| | 二月紀: |
一曰── |
| | Firstly──
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| | 二月紀: |
仲春之月：日在奎，昏弧中，旦建星中。其日甲乙。其帝太皞。其神句芒。其蟲鱗。其音角。律中夾鐘。其數八。其味酸。其臭羶。其祀戶。祭先脾。始雨水。桃李華。蒼庚鳴。鷹化為鳩。天子居青陽太廟，乘鸞輅，駕蒼龍，載青旂，衣青衣，服青玉，食麥與羊，其器疏以達。 |
| | In the second month of spring: The sun is in Kui, at dusk Hugu is central, and at dawn Jianxing is central. The days are Jia and Yi. His emperor is Taihao. His deity is Goumang. Its creature is scaled. Its tone is Jiao. The pitch-pipe corresponds to Jiazhong. Its number is eight. Its flavor is sour. Its smell is shan. Its offering is to the door. Offer sacrifices to the ancestors of the spleen. The rains begin. Peach and plum trees blossom. The green oriole sings. Hawks transform into jujubes. The Son of Heaven resides in the Qingyang Taemiao, rides in a 鸾 lù carriage, is drawn by a qinglong, carries a green banner, wears a green robe, adorns himself with green jade, eats wheat and mutton, and his vessels are open and unobstructed.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，安萌牙，養幼少，存諸孤。擇元日，命人社。命有司，省囹圄，去桎梏，無肆掠，止獄訟。 |
| | In this month, ensure the safety of sprouting plants, nurture children, and care for orphans. Choose the first day of the month to assign people to their communities. Order the officials to inspect prisons, remove shackles, prohibit excessive punishment, and halt lawsuits.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，玄鳥至。至之日，以太牢祀於高禖。天子親往，后妃率九嬪御，乃禮天子所御，帶以弓韣，授以弓矢於高禖之前。 |
| | In this month, the xuan bird arrives. On the day it arrives, offer a grand sacrifice with three animals at Gaomei. The Son of Heaven personally goes there, and the empress and consorts lead nine ladies-in-waiting to attend. They then perform a rite for the Son of Heaven's use, fastening bow cases around him, and present bows and arrows before Gaomei.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，日夜分。雷乃發聲，始電。蟄蟲咸動，開戶始出。先雷三日，奮鐸以令于兆民曰：「雷且發聲，有不戒其容止者，生子不備，必有凶災。」日夜分，則同度量，鈞衡石，角斗桶，正權概。 |
| | In this month, day and night are equal in length. Thunder begins to sound, and lightning starts. Hibernating creatures all stir, open their doors, and begin to emerge. Three days before thunder sounds, shake bells to warn the people: "Thunder is about to sound; anyone who does not restrain their behavior will give birth to an imperfect child and certainly suffer misfortune." When day and night are of equal length, standardize measurements: unify the measures for capacity, weight, and balance; calibrate buckets and measuring rods; and correct weights and leveling devices.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，耕者少舍，乃修闔扇，寢廟必備。無作大事，以妨農功。 |
| | In this month, farmers take a short rest; then they repair doors and windows, and ancestral temples must be fully prepared. Do not undertake major projects that would hinder agricultural work.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，無竭川澤，無漉陂池，無焚山林。天子乃獻羔開冰，先薦寢廟。上丁，命樂正，入舞舍采，天子乃率三公九卿諸侯親往視之。中丁，又命樂正，入學習樂。 |
| | In this month, do not drain rivers and marshes, do not dry up ponds and reservoirs, and do not burn forests and mountains. The Son of Heaven then presents a young goat and breaks open the ice, offering it first at the ancestral temple. On the Shading day, order the music official to enter the dance hall and select dancers; the Son of Heaven then leads the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers, and feudal lords in personally visiting to observe them. On the Zhongding day, again order the music official to enter and study music.
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| | 二月紀: |
是月也，祀不用犧牲，用圭璧，更皮幣。 |
| | In this month, sacrifices do not use sacrificial animals; instead, they use jade gui and bi discs, replacing them with hides and silk offerings.
