| | 胠箧: |
昔者，容成氏、大庭氏、伯皇氏、中央氏、栗陆氏、骊畜氏、轩辕氏、赫胥氏、尊卢氏，祝融氏、伏戏氏、神农氏、当是之时，民结绳而用之，甘其食，美其服，乐其俗，安其居，邻国相望，鸡犬之音相闻，人至老死而不相往来，若此之时，则至治已。今遂至使民延颈举踵曰：某所有贤者，赢粮而趣之，则内弃其亲，而外弃其主之事，足迹接乎诸侯之境，车轨结乎千里之外，则是上好智之过也。上诚好智而无道，天下大乱矣。何以知其然耶，夫弓弩毕弋机变之智多，则鸟乱于上矣。鈎饵罟罛罾笱之智多，则鱼乱于水矣。削格罗落罝罘之智多，则兽乱于泽矣。智诈同异之变多，则俗惑于辩矣。 |
| | In the past, there were Rongcheng Shi, Datin Shi, Bohuang Shi, Zhongyang Shi, Lulu Shi, Licu Shi, Xuanyuan Shi, Hexu Shi, Zunlu Shi, Zhu Rong Shi, Fu Xi Shi, and Shen Nong Shi. At that time, people tied knots in ropes for use, They found their food sweet and their clothing beautiful. They took pleasure in their customs and felt at ease in their dwellings. Neighboring states could see each other, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard from one another; people lived until old age and death without ever visiting each other. At such a time, this was already the highest level of governance. Now, people have come to the point of stretching their necks and lifting their heels, saying: "There is a virtuous person somewhere," carrying provisions to rush toward him. As a result, they abandon their relatives internally and forsake their lord's duties externally; their footprints reach across the borders of feudal states, and chariot tracks extend for thousands of miles beyond. This is a consequence of the ruler's excessive preference for wisdom. If the ruler genuinely favors wisdom without following the Way, then great chaos will arise throughout the world. How do we know this to be true? When people employ numerous ingenious devices such as bows, crossbows, and snares with clever mechanisms, the birds become confused in the sky. When people employ many ingenious devices such as hooks, baits, nets, traps, and fish corrals, the fish become confused in the water. When people employ numerous clever devices such as sharpened stakes, lattices, snares, and enclosures, the beasts become confused in the marshes. When there are many changes in the similarities and differences of wisdom and deception, then people become confused by arguments.
|
| | 天地: |
尧观乎华。华封人曰：嘻，圣人，请祝圣人，使圣人寿。尧曰：辞，使圣人富。尧曰：辞，使圣人多男子。尧曰：辞。封人曰：寿、富、多男子，人之所欲也。汝独不用，何。尧曰：多男子则多惧，富则多事，寿则多辱，是三者，皆非所以养意，故辞。封人曰：始也以汝为圣人也。今然君子也。天生烝民，必授之职，多男子而授之职，则何惧之有，富而使分之，则何事之有，圣人鹑居，而鷇食，鸟行而无章，天下有道，则与物皆昌，天下无道，则修德就间，千岁厌世，去而上仙，乘彼白云，至于帝乡，三患莫至，身常无殃，则何辱之有。 |
| | Yao Guanhu Hua. The people of Huafeng said: "Ah, a sage! Please allow us to offer our blessings to the sage and may the sage live long." Yao said: "Decline it. Let the sage be rich." Yao said: "Decline it. Let the saint have many sons." Yao said: "Decline." The people of Feng said: "Longevity, wealth, and many sons are what people desire." Why do you alone not wish for them? Yao said: "Having many sons brings much fear, wealth brings many troubles, and longevity brings many humiliations. These three things are not suitable for cultivating one's mind , so I decline them." The people of Feng said: "At first, we thought you were a sage." Now it turns out you are merely a gentleman. Heaven creates the people, and must assign them duties. If one has many sons and assigns them duties, then what fear is there? Wealth, when shared among them, brings no troubles. A sage lives in peace and contentment, And eats like a fledgling bird, They move about like birds without pattern, When the world is governed rightly, then all things flourish together. When the world is not governed rightly, one cultivates virtue and remains at ease; After a thousand years of tiring of the world, he departed and ascended to become an immortal; He rode upon white clouds to reach the realm of the Emperor; If the three misfortunes never come, and one's body remains free from calamity, then what humiliation could there be?
