| | 順鼓: |
《春秋》之義，大水，鼓用牲于社。說者曰：「鼓者、攻之也。」或曰：「脅之。」脅則攻矣。陽勝，攻社以救之。 |
| | The meaning of "Chunqiu" is that when there is a great flood, sacrificial animals should be used in offerings at the altar of She. Commentators say: "To drum up (gu) means to attack." Some say: "It means to intimidate them." To intimidate is indeed to attack. Yang Sheng attacked the altar of She in an attempt to save it.
|
| | 順鼓: |
或難曰：攻社謂得勝負之義，未可得順義之節也。人君父事天，母事地。母之黨類為害，可攻母以救之乎？以政令失道，陰陽繆盭者，人君也。不自攻以復之，反逆節以犯尊，天地安肯濟？使湛水害傷天，不以地害天，攻之可也。今湛水所傷，物也。萬物於地，卑也。害犯至尊之體，於道違逆。論《春秋》者曾不知難。 |
| | Some object, saying: To attack the altar of She implies grasping the meaning of victory and defeat, but this does not conform to the principles of proper conduct. A ruler should serve Heaven as a father and Earth as a mother. If the relatives of one's mother cause harm, can one attack the mother in order to save her? It is the ruler who causes political orders to deviate from the right path and leads yin and yang into disorder. If he does not attack himself in order to restore harmony, but instead violates proper conduct by defying the superior, how could Heaven and Earth possibly assist him? If deep floods harm Heaven, yet they do not involve Earth harming Heaven, then attacking them is acceptable. Now the damage caused by the deep flood affects things (i.e., objects or beings). All things in relation to Earth are inferior. To cause harm that violates the supreme body is contrary to the Way. Those who discuss "Chunqiu" have never known this difficulty.
|
| | 順鼓: |
案雨出於山，流入於川，湛水之類，山川是矣。大水之災，不攻山川。社、土也，五行之性，水土不同。以水為害而攻土，土勝水，攻社之義，毋乃如今世工匠之用椎鑿也？以椎擊鑿，令鑿穿木。今儻攻土，令厭水乎？ |
| | Investigating the matter, rain originates from mountains and flows into rivers; thus, deep floods are of the type that involve mountains and rivers. In the case of a great flood disaster, one should not attack the mountains and rivers. She represents earth; according to the Five Elements' nature, water and earth are different. To attack earth because of a water-related disaster—since earth overcomes water—is the meaning of attacking She not similar to how craftsmen in our time use hammers and chisels? To strike a chisel with a hammer, causing it to penetrate wood. Now, if one were to attack earth, would that cause it to suppress water?
|
| | 順鼓: |
且夫攻社之義，以為攻陰之類也。甲為盜賊，傷害人民，甲在不亡，舍甲而攻乙之家，耐止甲乎？今雨者、水也。水在，不自攻水，而乃攻社。案天將雨，山先出雲，雲積為雨，雨流為水。然則山者、父母，水者、子弟也。重罪刑及族屬，罪父母子弟乎？罪其朋徒也？計山水與社，俱為雨類也。孰為親者？社、土也，五行異氣，相去遠。 |
| | Moreover, the meaning of attacking She is considered as attacking things related to yin. If person Jia becomes a bandit, harms the people, and if Jia is still present but one abandons attacking Jia and instead attacks household Yi, how can this possibly stop Jia? Now rain is water. Water exists, yet one does not attack the water itself but instead attacks She. Investigating this matter, when Heaven is about to send rain, mountains first produce clouds; the accumulation of clouds becomes rain, and flowing rain becomes water. If that is so, then the mountain represents parents, while water represents children and younger generations. When severe punishment extends to relatives, does it punish the parents and their children? Is it punishing their companions and followers? Considering mountains, water, and She, they are all of the same category as rain. Which is more closely related? She represents earth; the Five Elements have different natures, and they are far apart.
