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《傳》曰：「周宣王殺其臣杜伯而不辜，宣王將田於囿，杜伯起於道左，執彤弓而射宣王，宣王伏韔而死。趙簡公殺其臣莊子義而不辜，簡公將入於桓門，莊子義起於道左，執彤杖而捶之，斃於車下。」二者、死人為鬼之驗，鬼之有知、能害人之效也。無之，奈何？ |
| | The Commentary says: "King Xuan of Zhou killed his minister Du Bo without guilt. When King Xuan was about to hunt in the royal park, Du Bo arose on the left side of the road, holding a red bow and shooting at King Xuan, who fell dead after being struck by an arrow." Zhao Jian Gong killed his minister Zhuangziyi without guilt. When Jian Gong was about to enter through the Huan Gate, Zhuangziyi arose on the left side of the path, holding a red staff and striking him with it, killing him beneath his chariot." These two cases serve as evidence that the dead become ghosts; they demonstrate that ghosts possess knowledge and are capable of harming people. How could it be otherwise?
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曰：人生萬物之中，物死不能為鬼，人死何故獨能為鬼？如以人貴能為鬼，則死者皆當為鬼，杜伯、莊子義何獨為鬼也？如以被非辜者能為鬼，世間臣子被非辜者多矣，比干、子胥之輩不為鬼。夫杜伯、莊子義無道，忿恨報殺其君，罪莫大於弒君，則夫死為鬼之尊者，當復誅之，非杜伯、莊子義所敢為也。凡人相傷，憎其生，惡見其身，故殺而亡之。見殺之家，詣吏訟其仇，仇人亦惡見之。生死異路，人鬼殊處。如杜伯、莊子義怨宣王、簡公，不宜殺也，當復為鬼，與己合會。人君之威，固嚴人臣，營衛卒使固多眾，兩臣殺二君，二君之死，亦當報之，非有知之深計，憎惡之所為也。如兩臣神，宜知二君死當報己；如不知也，則亦不神。不神胡能害人？世多似是而非，虛偽類真，故杜伯、莊子義之語，往往而存。 |
| | One might ask: Humans are among the myriad things in existence. If other things, when dead, cannot become ghosts, why should humans, upon death, be able to uniquely become ghosts? If it is because humans are valuable and thus can become ghosts, then all the dead should become ghosts. Why then are Du Bo and Zhuangziyi alone considered to have become ghosts? If it is because those who are wrongfully treated can become ghosts, there have been many subjects and children in the world who were wrongly treated; yet figures such as Bi Gan and Wu Zixu did not become ghosts. Du Bo and Zhuangziyi were without virtue; they harbored resentment and took revenge by killing their ruler. There is no greater crime than regicide. If those who die become ghosts of high status, they should be punished again. It would not have been within the power of Du Bo or Zhuangziyi to do so. Whenever people harm one another, they despise the living and dislike seeing their bodies; thus, they kill them and make them disappear. The family of the victim goes to the officials to accuse his enemy, yet the enemy also dislikes seeing him. Life and death follow different paths; humans and ghosts dwell in separate realms. If Du Bo and Zhuangziye harbored resentment toward King Xuan or Jian Gong, they should not have killed them. Instead, they ought to have become ghosts themselves and reunited with their former selves. The authority of a ruler is indeed formidable to his subjects. The guards and attendants are numerous. For two ministers to kill their two rulers, the deaths of these two rulers should have been avenged. This was not an act of deep understanding or deliberate hatred on the part of ghosts. If these two ministers were deities, they should have known that their rulers' deaths would bring retribution upon themselves; if they did not know this, then they are not truly divine. If they were not divine, how could they harm people? The world is full of things that seem true but are false, and falsehoods that resemble reality. Therefore, the stories about Du Bo and Zhuangziye often persist.
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晉惠公改葬太子申生。秋，其僕狐突適下國，遇太子。太子趨登僕車而告之，曰：「夷吾無禮，余得請於帝矣，將以晉畀秦，秦將祀余。」狐突對曰：「臣聞之，神不歆非類，民不祀非族，君祀無乃殄乎？且民何罪？失刑乏祀，君其圖之！」太子曰：「諾，吾將復請。七日，新城西偏，將有巫者，而見我焉。」許之，遂不見。及期，狐突之新城西偏巫者之舍，復與申生相見。申生告之曰：「帝許罰有罪矣！斃之於韓。」其後四年，惠公與秦穆公戰於韓地，為穆公所獲，竟如其言。非神而何？ |
| | Jin Huigong reburied Crown Prince Shen Sheng. In autumn, his servant Huxu happened to be in the lower state and encountered the crown prince. The Crown Prince hurriedly climbed onto his servant's chariot and told him, saying: "Yiwu is disrespectful. I have already made a request to the Emperor of Heaven; I will give Jin to Qin, and Qin will offer sacrifices to me." Huxu replied: "I have heard that spirits do not favor those of a different kind, and the people do not worship those outside their clan. If you are worshipped by Qin, would it not be an extinction of your lineage?" Moreover, what crime have the people committed? To lose punishment and neglect worship—please think carefully about this, my lord!" The Crown Prince said: "Yes, I will make another request." "On the seventh day, to the west of Xincheng there will be a shaman; he will see me there." Huxu agreed, and then the Crown Prince disappeared. On the appointed day, Huxu went to the shaman's house at the western outskirts of Xincheng and met with Shen Sheng again. Shen Sheng told him: "The Emperor has agreed to punish those who are guilty!" "They will be killed in Han." Four years later, Huigong fought against Duke Mu of Qin at the Han region and was captured by Duke Mu. In the end, it came to pass as he had said. If not a deity, then what is it?