|
| | 天地: |
尧治天下，伯成子高立为诸侯，尧授舜，舜授禹，伯成子高辞为诸侯而耕，禹往见之，则耕在野，禹趋就下风，立而问焉。曰：昔尧治天下，吾子立为诸侯，尧授舜，舜授予，而吾子辞为诸侯而耕，敢问其故何也。子高曰：昔尧治天下，不赏而民劝，不罚而民畏，今子赏罚而民且不仁，德自此衰，刑自此立，后世之乱，自此始矣。 |
| | When Yao ruled the world, Bocheng Zigao was appointed as a marquis. When Yao passed on to Shun and Shun passed on to Yu, Bocheng Zigao declined his position as a marquis and took up farming. When Yu went to visit him, he found him plowing in the fields. Yu hurriedly approached from downwind, stood respectfully, and asked him questions. He said: "In the past, when Yao ruled the world, my son was appointed as a marquis. Then Yao passed on to Shun, and Shun passed it on to you, yet my son declined his position as marquis and chose farming instead. I dare ask why this is so." Zigao said: "In the past, when Yao governed the world, he did not offer rewards yet the people were encouraged; he did not impose punishments yet the people feared wrongdoing. Now you use rewards and punishments, yet the people are becoming inhumane. From here virtue begins to decline, punishment begins to be established, and from this point on, disorder in later generations will begin."
|
| | 天道: |
夫帝王之德，以天地为宗，以道德为主，以无为为常，无为也。则用天下而有馀，有为也。则为天下用而不足，故古之人贵夫无为也。上无为也。下亦无为也。是下与上同德也。下与上同德则不臣，下有为也。上亦有为也。是上与下同道也。上与下同道则不主，上必无为而用天下，下必有为为天下用，此不易之道也。 |
| | The virtue of emperors and kings takes Heaven and Earth as its foundation, morality as its principle, and non-action (wuwei) as its norm; this is called wuwei. Thus, governing the world with ease, This is called action (youwei). Then, being used by the world and insufficient, Therefore, ancient people valued non-action (wuwei). The ruler has no action. The subjects also have no action. This is the virtue of the lower and upper being the same. When the lower shares the same virtue as the upper, then they are not subjects; when the lower acts (youwei), the upper also acts. This is when the upper and lower share the same way (dao). When the upper and lower share the same dao, then there is no ruler; The ruler must have no action but use the world, while the subjects must act so as to be used by the world; this is an unchangeable principle.
|
| | 天道: |
故古之王天下者，智虽落天地，不自虑也。辩虽雕万物，而不自说也。能虽穷海内，不自为也。天不産而万物化，地不长而万物育，帝王无为而天下功成。 |
| | Therefore, ancient rulers of the world, though their wisdom might surpass Heaven and Earth, did not personally deliberate. Though their eloquence could elaborate on myriad things, they did not personally explain themselves. Though their abilities might exhaust the realm, they did not act for themselves. Heaven does not produce yet myriad things transform, Earth does not grow yet myriad things flourish; Emperors and kings have no action (wuwei), and the world's achievements are accomplished.