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| | 二月紀: |
仲春行秋令，則其國大水，寒氣總至，寇戎來征。行冬令，則陽氣不勝，麥乃不熟，民多相掠。行夏令，則國乃大旱，煖氣早來，蟲螟為害。 |
| | If in the second month of spring one follows the commands of autumn, then the country will suffer a great flood, cold air will arrive en masse, and enemy forces will come to attack. If one follows the commands of winter in this month, then yang energy will not prevail, wheat will not ripen, and people will frequently plunder one another. If in the second month of spring, one follows the commands of summer, then the country will suffer from a great drought, warm air will arrive early, and insect pests will cause harm.
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| | 貴生: |
二曰── |
| | Secondly--
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| | 貴生: |
聖人深慮天下，莫貴於生。夫耳目鼻口，生之役也。耳雖欲聲，目雖欲色，鼻雖欲芬香，口雖欲滋味，害於生則止。在四官者不欲，利於生者則弗為。由此觀之，耳目鼻口，不得擅行，必有所制。譬之若官職，不得擅為，必有所制。此貴生之術也。 |
| | The sage deeply considers the world, and nothing is more precious than life. Ears, eyes, nose, and mouth are servants of life. Although the ears desire sound, the eyes desire color, the nose desires fragrance, and the mouth desires flavor, if they are harmful to life, one must stop. For those in charge of these four faculties, desire is set aside; whatever is detrimental to life should not be done. From this we can see that the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth cannot act on their own; they must be controlled by something. This is like official duties: officials may not act arbitrarily but must be subject to regulation. This is the method of valuing life.
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| | 貴生: |
堯以天下讓於子州支父。子州支父對曰：「以我為天子猶可也。雖然，我適有幽憂之病，方將治之，未暇在天下也。」天下，重物也，而不以害其生，又況於它物乎？惟不以天下害其生者也，可以託天下。 |
| | Yao ceded the empire to Zizhou Zhifu. Zizhou Zhifu replied, "To make me emperor is still acceptable." Although that may be so, I currently suffer from a deep sorrow and worry, and am just beginning to treat it; I have no time for governing the empire." The empire is a great possession, yet one should not allow it to harm one's life; how much less so for other things? Only those who do not let the empire harm their lives can be entrusted with governing it.
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| | 貴生: |
越人三世殺其君，王子搜患之，逃乎丹穴。越國無君，求王子搜而不得，從之丹穴。王子搜不肯出，越人薰之以艾，乘之以王輿。王子搜援綏登車，仰天而呼曰：「君乎，獨不可以舍我乎！」王子搜非惡為君也，惡為君之患也。若王子搜者，可謂不以國傷其生矣，此固越人之所欲得而為君也。 |
| | The Yue people killed their ruler for three successive generations. Prince Sousou was troubled by this and fled to Danxue. The state of Yue had no ruler, so they searched for Prince Sousou but could not find him; thus, they followed the trail to Danxue. Prince Sousou refused to come out, so the Yue people fumigated him with mugwort and brought him a royal carriage. Prince Sousou took hold of the 绥 (a ceremonial strap), climbed into the carriage, and looked up to heaven, crying out, "Ruler! Could you not at least leave me alone!" Prince Sousou did not dislike being a ruler; he disliked the troubles that came with being a ruler. Such was Prince Sousou: one might say he did not allow the state to harm his life. This is precisely why the people of Yue desired him as their ruler.
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| | 貴生: |
魯君聞顏闔得道之人也，使人以幣先焉。顏闔守閭，鹿布之衣，而自飯牛。魯君之使者至，顏闔自對之。使者曰：「此顏闔之家邪？」顏闔對曰：「此闔之家也。」使者致幣，顏闔對曰：「恐聽繆而遺使者罪，不若審之。」使者還反審之，復來求之，則不得已。故若顏闔者，非惡富貴也，由重生惡之也。世之人主，多以富貴驕得道之人，其不相知，豈不悲哉！ |
| | The ruler of Lu heard that Yan He was a man who had attained the Dao, and sent envoys with gifts to approach him first. Yan He guarded his gate, wore clothes made of coarse hemp, and fed the oxen himself. When envoys from the ruler of Lu arrived, Yan He personally received them. The envoy asked, "Is this the home of Yan He?" Yan He replied, "This is my home." The envoy presented the gifts, and Yan He replied, "I am afraid I may misunderstand and thus commit a fault against you, the envoy; it would be better to verify carefully." The envoy returned to double-check, then came back seeking him again, but Yan He felt he had no choice. Therefore, someone like Yan He did not dislike wealth and rank; rather, it was because of his deep regard for life that he avoided them. The rulers of the world often use wealth and rank to show arrogance toward those who have attained the Dao; their mutual lack of understanding is not sorrowful indeed!
