| Replies in Self-Defense:...: |
In the Cheng of Jin, the Tao-wu of Chu, and the Chunqiu of Lu persons and things are all different. As regards the diagrams chien and kun of the Yiking, the yuan of the Chun-qiu and the mystical principle of Yang Zi Yun, they use diverse terms for divination and time periods. From this we may infer that the Lun-heng and the Zheng-wu have the same aim as the memorials of Tang Lin and the essays of Ku Yung.
The Han time is very rich in literary ralents, and the number of essays is especially large, Yang Cheng Tse Chang produced the Yueh-ching and Yang Tse Yun the Tai-hsuan-ching. These two books were current in the court and read in the side-halls. The impression they caused was enormous, they were not relations but creations, and people doubted, whether the ingenious authors were not sages. The court found nothing to blame in them. Now, fancy the Lun-heng with its minute discussions and thorough arguments, intended to explain the common errors and elucidate the right and wrong principles so, that future generations can clearly see the difference between truth and falsehood! Lest all this be lost, I have committed it to the writing tablets: remarks on chapters and passages of the classics of our ancestors, and on queer sayings of former masters. I offer critical remarks and reject many common traditions. The delusion caused by such traditions and the spread of so many lying books give endless pain to the knowing. Confucius said:---"When a man is touched by poetry, he cannot remain silent. When I am moved, I cannot keep quiet, but must speak."
Jade is being confounded with stones. People cannot distinguish it, as for instance the inspector of works in Chu took jade for a stone, and suddenly ordered Pien Ho to have his foot cut off. Right is being turned into wrong, and falsehood into truth. How is it possible not to speak of it?
As the common traditions are full of exaggerations, so the common books teem with falsehoods. Tsou Yen e.g. pretends that our world is one continent, and that beyond the four seas there are still nine other continents like our world. Huai Nan Tse says in his book that, when Kung Kung, fighting for the throne with Chuan Hsu, was not victorious, he ran against Mount Pu-chou in his wrath so, that he caused the "Pillar of Heaven" to break, and the confines of the earth to be smashed. In Yao's time ten suns appeared simultaneously. Yao shot an arrow at nine of them. During the battle fought by the Duke of Lu-yang the sun went down. Swinging his spear he beckoned to the sun, when he came back. There are a great many books and records of a similar nature in the world. Truth and reality are drowned in a flood of inventions and fabrications. Can we remain silent, when our heart swells to overflowing, and the pencil trembles in our hand?
Discussing a question we must examine into it with our mind, and demonstrate it by facts, and, if there be any inventions, proofs must be given. As the history of the Grand Annalist testifies, Hsu Yu did not hide, nor did Tan, the crown-prince of Yen, cause the sun to revert to the meridian. Nobody can read these passages without applauding. |
