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論災異，謂古之人君為政失道，天用災異譴告之也。災異非一，復以寒溫為之效。人君用刑非時則寒，施賞違節則溫。天神譴告人君，猶人君責怒臣下也。故楚嚴王曰：「天不下災異，天其忘子乎！」災異為譴告，故嚴王懼而思之也。 |
| | Discussing calamities and omens means that in ancient times, when a sovereign governed improperly, Heaven would use disasters and strange phenomena to admonish him. Disasters and omens are not uniform; they also manifest their effects through coldness and warmth. When a sovereign administers punishment at an inappropriate time, it results in coldness; when he bestows rewards contrary to the proper season, it leads to warmth. When Heaven and deities admonish a sovereign, it is like how a sovereign rebukes his subordinates in anger. Therefore, King Yan of Chu said: "Heaven does not send down disasters and omens; is Heaven forgetting you?" Disasters and omens serve as admonitions, so King Yan was fearful and reflected upon them.
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曰：此疑也。夫國之有災異也，猶家人之有變怪也。有災異，謂天譴人君，有變怪，天復譴告家人乎？家人既明，人之身中，亦將可以喻。身中病，猶天有災異也。血脈不調，人生疾病；風氣不和，歲生災異。災異、謂天譴告國政，疾病、天復譴告人乎？釀酒於罌，烹肉於鼎，皆欲其氣味調得也。時或鹹苦酸淡不應口者，猶人勺藥失其和也。夫政治之有災異也，猶烹釀之有惡味也。苟謂災異為天譴告，是其烹釀之誤，得見譴告也。占大以小，明物事之喻，足以審天。使嚴王知如孔子，則其言可信。衰世霸者之才，猶夫變復之家也，言未必信，故疑之。 |
| | It is said: This is a matter of doubt. A state experiencing disasters and omens is like a family encountering strange occurrences. To say that when there are disasters and omens, Heaven admonishes the sovereign—when there are strange occurrences, does Heaven also admonish a family? Since this is clear in the case of a family, it can also be understood by analogy within a person's own body. Illness in one's body is like Heaven having disasters and omens. When the blood vessels are out of harmony, a person falls ill; When the winds and qi are disharmonious, calamities and strange phenomena arise in the year. If disasters and omens mean Heaven admonishes a state's governance, does illness also mean Heaven admonishes an individual? When wine is brewed in a jar and meat cooked in a tripod, it is all done with the desire to achieve a harmonious flavor. Sometimes the taste may be too salty, bitter, sour, or bland and not pleasing to the mouth; this is like when a person administers medicine but loses its harmony. The occurrence of disasters and omens in governance is like encountering an unpleasant taste in cooking or brewing. If one says that disasters and omens are admonitions from Heaven, then the mistake in cooking or brewing would also be seen as an admonition. Inferring great matters from small signs, understanding things through analogy is sufficient to discern Heaven's will. If King Yan had known as Confucius did, then his words would be credible. The talents of hegemonic rulers in a declining age are like those who speak of strange occurrences and restorations; their words may not necessarily be trustworthy, hence the doubt.