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| | 貴生: |
故曰：道之真，以持身；其緒餘，以為國家；其土苴，以治天下。由此觀之，帝王之功，聖人之餘事也，非所以完身養生之道也。今世俗之君子，危身棄生以徇物，彼且奚以此之也？彼且奚以此為也？ |
| | Therefore it is said: The true Dao is used to preserve one's life; its remaining aspects, are employed for the state; its dregs, are used to govern the world. From this we see that the achievements of emperors and kings were but incidental matters for sages, not the means by which to perfect one's body or preserve life. Nowadays, so-called virtuous men of the world endanger their bodies and abandon life in order to pursue external things; what will they gain from this? What purpose will they achieve by doing this?
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| | 貴生: |
凡聖人之動作也，必察其所以之與其所以為。今有人於此，以隨侯之珠彈千仞之雀，世必笑之，是何也？所用重，所要輕也。夫生豈特隨侯珠之重也哉？ |
| | All the actions of a sage are necessarily examined in terms of their destination and their underlying purpose. Suppose there is someone here who uses the pearl of Suihou to shoot a sparrow perched on a thousand-foot precipice; the world would certainly laugh at him. Why is this so? Because what he uses is precious, yet what he seeks is trivial. Life is not merely as valuable as the pearl of Suihou!
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| | 貴生: |
子華子曰：「全生為上，虧生次之，死次之，迫生為下。」故所謂尊生者，全生之謂。所謂全生者，六欲皆得其宜也。所謂虧生者，六欲分得其宜也。虧生則於其尊之者薄矣。其虧彌甚者也，其尊彌薄。所謂死者，無有所以知，復其未生也。所謂迫生者，六欲莫得其宜也，皆獲其所甚惡者，服是也，辱是也。辱莫大於不義，故不義，迫生也，而迫生非獨不義也，故曰迫生不若死。奚以知其然也？耳聞所惡，不若無聞；目見所惡，不若無見。故雷則揜耳，電則揜目，此其比也。凡六欲者，皆知其所甚惡，而必不得免，不若無有所以知，無有所以知者，死之謂也，故迫生不若死。嗜肉者，非腐鼠之謂也；嗜酒者，非敗酒之謂也；尊生者，非迫生之謂也。 |
| | Zihuazi said, "Preserving one's life completely is the highest; damaging it somewhat comes next, followed by death; and being forced into a life of suffering is the lowest." Therefore, what is meant by respecting life is preserving one's entire life. What is meant by preserving one's entire life is that all six desires are fulfilled in proper measure. What is meant by damaging one's life is that only some of the six desires are satisfied in proper measure. If one's life is damaged, then their respect for life is already shallow. The more severely one's life is impaired, the less respect they have for it. What is meant by death is the absence of awareness, returning to a state prior to birth. What is meant by being forced into life is that none of the six desires find their proper satisfaction; rather, one suffers what they deeply detest—this is servitude, this is humiliation. No disgrace is greater than acting unjustly; therefore, injustice is a form of being forced into life. Yet being forced into life is not only about injustice. Hence it is said: to be forced into life is worse than death. Why do we know this to be so? To hear what one detests is worse than not hearing at all; To see what one detests is worse than never seeing it. Therefore, when thunder claps, people cover their ears; when lightning flashes, they close their eyes—this is analogous to the situation. All six desires are known to be deeply detested, yet one cannot escape them; it is better not to have awareness at all. Not having awareness means death. Therefore, being forced into life is worse than death One who desires meat does not refer to a rotting rat; One who desires wine does not refer to spoiled liquor; To respect life is not the same as being forced into life.
