Confucianism - 龜 - Chinese Text Project

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實知:

儒者論聖人，以為前知千歲，後知萬世，有獨見之明，獨聽之聰，事來則名，不學自知，不問自曉，故稱聖，則神矣。若蓍、龜之知吉凶，蓍草稱神，龜稱靈矣。賢者才下不能及，智劣不能料，故謂之賢。夫名異則實殊，質同則稱鈞，以聖名論之，知聖人卓絕，與賢殊也。

《知實》

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知實:

武王不豫，周公請命。壇墠既設，筴祝已畢，不知天之許己與不？乃卜三龜。三龜皆吉。如聖人先知，周公當知天已許之，無為頓復卜三龜知。聖人不以獨見立法，則更請命，祕藏不見。天意難知，故卜而合兆，兆決心定，乃以從事。聖人不能先知，十四也。

《書解》

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書解:

荅曰：夫人有文質乃成。物有華而不實，有實而不華者。《易》曰：「聖人之情見乎辭。」出口為言，集扎為文，文辭施設，實情敷烈。夫文德、世服也。空書為文，實行為德，著之於衣為服。故曰：德彌盛者文彌縟，德彌彰者人彌明。大人德擴其文炳，小人德熾其文斑，官尊而文繁，德高而文積。華而晥者，大夫之簀，曾子寢疾，命元起易。由此言之，衣服以品賢，賢以文為差，愚傑不別，須文以立折。非唯於人，物亦咸然。龍鱗有文，於蛇為神；鳳羽五色，於鳥為君；虎猛，毛蚡蜦；龜知，背負文。四者體不質，於物為聖賢。且夫山無林，則為土山；地無毛，則為瀉土；人無文，則為僕人。土山無麋鹿，瀉土無五穀，人無文德，不為聖賢。上天多文而后土多理，二氣協和，聖賢稟受，法象本類，故多文彩。瑞應符命，莫非文者。晉唐叔虞、魯成季友、惠公夫人號曰仲子，生而怪奇，文在其手。張良當貴，出與神會，老父授書，卒封留侯。河神，故出圖；洛靈，故出書。竹帛所記怪奇之物，不出潢洿。物以文為表，人以文為基。棘子成欲彌文，子貢譏之。謂文不足奇者，子成之徒也。

《自紀 - Autobiography》

English translation: Albert Forke ^[?]

9 Jump to dictionary Show parallel passages Show photographic representation	自紀:	充書不能純美。或曰：「口無擇言，筆無擇文。文必麗以好，言必辯以巧。言瞭於耳，則事味於心；文察於目，則篇留於手。故辯言無不聽，麗文無不寫。今新書既在論譬，說俗為戾，又不美好，於觀不快。蓋師曠調音，曲無不悲；狄牙和膳，肴無澹味。然則通人造書，文無瑕穢。《呂氏》、《淮南》，懸於市門，觀讀之者，無訾一言。今無二書之美，文雖眾盛，猶多譴毀。」荅曰：夫養實者不育華，調行者不飾辭。豐草多華英，茂林多枯枝。為文欲顯白其為，安能令文而無譴毀？救火拯溺，義不得好；辯論是非，言不得巧。入澤隨龜，不暇調足；深淵捕蛟，不暇定手。言姦辭簡，指趨妙遠；語甘文峭，務意淺小。稻穀千鍾，糠皮太半；閱錢滿億，穿決出萬。大羹必有澹味，至寶必有瑕穢，大簡必有大好，良工必有不巧。然則辯言必有所屈，通文猶有所黜。言金由貴家起，文糞自賤室出。《淮南》、《呂氏》之無累害，所由出者，家富官貴也。夫貴、故得懸於市，富、故有千金副。觀讀之者，惶恐畏忌，雖見乖不合，焉敢譴一字？
	Autobiography:	Wang Chong's book cannot be free from imperfection. Some say that in speaking he does not choose the words, nor in writing, the phrases. Compositions must be tastefully written, and discussions ingeniously conducted. When such words strike the ear, they cause a pleasant feeling in the heart, and when the eye falls on writing, the hand does not lay the book aside again. Such disputations are always listened to, and excellent compositions always appreciated. Now, since this new book chiefly consists of comparisons and strictures on the depravity of the age, and does not praise what is good, it does not please the reader. The tunes played by the music-master Kuang were always full of feeling, and the delicacies prepared by Yi Di and Yi Ya were never tasteless. When a clever man writes a book, it is without a flaw. Lu Shi and Huai Nan made an advertisement on the market gates, and the readers did not find fault with one word in their books. Now the Lun-heng does not possess the beauties of these two books. It is long enough, but open to objections in many respects. In reply I beg to state that he who cherishes veracity does not trouble much about beauty, and that regulating the conduct, he does not polish his words. Luxuriant grass has often abundance of blossoms, and mighty forests have many dry branches. The purport of words is to clearly show the nature of things, how can they be polished and above all censure? Saving a man from fire or out of water, we do not care, whether we do it in a beautiful style or not, and, when we debate on a question, our words must not necessarily be ingenious. Plunging into a lake to seize turtles, we have no time to think, whether we place our feet right, and catching dragons in deep water, we have no time to care for the position of our hands. In spite of bad style and faulty terms the meaning may be excellent and far reaching sometimes, and sweet words and beautiful expressions give often a very poor sense. When a thousand chung of grain are cleansed, more than half are husks, and examining a hundred thousand cash, one finds that the broken coins exceed ten thousand. Fine soups are often insipid, and the best jewels have their flaws. A slip-shod production may possess great beauties, and a great artist do very second-rate work. Every discussion has its weak points, and in the ablest production some deficiencies can be detected. Golden words come from noble houses, and foul productions from poor families, they think.--- Huai Nan Tse and Lu Shi did not encounter any difficulties, because they were descendants of rich houses and of high rank. Since they were noble, they could well advertise on the market place, and being so wealthy, they could easily make the alternate promise of a thousand chin. Their readers were intimidated and in awe, and would never have ventured to criticise one character, even if it had been quite out of place.