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夫天道、自然也，無為。如譴告人，是有為，非自然也。黃、老之家，論說天道，得其實矣。且天審能譴告人君，宜變易其氣以覺悟之。用刑非時，刑氣寒，而天宜為溫；施賞違節，賞氣溫，而天宜為寒。變其政而易其氣，故君得以覺悟，知是非。今乃隨寒從溫，為寒為溫，以譴告之意，欲令變更之且。大王亶父以王季之可立，故易名為歷。「歷」者、適也。太伯覺悟，之吳、越採藥，以避王季。使大王不易季名，而復字之「季」，太伯豈覺悟以避之哉？今刑賞失法，天欲改易其政，宜為異氣，若太王之易季名。今乃重為同氣以譴告之，人君何時將能覺悟，以見刑賞之誤哉？ |
| | Heaven's way is nature itself, characterized by non-action. If Heaven were to admonish people, it would be an act of doing something, which is not in accordance with nature. The Huang-Lao school's discussion and explanation of Heaven's way have grasped its true essence. Moreover, if Heaven were truly able to admonish a sovereign, it should change and transform its qi to awaken him. When punishment is administered at an improper time, the punitive qi becomes cold, yet Heaven should respond with warmth; When rewards are bestowed contrary to the proper season, the rewarding qi becomes warm, yet Heaven should respond with coldness. By changing governance and transforming its qi, a sovereign can thus become awakened and discern right from wrong. Now it merely follows coldness or warmth, becoming cold or warm, using the meaning of admonition to intend that changes be made. King Danfu, recognizing Wang Ji as worthy of succession, therefore changed his name to Li. "Li" means suitability. Taibo, having become awakened, went to Wu and Yue to gather herbs, in order to avoid Wang Ji. If King Danfu had not changed Wang Ji's name and instead continued to address him as "Ji," would Taibo have become awakened enough to avoid him? Now, when punishment and reward deviate from the law, Heaven wishes to change governance; it should produce an unusual qi, just as King Taiwang changed Wang Ji's name. Now it merely repeats the same qi to admonish them; when will a sovereign ever awaken and recognize the errors in punishment and reward?
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鼓瑟者誤於張弦設柱，宮商易聲，其師知之，易其弦而復移其柱。夫天之見刑賞之誤，猶瑟師之睹弦柱之非也，不更變氣以悟人君，反增其氣以渥其惡，則天無心意，苟隨人君為誤非也。紂為長夜之飲，文王朝夕曰：「祀，茲酒。」齊奢於祀，晏子祭廟，豚不掩俎。何則？非疾之者，宜有以改易之也。子弟傲慢，父兄教以謹敬；吏民橫悖，長吏示以和順。是故康叔、伯禽失子弟之道，見於周公，拜起驕悖，三見三笞。往見商子，商子令觀橋梓之樹。二子見橋梓，心感覺悟，以知父子之禮。周公可隨為驕，商子可順為慢，必須加之捶杖，教觀於物者，冀二人之見異，以奇自覺悟也。夫人君之失政，猶二子失道也，天不告以政道，令其覺悟，若二子觀見橋梓，而顧隨刑賞之誤，為寒溫之報，此則天與人君俱為非也。無相覺悟之感，有相隨從之氣，非皇天之意，愛下譴告之宜也。 |
| | A zither player who makes a mistake in tuning the strings and setting the bridges causes the pitch of gong and shang to change; his teacher, upon realizing this, replaces the strings and adjusts the bridges. Heaven's awareness of errors in punishment and reward is like the zither teacher's recognition of incorrect strings and bridges; if Heaven does not change its qi to awaken the sovereign, but instead intensifies it to exacerbate the wrongdoing, then Heaven has no will or intent, merely following the sovereign's mistakes. King Zhou indulged in drinking through long nights; King Wen of Zhou, morning and evening, said: "Offer this wine to the ancestral rites." Qi was extravagant in his sacrifices; when Yanzi offered sacrifices at the temple, the pig did not cover the sacrificial table. Why is that? If it were not a serious matter, there would be no need to change or correct it. When children and younger brothers are arrogant and disrespectful, fathers and elder brothers teach them caution and respect; When officials and commoners behave recklessly and defiantly, superiors demonstrate harmony and compliance. Therefore, Kangshu and Boqin failed to follow the proper conduct of younger brothers; they appeared before Duke of Zhou, who rebuked their arrogance and defiance with bows and beatings on three occasions. They went to see Shangzi, who ordered them to observe the qiao and zi trees. The two sons saw the qiao and zi trees, their hearts were moved and they became enlightened, thus understanding the rites between father and son. Duke of Zhou could not simply follow them in arrogance, nor could Shangzi merely comply with their disrespect; it was necessary to punish them with beatings and teach through observing objects, hoping the two would recognize differences and awaken themselves. A sovereign's failure in governance is like the two sons' deviation from proper conduct. Heaven does not inform them of the correct path to governance, prompting their awakening, as the two sons were enlightened by observing the qiao and zi trees; instead, it merely follows errors in punishment and reward, producing responses of coldness or warmth. This means both Heaven and the sovereign are at fault. Without a sense of mutual awakening, yet with qi that merely follows and conforms, this is not the will of the great Heaven; it does not align with the proper way to care for subordinates through admonition.
