James Webster - The Kan Ying Pien, Book of Rewards and Punishments, 1918 by gnosisclassics

WASON

BLUDO ASIA

BOOK OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

THE

KAN YING PIEN WITH INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION AND NOTES By JAMES WEBSTER

13 iv

J?<K>

QfotitBU Uniueratty Slibrarjj

CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE

THE GIFT OF

CHARLES WILLFAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918

Cornell University Library

BL 1900.T12W38

The Kan ylng pien :book of rewards and

1924 023 154 390

The tine

original of

tiiis

book

is in

Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in

the United States on the use of the

text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023154390

THE

KAN YING PIEN BOOK OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

THE CHINESE TEXT WITH INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION AND NOTES

JAMES WEBSTER

PRINTED AT

SHANGHAI: THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION PRESS

t9i8

af-/

PREFACE.

This study of

the

Kan Ying Pien

done,, at various intervals,

the outcome of

work

during a period of seven years.

The

original plan included a complete translation of a standard Chinese

commentary on abandoned

;

And

the tract, but this part of the sdieme

belicAcd that the present treatment will be

useful to foreign students.

and Notes

will, in particular,

It is

Changsha,

to the study of

July 19 1.8.

hoped that the Introduction

prove a fairly complete apparatus for

the study of the text; and the entire

modest contribution

was soon

work

ofifered as

Comparative Religion.

a very

INTRODUCTION. SECTION

TRACTS IN CHINESE LITERATURE.' The

common

tract, as

a means of publishing in a popular form to the

people, the thovtghts

been used

China.

With

and sayings of wise men, has long of printing during the

the invention

T'ang (^) dynasty, and its rapid development in the succeeding period, this form of literature soon became general, and increased by leaps and bounds. Since that time, an immense development has taken place, and a great part of the literature read by the ordinary classes of society is in the form of booklets. Several of these small books have come to be reckoned as classics for example, 'the San Tzu Ching (H I?.) is the primary reader in every Chinese school, and is known by heart in every home. In no country, perhaps, does the tract find so ready an :

acceptance.

consequence of the sacredness

printed character, the

leaflet,

tract,

probably oftener and more carefully read than

more progressive

the case with the

The growth

tract

literature,

favour of

and the

like,

has been

fostered by persons who, wishing to accumulate to themselves

merit, devote larger or smaller

and

moral maxims and essays, booklets issued

special religious systems or particular deities,

much

the

nations of the West, where such productions are

generally but lightly esteemed. especially

attaching to

and even wayside poster are

sums of money

to the production

distribution of these works.

The Kan Ying Pien annals of literature.

among

perhaps the most celebrated tract in the

book that has been

a people numbering hundreds

several cenfuries, in the ordinary

must be almost without a

way on

Chinese tract-literature

scattei'ed

street bookstalls or shops, as in

general,

but

and that for

millions, parallel.

broadcast

It is

not sold

the case with

obtainable in temples.

For a more particular treatment of this section, see an essay in Martin's I. "Hanlin Papers." Vol. II, 304 ff.â&#x20AC;&#x201D; "Native Tract Literature in China."

KAN YING

PIEN.

both Buddhist and Taoist, the copies being placed

Larger

distribution.

editions,

tliere

for gratuitous

with commentary and illustrative

notes and narratives, are to be purchased of book sellers, and the

book

not without

serious students.

its

widespread circulation of the text has made phrases part of the

common

talk of the people,

the other hand, the

many of

its

and one cannot

pithy listen

long to any conversation, even on the most mundane affairs of daily

and domestic life, without hearing some expression the origin of which is to be found in the famous little book.

SECTION

11.

POPULAR TAOISM. The Kan Ying Pien from the pen of Lao Tzu to the school •'

Pure Tao

a tract which, though purporting to be

=f-)

(see next section), strictly belongs

of Popular Taoism, as distinct from the so-called

which

treated of in the

works of Chuang Tzu (jfE^), and

Tao Te Ching (jf ^.

otiier writings.^

It is

j^), the

therefore'

necessary, in order to understand the teaching of the book, to

know

something of Taoism as practised by

its votaries and believed in by For our present purpose, an exhaustive study is unnecessary, and the reader is referred to the many excellent works on Chinese religion to supplement the general sketch here given. Between the pure and simple "Tao" of Lao Tzu, and the

the ordinary people.

complex

beliefs

and practices of

at first sight impassable.

connection between the two at

Taoism, he says

later

Taoism, the gulf would appear

Indeed, Dr. Legge practically denies any all.

In discussing the meaning of

has two different applications

—

first,

popular and widely-spread religion of China; and then to the system

of thought in the remarkable treatise called the Tao Te Ching (M.

M ^)

{^ ^y^ 1.

159

written in the sixth century before Christ by

Ih other words, Taoism

the

name both of a

Lao Tzu

religion

and

For Taoism as a philosophical system, see t,egge, "Religions of China,"

ff.

Dr. Legge accepts the traditional view regarding the authorship of the It is maintained by Dr. Giles, however, that the work is a' forgery dating from the early Han (H) (B.C. 200-A.D. 200). See especially article 1475 in his Biographical Dictionary. It may incorporate some teaching of Lao Tzu which was transmitted orally by his disciples. See also under l^ 10780 in the new edition of Giles' Dictionary (published 1912). 2.

''/^•M-

KAN YING The author of

a philosophy.

