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二曰── |
| | Secondly--
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| | 本味: |
求之其本，經旬必得；求之其末，勞而無功。功名之立，由事之本也，得賢之化也。非賢其孰知乎事化？故曰其本在得賢。 |
| | Seeking it from its root, one will surely obtain it within ten days; Seeking it from its end, one toils in vain. The establishment of achievements and reputation arises from the fundamentals of affairs and is realized through the influence of virtuous talent. If not the virtuous, who else truly knows about transforming affairs? Therefore it is said that its root lies in acquiring virtuous talent.
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| | 本味: |
有侁氏女子採桑，得嬰兒于空桑之中，獻之其君。其君令烰人養之。察其所以然，曰：「其母居伊水之上，孕，夢有神告之曰：『臼出水而東走，毋顧。』明日，視臼出水，告其鄰，東走十里，而顧其邑盡為水，身因化為空桑」，故命之曰伊尹。此伊尹生空桑之故也。長而賢。湯聞伊尹，使人請之有侁氏。有侁氏不可。伊尹亦欲歸湯。湯於是請取婦為婚。有侁氏喜，以伊尹為媵送女。故賢主之求有道之士，無不以也；有道之士求賢主，無不行也；相得然後樂。不謀而親，不約而信，相為殫智竭力，犯危行苦，志懽樂之，此功名所以大成也。固不獨。士有孤而自恃，人主有奮而好獨者，則名號必廢熄，社稷必危殆。故黃帝立四面，堯、舜得伯陽、續耳然後成，凡賢人之德有以知之也。 |
| | A woman of the Shen clan, while gathering mulberry leaves, found an infant inside a hollow mulberry tree and presented it to her ruler. Her ruler ordered the Fu people to raise it. Investigating the reason why this happened, they said: "Her mother lived by the Yi River, and while pregnant, she had a dream in which a deity told her: 'When the mortar overflows with water, run eastward and do not look back.'" The next day, seeing the mortar overflow with water, she told her neighbors and ran eastward for ten li. However, when she looked back, her town had been entirely submerged in water, and herself was transformed into a hollow mulberry tree." Hence, he was named Yi Yin. This is the reason why Yiyin was born from the hollow mulberry tree. He grew up to be virtuous and talented. Tang heard of Yi Yin and sent someone to request him from the Shen clan. The Shen clan would not agree. Yi Yin also wished to return to Tang. Tang then requested to marry a woman from the Shen clan as part of an arranged marriage. The Shen clan was pleased and sent Yi Yin as an attendant along with their daughter. Therefore, virtuous rulers who seek men of principle will go to no lengths that are unnecessary; Men of principle seeking a virtuous ruler will not fail to act accordingly; Only when they find each other can true joy be realized. Without prior consultation, they become close; without agreement, they trust one another. They devote their wisdom and exert their strength for each other, braving danger and enduring hardship, yet their hearts remain joyful—this is why great achievements and reputation are thus accomplished. Therefore, success is never the result of one person alone. Ministers who are isolated yet rely solely on themselves, and rulers who act recklessly while favoring solitude, will inevitably see their titles extinguished and their states fall into peril. Therefore, the Yellow Emperor had four advisors; Yao and Shun achieved success only after obtaining Bo Yang and Xue Er—indeed, the virtue of virtuous men is something that can be understood.
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伯牙鼓琴，鍾子期聽之，方鼓琴而志在太山，鍾子期曰：「善哉乎鼓琴，巍巍乎若太山。」少選之間，而志在流水，鍾子期又曰：「善哉乎鼓琴，湯湯乎若流水。」鍾子期死，伯牙破琴絕弦，終身不復鼓琴，以為世無足復為鼓琴者。非獨琴若此也，賢者亦然。雖有賢者，而無禮以接之，賢奚由盡忠？猶御之不善，驥不自千里也。 |
| | Bo Ya played the qin, and Zhong Ziqi listened. As he was playing, his mind was on Mount Tai, and Zhong Ziqi said: "How excellent is your qin playing! Majestic as Mount Tai!" After a short while, his thoughts turned to flowing water, and Zhong Ziqi again said: "How excellent is your qin playing, surging like flowing water." After Zhong Ziqi died, Bo Ya smashed his qin and cut its strings, vowing never to play again for the rest of his life, believing there was no one else in the world worthy of hearing him play. It is not only with the qin that this is so; virtuous men are likewise. Even if there are virtuous individuals, without proper courtesy to receive them, how can they be expected to give their full loyalty? It is like poor horsemanship; even a Qiji (a superior horse) will not run a thousand li by itself.