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曰：此亦杜伯、莊子義之類。何以明之？夫改葬、私怨也，上帝、公神也。以私怨爭於公神，何肯聽之？帝許以晉畀秦，狐突以為不可，申生從狐突之言，是則上帝許申生非也。神為上帝，不若狐突，必非上帝，明矣。且臣不敢求私於君者，君尊臣卑，不敢以非干也。申生比於上帝，豈徒臣之與君哉？恨惠公之改葬，干上帝之尊命，非所得為也。驪姬譖殺其身，惠公改葬其尸。改葬之惡微於殺人，惠公之罪輕於驪姬。請罰惠公，不請殺驪姬，是則申生憎改葬，不怨見殺也。秦始皇用李斯之議，燔燒《詩》、《書》，後又坑儒。博士之怨，不下申生；坑儒之惡，痛於改葬。然則秦之死儒，不請於帝，見形為鬼，諸生會告以始皇無道，李斯無狀。 |
| | One might say: This is also of the same kind as Du Bo and Zhuangzi Ye. How can this be proven? Changing a burial is an act of private resentment, whereas the Supreme Deity and public gods are impartial. To argue over personal grievances before the public deities—how could they possibly listen? If the Emperor agreed to give Jin to Qin, but Huxu considered it unacceptable and Shen Sheng followed Huxu's advice, then this shows that the Supreme Deity did not truly agree with Shen Sheng. If a deity were to be on par with the Emperor of Heaven, it would certainly surpass Huxu; since this is not the case, it must not have been the Emperor of Heaven. This is clear. Moreover, a minister dares not seek private favors from his ruler, for the ruler holds high status and the minister low; thus, he does not dare to bring up matters of injustice. If Shen Sheng were equal to the Emperor of Heaven, would this be merely a matter between minister and ruler? To resent Huigong for changing the burial and to challenge the Emperor's supreme command is something beyond what one should dare do. Li Ji slandered and caused his death, and Huigong later changed the burial of his corpse. Changing a burial is a lesser evil than killing someone; thus, Huigong's crime was lighter than that of Li Ji. To request punishment for Huigong but not to ask for the death of Li Ji means that Shen Sheng resented the changed burial, yet did not resent being killed. Qin Shi Huang adopted Li Si's proposal to burn the "Shi" and "Shu," and later also buried Confucian scholars alive. The resentment of the scholars was no less than that of Shen Sheng; the evil of burying Confucian scholars alive was more painful than changing a burial. If so, then the dead Confucian scholars of Qin did not seek permission from Heaven to appear as ghosts; instead, they gathered and informed others that Emperor Shi Huang was tyrannical and Li Si had no virtue.
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周武王有疾不豫，周公請命，設三壇同一墠，植璧秉圭，乃告于太王、王季、文王。史乃策祝，辭曰：「予仁若考，多才多藝，能事鬼神。乃元孫某，不若旦多才多藝，不能事鬼神。」鬼神者、謂三王也。即死人無知，不能為鬼神，周公、聖人也，聖人之言審，則得幽冥之實，得幽冥之實，則三王為鬼神，明矣。 |
| | King Wu of Zhou fell ill and was unable to attend to state affairs. Duke of Zhou requested a divine mandate, setting up three altars on the same courtyard, placing jade discs in his hands and holding jade guis, then reporting to Tai Wang, King Ji, and King Wen. The historian then composed a prayer, saying: "I am as virtuous as my father; I possess great talent and many skills, and I am capable of serving the spirits." "But your eldest grandson, someone, is not as virtuous or talented as Dan; he lacks the ability to serve ghosts and gods." The "ghosts and gods" referred to here are the Three Kings. If the dead have no knowledge and cannot become ghosts or gods, then Duke of Zhou, a sage, would not have made such statements. A sage's words are accurate; therefore, they reveal the truth about the unseen world. If one understands this truth, it is clear that the Three Kings became ghosts and gods.
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曰：實人能神乎？不能神也？如神，宜知三王之心，不宜徒審其為鬼也。周公請命，史策告祝，祝畢辭已，不知三王所以與不，乃卜三龜，三龜皆吉，然後乃喜。能知三王有知為鬼，不能知三王許己與不，須卜三龜，乃知其實。定其為鬼，須有所問，然后知之。死人有知無知，與其許人不許人，一實也。能知三王之必許己，則其謂三王為鬼，可信也；如不能知，謂三王為鬼，猶世俗之人也；與世俗同知，則死人之實，未可定也。且周公之請命，用何得之？以至誠得之乎？以辭正得之也？如以至誠，則其請之說，精誠致鬼，不顧辭之是非也。董仲舒請雨之法，設土龍以感氣。夫土龍非實，不能致雨，仲舒用之致精誠，不顧物之偽真也。然則周公之請命，猶仲舒之請雨也；三王之非鬼，猶聚土之非龍也。 |
| | One might ask: Can a real human truly become a deity? Or cannot they? If they can become deities, then they should know the minds of the Three Kings; it would not be enough merely to recognize them as ghosts. When Duke of Zhou sought a divine mandate, the historian composed and recited the prayer. After completing the ritual and delivering the words, he did not know whether or not the Three Kings had accepted them; thus, he divined using three tortoises, all of which gave auspicious signs, and only then was he pleased. He could know that the Three Kings had knowledge as ghosts, but could not know whether they had accepted his request or not; he needed to consult three tortoises in order to learn the truth. To confirm that they were ghosts, one must ask something first, and only then can one know for sure. Whether the dead possess knowledge or not, and whether they accept a request or reject it—these are essentially the same matter of truth. If one could know for certain that the Three Kings would surely accept his request, then calling them ghosts would be credible; if one cannot know this and still calls them ghosts, it is no different from the beliefs of ordinary people. To share the same understanding as the common people means that the reality of the dead cannot be determined with certainty. Moreover, when Duke of Zhou sought a mandate, by what means did he obtain it? Did he obtain it through utmost sincerity? Or was it obtained by virtue of the correctness of his words? If it were through utmost sincerity, then his request would have been made with such genuine devotion that the ghosts responded, regardless of whether the words themselves were right or wrong. Dong Zhongshu's method for requesting rain involved setting up a clay dragon to influence the atmosphere. A clay dragon is not real and cannot bring rain; Dong Zhongshu used it to express sincerity, disregarding whether the object was genuine or artificial. If so, then Duke of Zhou's request for a mandate is similar to Dong Zhongshu's prayer for rain; the Three Kings not being ghosts is like a pile of earth not being a dragon.
