasures in tribute. One
may say the de of the Han truly is missed! It
is rare in this generation!

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

27

Great and sagely de which people from far

away all long for
forthis is the best. Grave
and bold military rites with soldiers
directions
attacking the four directions
this is next.
The Man and Yi barbarians causing trouble for
the empire, causing rulers to squirm in
agitation while kingdoms submit and armies
defeated
are defeated
this is the worst.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

28

The grave deportment of the unicorn, the

eminence of the phoenix
phoenixthese are the
ultimate. The warlike nature of the dragon
and tiger, the cruelty of the hawk and
falcon
falcon
these have never been the ultimate.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

29

Someone said: The quarrelsome Xiongnu wear

our painted silk robes, don our golden belt
buckles, and eat our delicacies and finest
oils. Is this not like the generosity of
offerings?
sacrificial offerings
?
Yangzi said: In the past, in the time of
Gaozu, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wu, the
Xiongnu were indeed the military's top
priority. Now their ministers come and kotow,
frontier.
and they are called "the northern frontier.

This is for the spirits of our ancestors and

the spirits of Earth and grain. Can it not
offerings?
but be like sacrificial offerings
?

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

30

West of Longdui, North of Damo, in the lands

of the Bird and Beast Yi barbarians, the
prefectures incessantly put the king
kings
armies to work. This is not something the
house of Han would do.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

31

Cutting off relations with Zhuyai was due to

the strength of Jia Juanzhi's advice. Had it
not been for this, we would have traded our
robes and skirts for their clothes of shell
and fish scales.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

The ruler's duty lies in making his people's

wealth abundant, making the Dao clear, and
upholding righteousness. As for the emperor's
role, he completes the transformations of
riceHeaven and Earth, makes the rice
-eating

people happy and peaceful. When he makes

offering to the ghosts and spirits, do the
spirits not indeed accept and enjoy the
feast?
feast
?
32

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

33

Tian
Tians Dao labors and its work is completed.
Someone asked about "laboring" and "being
completed."
Yangzi said: Moving one degree each day is
called "laboring." Completing the yearly
cycle is called "being completed."
The other said: The ruler is at ease but the
labor?
minister labors. Why does Tian labor
?
Yangzi said: With regard to concrete affairs,
they are both at ease. But they unceasingly
labor in the Dao.

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

Since the time of the Duke of Zhou, there has

been no one as exemplary as the Duke of Han
(Wang Mang). When he acts and labors for the
kingdom, he even surpasses A Heng.

34

...
... :

The Priority
of Filial...:

The Han rose up two hundred ten years ago and

revived Tian
Tians Dao
Daohasn
hasnt it almost got it
right?
right
? The imperial university is the means
it;
to establish it
; schools and study are the
it;
means to teach it
; li and music are the means
it;
to express it
; carriages and robes are the
wellmeans to display it. To return to the well
corporeal
field system and corpo
real punishment, and to
release people from slavery now that is
greatness!