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| | 情欲: |
三曰── |
| | Thirdly──
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| | 情欲: |
天生人而使有貪有欲。欲有情，情有節。聖人修節以止欲，故不過行其情也。故耳之欲五聲，目之欲五色，口之欲五味，情也。此三者，貴賤愚智賢不肖欲之若一，雖神農、黃帝其與桀、紂同。聖人之所以異者，得其情也。由貴生動則得其情矣，不由貴生動則失其情矣。此二者，死生存亡之本也。 |
| | Heaven creates human beings and causes them to have greed and desire. Desire has feelings, and feelings have limits. The sage cultivates restraint to curb desire, therefore not overstepping in the expression of his feelings. Therefore, the ear's desire for five kinds of sounds, the eye's desire for five colors, and the mouth's desire for five flavors are all natural feelings. These three desires—sound, color, and flavor—are desired equally by the noble and the base, the wise and the foolish, the virtuous and the wicked; even Shen Nong and Huang Di would be no different from Jie and Zhou in this regard. What distinguishes a sage is that he understands these natural feelings. If movement arises from reverence, then one attains an understanding of these feelings; if movement does not arise from reverence, then one loses this understanding. These two principles are the root of life and death, survival and perishing.
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| | 情欲: |
俗主虧情，故每動為亡敗。耳不可贍，目不可厭，口不可滿，身盡府種，筋骨沈滯，血脈壅塞，九竅寥寥，曲失其宜，雖有彭祖，猶不能為也。其於物也，不可得之為欲，不可足之為求，大失生本。民人怨謗，又樹大讎；意氣易動，蹻然不固；矜勢好智，胸中欺詐；德義之緩，邪利之急。身以困窮，雖後悔之，尚將奚及？巧佞之近，端直之遠，國家大危，悔前之過，猶不可反。聞言而驚，不得所由。百病怒起，亂難時至。以此君人，為身大憂。耳不樂聲，目不樂色，口不甘味，與死無擇。 |
| | The vulgar ruler harms these natural feelings; therefore, every action he takes leads to failure and ruin. The ears cannot be satisfied, the eyes cannot be contented, and the mouth cannot be filled; the body is exhausted by indulgence, the muscles and bones become sluggish, the blood vessels are blocked, the nine orifices are desolate, and all functions lose their proper balance. Even if one were Peng Zu, he could not prevent this condition. Regarding external things, to desire what cannot be obtained and to seek satisfaction from what cannot be fulfilled is a great loss of the fundamental nature of life. The people resent and slander him, thus fostering a great enemy; One's will and spirit are easily stirred, becoming unstable and unsteady; Arrogant in power and fond of cunning, one harbors deceit within the heart; Virtue and righteousness are neglected, while selfish gains and improper benefits are pursued urgently. The body becomes exhausted and impoverished; even if one regrets it afterwards, how will it still be of any avail? When sly flatterers are close at hand and upright men are kept far away, the state is in great peril. Regretting past mistakes comes too late; it cannot be undone. Hearing words and being startled by them, one does not understand their origin. A hundred illnesses arise in anger, and chaos and calamities come at any moment. To rule people with such a mindset brings great worry to oneself. The ears find no joy in sounds, the eyes take no pleasure in colors, and the mouth finds no satisfaction in flavors—this is no different from death.
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| | 情欲: |
古人得道者，生以壽長，聲色滋味，能久樂之，奚故？論早定也。論早定則知早嗇，知早嗇則精不竭。秋早寒則冬必煖矣，春多雨則夏必旱矣，天地不能兩，而況於人類乎？人與天地也同，萬物之形雖異，其情一體也。故古之治身與天下者，必法天地也。尊酌者眾則速盡。萬物之酌大貴之生者眾矣，故大貴之生常速盡。非徒萬物酌之也，又損其生以資天下之人，而終不自知。功雖成乎外，而生虧乎內。耳不可以聽，目不可以視，口不可以食，胸中大擾，妄言想見，臨死之上，顛倒驚懼，不知所為，用心如此，豈不悲哉！ |
| | Those of ancient times who attained the Dao lived long and healthy lives, finding enduring joy in sounds, colors, and flavors. Why was this so? Because their principles were established early on. If one's principles are established early, then one knows how to conserve from an early stage; if one knows how to conserve early, then the vital essence will not be exhausted. If autumn becomes cold early, winter must certainly be warm; if spring has excessive rain, summer will inevitably be dry. Heaven and Earth cannot maintain both extremes, how much less so for human beings? Human beings are the same as Heaven and Earth; although the forms of all things in the world may differ, their fundamental nature is one and the same. Therefore, those of ancient times who cultivated themselves and governed the realm necessarily followed the principles of Heaven and Earth. When many people drink from a single vessel, it is quickly emptied. There are many who partake of the great and precious essence of life among all things; therefore, this great and precious essence is often quickly exhausted. It is not only that all things partake of it; furthermore, people damage their own lives to support others in the world, yet they remain unaware of this. Achievements may be accomplished externally, but one's vital essence is depleted internally. The ears can no longer hear, the eyes can no longer see, and the mouth can no longer eat; the mind is greatly disturbed. One speaks incoherently and sees illusions. On the brink of death, one becomes confused and terrified, not knowing what to do. To have a heart and mind like this—how sorrowful it is!