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晉荀偃伐齊，不卒事而還。癉疽，生瘍於頭，及著雍之地，病，目出，卒而視，不可唅。范宣子浣而撫之，曰：「事吳敢不如事主。」猶視。宣子睹其不瞑，以為恨其子吳也。人情所恨，莫不恨子，故言吳以撫之。「猶視」者、不得所恨也。欒懷子曰：「其為未卒事於齊故也乎？」乃復撫之，曰：「主苟死，所不嗣事于齊者，有如河！」乃瞑受唅。伐齊不卒，荀偃所恨也，懷子得之，故目瞑受唅；宣子失之，目張口噤。 |
| | Jin Xunyan attacked Qi but did not complete the campaign and returned early. He developed carbuncles, a sore formed on his head, and when he arrived at the place called Zhuoyong, he fell ill. His eyes bulged out, and upon death they remained open, making it impossible to close them for burial rites. Fan Xunzi washed his body and comforted him, saying: "I would serve Wu no less diligently than I served my lord." Yet the eyes still remained open. Xunzi, seeing that his eyes did not close, believed it was because he resented his son Wu. Human feelings of resentment often target one's children most deeply; thus, Xunzi mentioned Wu in an attempt to comfort him. "The eyes still remaining open ('you shi')" indicates that the resentment had not been resolved. Luan Huaizi said: "Could it be because he did not complete his mission in Qi?" He then comforted him again, saying: "If my lord were to die, if I do not continue his mission in Qi, may the Yellow River bear witness!" Only then did his eyes close and he accept the burial rites. The unfinished campaign in Qi was what Xunyan resented; Huaizi discovered this, so his eyes closed and he accepted the rites. Xunzi failed to understand it, hence his eyes remained open and his mouth tightly shut.
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曰：荀偃之病卒，苦目出，目出則口噤，口噤則不可唅。新死氣盛，本病苦目出，宣子撫之早，故目不瞑、口不闓。少久氣衰，懷子撫之，故目瞑口受唅。此自荀偃之病，非死精神見恨於口目也。凡人之死，皆有所恨。志士則恨義事未立，學士則恨問多不及，農夫則恨耕未畜穀，商人則恨貨財未殖，仕者則恨官位未極，勇者則恨材未優。天下各有所欲乎，然而各有所恨，必有目不瞑者為有所恨，夫天下之人死皆不瞑也，且死者精魂消索，不復聞人之言。不能聞人之言，是謂死也，離形更自為鬼，立於人傍，雖人之言，已與形絕，安能復入身中，瞑目闓口乎？能入身中以尸示恨，則能不免，與形相守。案世人論死，謂其精神有若，能更以精魂立形見面，使尸若生人者，誤矣。 |
| | One might say: When Xunyan died from illness, he suffered greatly with bulging eyes; when the eyes bulged, the mouth closed tightly, and a tightly closed mouth made it impossible to perform the burial rites. When newly dead, vital energy is still strong; originally, his illness caused the bulging eyes. Xunzi comforted him too early, so the eyes did not close and the mouth remained shut. After a short while, when vital energy had weakened, Huaizi comforted him, so his eyes closed and the mouth accepted the rites. This was due to Xunyan's illness itself; it was not that the spirit of the dead expressed resentment through his eyes and mouth. All people who die have some regrets. A man of virtue regrets that his righteous deeds have not been accomplished; a scholar regrets that he has not yet answered enough questions; a farmer regrets that the fields are not yet productive with grain; a merchant regrets that wealth and goods have not yet increased; an official regrets that his position is not yet at its highest; a brave man regrets that his abilities are not yet outstanding. People throughout the world each have their own desires, and thus each has their own regrets. If it is true that those whose eyes do not close are doing so because of regret, then all people in the world would die with open eyes. Moreover, when a person dies, his spirit and soul dissipate; they no longer hear human words. If one cannot hear human words, that is called death. The spirit separates from the body and becomes a ghost on its own, standing beside people. Even if humans speak, their words have already become disconnected from the physical form; how could they possibly re-enter the body to close the eyes or open the mouth? If a spirit were able to enter the body and use the corpse to express its regrets, then it would not be separated from the form but would remain united with it. According to common people's views on death, they believe that the spirit and soul can somehow re-form a shape and appear in person, making the corpse resemble a living human. This is mistaken.
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楚成王廢太子商臣，欲立王子職。商臣聞之，以宮甲圍王。王請食熊蹯而死，弗聽。王縊而死。謚之曰「靈」，不瞑；曰「成」，乃瞑。夫為「靈」不瞑，為「成」乃瞑，成王有知之效也。謚之曰「靈」，心恨，故目不瞑；更謚曰「成」，心喜乃瞑。精神聞人之議，見人變易其謚，故喜目瞑。本不病目，人不撫慰，目自翕張，非神而何？ |
| | King Cheng of Chu deposed Crown Prince Shangchen and wanted to appoint his son Zhizhi as heir instead. Shangchen heard about this and surrounded the king with palace troops. The king requested to eat xiong fan (a dish) before dying, but his request was not granted. King Cheng hanged himself and died. He was posthumously honored with the title "Ling," but his eyes did not close; only when he was given the title "Cheng" did his eyes finally close. The fact that his eyes remained open with the posthumous name "Ling," but closed when given the title "Cheng" is taken as evidence of King Cheng's awareness. When he was given the posthumous title "Ling," his heart resented it, so his eyes did not close; when the title was changed to "Cheng," he was pleased in his heart and thus closed his eyes. His spirit, hearing people's discussions and seeing that others had changed the posthumous title, was therefore pleased enough to close his eyes. His eyes were not originally diseased; no one comforted him, yet they opened and closed on their own—what else could this be but a spirit?
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曰：此復荀偃類也。雖不病目，亦不空張。成王於時縊死，氣尚盛，新絕，目尚開，因謚曰「靈」。少久氣衰，目適欲瞑，連更曰「成」。目之視瞑，與謚之為「靈」，偶應也。時人見其應「成」乃瞑，則謂成王之魂有所知，則宜終不瞑也。何則？太子殺己，大惡也；加謚為「靈」，小過也。不為大惡懷忿，反為小過有恨，非有神之效，見示告人之驗也。夫惡謚非「靈」則「厲」也，紀於竹帛，為「靈」、「厲」者多矣，其尸未歛之時，未皆不瞑也。豈世之死君不惡，而獨成王憎之哉？何其為「靈」者眾、不瞑者寡也？ |
| | It is said: This case resembles that of Xun Yan. Although his eyes were not diseased, they did not open without reason. At the time King Cheng hanged himself, his vital energy was still strong and had just ceased; his eyes were still open, so he was given the posthumous name "Ling." After a short while, as his vital energy waned and his eyes were about to close, they immediately changed the title to "Cheng." The closing of his eyes and the posthumous name "Ling" were coincidental. At that time, people saw that he closed his eyes only after the title "Cheng" was given and thus believed King Cheng's spirit had some awareness; therefore, it would have been more appropriate for him to remain with open eyes forever. Why is that? The crown prince killed him, a great evil act; bestowing the title "Ling" was a minor fault. Not being resentful over a great wrongdoing, yet harboring hatred for a small mistake—this is not evidence of the presence of a spirit but rather an illusion meant to inform and warn people. A bad posthumous title is either "Ling" or "Li," recorded in bamboo slips and silk books; many have been given the titles of "Ling" or "Li," yet at the time their bodies were not yet wrapped, their eyes did not all remain open. Could it be that deceased rulers in this world are generally not regarded as evil, but King Cheng alone was hated? Why is it then that many receive the title "Ling," yet few have their eyes remain open?