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凡物能相割截者，必異性者也；能相奉成者，必同氣者也。是故《離》下《兌》上曰「革」。革、更也。火金殊氣，故能相革。如俱火而皆金，安能相成？屈原疾楚之臭洿，故稱香潔之辭；漁父議以不隨俗，故陳沐浴之言。凡相溷者，或教之薰隧，或令之負豕。二言之於除臭洿也，孰是孰非？非有不易，少有以益。夫用寒溫非刑賞也，能易之乎？西門豹急，佩韋以自寬；董安于緩，帶絃以自促。二賢知佩帶變己之物，而以攻身之短。夫至明矣，人君失政，不以他氣譴告變易，反隨其誤，就起其氣，此則皇天用意，不若二賢審也。楚莊王好獵，樊姬為之不食鳥獸之肉；秦繆公好淫樂，華陽后為之不聽鄭、衛之音。二姬非兩主，拂其欲而不順其行。皇天非賞罰，而順其操，而渥其氣，此蓋皇天之德，不若婦人賢也。 |
| | All things that can cut or sever each other must necessarily have different natures; Those that can support and complete one another are certainly of the same qi. Therefore, in the hexagram "Li" with Dui on top it is called "Ge." Ge means change. Fire and metal have different qi, hence they can transform each other. If both were fire or both were metal, how could they transform one another? Qu Yuan was distressed by the corruption and filth of Chu, so he composed words praising fragrance and purity; The old fisherman, arguing against conformity to convention, therefore expressed his views through the metaphor of bathing. Generally, those who are muddied or corrupted—some may be taught by incense and fumigation, others may be instructed through the metaphor of carrying a pig. Between these two expressions regarding the removal of corruption and filth, which is correct and which is incorrect? It is not that there is no difficulty; rather, it is slightly beneficial. Using coldness and warmth is not the same as punishment or reward—can they bring about change? Ximen Bao was hasty, so he wore leather to remind himself to be more patient; Dong Anyu was slow, so he fastened a string around his waist to urge himself. These two virtuous men knew that wearing objects meant to change themselves could help overcome their personal weaknesses. This is very clear: when a sovereign fails in governance, if Heaven does not admonish and transform it with other qi but instead follows its errors and reinforces the resulting qi, then Heaven's intent is less discerning than that of these two virtuous men. King Zhuang of Chu loved hunting; Fan Ji refused to eat the meat of birds and beasts in response. King 缪 of Qin loved licentious music, so Empress Huayang refused to listen to the music of Zheng and Wei. These two consorts were not merely following their lords; they resisted their desires and did not comply with their actions. Heaven, though it does not bestow rewards or punishments, follows their conduct and intensifies its qi. This indicates that Heaven's virtue is even less virtuous than that of a worthy woman.
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故諫之為言「間」也。持善間惡，必謂之一亂。周繆王任刑，《甫刑篇》曰：「報虐用威。」威、虐皆惡也。用惡報惡，亂莫甚焉。今刑失賞寬，惡也，夫復為惡以應之，此則皇天之操，與繆王同也。 |
| | Therefore, the meaning of "jian" (admonition) is to "intervene." To hold up goodness and intervene against evil must necessarily be called one act of disorder. King 缪 of Zhou relied on punishment; the "Fu Xing" chapter says: "Respond to cruelty with authority." Authority and cruelty are both evil. To respond to evil with more evil is the greatest disorder of all. Now, punishment is misapplied and rewards are lenient—this is evil. To respond with further evil is to say that Heaven's conduct is no different from that of King 缪.