|
| | 順鼓: |
殷太戊，桑穀俱生。或曰高宗。恐駭，側身行道，思索先王之政，興滅國，繼絕世，舉逸民，明養老之義，桑穀消亡，享國長久。此說者《春秋》所共聞也。水災與桑穀之變何以異？殷王改政，《春秋》攻社，道相違反，行之何從？ |
| | Yin Taipu had both mulberry and millet grow together. Some say Gaozong. He was frightened and alarmed, so he humbled himself to practice virtue, reflected on the policies of former kings, revived extinguished states, continued broken lineages, elevated hidden virtuous people, clarified the meaning of honoring the elderly. As a result, the mulberry and millet disappeared, and his reign endured for a long time. This is a saying commonly known in "Chunqiu." In what way are water disasters different from the transformation of mulberry and millet? When King Yin changed his policies, "Chunqiu" records an attack on She; these two actions contradict each other. Which should be followed?
|
| | 順鼓: |
周成王之時，天下雷雨，偃禾拔木，為害大矣。成王開《金縢》之書，求索行事，周公之功，執書以泣遏，雨止，風反，禾、大木復起。大雨久湛，其實一也。成王改過，《春秋》攻社，兩經二義，行之如何？ |
| | During the reign of King Cheng of Zhou, thunderstorms and rain swept across the world; crops were flattened and trees uprooted. This was a great disaster indeed. King Cheng opened the "Jinteng" scroll, sought to understand past actions, and reflected on the achievements of Duke Zhou. Holding the book in his hands, he wept sincerely; as a result, the rain stopped, the wind reversed direction, and the crops and large trees revived. A long-lasting heavy rain is essentially one and the same thing. King Cheng corrected his mistakes, while "Chunqiu" records an attack on She—these are two different classics with two meanings. How should one act in accordance?
|
| | 順鼓: |
月令之家，蟲食穀稼，取蟲所類象之吏，笞擊僇辱，以滅其變。實論者謂之未必真是。然而為之，厭合人意。今致雨者、政也，吏也，不變其政，不罪其吏，而徒攻社，能何復塞？苟以為當攻其類，眾陰之精、月也。方諸鄉月，水自下來。月離于畢，出房北道，希有不雨。月中之獸，兔、蟾蜍也。其類在地，螺與蚄也。月毀於天，螺、坊舀缺，同類明矣。雨久不霽，攻陰之類，宜捕斬兔、蟾蜍，椎被螺、坊，為其得實。蝗蟲時至，或飛或集，所集之地，穀草枯索。吏卒部民，塹道作埳，榜驅內於塹埳，杷蝗積聚以千斛數。正攻蝗之身，蝗猶不止，況徒攻陰之類，雨安肯霽？ |
| | According to the "Yueling" tradition, when insects consume grain crops, officials who resemble or symbolize those insects are selected and punished through beating and humiliation in order to eliminate the calamity. Realistic scholars consider this not necessarily true. Nevertheless, such actions are carried out to satisfy human sentiment and expectations. Now the cause of rain is political misrule and corrupt officials; if one does not reform governance or punish those officials, yet merely attacks She, how can such actions possibly stop the calamity? If it is considered appropriate to attack its kind, then among all yin essences, the moon represents them. Facing a round mirror toward the moon, water naturally flows down. When the Moon passes through Bi and appears along the northern path of Fang, it is rare for rain not to fall. The creatures in the moon are the hare and the toad. Their counterparts on earth are snails and slugs. When the moon is damaged in the sky, snails and slugs become defective—this clearly shows their connection as like beings. If rain continues without ceasing, to attack yin-related causes one should appropriately capture and behead hares and toads, strike snails and slugs with hammers, in order to achieve tangible results. Locusts appear at times; they may fly or gather, and wherever they settle, the grain and grass wither and become sparse. Officials and soldiers mobilized the people, dug ditches and pits, drove them into these traps with banners, and gathered locusts in quantities measured by thousands of hu. Even when directly attacking the bodies of locusts, they still do not stop; how then could merely attacking yin-related things cause rain to cease?