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鄭伯有貪愎而多欲，子晳好在人上，二子不相得。子晳攻伯有，伯有出奔。駟帶率國人以伐之，伯有死。其後九年，鄭人相驚以伯有，曰：「伯有至矣。」則皆走，不知所往。後歲，人或夢見伯有介而行，曰：「壬子，余將殺帶也。明年壬寅，余又將殺叚也。」及壬子之日，駟帶卒，國人益懼。後至壬寅日，公孫叚又卒，國人愈懼。子產為之立後以撫之，乃止矣。伯有見夢曰：「壬子、余將殺帶，壬寅、又將殺叚。」及至壬子日，駟帶卒，至壬寅，公孫叚死。其後子產適晉，趙景子問曰：「伯有猶能為鬼乎？」子產曰：「能。人生始化曰魄，既生魄，陽曰魂。用物精多，則魂魄彊，是以有精爽至於神明。疋夫疋婦彊死，其魂魄猶能憑依人以為淫厲，況伯有、我先君穆公之冑，子良之孫，子耳之子，弊邑之卿，從政三世矣。鄭雖無腆，抑諺曰：『蕞爾小國。』而三世執其政柄，其用物弘矣，取精多矣。其族又大，所憑厚矣。而彊死，能為鬼，不亦宜乎？」伯有殺駟帶、公孫叚不失日期，神審之驗也。子產立其後而止，知鬼神之操也。知其操，則知其實矣。實有不空，故對問不疑。子產、智人也，知物審矣。如死者無知，何以能殺帶與叚？如不能為鬼，子產何以不疑？ |
| | Duke You of Zheng was greedy, stubborn, and desirous; Zi Xi liked to be above others. The two men did not get along well. Zi Xi attacked Duke You, who fled the country. Si Dai led the people of the state to attack him, and Duke You was killed. Nine years later, the people of Zheng alarmed one another by mentioning Duke You, saying: "Duke You is coming." Then they all ran away, not knowing where to go. The following year, some people dreamed of Duke You wearing armor and walking, saying: "On the Rizi day, I will kill Dai." "The next year on the Renyin day, I shall also kill Jia." When the Rizi day arrived, Si Dai died, and the people of the state became even more fearful. Later, on the Renyin day came the death of Gongsun Jia, and the people were even more terrified. Zi Chan established a successor for them to comfort their spirits, and only then did the fear subside. Duke You appeared in dreams saying: "On Rizi day I will kill Dai, and on Renyin day I shall again kill Jia." When the Rizi day came, Si Dai died; when the Renyin day arrived, Gongsun Jia also died. Afterward, Zi Chan went to Jin, and Zhao Jingzi asked: "Is it still true that Duke You can become a ghost?" Zi Chan said: "Yes, he can." When a person is born and begins to transform, it is called po; after the po has formed, the yang aspect is called hun. When a person uses many refined substances, their hun and po become strong; thus, they may attain clarity and reach the level of spiritual awareness. Even an ordinary man or woman who dies suddenly, their hun and po can still possess people to become harmful spirits; how much more so for Duke You, a descendant of our late ruler Duke Mu Gong, grandson of Ziliang, son of Zi Er, and a high-ranking official in our humble state, who had served in government for three generations. Zheng may be small, but as the saying goes: "A tiny little country." Yet for three generations he held power in government; his use of resources was extensive, and the refined substances he consumed were numerous. His clan is also large, so what supports him is substantial indeed. And he died suddenly; thus it was natural that he could become a ghost," said Zi Chan. Duke You killed Si Dai and Gongsun Jia on the exact days predicted—this is evidence of a spirit's precision. Zi Chan established his successor to stop the disturbances, demonstrating an understanding of how spirits and ghosts are controlled. Understanding their control means understanding their reality. Since they are real and not empty, there is no doubt in answering the question. Zi Chan was a wise man who thoroughly understood things. If the dead have no awareness, how could they kill Dai and Jia? If they cannot become ghosts, why did Zi Chan not doubt it?