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故以善駮惡，以惡懼善，告人之理，勸厲為善之道也。舜戒禹曰：「毋若丹朱敖。」周公勑成王曰：「毋若殷王紂。」毋者、禁之也。丹朱、殷紂至惡，故曰「毋」以禁之。夫言「毋若」，孰與言「必若」哉？故「毋」、「必」二辭，聖人審之，況肯譴非為非，順人之過，以增其惡哉？天人同道，大人與天合德。聖賢以善反惡，皇天以惡隨非，豈道同之效、合德之驗哉？ |
| | Therefore, using goodness to refute evil and using evil to instill fear in the good is part of human reason; it serves as encouragement and exhortation toward virtuous conduct. Shun warned Yu: "Do not be like Danzhu, who was arrogant." Duke of Zhou admonished King Cheng: "Do not be like the Yin king Zhou." "Mu"—this is to prohibit. Danzhu and King Zhou of Yin were the utmost in evil, hence "mu" was used to forbid them. To say "do not be like"—how is this different from saying "you must be like"? Therefore, the two expressions "mu" and "bi," the sage carefully distinguishes between them; how then could he possibly condemn wrongdoing as rightness, follow people's faults, and thereby increase their evil? Heaven and humanity share the same way; a great person harmonizes with Heaven in virtue. If sages and virtuous people use goodness to counter evil, yet the great Heaven responds with evil following wrongdoing, how can this be considered evidence of shared way or verification of harmonious virtue?
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孝武皇帝好仙，司馬長卿獻《大人賦》，上乃僊僊有凌雲之氣。孝成皇帝好廣宮室，楊子雲上《甘泉頌》，妙稱神怪，若曰非人力所能為，鬼神力乃可成。皇帝不覺，為之不止。長卿之賦，如言仙無實效；子雲之頌，言奢有害，孝武豈有僊僊之氣者，孝成豈有不覺之惑哉？然即天之不為他氣以譴告人君，反順人心以非應之，猶二子為賦頌，令兩帝惑而不悟也。 |
| | Emperor Xiaowu loved immortals; Sima Changqing presented the "Fu of the Great Man," and thus the emperor felt as if ascending to the clouds with an ethereal spirit. Emperor Xiaocheng loved to expand palaces and halls; Yang Ziyun presented the "Ode to Ganshan," marvelously praising supernatural phenomena, as if saying such things could not be accomplished by human effort but only through divine or ghostly power. The emperor did not realize it and continued without ceasing. Changqing's fu, as if saying immortals have no real effect; Ziyun's ode, stating that extravagance is harmful—could Emperor Xiaowu truly have possessed an ethereal spirit? Could Emperor Xiaocheng really have been so deluded as not to realize it? Indeed, if Heaven does not produce other qi to admonish the sovereign but instead follows human desires and responds with erroneous phenomena, it is like these two men composing fu and odes, causing both emperors to become confused and fail to awaken.
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竇嬰、灌夫疾時為邪，相與日引繩以糾纆之，心疾之甚，安肯從其欲？太伯教吳冠帶，孰與隨從其俗，與之俱倮也？故吳之知禮義也，太伯改其俗也。蘇武入匈奴，終不左衽；趙他入南越，箕踞椎髻。漢朝稱蘇武，而毀趙他。之性，習越土氣，畔冠帶之制。陸賈說之，夏服雅禮，風告以義，趙他覺悟，運心嚮內。如陸賈復越服夷談，從其亂俗，安能令之覺悟，自變從漢制哉？ |
| | Dou Ying and Guan Fu were distressed by the corrupt times; they worked together, drawing ropes daily to bind and correct wrongdoing. Their hatred of evil was intense—how could they possibly comply with such desires? Taibo taught the people of Wu to wear hats and sashes; how does this compare to merely following their customs and remaining unclothed with them? Therefore, the people of Wu came to understand propriety and righteousness because Taibo changed their customs. Su Wu entered the Xiongnu but remained steadfast, never adopting their left-side clothing style; Zhao Tuo went to Nanyue and sat with his legs spread apart while wearing a conical hairstyle. The Han dynasty praised Su Wu but condemned Zhao Tuo. Their nature, accustomed to the customs of Yue land, abandoned the system of hats and sashes. Lu Jia advised him, promoting Han-style clothing and elegant rites, spreading the winds of righteousness; Zhao Tuo was awakened and turned his heart inward. If Lu Jia had instead adopted the barbarian dress of Yue and conformed to their chaotic customs, how could he have caused Zhao Tuo to awaken and change voluntarily to follow Han institutions?