|
| | 順鼓: |
《尚書太傳》曰：「煙氛郊社不脩，山川不祝，風雨不時，霜雪不降，責於天公。臣多弒主，㜸多殺宗，五品不訓，責於人公。城郭不繕，溝池不脩，水泉不隆，水為民害，責於地公。」王者、三公各有所主，諸侯、卿大夫各有分職。大水不責卿大夫，而擊鼓攻社，何知？ |
| | The "Shangshu Taichuan" says: "If the sacrificial fires and altars of the suburbs are not properly maintained, if mountains and rivers are not honored with prayers, if winds and rains do not come at proper times, or if frost and snow fail to descend, then blame should be placed upon Heaven's official." When many ministers assassinate their rulers, when many subjects kill members of the royal family, and when the five ranks are not properly instructed, blame should be placed upon human officials. If city walls and gates are not repaired, ditches and moats neglected, water sources not maintained, and water becomes a harm to the people, blame should be placed upon Earth's official." A king and his three high ministers each have their respective responsibilities; feudal lords, senior officials, and gentlemen each hold assigned duties. In the case of a great flood, if blame is not placed on senior officials or gentlemen, yet one beats drums and attacks She—how can this be justified?
|
| | 順鼓: |
不然，魯國失禮，孔子作經，表以為戒也。公羊高不能實，董仲舒不能定，故攻社之義，至今復行之。使高尚生，仲舒未死，將難之曰：久雨湛水溢，誰致之者？使人君也，宜改政易行，以復塞之；如人臣也，宜罪其人，以過解天。如非君臣，陰陽之氣，偶時運也，擊鼓攻社，而何救止？《春秋》說曰：「人君亢陽致旱，沈溺致水。」夫如是，旱則為沈溺之行，水則為亢陽之操，何乃攻社？ |
| | Not so. When the state of Lu lost its rites, Confucius composed the classics to record it as a warning. Gongyang Gao could not clarify it, and Dong Zhongshu could not settle the matter; therefore, the meaning of attacking She remains in practice to this day. If Gao Shang had been born and Dong Zhongshu still alive, they would have questioned: "When heavy rains cause floods to overflow, who is responsible for this?" If it is the ruler's fault, he should reform his policies and change his conduct in order to stop the calamity; If it is due to a minister, then that person should be punished so as to absolve Heaven of blame. If it is neither the ruler nor his ministers, but rather a coincidence in yin-yang qi and timing, then beating drums and attacking She will not help to stop or resolve the situation. The "Chunqiu" says: "A ruler's excessive yang causes drought, while his indulgence and neglect cause floods." If that is the case, then in times of drought one should reform indulgent behavior, and in times of flood one should correct excessive yang conduct—why then attack She?
|
| | 順鼓: |
攻社不解，朱絲縈之，亦復未曉。說者以為，社、陰，朱、陽也。水、陰也，以陽色縈之，助鼓為救。夫大山失火，灌以壅水，眾知不能救之者，何也？火盛水少，熱不能勝也。今國湛水，猶大山失火也；以若繩之絲，縈社為救，猶以壅水灌大山也。原天心以人意，狀天治以人事，人相攻擊，氣不相兼，兵不相負，不能取勝。今一國水，使真欲攻陽以絕其氣，悉發國人，操刀把杖以擊之，若歲終逐疫，然后為可。楚、漢之際，六國之時，兵革戰攻，力彊則勝，弱劣則負。攻社，一人擊鼓，無兵革之威，安能救雨？ |
| | Attacking She does not resolve the issue; even binding it with red silk threads remains unclear. Commentators believe that She represents yin, while red (zhu) symbolizes yang. Water is yin; by surrounding it with the color of yang, one supports the drumming as a means of rescue. When a great mountain catches fire and is doused with blocked water, everyone knows it cannot be extinguished—why is that? Because the fire is intense while the water is insufficient; the heat cannot be overcome. Now, a country suffering from flooding is like a great mountain on fire; To use red silk ropes to bind She in an attempt at rescue is like using blocked water to douse a great mountain. If one attributes the will of Heaven to human intentions and equates Heavenly governance with human affairs, then when people attack each other, their energies do not combine, their forces do not support one another, and victory cannot be achieved. Now, in the case of a country suffering from floods, if one truly wishes to attack yang and cut off its qi, all the people must be mobilized, armed with knives and staffs to strike it—only then would such an action be feasible, like driving away plagues at year's end. During the time between Chu and Han, during the era of the Six States, wars and battles were fought; those with greater strength prevailed, while the weak suffered defeat. To attack She by having one person beat a drum—without the power of weapons or military might—how could such an act possibly stop the rain?