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曰：與伯有為怨者，子晳也。子晳攻之，伯有犇，駟帶乃率國人遂伐伯有。公孫叚隨駟帶，不造本辯，其惡微小。殺駟帶不報子晳，公孫叚惡微，與帶俱死，是則伯有之魂無知，為鬼報仇，輕重失宜也。且子產言曰：「彊死者能為鬼。」何謂彊死？謂伯有命未當死而人殺之邪？將謂伯有無罪而人冤之也？如謂命未當死而人殺之，未當死而死者多；如謂無罪人冤之，被冤者亦非一。伯有彊死能為鬼，比干、子胥不為鬼。春秋之時，弒君三十六。君為所弒，可謂彊死矣。典長一國，用物之精可謂多矣。繼體有土，非直三世也。貴為人君，非與卿位同也。始封之祖，必有穆公、子良之類也。以至尊之國君，受亂臣之弒禍，其魂魄為鬼，必明於伯有；報仇殺讎，禍繁於帶、叚。三十六君無為鬼者，三十六臣無見報者，如以伯有無道，其神有知，世間無道莫如桀、紂，桀、紂誅死，魄不能為鬼。然則子產之說，因成事者也，見伯有彊死，則謂彊死之人能為鬼。如有不彊死為鬼者，則將云不彊死之人能為鬼。子晳在鄭，與伯有何異？死與伯有何殊？俱以無道為國所殺，伯有能為鬼，子晳不能。彊死之說，通於伯有，塞於子晳。然則伯有之說、杜伯之語也，杜伯未可然，伯有亦未可是也。 |
| | It is said: The one who had a grudge against Duke You was Zi Xi. Zi Xi attacked him, and Duke You fled; then Si Dai led the people of Zheng to attack Duke You. Gongsun Jia followed Si Dai without initiating any original argument, and his wrongdoing was minor. To kill Si Dai without holding Zi Xi accountable, and to let Gongsun Jia—who had committed a minor wrongdoing—die alongside him suggests that Duke You's spirit was unaware, acting as a ghost seeking revenge in an imbalanced manner. Moreover, Zi Chan said: "Those who die suddenly can become ghosts." What is meant by dying suddenly? Does it mean that Duke You had not yet reached the time of his death but was killed by others? Or does it mean that he was innocent and wrongfully accused? If we say that someone who had not yet reached their time of death is killed, then there are many people who die before their time; if we say an innocent person was wrongfully accused, those who have been wrongly accused are also not few. If Duke You could become a ghost because he died suddenly, then Bi Gan and Wu Zixu should have also become ghosts. During the Spring and Autumn period, thirty-six kings were assassinated. A king who was murdered can certainly be said to have died suddenly. As the ruler of a state, he had access to refined substances in abundance. He inherited his position and territory; it was not merely for three generations. Being a ruler is of far greater status than being an official. The ancestor who first received his fief must have been someone like Duke Mu Gong or Ziliang. As the supreme ruler of a state, murdered by rebellious ministers, their hun and po becoming ghosts would surely be more powerful than Duke You's; Their revenge in killing the enemies would have been far greater than what happened to Dai and Jia. Yet among the thirty-six murdered kings, none became ghosts; and among their thirty-six ministers who were killed, none saw revenge. If we say that Duke You was unjust and his spirit had awareness, then in this world no one was more tyrannical than Jie or Zhou. Yet when Jie and Zhou were executed, their po could not become ghosts. Therefore, Zi Chan's statement was based on the outcome he observed; seeing that Duke You died suddenly, he concluded that those who die suddenly can become ghosts. If there were someone who became a ghost without dying suddenly, then one might say even those who did not die suddenly can become ghosts. Wasn't Zi Xi in Zheng just like Duke You? Was his death any different from that of Duke You? Both were unjust men killed by the state; yet Duke You could become a ghost, while Zi Xi could not. The theory of sudden death applies to Duke You but fails for Zi Xi. Therefore, the claim about Duke You is similar to what Du Bo said; but if Du Bo's words are questionable, then so too is the case of Duke You.
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秦桓公伐晉，次于輔氏。晉侯治兵于稷以略翟土，立黎侯而還。及，魏顆敗秦師于輔氏，獲杜回。杜回、秦之力人也。初，魏武子有嬖妾無子。武子疾，命顆曰：「必嫁是妾。」病困，則更曰：「必以是為殉。」及武子卒，顆不殉妾。人或難之，顆曰：「疾病則亂，吾從其治也。」及輔氏之役，魏顆見老人結草以亢杜回。杜回躓而顛，故獲之。夜，夢見老父曰：「余是所嫁婦人之父也。爾用先人之治命，是以報汝。」夫嬖妾之父知魏顆之德，故見體為鬼，結草助戰，神曉有知之效驗也。 |
| | King Huan of Qin attacked Jin and stationed his army at Fushi. The Duke of Jin reviewed troops in Ji to raid Di territory, reinstated the ruler of Li, and returned. Later, Wei Ke defeated the Qin army at Fushi and captured Du Hui. Du Hui was a powerful warrior of Qin. łoż Originally, Wei Wuzi had a favored concubine who bore him no children. When Wei Wuzi fell ill, he gave orders to Ke: "You must marry off this concubine." Later, when his illness worsened, he changed his command and said: "You must take her as a sacrifice with me upon my death." After Wei Wuzi died, Ke did not sacrifice the concubine. Some people questioned him about this, and Ke replied: "When one is ill, their mind becomes confused; I followed the sound judgment of my father when he was in good health." Later, during the battle at Fushi, Wei Ke saw an old man tying up grass to trip Du Hui. Du Hui stumbled and fell as a result, so he was captured. That night, Wei Ke dreamed of the old man who said: "I am the father of the woman you married off." "You followed your ancestor's sound command, so I repay you for it." The father of the favored concubine recognized Wei Ke's virtue, so as a spirit he appeared in physical form to tie grass and assist in battle—this is clear evidence that spirits possess awareness.
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曰：夫婦人之父能知魏顆之德，為鬼見形以助其戰，必能報其生時所善，殺其生時所惡矣。凡人交遊，必有厚薄，厚薄當報，猶婦人之當謝也。今不能報其生時所厚，獨能報其死後所善，非有知之驗，能為鬼之效也。張良行泗水上，老父授書；光武困厄河北，老人教誨，命貴時吉，當遇福喜之應驗也。魏顆當獲杜回，戰當有功，故老人妖象結草於路人者也。 |
| | It is said: If the father of a woman could recognize Wei Ke's virtue and, as a ghost, appear in form to help him fight, then he must certainly have been able to reward those who had done good to him when alive and punish those who had wronged him. Among ordinary people, friendships must have degrees of closeness or distance; these should be reciprocated accordingly, just as the woman's father was repaid. Now he could not repay those who had been kind to him in life, yet only repaid kindness shown after his death—this is not proof of awareness but merely the effect of being a ghost. Zhang Liang was walking along the Sui River when an old man gave him a book; When Guangwu was in hardship in Hebei, an old man instructed and advised him. The time of his rise to power was auspicious; this was a fulfillment of the prophecy that he would encounter blessings and good fortune. Wei Ke was destined to capture Du Hui, and his battle was meant to be successful; thus, the old man appeared as a supernatural figure tying grass on the roadside.
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王季葬於滑山之尾，欒水擊其墓，見棺之前和。文王曰：「嘻！先君必欲一見群臣百姓也夫！故使欒水見之。」於是也而為之張朝，而百姓皆見之。三日而後更葬。文王、聖人也，知道事之實。見王季棺見，知其精神欲見百姓，故出而見之。 |
| | King Ji of Zhou was buried at the foot of Huashan Mountain, and when Luan River struck his tomb, it revealed the front part of the coffin. Wen Wang said: "Ah!" My late father must certainly wish to see once more all his ministers and the people! Therefore, he caused the Luan River to reveal it." At that time, they held a court session for him, and all the people saw it. Three days later, he was reburied. Wen Wang was a sage who understood the truth of worldly affairs. Seeing that King Ji's coffin had been revealed, he knew that his spirit wished to see the people and so allowed it to appear.