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三教之相違，文質之相反，政失，不相反襲也。譴告人君誤，不變其失，而襲其非，欲行譴告之教，不從如何？管、蔡篡畔，周公告教之，至于再三。其所以告教之者，豈云當篡畔哉？人道善善惡惡，施善以賞，加惡以罪，天道宜然。刑賞失實，惡也，為惡氣以應之，惡惡之義，安所施哉？漢正首匿之罪，制亡從之法，惡其隨非而與惡人為群黨也。如束罪人以詣吏，離惡人與異居，首匿、亡從之法除矣。狄牙之調味也，酸則沃之以水，淡則加之以鹹，水火相變易，故膳無鹹淡之失也。今刑罰失實，不為異氣以變其過，而又為寒於寒，為溫於溫，此猶憎酸而沃之以鹹，惡淡而灌之以水也。由斯言之，譴告之言，疑乎？必信也？今熯薪燃釜，火猛則湯熱，火微則湯冷。夫政猶火，寒溫猶熱冷也。顧可言人君為政，賞罰失中也，逆亂陰陽，使氣不和，乃言天為人君為寒為溫以譴告之乎！ |
| | The three teachings differ from one another; the refined and the crude are opposite. When governance is flawed, it does not correct itself by adopting the opposite. Heaven admonishes and warns the sovereign of his error; if he does not change his mistake but instead follows what is wrong, how can one expect to carry out the teaching of admonition without compliance? Guan and Cai plotted rebellion; the Duke of Zhou advised them repeatedly. What he taught and admonished them with—could it possibly suggest that they should commit treason? Human conduct values goodness and abhors evil; to reward the good and punish the wicked is appropriate, and Heaven's way should be no different. If punishments and rewards are unjust, this itself is evil; if Heaven responds with ominous signs, where then does the principle of abhorring evil truly apply? The Han dynasty established laws to punish those who concealed criminals, and set regulations against following the lawless; this was because they abhorred people who followed wrongdoing and formed gangs with evildoers. If one binds a criminal to deliver him to the authorities, or separates an evil person and has them live apart, then the laws against concealing criminals and following lawbreakers would be abolished. Diya's method of seasoning was such that if the flavor was too sour, he would dilute it with water; if it was too bland, he added salt. Since water and fire transformed each other, thus no dish suffered from excessive saltiness or blandness. Now, when punishments and penalties are unjust, Heaven does not respond with abnormal phenomena to correct the error; instead, it exacerbates cold with more cold or heat with more heat. This is like hating sourness yet adding salt to dilute it, or disliking blandness yet pouring water over it. From this reasoning, can we say that the doctrine of admonition through calamities is doubtful? Must it be believed without question? Now, when dry firewood is used to heat a cauldron, if the fire is fierce, the water becomes hot; if the fire is weak, the water remains cold. Governance is like fire, and the phenomena of cold or warmth are akin to heat or coldness. Therefore, one may say that when a sovereign governs and his rewards and punishments are unjust, he disrupts the balance of yin and yang, causing disharmony in the qi. But can one claim that Heaven acts on behalf of the sovereign to create cold or warmth as an admonition?