|
| | 順鼓: |
夫一暘一雨，猶一晝一夜也；其遭若堯、湯之水旱，猶一冬一夏也。如或欲以人事祭祀復塞其變，冬求為夏，夜求為晝也。何以效之？久雨不霽，試使人君高枕安臥，雨猶自止。止久，至於大旱，試使人君高枕安臥，旱猶自雨。何則？暘極反陰，陰極反暘。故夫天地之有湛也，何以知不如人之有水病也？其有旱也，何以知不如人有癉疾也？禱請求福，終不能愈；變操易行，終不能救。使醫食藥，冀可得愈；命盡期至，醫藥無效。堯遭洪水，《春秋》之大水也，聖君知之，不禱於神，不改乎政，使禹治之，百川東流。夫堯之使禹治水，猶病水者之使醫也。然則堯之洪水，天地之水病也；禹之治水，洪水之良醫也。說者何以易之？ |
| | One period of sunshine and one period of rain are like one day and one night; When encountering floods or droughts as in the time of Yao and Tang, it is akin to experiencing winter and summer. If someone wishes to use human rituals and sacrifices to stop such changes, it would be like trying to make winter become summer or night turn into day. How can this be proven? When rain continues without ceasing, try having the ruler lie back with his head high and rest in peace; will the rain stop on its own? If it stops for a long time, leading to great drought, try having the ruler rest with his head high; will rain fall on its own? Why is that so? When yang reaches its extreme, it turns into yin; when yin reaches its extreme, it returns to yang. Therefore, how can one know that the flooding of Heaven and Earth is not like a person suffering from water-related illness? When there is drought, how can one be certain it is not similar to a human suffering from heat-related ailments? Prayers and requests for blessings ultimately cannot cure the condition; Changing conduct and reforming behavior still cannot save the situation. If a physician administers medicine, there is hope for recovery; When one's life span has ended and the appointed time arrives, medicine becomes ineffective. When Yao encountered the great flood, it was a "Chunqiu"-recorded deluge. The sage ruler understood this and did not pray to gods nor alter his policies; instead, he appointed Yu to manage the waters, and all rivers flowed eastward. King Yao's appointment of Yu to control the floods is like a patient with water-related illness entrusting their care to a physician. Therefore, the great flood during Yao's time was Heaven and Earth's "water disease"; Yu's control of the waters made him the outstanding physician for the deluge. Why would commentators suggest an alternative?
|
| | 順鼓: |
攻社之義，於事不得。雨不霽，祭女媧，於禮何見？伏羲、女媧，俱聖者也，舍伏羲而祭女媧，《春秋》不言。董仲舒之議，其故何哉？ |
| | The meaning of attacking She does not hold up in practical terms. When rain does not cease, sacrificing to Nüwa—where is such a practice found in ritual? Fu Xi and Nu Wa were both sage figures; yet, abandoning Fu Xi to worship Nu Wa is not mentioned in the Chunqiu. What was the reason behind Dong Zhongshu's opinion?
|
| | 順鼓: |
夫《春秋經》但言「鼓」，豈言「攻」哉？說者見有「鼓」文，則言「攻」矣。夫鼓未必為攻，說者用意異也。季氏富於周公，而求也為之聚歛而附益之。孔子曰：「非吾徒也，小子鳴鼓攻之，可也。」攻者、責也，責讓之也。六國兵革相攻，不得難此。 |
| | The Chunqiu Jing merely mentions "drumming," how could it mean "attacking"? Commentators, upon seeing the word "gu" (drum), then say it means "attack." Drumming does not necessarily mean attacking; commentators have different interpretations. The Ji family was wealthier than the Duke of Zhou, yet Qiu also collected taxes for them and added to their gains. Confucius said: "He is not my disciple; you may all beat drums and attack him." "To attack" means to censure, to reprimand. The armies of the Six States attacking each other cannot be equated with this.