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曰：古今帝王死，葬諸地中，有以千萬數，無欲復出見百姓者，王季何為獨然？河、泗之濱，立家非一，水湍崩壞，棺椁露見，不可勝數，皆欲復見百姓者乎？欒水擊滑山之尾，猶河、泗之流湍濱圻也。文王見棺和露，惻然悲恨，當先君欲復出乎？慈孝者之心，幸冀之意，賢聖惻怛，不暇思論，推生況死，故復改葬。世俗信賢聖之言，則謂王季欲見百姓者也。 |
| | It is said: In ancient and modern times, countless emperors have died and been buried in the earth; none of them wished to emerge again to see their people. Why then did King Ji alone wish this? Along the banks of the He and Sui rivers, many families have been established; the waters surge and collapse, revealing coffins in countless numbers. Could it be that all these spirits also wish to see their people again? The Luan River striking the foot of Huashan is no different from the surging waters along the banks of He and Sui. Wen Wang, upon seeing the exposed front part of the coffin, felt a deep sorrow and regret—could it be that his late father wished to emerge once more? The heart of a kind and filial son, filled with hope and longing, led the wise and virtuous Wen Wang to feel deep compassion without time for deliberation. Thinking that if one still cares when alive, how much more so in death, he therefore decided to rebury him. The common people, believing the words of sages and virtuous men, say that King Ji wished to see his people.
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齊景公將伐宋，師過太山，公夢二丈人立而怒甚盛。公告晏子，晏子曰：「是宋之先，湯與伊尹也。」公疑以為泰山神。晏子曰：「公疑之，則嬰請言湯、伊尹之狀。湯晳以長，頤以髯，銳上而豐下，据身而揚聲。」公曰：「然！是已！」「伊尹黑而短，蓬而髯，豐上而銳下，僂身而下聲。」公曰：「然！是已！今奈何？」晏子曰：「夫湯、太甲、武丁、祖己，天下之盛君也，不宜無後。今唯宋耳，而公伐之，故湯、伊尹怒。請散師和於宋。」公不用，終伐宋，軍果敗。夫湯、伊尹有知，惡景公之伐宋，故見夢盛怒以禁止之。景公不止。軍果不吉。 |
| | Duke Jing of Qi was about to attack Song, and as his army passed Mount Tai, the duke dreamed that two tall men stood there in great anger. The duke informed Yanzi of this dream, and Yanzi said: "These are the ancestors of Song—Tang and Yi Yin." The duke doubted it and thought they were spirits of Mount Tai. Yanzi said: "If the duke is doubtful, then I shall describe the appearances of Tang and Yi Yin." "Tang was fair-skinned and tall, with a beard on his chin, sharp-featured above but full below, holding himself upright while speaking in a loud voice." The duke said: "Indeed!" That is exactly what they were!" "I Yin was dark-skinned and short, with a bushy beard, full above but sharp below, hunched over while speaking in a low voice." The duke said: "Indeed!" That is exactly what he was!" "What should we do now?" Yanzi said: "Tang, Taijia, Wuding, and Zuji were all great rulers of the world; it is not right for them to have no descendants." Now only Song remains as their descendant, and yet you are attacking it—thus Tang and Yi Yin were angry. "I request that the duke disband his army and make peace with Song." The duke did not follow this advice, and in the end attacked Song. His army was indeed defeated. If Tang and Yi Yin had awareness, they would have hated Duke Jing's attack on Song; thus they appeared in a dream filled with great anger to forbid it. Duke Jing did not stop. As a result, the army indeed met with misfortune.
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曰：夫景公亦曾夢見彗星，其時彗星不出，果不吉。曰夫，然而夢見之者，見彗星其實非。夢見湯、伊尹，實亦非也。或時景公軍敗不吉之象也。晏子信夢，明言湯、伊尹之形，景公順晏子之言，然而是之。秦并天下，絕伊尹之後，遂至於今湯、伊尹不祀，何以不怒乎？ |
| | It is said: Duke Jing had also once dreamed of a comet; at that time, the comet did not appear in the sky, and indeed misfortune followed. It is said: Indeed, although he dreamed of it, the appearance of a comet was false; there actually was no comet. Dreaming of Tang and Yi Yin was also not real. It may have been an omen that Duke Jing's army would be defeated and suffer misfortune. Yanzi believed in dreams, clearly describing the appearances of Tang and Yi Yin; Duke Jing followed Yanzi's words and indeed confirmed them. The Qin unified the world, cutting off the descendants of Yi Yin, so that to this day Tang and Yi Yin are not honored with sacrifices—why then would they not be angry?
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鄭子產聘於晉。晉侯有疾，韓宣子逆客，私焉，曰：「寡君寢疾，於今三月矣，並走群望，有加而無瘳。今夢黃熊入於寢門，其何厲鬼也？」對曰：「以君之明，子為大政，其何厲之有？昔堯殛鯀于羽山，其神為黃熊，以入于羽淵，實為夏郊，三代祀之。晉為盟主，其或者未之祀乎？」韓子祀夏郊，晉侯有間。黃熊、鯀之精神，晉侯不祀，故入寢門。晉知而祀之，故疾有間。非死人有知之驗乎？ |
| | Zi Chan of Zheng was on an official visit to Jin. The ruler of Jin was ill, and Han Xuanzi received the guest in private, saying: "My lord has been lying ill for three months now. We have made numerous offerings to all the mountain gods, but his condition has worsened rather than improved." Recently, I dreamed of a yellow bear entering my sleeping chamber—what kind of vengeful spirit is this?" Zi Chan replied: "With your lord's wisdom and your governance, how could there be any harmful spirits? "In the past, Yao banished Gun to Yushan Mountain; his spirit became a yellow bear and entered Yu Yuan. It was actually honored in Xia's sacrificial rites, and venerated by all three dynasties." "Jin, as the leader of the alliance, perhaps has not yet honored it?" Hanzi offered sacrifices to the Xia rites; the ruler of Jin soon recovered. The yellow bear was the spirit of Gun; because the ruler of Jin did not honor it, it entered his sleeping chamber. When Jin recognized this and offered sacrifices to it, the illness subsided. Is this not proof that the dead possess awareness?