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儒者之說又言：「人君失政，天為異；不改，災其人民；不改，乃災其身也。先異後災，先教後誅之義也。」 |
| | The Confucian scholars further say: "When a sovereign misgoverns, Heaven produces anomalies; if he does not reform, calamities befall his people; if he still does not change, then the disaster will strike himself." This is the meaning of "first anomalies, then calamities; first instruction, then punishment."
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曰：此復疑也。以夏樹物，物枯不生；以秋收穀，穀棄不藏。夫為政教，猶樹物收穀也。顧可言政治失時，氣物為災；乃言天為異以譴告之，不改，為災以誅伐之乎！儒者之說，俗人言也。盛夏陽氣熾烈，陰氣干之，激射襒裂，中殺人物，謂天罰陰過。外一聞若是，內實不然。夫謂災異為譴告誅伐，猶為雷殺人罰陰過也。非謂之言，不然之說也。 |
| | It was said: This is again questionable. If in summer, plants wither and do not grow; if in autumn the grain is harvested but discarded without being stored— governing and instructing people is like planting crops and harvesting grain. Therefore, can one say that if governance is mismanaged at the wrong time, qi and things become disasters; and then claim that Heaven produces anomalies to admonish it, and if there is no reform, sends calamities to punish it? The doctrine of the Confucian scholars is merely the talk of ordinary people. In midsummer, when yang qi is intense and yin qi intrudes upon it, the two forces clash violently, causing thunderbolts that strike and destroy living beings; this is said to be Heaven's punishment for excessive yin. On the surface, one might hear it described thus, but in reality, it is not so. To say that disasters and anomalies are Heaven's admonitions or punishments is like claiming that thunder killing people is a punishment for excessive yin. This is not an accurate statement, but rather an incorrect interpretation.
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或曰：谷子雲上書陳言變異，明天之譴告，不改，後將復有，願貫械待時。後竟復然。即不為譴告，何故復有？子雲之言，故後有以示改也。 |
| | Some say: Gu Ziyun submitted a memorial discussing changes and anomalies, explaining Heaven's admonition. He expressed that if no reform was made, further calamities would follow; he wished to wear shackles in anticipation of the time. Later events indeed turned out as such. If it were not a warning from Heaven, why did the calamities recur? Gu Ziyun's words served as a demonstration that reform had indeed taken place.
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曰：夫變異自有占候，陰陽物氣自有終始。履霜以知堅冰必至，天之道也。子雲識微，知後復然，借變復之說，以效其言，故願貫械以待時也。猶齊晏子見鉤星在房、心之間，則知地且動也。使子雲見鉤星，則將復曰：「天以鉤星譴告政治，不改，將有地動之變矣。」然則子雲之願貫械待時，猶子韋之願伏陛下，以俟熒惑徙處，必然之驗，故譴告之言信也。 |
| | It was said: Changes and anomalies have their own signs to be observed; the qi of yin, yang, and natural phenomena has its own beginning and end. Stepping on frost indicates that thick ice will inevitably come—this is the way of Heaven. Gu Ziyun recognized subtle signs and knew that calamities would recur later; he used the idea of change as a means to reinforce his argument, hence he was willing to wear shackles while waiting for the time. This is similar to how Zichan of Qi observed that the star Gou was positioned between Fang and Xin, and thus knew an earthquake would soon occur. If Gu Ziyun had observed the star Gou, he would have said: "Heaven uses the position of the Gou star to admonish governance; if no reform is made, there will be an earthquake." If so, then Gu Ziyun's willingness to wear shackles and wait for the time is like Zi Wei's desire to prostrate before Your Majesty in anticipation of Mars changing its position—an inevitable verification. Therefore, the doctrine of admonition can be trusted.
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予之譴告，何傷於義？ |
| | Then what harm does the idea of Heaven's admonitions do to righteousness?