|
| | 天道: |
故曰：莫神于天，莫富于地，莫大于帝王。故曰：帝王之德配天地，此乘天地，驰万物，而用人羣之道也。本在于上，末在于下，要在于主，详在于臣，三军五兵之运，德之末也。赏罚利害，五刑之辟，教之末也。礼法数度，刑名比详，治之末也。钟鼓之音，羽旄之容，乐之末也。哭泣衰绖降杀之服，哀之末也。此五末者，须精神之运，心术之动，然后从者也。 |
| | Therefore it is said: Nothing is more spiritual than Heaven, nothing richer than Earth, and nothing greater than the emperor or king. Therefore it is said: The virtue of emperors matches Heaven and Earth; This is the way of riding Heaven and Earth, galloping over myriad things, and employing the people. The root lies in the upper, the branch in the lower; the key lies in the ruler, and the details lie in the subjects. The deployment of three armies and five weapons is but the outermost aspect of virtue. Rewards, punishments, benefits, harms, and the five penal codes are merely the outermost aspects of education. Rituals, laws, numerical standards, legal names, and detailed comparisons are but the outermost aspects of governance. The sounds of bells and drums, the appearance of feathers and banners are merely the outermost aspect of music. Mourning clothes with hemp bands and reduced mourning rites are but the outermost expressions of grief. These five outer aspects must be guided by the operation of spirit and mind, and only after inner principles are activated will they follow accordingly.
|
| | 天道: |
末学者，古之人有之，而非所以先也。君先而臣从，长先而少从，男先而女从，夫尊卑先后，天地之行也。故圣人取象焉。天尊地卑，神明之位也。春夏秋冬，四时之序也。万物化作，盛衰之杀，变化之流也。夫天地至神也。而有尊卑先后之序，而况人道乎。宗庙尚亲，朝廷尚尊，乡党尚齿，行事尚贤，大道之序也。愚智处宜，贵贱履位，必分其能，必由其名，以此事上，以此畜下，以此治物，以此修身，智谋不用，必归其天，此之谓太平，治之至也。礼法数度，刑名比详，古之人有之，此下之所以事上，非上之所以畜下也。 |
| | Outward learning has existed since ancient times, but it is not what should be prioritized first. The ruler leads and the subject follows, the elder leads and the younger follows, the male leads and the female follows. This hierarchy of respect and precedence is the way Heaven and Earth operate. Therefore, sage rulers take this as a model. Heaven is exalted and Earth is humble; this is the position of spirits and clarity. Spring, summer, autumn, winter—this is the order of the four seasons. Myriad things transform and arise; their flourishing and decline are part of the flow of change. Heaven and Earth are supremely spiritual. And yet they have an order of respect, humility, precedence, and sequence; how much more so for the way of humanity! Ancestral temples value closeness of kinship, courts value respect, hometown communities value seniority in age, and actions value virtue—this is the sequence of the great Dao. The foolish and the wise are placed appropriately, the noble and lowly occupy their proper positions; Their abilities must be clearly divided; They must follow their titles; Using this to serve superiors, using this to nurture subordinates, using this to govern things, and using this to cultivate oneself—without employing wisdom or strategy, everything necessarily returns to Heaven. This is called great peace (Taiping), the highest state of governance. Rituals, legal codes, numerical standards, and detailed legal names—these have existed since ancient times. These are what the lower use to serve the upper; they are not what the upper uses to nurture the lower.
|
| | 天道: |
昔者。舜问于尧曰：天王之用心何如。尧曰：吾不傲无告，不废穷民，苦死者，嘉孺子，而哀妇人，此吾所以用心已。舜曰：美则美矣。而未大也。尧曰：然则何如。舜曰：天德而出宁，日月照而四时行，若昼夜之有经，云行雨施矣。尧曰：子天之合也。我人之合也。夫天地者，古之所大也。而黄帝、尧、舜之所共美也。故古之王天下者奚为哉。天地而已矣。 |
| | In ancient times, Shun asked Yao: "How does the Heavenly King use his mind?" Yao said: "I do not look down upon those with no one to turn to," "I do not abandon the poor and destitute," "I grieve for those who die in hardship, commend young children, and mourn women; this is how I have used my mind." Shun said: "That is beautiful indeed. Yet it is not yet great." Yao said: "Then how should it be?" Shun said: "The virtue of Heaven brings forth tranquility," The sun and moon shine while the four seasons proceed; like day and night following a pattern, clouds drift and rain is bestowed. Yao said: "You harmonize with Heaven." "I harmonize with humanity." Heaven and Earth—these are what the ancients considered great. And they were all admired by Huangdi, Yao, and Shun. Therefore, what did ancient rulers of the world do? They merely harmonized with Heaven and Earth.
|