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：夫鯀殛於羽山，人知也；神為黃熊，入于羽淵，人何以得知之？使若魯公牛哀病化為虎，在，故可實也。今鯀遠殛於羽山，人不與之處，何能知之？且文曰：「其神為熊。」是死也。死而魂神為黃熊，非人所得知也。人死世謂鬼，鬼象生人之形，見之與人無異，然猶非死人之神，況熊、非人之形，不與人相似乎！審鯀死，其神為黃熊，則熊之死，其神亦或時為人，人夢見之，何以知非死禽獸之神也？信黃熊謂之鯀神，又信所見之鬼以為死人精也，此人物之精未可定，黃熊為鯀之神未可審也。且夢、象也，吉凶且至，神明示象，熊羆之占，自有所為。使鯀死，其神審為黃熊，夢見黃熊，必鯀之神乎？諸侯祭山川，設晉侯夢見山川，何復不以祀山川，山川自見乎？人病，多或夢見先祖死人來立其側，可復謂先祖死人求食，故來見形乎？人夢所見，更為他占，未必以所見為實也。何以驗之？夢見生人，明日所夢見之人，不與己相見。夫所夢見之人不與己相見，則知鯀之黃熊不入寢門。不入，則鯀不求食。不求食，則晉侯之疾非廢夏郊之禍。非廢夏郊之禍，則晉侯有間，非祀夏郊之福也。無福之實，則無有知之驗矣。亦猶淮南王劉安坐謀反而死，世傳以為仙而升天。本傳之虛，子產聞之，亦不能實。偶晉侯之疾適當自衰，子產遭言黃熊之占，則信黃熊鯀之神矣。 |
| | Gun was banished to Yushan—this is a well-known fact; that his spirit became a yellow bear, entering Yu Yuan—how could people possibly know this? If someone like Duke Niu Ai of Lu had transformed into a tiger while alive, then it would be verifiable. Now Gun was banished far away to Yushan; people did not live with him, so how could they know this? Moreover, the text says: "His spirit became a bear." This means he was dead. That his soul became a yellow bear after death is something no one could have known. When people die, they are called ghosts. Ghosts take the form of living humans and appear no different from them when seen; yet even then, they are not the actual spirits of the dead. How much less so is a bear, which does not resemble human form at all! If Gun, after death, became a yellow bear in spirit form, then when the bear dies, its spirit might also sometimes take human form. If people dream of it, how can they know for certain that it is not the spirit of a dead animal? To believe that the yellow bear is Gun's spirit, and to also believe that any ghost seen is the spirit of a deceased person—this suggests that whether human or object possesses a spirit remains uncertain. It cannot be confirmed that the yellow bear truly represents Gun's spirit. Moreover, dreams are symbolic; when good or ill fortune is about to come, divine beings show signs. The omen of a bear or brown bear appearing has its own meaning and purpose. Even if Gun died and his spirit was indeed a yellow bear, does dreaming of a yellow bear necessarily mean it is the spirit of Gun? The feudal lords offer sacrifices to mountains and rivers. If Duke Jin had dreamed of them, why not worship the mountains and rivers? Would they then appear on their own? When people are ill, they often dream of deceased ancestors or the dead standing by their side. Can we then say that these spirits have come in visible form because they seek food? What people see in dreams is often interpreted as a different omen; it does not necessarily mean that what appears is real. How can this be verified? If one dreams of a living person, and the next day that person does not meet with them in reality. If the person one dreams of does not actually appear, then we know that Gun's yellow bear did not enter the sleeping chamber. If it did not enter, then Gun was not seeking food. If he was not seeking food, then the ruler of Jin's illness was not a punishment for neglecting Xia sacrifices. If it was not due to neglecting the Xia rites, then the ruler of Jin recovering was not a result of honoring them. Without proof of blessings, there is no evidence that the dead possess awareness. This is also similar to Liu An, Prince of Huainan, who was executed for plotting rebellion; yet the world passed on the belief that he had become an immortal and ascended to heaven. The original account is false, and Zi Chan, upon hearing it, could not confirm its truth either. It happened that the ruler of Jin recovered just as his illness naturally waned; Zi Chan, encountering the omen of the yellow bear, then believed it to be Gun's spirit.
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高皇帝以趙王如意為似我而欲立之，呂后恚恨，後酖殺趙王。其後，呂后出，見蒼犬，噬其左腋。怪而卜之，趙王如意為祟，遂病腋傷，不愈而死。蓋以如意精神為蒼犬，見變以報其仇也。 |
| | Emperor Gaozu wanted to make Prince Zhao Ru Yi emperor because he resembled him, but Empress Lu was furious and resentful. Later, she poisoned and killed Prince Zhao. Later, when Empress Lu went out, she saw a dark dog that bit her left armpit. She was startled and consulted diviners; they said it was the spirit of Prince Zhao Ru Yi causing trouble. She then fell ill with a wound on her armpit, which did not heal, and she eventually died. It was said that the spirit of Ru Yi had become a dark dog, appearing to take revenge for his death.
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曰：勇士忿怒，交刃而戰，負者被創，仆地而死。目見彼之中己，死後其神尚不能報。呂后酖如意時，身不自往，使人飲之，不知其為酖毒，憤不知殺己者為誰，安能為祟以報呂后？使死人有知，恨者莫過高祖。高祖愛如意，而呂后殺之，高祖魂怒，宜如雷霆，呂后之死，宜不旋日。豈高祖之精不若如意之神？將死後憎如意、善呂后之殺也？ |
| | It is said: When brave warriors are filled with anger, they clash swords and fight; the loser suffers wounds, falls to the ground, and dies. They see clearly how the other struck them; yet even after death, their spirit is still unable to take revenge. When Empress Lu poisoned Prince Ru Yi, she did not go in person but sent someone else to give him the drink. He did not know it was poison; filled with anger yet unaware of who had killed him—how could his spirit then take revenge on her? If the dead were truly aware, no one would have more hatred than Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu loved Ru Yi, yet Empress Lu killed him. If his spirit were angry, it should have been like thunder and lightning; Empress Lu's death would surely have come within a day. Could the spirit of Emperor Gaozu be less powerful than that of Prince Ru Yi? Or did he, after death, come to hate Ru Yi and approve of Empress Lu's killing him?