《太玄經 - Tai Xuan Jing》
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[Eastern Han] 33 BC-18 Yang Xiong

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《童》

童:

次二，錯于靈蓍，焯于龜資，出泥入脂。測曰，「錯蓍」「焯龜」、比光道也。

《格》

格:

次七，格其珍類，龜緺厲。測曰，「格其珍類」、無以自匡也。

《太玄攡》

太玄攡:

夫天宙然示人神矣，夫地他然示人明也。天地奠位，神明通氣，有一有二有三。位各殊輩，回行九區，終始連屬，上下無隅。察龍虎之文，觀鳥龜之理，運諸桼政，繫之泰始極焉，以通琁璣之統，正玉衡之平。圜方之相研，剛柔之相干，盛則人衰，窮則更生，有實有虛，流止無常。

《太玄瑩》

太玄瑩:

凡十有二始，群倫抽緒，故有一、二、三，以絓以羅，玄術瑩之。鴻本五行，九位施重，上下相因，醜在其中，玄術瑩之。天圜地方，極植中央，動以曆靜，時乘十二，以建七政，玄術瑩之。斗振天而進，日違天而退；或振或違，以立五紀，玄術瑩之。植表施景，榆漏率刻，昏明考中，作者以戒，玄術瑩之。泠竹為管，室灰為候，以揆百度；百度既設，濟民不誤，玄術瑩之。東西為緯，南北為經；經緯交錯，邪正以分，吉凶以形，玄術瑩之。鑿井澹水，鑽火㸐木，流金陶土，以和五美；五美之資，以資百體，玄術瑩之。奇以數陽，偶以數陰，奇偶推演，以計天下，玄術瑩之。六始為律，六間為呂，律呂既恊，十二以調，日辰以數，玄術瑩之。方州部家，八十一所，畫下中上，以表四海，玄術瑩之。一辟、三公、九卿、二十七大夫、八十一元士，少則制眾，無則治有，玄術瑩之。古者不𨖛不虞，慢其思慮，匪筮匪卜，吉凶交瀆；於是聖人乃作蓍龜，鑽精倚神，鉗知休咎，玄術瑩之。是故欲知不可知，則擬之以乎卦兆；測深摹遠，則索之以乎思慮。二者其以精立乎？夫精以卜筮，神動其變；精以思慮，謀合其適；精以立正，莫之能仆；精以有守，莫之能奪。故夫抽天下之蔓蔓，散天下之混混者，非精其孰能之？

《太玄棿》

太玄棿:

維天肈降生民，使其貌動、口言、目視、耳聽、心思，有法則成，無法則不成。誠有不威。棿、擬之經。垂消為衣，襞幅為裳，衣裳之示，以示天下。棿、擬之三八。比札為甲，冠矜為戟，被甲何戟，以威不恪。棿、擬之四九。尊尊為君，卑卑為臣，君臣之制，上下以際。棿、擬之二漆。鬼神耗荒，想之無方；無冬無夏，祭之無度，故聖人著之以祀典。棿、擬之一六。時天時，力地力，維酒維食，爰作稼穡。棿、擬之五五。古者寶龜而貨貝，後世君子易之以金弊，國家以通，萬民以賴。棿、擬之思慮。建侯開國，渙爵般秩，以引百祿。棿、擬之福。越隕不令，維用五刑。棿、擬之禍。秉圭戴璧，臚湊群辟。棿、擬之八十一首。棘木為杼，削木為柚，杼、柚既施，民得以燠。棿、擬之經緯。雕割匏、竹、革、木、土、金，擊石彈絲，以和天下。棿、擬之八風。陰陽相錯，男女不相射，人人物物，各由厥彙。棿、擬之虛嬴。日月相斛，星辰不相觸；音律差列，奇耦異氣；父子殊面，兄弟不孿，帝王莫同。棿、擬之歲。嘖以牙者童其角；㩣以翼者兩其足；無角無翼，材以道德。棿、擬之九日平分。存見知隱，由邇擬遠，推陰陽之荒，考神明之隱。棿、擬之晷刻。一明一幽，跌剛跌柔，知陰者逆，知陽者流。棿、擬之晝夜。上索下索，遵天之度；往述來述，遵天之術；無或改造，遵天之醜。棿、擬之天元。天地神胞法易，久而不已；當往者終，當來者始。棿、擬之罔直蒙酋冥。故擬水於川，水得其馴；擬行於德，行得其中；擬言於法，言得其正。言正則無擇，行中則無爽，水順則無敗。無敗故久也，無爽故可觀也，無擇故可聽也。可聽者、聖人之極也，可觀者、聖人之德也，可久者、天地之道也。是以昔者群聖人之作事也，上擬諸天，下擬諸地，中擬諸人。天地作函，日月固明，五行該醜，五嶽宗山，四瀆長川，五經括矩。天違地違人違，而天下之大事悖矣。

《風俗通義 - Fengsu Tongyi》

[Eastern Han] 190-200

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《窮通》

《孔子》