|
| | 順鼓: |
此又非也。以卑而責尊，為逆矣。或據天責之也。王者母事地，母有過，子可據父以責之乎？下之於上，宜言諫。若事，臣子之禮也；責讓，上之禮也。乖違禮意，行之如何？ |
| | This is also incorrect. To censure a superior from an inferior position is to act in defiance. It may be justified by holding them accountable before Heaven. A sovereign should treat the earth as a mother; if a mother has faults, can a son hold his father to account for it? When those below address their superiors, they should speak of remonstrance. If it is a matter of conduct, this is the proper etiquette for ministers and children; To censure or reprimand is the superior's manner. If it violates the meaning of ritual, how can such actions be carried out?
|
| | 順鼓: |
夫禮以鼓助號呼，明聲響也。古者人君將出，撞鍾擊鼓，故警戒下也。必以伐鼓為攻此社，此則鍾聲鼓鳴攻擊上也。大水用鼓，或時再告社。陰之太盛，雨湛不霽，陰盛陽微，非道之宜。口祝不副，以鼓自助，與日食、鼓用牲于社，同一義也。俱為告急，彰陰盛也。事大而急者用鍾鼓，小而緩者用鈴𥭳，彰事告急，助口氣也。大道難知，大水久湛，假令政治所致，猶先告急，乃斯政行。盜賊之發，與此同操。盜賊亦政所致，比求闕失，猶先發告。鼓用牲于社，發覺之也。社者、眾陰之長，故伐鼓使社知之。說鼓者以為「攻」之，故「攻母」、「逆義」之難，緣此而至。今言「告」以陰盛陽微，攻尊之難，奚從來哉？且告宜於用牲，用牲不宜於攻。告事用牲，禮也；攻之用牲，於禮何見？ |
| | Ritual uses drumbeats to assist in shouting and calling, emphasizing sound and resonance. In ancient times, when a ruler was about to go out, he would strike the bells and beat the drums, thus warning and admonishing his subordinates. To necessarily interpret beating the drum as attacking this altar of She would mean that bell sounds and drumbeats are used to attack one's superiors. During a great flood, drums were used; at times, the offering to She was repeated twice. Excessive Yin causes heavy rain that does not cease; when Yin is too strong and Yang weak, it is contrary to the proper Dao. If verbal prayers are insufficient, drums are used for assistance; this is of the same meaning as beating drums and offering sacrificial animals at She during a solar eclipse. Both serve to signal urgency, highlighting the excessive Yin. For important and urgent matters, bells and drums are used; for minor or less pressing affairs, chimes and small instruments suffice. This distinction emphasizes the urgency of the matter and assists verbal expression. The great Dao is hard to comprehend; a prolonged flood, even if caused by governance, still requires an urgent warning before such policies are implemented. The outbreak of bandits and thieves follows the same principle as this. Banditry is also a result of governance; therefore, seeking deficiencies should precede issuing warnings. Beating the drum and offering sacrifices at She serves to reveal the issue. She is the chief of all Yin forces, so drums are beaten to inform it. Those who interpret "drum" as meaning "attack" have thus led to the difficulties of "attacking one's mother" and "defying proper conduct," all stemming from this misunderstanding. Now, if we say that the drum signifies an announcement of excessive Yin and weak Yang, how could the difficulty of "attacking a superior" possibly arise from this? Moreover, offerings with sacrificial animals are appropriate for making announcements; however, using sacrificial animals is not suitable for attacking. Offering sacrifices to announce an event is in accordance with ritual; Using sacrificial animals for attacking—where is this found in ritual?