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丞相武安侯田蚡與故大將軍灌夫杯酒之恨，事至上聞。灌夫繫獄，竇嬰救之，勢不能免。灌夫坐法，竇嬰亦死。其後，田蚡病甚，號曰：「諾諾！」使人視之，見灌夫、竇嬰俱坐其側，蚡病不衰，遂至死。 |
| | Chancellor Wu'an Hou Tian Fen had a grudge with the former General Guan Fu over an incident involving wine, and this matter eventually reached the emperor's ears. Guan Fu was imprisoned, and Dou Ying tried to save him, but could not avoid failure. Guan Fu was executed for his crimes, and Dou Ying also died. After that, Tian Fen fell seriously ill and cried out: "Nuo Nuo!" Someone was sent to look, and they saw Guan Fu and Dou Ying both sitting at his side. Tian Fen's illness did not subside and eventually led to his death.
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曰：相殺不一人也，殺者後病，不見所殺，田蚡見所殺。田蚡獨然者，心負憤恨，病亂妄見也。或時見他鬼，而占鬼之人，聞其往時與夫、嬰爭，欲見神審之名，見其狂「諾諾」，則言夫、嬰坐其側矣。 |
| | It was said: When people kill each other, it is not always the killer who falls ill; often, the killer does not see their victim. Yet Tian Fen saw those he had killed. Tian Fen's case was unique—his mind, burdened with anger and resentment, became disordered and conjured up false visions. At times, he might have seen other ghosts. Those who interpreted ghostly phenomena heard of his past quarrels with Guan Fu and Dou Ying, and wanting to confirm the names of spirits involved, when they saw him in a delirious state repeating "Nuo Nuo," they claimed that Guan Fu and Dou Ying were sitting by his side.
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淮陽都尉尹齊為吏酷虐，及死，怨家欲燒其尸，亡去歸葬。夫有知，故人且燒之也；神，故能亡去。 |
| | Yin Qi, the Duwei of Huaiyang, was a harsh and cruel official; after his death, his enemies wanted to burn his corpse but fled instead in order to bury him. If the dead had awareness, then people would even go so far as to burn them; their spirits are powerful enough that they could escape.
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曰：尹齊亡，神也，有所應。秦時三山亡，周末九鼎淪，必以亡者為神，三山、九鼎有知也。或時吏知怨家之謀，竊舉持亡，懼怨家怨己，云自去。凡人能亡，足能步行也。今死，血脈斷絕，足不能復動，何用亡去？吳烹伍子胥，漢葅彭越。燒、葅，一僇也；胥、越，一勇也。子胥、彭越不能避烹亡葅，獨謂尹齊能歸葬，失實之言，不驗之語也。 |
| | It was said: Yin Qi's corpse disappeared—this is because his spirit had a response to something. In the Qin dynasty, three mountains vanished; at the end of the Zhou dynasty, the Nine Tripods were lost. To assume that anything missing must be divine is to say the Three Mountains and the Nine Tripods had awareness. At times, officials might have known of their enemies' plot and secretly took the corpse away; fearing that their enemies would resent them, they claimed it had disappeared on its own. Generally speaking, a person can disappear only if he has feet to walk with. Now that the person is dead and his blood vessels have ceased to function, his legs cannot move again—how then could he disappear? The State of Wu boiled Wu Zixu alive; the Han dynasty minced Peng Yue. Boiling and mincing are one form of punishment; Wu Zixu and Peng Yue were both brave men. If Wu Zixu and Peng Yue could not escape being boiled or minced, then to say that Yin Qi alone was able to return for burial is an untrue statement, a claim without verification.
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亡新改葬元帝傅后，發其棺，取玉柙印璽，送定陶，以民禮葬之。發棺時，臭憧于天，洛陽丞臨棺，聞臭而死。又改葬定陶共王丁后，火從藏中出，燒殺吏士數百人。夫改葬禮卑，又損奪珍物，二恨怨，故為臭，出火，以中傷人。 |
| | The Wang Mang regime changed the burial of Empress Fu of Emperor Yuan, opened her coffin, took out the jade sarcophagus and seals, sent them to Dingtao, and buried her with commoner rites. When they opened the coffin, a foul stench rose into the sky; the Cheng of Luoyang was present at the coffin and died after smelling it. They also changed the burial of Empress Ding, the consort of Gongwang of Dingtao; fire erupted from the tomb and killed hundreds of officials and soldiers. Changing a burial with lower rites, coupled with the destruction and theft of precious objects—these two grievances caused resentment; thus, an offensive stench arose and fire emerged to injure people.
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曰：臭聞於天，多藏食物，腐朽猥發，人不能堪毒憤，而未為怪也。火出於藏中者，怪也，非丁后之神也。何以驗之？改葬之恨，孰與掘墓盜財物也？歲凶之時，掘丘墓取衣物者以千萬數，死人必有知，人奪其衣物，倮其尸骸，時不能禁，後亦不能報。此尚微賤，未足以言。秦始皇葬於驪山，二世末，天下盜賊掘其墓，不能出臭、為火，以殺一人。貴為天子，不能為神，丁、傅婦人，安能為怪？變神非一，發起殊處，見火聞臭，則丁、傅之神，誤矣。 |
| | It was said: A foul smell reaching the sky often results from accumulated decaying food and rotting remains; people cannot endure such a toxic stench, but this is not an unusual occurrence. Fire emerging from the tomb is indeed strange, but it was not caused by Empress Ding's spirit. How can this be verified? Which grievance is greater: the resentment from changing a burial or that of grave robbing and stealing valuables? In years of famine, there were tens of thousands who dug up graves to take clothes and valuables. If the dead truly had awareness, they would be unable to prevent people from stealing their belongings or leaving their corpses naked at the time, nor could they seek revenge afterward. This is still a minor and lowly matter, not worthy of mention. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried at Lishan Mountain; in the final years of Emperor Ershi, thieves across the land dug up his tomb, yet it did not emit a stench or produce fire to kill even one person. Even as exalted as an emperor, he could not become divine; how then could Empresses Ding and Fu, mere women, produce such strange phenomena? The manifestations of supernatural forces are not uniform; they arise from different sources. To attribute the fire and stench to Empresses Ding or Fu is a mistake.
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