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| | 譴告: |
損皇天之德，使自然無為轉為人事，故難聽之也。稱天之譴告，譽天之聰察也，反以聰察傷損於天德。「何以知其聾也？以其聽之聰也。何以知其盲也？以其視之明也。何以知其狂也？以其言之當也。」夫言當、視、聽聰明，而道家謂之狂而盲聾。今言天之譴告，是謂天狂而盲聾也。 |
| | It diminishes the virtue of the Supreme Heaven, transforming its natural non-action into human affairs; therefore, it is difficult to accept. Claiming that Heaven issues admonitions praises Heaven's wisdom and discernment, yet in doing so, one paradoxically harms the virtue of Heaven through this very perception. "How can we know it is deaf?" Because its hearing is so acute. "How can we know it is blind?" Because its sight is so clear. "How can we know it is mad?" Because its words are always appropriate." To speak appropriately, to see clearly and hear keenly—yet the Daoists call this madness and blindness-deafness. Now, to claim that Heaven issues admonitions is to say that Heaven itself is mad and blind-deaf.
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| | 譴告: |
《易》曰：「大人與天地合其德。」故太伯曰：「天不言，殖其道於賢者之心。」夫大人之德，則天德也；賢者之言，則天言也。大人剌而賢者諫，是則天譴告也，而反歸告於災異，故疑之也。 |
| | The Yijing says: "A great person unites with the virtue of heaven and earth." Therefore, Taibo said: "Heaven does not speak; it implants its way in the hearts of the virtuous." The virtue of a great person is the virtue of Heaven itself; the words of the virtuous are the words of Heaven. When a great person criticizes and the virtuous advise, this is Heaven's admonition; yet to instead attribute such warnings to disasters and anomalies causes doubt.
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| | 譴告: |
六經之文，聖人之語，動言「天」者，欲化無道，懼愚者。之言非獨吾心，亦天意也。及其言天，猶以人心，非謂上天蒼蒼之體也。變復之家，見誣言天，災異時至，則生譴告之言矣。 |
| | The texts of the Six Classics, the words of sages, often mention "Heaven"—this is to transform those who lack virtue and to warn the foolish. Such statements are not merely my own thoughts; they also reflect Heaven's will. When they speak of Heaven, it is still from the perspective of human mind and feelings—not referring to the actual blue expanse above. Those who speculate on changes and recurrences, upon witnessing false claims about Heaven and seeing disasters occur at certain times, then produce the doctrine of Heaven's admonitions.
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| | 譴告: |
驗古以知今，天以人。「受終于文祖」，不言受終于「天」，堯之心知天之意也。堯授之，天亦授之，百官臣子皆鄉與舜。舜之授禹，禹之傳啟，皆以人心效天意。《詩》之「眷顧」，《洪範》之「震怒」，皆以人身效天之意。文、武之卒，成王幼少，周道未成，周公居攝，當時豈有上天之教哉？周公推心合天志也。上天之心，在聖人之胸，及其譴告，在聖人之口。不信聖人之言，反然災異之氣，求索上天之意，何其遠哉？世無聖人，安所得聖人之言？賢人庶幾之才，亦聖人之次也。 |
| | By examining the past to understand the present, Heaven acts through people. "The phrase 'received the mandate from Wen Zu' does not say 'received it from Heaven'; this shows that Yao understood Heaven's will in his heart." Yao conferred the mandate, and Heaven also bestowed it; all officials and subjects turned toward Shun. Shun's passing of the mandate to Yu, and Yu's transmission to Qi—all were done through human hearts reflecting Heaven's will. The "concern" in the Shijing and the "wrath" in Hongfan are all expressions of human emotions reflecting Heaven's intent. When King Wen and King Wu died, Chengwang was still a child; the Zhou way had not yet been established. When Gong of Zhou assumed regency at that time, could there have been any instruction from Heaven above? The Duke of Zhou acted with sincerity to align with Heaven's will. Heaven's mind resides in the breast of a sage, and when it issues admonitions, they come forth from the sage's mouth. To disbelieve a sage's words and instead seek Heaven's will through disasters and strange phenomena is how far removed one becomes? In an age without sages, where can one find the words of a sage? The talents of virtuous men who nearly attain sainthood are also second only to those of sages.
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