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| | 情欲: |
世人之事君者，皆以孫叔敖之遇荊莊王為幸，自有道者論之則不然，此荊國之幸。荊莊王好周遊田獵，馳騁弋射，歡樂無遺，盡傅其境內之勞與諸侯之憂於孫叔敖，孫叔敖日夜不息，不得以便生為故，故使莊王功跡著乎竹帛，傳乎後世。 |
| | Those in the world who serve their rulers all regard Sun Shuao's encounter with King Zhuang of Jing as fortunate. However, those who understand the Dao do not see it this way; rather, it was a stroke of good fortune for the state of Jing. King Zhuang of Jing enjoyed frequent travels, hunting expeditions, galloping and archery, indulging in unrestrained pleasures. He placed all the labor within his realm and the concerns with other feudal lords upon Sun Shuao. Sun Shuao toiled day and night without respite, never allowing himself a moment for personal ease or comfort; thus he enabled King Zhuang's achievements to be recorded on bamboo slips and silk scrolls, passed down through later generations.
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| | 當染: |
四曰── |
| | Fourthly──
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| | 當染: |
墨子見染素絲者而歎曰：「染於蒼則蒼，染於黃則黃，所以入者變，其色亦變，五入而以為五色矣。」故染不可不慎也。 |
| | Mozi, upon seeing a silk-dyer, sighed and said: "If dyed with cang it becomes cang; if dyed with huang it becomes huang. Therefore, whatever enters changes the color, and after five dyes it takes on five colors." Therefore, one cannot be too careful about dyeing.
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| | 當染: |
非獨染絲然也，國亦有染。舜染於許由、伯陽，禹染於皋陶、伯益，湯染於伊尹、仲虺，武王染於太公望、周公旦，此四王者所染當，故王天下，立為天子，功名蔽天地，舉天下之仁義顯人必稱此四王者。 |
| | It is not only in dyeing silk that this is true; a state also has its dyes. Shun was influenced by Xu You and Boyang, Yu by Gao Yao and Bo Yi, Tang by Yi Yin and Zhong Hui, and King Wu by Tai Gongwang and Zhou Gongdan. These four kings were influenced appropriately; therefore, they ruled the world, established themselves as Son of Heaven, achieved fame and merit that overshadowed heaven and earth, and whenever people in all under heaven spoke of benevolence and righteousness or distinguished individuals, these four kings were always mentioned.
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| | 當染: |
夏桀染於干辛、歧踵戎，殷紂染於崇侯、惡來，周厲王染於虢公長父、榮夷終，幽王染於虢公鼓、祭公敦，此四王者所染不當，故國殘身死，為天下僇，舉天下之不義辱人必稱此四王者。 |
| | Xia Jie was influenced by Gan Xin and Qizhong Rong, Yin Zhou by Chong Hou and E Lai, King Li of Zhou by Gou Gong Changfu and Rong Yi Zhong, and Youwang by Gou Gong Gu and Jia Gong Dun. These four kings were improperly influenced; therefore, their states were ruined and they themselves perished, becoming objects of ridicule under heaven. Whenever people in all under heaven mentioned unjust or disgraceful individuals, these four kings would inevitably be cited.
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| | 當染: |
齊桓公染於管仲、鮑叔，晉文公染於咎犯、郤偃，荊莊王染於孫叔敖、沈尹蒸，吳王闔廬染於伍員、文之儀，越王句踐染於范蠡、大夫種，此五君者所染當，故霸諸侯，功名傳於後世。 |
| | Qi Huan Gong was influenced by Guan Zhong and Bao Shu, Jin Wen Gong by Jiu Fan and Xi Yan, Jing Zhuang Wang by Sun Shu Ao and Shen Yin Zheng, King Helu of Wu by Wu Yun and Wen Zhiyi, and King Goujian of Yue by Fan Li and Daifu Zhong. These five rulers were influenced appropriately; therefore they dominated the feudal lords, and their achievements and reputations were passed down to later generations.