|
| | 順鼓: |
朱絲如繩，示在暘也。暘氣實微，故用物微也。投一寸之鍼，布一丸之艾於血脈之蹊，篤病有瘳。朱絲如一寸之鍼、一丸之艾也。 |
| | Red silk as taut as a rope signifies the presence of Yang. Since the Yang energy is indeed weak, therefore only minor offerings are used. Inserting a one-inch needle and applying a single pellet of moxa to the pathways of blood and vessels can cure even serious illnesses. Red silk is like that one-inch needle, or that single pellet of moxa.
|
| | 順鼓: |
吳攻破楚，昭王亡走，申包胥間步赴秦，哭泣求救，卒得助兵，卻吳而存楚。擊鼓之人，伐如何耳。使誠若申包胥，一人擊得。假令一人擊鼓，將耐令社與秦王同感，以土勝水之威，卻止雲雨。雲雨氣得與吳同恐，消散入山，百姓被害者，得蒙霽晏，有楚國之安矣。 |
| | The State of Wu attacked and defeated the State of Chu, King Zhao Wang fled in defeat. Shen Baoxu walked on foot to Qin, weeping for help; eventually he received military aid, repelled Wu, and saved Chu. The person beating the drum is merely striking it—who could possibly know what else? If one were truly like Shen Baoxu, a single person could achieve results by beating the drum. Suppose one person beats the drum; would it be possible for She and King Qin to feel the same emotion, using the power of earth overcoming water to repel and stop clouds and rain? If the cloud and rain energy could be frightened as Wu was, dispersing into the mountains, then those harmed by the people would enjoy clear skies and peace, bringing safety to the State of Chu.
|
| | 順鼓: |
迅雷風烈，君子必變，雖夜必興，衣冠而坐，懼威變異也。夫水旱、猶雷風也，雖運氣無妄，欲令人君高枕幄臥，以俟其時，無惻怛憂民之心。堯不用牲，或時上世質也。倉頡作書，奚仲作車，可以前代之時無書、車之事，非後世為之乎？時同作殊，事乃可難；異世易俗，相非如何？ |
| | When sudden thunder and fierce winds arise, a gentleman must change his demeanor; even at night he must rise, dress in formal attire, and sit upright, fearing the awe-inspiring omens. Floods and droughts are like thunder and wind; even if the weather is normal, one would wish for a ruler to rest complacently in his tent, waiting for the time, without any deep concern or worry for the people. Yao did not use sacrificial animals; perhaps this was due to the simplicity of an earlier age. Cang Jie invented writing, and Xi Zhong made carts—does this mean that in earlier times there were no books or carts, and they were not created by later generations? If the same time produced different actions, then such matters can be questioned; Different eras and changing customs—how could they not criticize each other?
|
| | 順鼓: |
俗圖畫女媧之象，為婦人之形，又其號曰「女」。仲舒之意，殆謂女媧、古婦人帝王者也。男陽而女陰，陰氣為害，故祭女媧求福祐也。《傳》又言：「共工與顓頊爭為天子，不勝，怒而觸不周之山，使天柱折，地維絕。女媧消煉五色石以補蒼天，斷鼇之足以立四極。」仲舒之祭女媧，殆見此《傳》也。本有補蒼天、立四極之神，天氣不和，陽道不勝，儻女媧以精神助聖王止雨湛乎！ |
| | Popular depictions portray the image of Nüwa as a woman, and her name is also "Nü." Dong Zhongshu's intention likely regarded Nuwa as an ancient empress or female ruler. Men represent Yang and women Yin; since Yin energy brings harm, sacrifices to Nüwa are made in hopes of blessings and protection. The "Zhuan" also says: "Gonggong and Zhuanxu vied for the position of Son of Heaven. When Gonggong failed, he became furious and struck Mount Buzhou, causing the pillar supporting heaven to break and the ropes holding up the earth to snap." "Nüwa melted stones of five colors to mend the azure sky, and cut off the legs of a giant tortoise to establish the four corners of the world." Dong Zhongshu's sacrifice to Nüwa was likely based on this "Zhuan." Originally, there was a deity who mended the azure sky and established the four corners of the earth. If Heaven's energy is disharmonious and Yang cannot prevail, perhaps Nüwa could use her spiritual power to assist the sage ruler in stopping the prolonged rain!
|