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湯得伊尹，祓之於廟，爝以爟火，釁以犧猳。明日，設朝而見之，說湯以至味，湯曰：「可對而為乎？」對曰：「君之國小，不足以具之，為天子然後可具。夫三群之蟲，水居者腥，肉玃者臊，草食者羶，臭惡猶美，皆有所以。凡味之本，水最為始。五味三材，九沸九變，火為之紀。時疾時徐，滅腥去臊除羶，必以其勝，無失其理。調和之事，必以甘酸苦辛鹹，先後多少，其齊甚微，皆有自起。鼎中之變，精妙微纖，口弗能言，志不能喻。若射御之微，陰陽之化，四時之數。故久而不弊，熟而不爛，甘而不噥，酸而不酷，鹹而不減，辛而不烈，澹而不薄，肥而不𦞕。肉之美者：猩猩之脣，獾獾之炙，雋觾之翠，述蕩之踏，旄象之約。流沙之西，丹山之南，有鳳之丸，沃民所食。魚之美者：洞庭之鱄，東海之鮞。醴水之魚，名曰朱鱉，六足，有珠百碧。雚水之魚，名曰鰩，其狀若鯉而有翼，常從西海夜飛，游於東海。菜之美者：崑崙之蘋，壽木之華。指姑之東，中容之國，有赤木玄木之葉焉。餘瞀之南，南極之崖，有菜，其名曰嘉樹，其色若碧。陽華之芸。雲夢之芹。具區之菁。浸淵之草，名曰土英。和之美者：陽樸之薑，招搖之桂，越駱之菌，鱣鮪之醢，大夏之鹽，宰揭之露，其色如玉，長澤之卵。飯之美者：玄山之禾，不周之粟，陽山之穄，南海之秬。水之美者：三危之露；崑崙之井；沮江之丘，名曰搖水；曰山之水；高泉之山，其上有涌泉焉，冀州之原。果之美者：沙棠之實；常山之北，投淵之上，有百果焉，群帝所食；箕山之東，青島之所，有甘櫨焉；江浦之橘；雲夢之柚。漢上石耳。所以致之馬之美者，青龍之匹，遺風之乘。非先為天子，不可得而具。天子不可彊為，必先知道。道者止彼在己，己成而天子成，天子成則至味具。故審近所以知遠也，成己所以成人也。聖人之道要矣，豈越越多業哉！」 |
| | Tang obtained Yi Yin, purified him in the temple, burned sacrificial fires to purify the space, and performed a blood sacrifice using a male goat. The next day, he held court and received Yi Yin, who explained to Tang the most exquisite flavors of food. Tang asked: "Can these be prepared?" Yi Yin replied: "Your state is small and cannot provide for them; only when you become emperor can they all be prepared. The three categories of creatures—those living in water have a fishy smell, those that eat flesh have an offensive odor, and those that feed on grass emit a 膻 (shān) scent. Even foul smells can be considered delicious; each has its reason. The source of all flavors begins with water. The five flavors and three ingredients, boiled nine times and transformed nine times—fire serves as their measure. At times quick, at times slow, eliminating the fishy, removing the foul, and dispelling the 膻—this must be done according to their respective counterbalances, without losing the principle. The matter of harmonizing flavors must employ sweetness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness, and saltiness—each in proper sequence and quantity. The balance is extremely subtle, and each has its own origin. The transformations within the cauldron are refined and intricate; they cannot be described in words or fully conveyed through thought. It is like the subtleties of archery and charioteering, the transformations of yin and yang, and the calculations of the four seasons. Therefore, it remains long without deterioration, is cooked through but not overdone, sweet yet not cloying, sour yet not harsh, salty yet not overpowering, spicy yet not scorching, bland yet not insipid, rich yet not greasy. The finest meats include: the lips of the xingxing, roasted hunhun, the green meat of junzhi, the steamed meat of shudang, and the tender cuts from maoxiang. To the west of the Flowing Sands and south of Dan Mountain, there are phoenix eggs, consumed by the people of Womin. The finest fish include: the zuan from Lake Dongting and the yu from the East Sea. The fish of Lishui is named Zhubie; it has six legs and possesses a hundred emerald-like pearls. The fish of Guanshui is named Xia; its appearance resembles a carp but it has wings, and it often flies at night from the Western Sea to swim in the Eastern Sea. The finest vegetables include: the ping of Kunlun Mountain, and the flowers of Shoumu. To the east of Zhigu lies the state of Zhongrong, where there are leaves from red and black trees. To the south of Yumao lies the cliffs of Nanji, where there is a vegetable named Jiashu, whose color resembles emerald green. The yun of Yanghua. The qin of Yunmeng. The jing of Juqu. The grass from Jinyuan is named Tuying. The finest seasonings include: the ginger of Yangpu, the cinnamon of Zhaoyao, the mushrooms of Yueluo, the paste made from zhan and yu fish, the salt of Daxia, the dew of Zaiejie, whose color is like jade, and the eggs of Changze. The finest grains include: the millet of Xuanshan, the sorghum of Bu Zhou, the jimi of Yangshan, and the black millet of Nanhai. The finest water includes: the dew from Sanwei; the well of Kunlun Mountain; the hills of Jujiang, named Yaoshui; the water of Yuanshan; The mountain of Gaoquan has a spring gushing forth at its peak, located in the plains of Jizhou. The finest fruits include: the fruit of Shatang; To the north of Changshan Mountain, above Touyuan, there are a hundred kinds of fruits, consumed by all the emperors. To the east of Jishan lies Qingdao, where there is sweet lantai fruit; the tangerines from Jiangpu; the pomelos of Yunmeng. The stone ears on the banks of the Han River. To obtain the finest horses, there are the matched qinglong steeds and the yifeng carriage horses. Without first becoming emperor, one cannot possess all these things. The Son of Heaven cannot be forced into power; he must first understand the Way. The Way lies in oneself, not elsewhere; when one is perfected, the Son of Heaven becomes perfected. When the Son of Heaven is perfected, then all the most exquisite flavors are fully realized. Therefore, examining what is near enables one to understand what is distant; perfecting oneself is how one perfects others. The Way of the sage is essential—how could it be achieved by scattering efforts and pursuing too many endeavors!"
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