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| | 當染: |
范吉射染於張柳朔、王生，中行寅染於黃藉秦、高彊，吳王夫差染於王孫雄、太宰嚭，智伯瑤染於智國、張武，中山尚染於魏義、椻長，宋康王染於唐鞅、田不禋，此六君者所染不當，故國皆殘亡，身或死辱，宗廟不血食，絕其後類，君臣離散，民人流亡，舉天下之貪暴可羞人必稱此六君者。 |
| | Fan Jishe was influenced by Zhang Liushuo and Wang Sheng, Zhonghang Yin by Huang Jiqin and Gao Qiang, King Fuchai of Wu by Weng Sunxiong and Taizai Pi, Zhi Bo Yao by Zhi Guo and Zhang Wu, Zhongshan Shang by Wei Yi and Jian Chang, and Song Kangwang by Tang Yang and Tian Buyin. These six rulers were improperly influenced; therefore their states all perished or fell into ruin, they themselves either died in disgrace or suffered humiliation, ancestral temples ceased to be honored with sacrifices, their descendants became extinct, rulers and ministers dispersed, the people scattered, and whenever someone under heaven spoke of greedy and violent individuals who brought shame, these six rulers would inevitably be mentioned.
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| | 當染: |
凡為君非為君而因榮也，非為君而因安也，以為行理也。行理生於當染，故古之善為君者，勞於論人，而佚於官事，得其經也。不能為君者，傷形費神，愁心勞耳目，國愈危，身愈辱，不知要故也。不知要故則所染不當，所染不當，理奚由至？六君者是已。六君者，非不重其國、愛其身也，所染不當也。存亡故不獨是也，帝王亦然。 |
| | To be a ruler is not for the sake of honor derived from being a ruler, nor for the sake of security derived from being a ruler; it is to practice proper conduct. Proper conduct arises from appropriate influence, so the virtuous rulers of old toiled in evaluating people but found ease in managing official duties; this was because they grasped the essential principles. Those who are incapable of being rulers exhaust their bodies and waste their spirits, distress their minds, and strain their eyes and ears; the state becomes increasingly perilous, and they themselves become more disgraced—all because they do not understand the essentials. If one does not know the essentials, then their influences will be inappropriate; if their influences are inappropriate, how can proper conduct possibly arise? These six rulers are an example of that. The six rulers were not indifferent to their states or unloving toward themselves, but it was because their influences were inappropriate. Survival and ruin are thus not unique to these cases; the same applies to emperors as well.
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非獨國有染也。孔子學於老聃、孟蘇夔、靖叔。魯惠公使宰讓請郊廟之禮於天子，桓王使史角往，惠公止之，其後在於魯，墨子學焉。此二士者，無爵位以顯人，無賞祿以利人，舉天下之顯榮者必稱此二士也。皆死久矣，從屬彌眾，弟子彌豐，充滿天下，王公大人從而顯之，有愛子弟者隨而學焉，無時乏絕。子貢、子夏、曾子學於孔子，田子方學於子貢，段干木學於子夏，吳起學於曾子。禽滑釐學於墨子，許犯學於禽滑釐，田繫學於許犯。孔、墨之後學顯榮於天下者眾矣，不可勝數，皆所染者得當也。 |
| | It is not only states that have influences, either. Confucius studied under Lao Dan, Meng Sukui, and Jing Shu. Duke Hui of Lu sent Zai Rang to request the rites for sacrifices at the suburban and ancestral temples from the Son of Heaven. King Huan dispatched Shi Jiao to go, but Duke Hui stopped him. Later, he remained in Lu, where Mozi studied under him. These two scholars had no rank or position to honor others, nor rewards or salaries to benefit people; yet whenever someone under heaven mentioned distinguished and honored individuals, these two scholars were always cited. Both of them have long been dead, yet their followers grew ever more numerous and their disciples ever more abundant, filling the world. Kings, high officials, and great men followed them and honored them; those who loved sons and younger generations would follow to study under them, without any time lacking or being cut off. Zi Gong, Zi Xia, and Zengzi studied under Confucius; Tian Zifang studied under Zi Gong; Duangan Mu studied under Zi Xia; Wu Qi studied under Zengzi. Qin Huli learned from Mozi, Xu Fan learned from Qin Huli, and Tian Xi learned from Xu Fan. Many of the successors of Confucius and Mozi became prominent and honored throughout the world, too numerous to count; this was because all of them were influenced appropriately.
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五曰── |
| | The fifth is──
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由其道，功名之不可得逃，猶表之與影，若呼之與響。善釣者出魚乎十仞之下，餌香也；善弋者下鳥乎百仞之上，弓良也；善為君者，蠻夷反舌殊俗異習皆服之，德厚也。水泉深則魚鱉歸之，樹木盛則飛鳥歸之，庶草茂則禽獸歸之，人主賢則豪桀歸之。故聖王不務歸之者，而務其所以歸。 |
| | By following its principle, the unattainable nature of fame and achievement cannot be escaped; it is like a dial and its shadow, or a call and its echo. A skilled fisherman catches fish from ten ren below the surface because the bait is fragrant; A skilled falconer brings down birds from a hundred ren above because the bow is excellent; A skillful ruler can make even the southern and northern barbarians, with their different tongues, customs, and habits, all submit to him—this is because his virtue is profound. When the spring water is deep, fish and turtles return to it; when trees and woods are flourishing, flying birds return to them; when grasses are lush, beasts and animals return to them. When a ruler is virtuous, heroes and outstanding individuals will come to him. Therefore, a sage king does not strive for those who come to him, but rather strives for the reasons why they come.
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彊令之笑不樂，彊令之哭不悲。彊令之為道也，可以成小，而不可以成大。 |
| | Forcibly making someone laugh is not true joy; forcibly making someone weep is not genuine sorrow. Forcibly imposing a way may achieve minor success, but it cannot lead to great achievements.
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缶醯黃，蚋聚之，有酸，徒水則必不可。以貍致鼠，以冰致蠅，雖工不能。以茹魚去蠅，蠅愈至，不可禁，以致之之道去之也。桀、紂以去之之道致之也，罰雖重，刑雖嚴，何益？ |
| | A sour wine in a jar attracts flies because of its acidity; plain water alone can never do so. Using a weasel to attract rats, or using ice to attract flies—though skillful, it cannot succeed. Trying to drive away flies with stinking fish will only bring more flies; it is impossible to stop them, for one is using the very method that attracts them to repel them. Jie and Zhou attracted their downfall by employing methods that led to it; even though punishments were severe and penalties strict, what benefit did they bring?
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大寒既至，民煖是利；大熱在上，民清是走。是故民無常處，見利之聚，無之去。欲為天子，民之所走，不可不察。今之世，至寒矣，至熱矣，而民無走者，取則行鈞也。欲為天子，所以示民，不可不異也。行不異，亂雖信今，民猶無走。民無走，則王者廢矣，暴君幸矣，民絕望矣。故當今之世，有仁人在焉，不可而不此務，有賢主不可而不此事。 |
| | When the great cold has arrived, people find warmth beneficial; When intense heat is above, people seek coolness and move toward it. Therefore, the people have no fixed dwelling; they gather where benefits are found and depart when there is none. If one desires to be emperor, he must carefully observe where the people naturally go. In this age, there is extreme cold and extreme heat, yet the people do not move—this is because they take equal measures in their choices. If one desires to be emperor, the example he sets for the people cannot fail to be different. If his conduct is no different, even if disorder is clearly proclaimed today, the people will still have nowhere to go. When the people have nowhere to go, then the rule of a true king is abandoned; tyrannical rulers are favored, and the people lose all hope. Therefore, in this present age, if there is a benevolent person among us, he cannot neglect this duty; and if there is a virtuous ruler, he cannot ignore this matter.
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賢不肖不可以不相分，若命之不可易，若美惡之不可移。桀、紂貴為天子，富有天下，能盡害天下之民，而不能得賢名之。關龍逢、王子比干能以要領之死，爭其上之過，而不能與之賢名。名固不可以相分，必由其理。 |
| | Virtue and worthlessness must not be confused; they are as unchangeable as fate, or as beauty and ugliness cannot be transformed. Jie and Zhou were noble as emperors, rich in all under heaven; they could harm all the people of the world, yet could not obtain a reputation for virtue. Guan Longfeng and Prince Zi Bi Gan were able to risk their lives, even losing them, to remonstrate against the faults of their rulers, yet they could not bestow a reputation for virtue upon them. Names cannot indeed be arbitrarily assigned; they must necessarily follow their principles.
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