PIEN.

the philosophy

that the religion grew out of his book.

do so is

the chief god, or at

one of the chief gods, of the religion; but there

least

many of

aspects.

its

merely external, for in

may

This statement

transition period,

Any

spirit

no evidence

was impossible

relation

for

between the two things

and tendency they are antagonistic."*

be somewhat sweeping, and there are signs of a

which appears, however,

\'ery early.-

The

transi-

was inevitableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the ordinary Chinese mind is too practical, and all purely speculati^'e philosophies, and the abstract reflections of Lao Tzu and his immediate followers were soon thrown aside for what was deemed a more practical, because a more

tion

averse to

materialistic, system.

can only trace the rise of the

began

rapid.

early,

When

the destruction of

all

Emperor

school here and there;

and must have been very

as has been i^emarked,

the First

in B.C.

literature preceding his

imperial sway, an exception was

on medicine and

new

divination.

made

This

213 determined

assumption of the

favour of the Taoist works

ruler, indeed,

gave an impulse to

Taoism by sending an expedition in search of the golden islands of P'eng Lai. (^ ^) where, it was said, the draught of immortality was dispensed to all true seekers by the Immortals there. By the time of the Emperor Wu {^ ^) of the Han dynasty (B. C. 140-85), the sect had claimed the mythical Emperor Huang Ti (^ ^) whose reign is put at B. C. 2697-2597, as the founder of the religion. Emperor Wu was a great patron of Taoism. It was during the later Han (1^ â&#x20AC;˘^) A. D. 25-220 that alchemy and magic became linked with the older Taoist practices. In A. D. 165 the Taoist " popedom " was established by the Emperor Liu Chih (flj ^,), the first "pope " being Chang Tao Ling (5ft -g g|). the. rising school of

The

office,

with one brief interregnum, has existed in the line of

his descendants e\er since.'

the outcome "

influential

encouragement

In the words ot Dr. Legge: more than two thousand years' existence came head and effloresced. The search after immortality and eternal

The

to a

may

Under such

easily be imagined.

superstitions of

Legge, oji. cit..i59, 160. cp. also F. H. Balfour, Taoist Texts, intro. vi. See Parker, China and Religion, p. 47. In A. D. 1015 grants of land were made to the Taoist patriarchs, in the 3. neighbourhood of the Lung Hu (MiS) rnountain, Kiangsi Province, the official seat 1.

of the sect.

— KAN YIXG bliss

was

took awa}^

all

desire for the goods of this present life; business

neglected, fields untilled,

the imposters Avho

PIEN.

made

and the only harvest reaped

that,

gain out of the folly of their fellows.'"'

For a long time after its fi^rst appearance as a popular system Taoism was in no sense a religion. At first there were no temples, there were no liturgies, no forms of public worship and the leaders ;

and professors claimed no control over

the conduct of their believers

was as a mischievous superstition, " depraved and perverse talk/' that it was arraigned and condemned to the Emperor Wu by the Confucian scholar Tung Chung Shu ( j| {ifi ff) in B. C. It is not until we see Buddhism (introduced into China in the 140. first century A. D.) gaining ground in the country that Taoism takes and adherents.

on a

and content.

religious aspect

And

in all its external

public worship, liturgies, and ceremonies

—

forms

has borrowed largely

So much so, that it is now impossible draw any sharp line between the two. As Chu Hsi says r " Buddhism stole the best features of Taoism, and Taoism stole the worst features of Buddhism it is as though the one stole a jewel from the other, and the loser recouped his loss with a stone.''- Dr. froni the imported system.

Legge does not hesitate to say of Taoism that " Buddhism out of the old Chinese superstitions. of Buddhism; but its voice and spirit are from tions, fantastic, base,

From

and

cruel.

was begotten by

Its

forms are those mother-supersti-

its

the beginning of the interaction, the metaphysical concep-

tions were, in Taoism, clothed in materialistic garb.

For example,

the contemplation of Buddhism, leading up to the attainment of in the Taoist scheme the Hsiu Lien ({g ^J training Avhich the devotee added years to his life. by ascetic

Nirvana, Ijecame

Taoist conception of the soul

as a purer

form of

matter-,

gradually produced by this scheme of physical discipline,

—the The

which

— a sort of

chemical process which transmutes the soul matter into a

still

ethereal substance, in preparation for removal to one of the stellar paradises, or to the condition of the genii forests-,

who

or on the lofty mountains of the K'un

Legge, op.

Quoted

Legge, op.

See Edkin's Religion

cit. p.

H. A, cit.

live

unseen in green

Lun Range

180.

Giles, Chinese Literature, p. 419.

pp. 201-2. in China, p. 59.

See also below,

p. S.

(g,

-^).'*

KAN YING Taoism has succeeded because wants of nature. This

well-being.

outlook

Its

everyday

life

into

reward

its

to the is

lower

material

to a certain extent,

the forms which affect the

all

in the

made

Confucian tenet

The gods

of man.

appeal

its

physical,

latter is also a

but Taoism has translated

PIEN.

Chinese Pantheon associated

with riches, longevity, the cure of disease and the attainment of

worldly success are,

The

(®

its fullest

The

7K)-

every instance, a Taoist contribution.

Taoism with which we are now dealing

aspect "of

revealed in

living

in nearly

selection of suitable sites for the dwellings

and for the

extent in the prevalent system of " feng shui

last resting places

of the

the choice of

of the dead;

lucky days for the commencement or consummation of any of the important purposes

marriage

undertakings

are

all

many

of horoscopes

casting

the

life;

and

of betrothal,

— these

the

for

connected with

rites

the invention of popular Taoism, and the

performance of the functions connected therewith provide the chief

means

for the

emolument of

a heretical sect,

professional class.

its

In spite of the fact that

Taoism has often been condemned

has yet a certain legal standing

the country.

the genius of Chinese government that no condition of the

It is

allowed to remain, iu theory at

politic is

means of

control.

At various

least,

we have

periods, as

body

unprovided with seen, the cult

has

been favoured by the ruling powers; but, on the other hand, more

orthodox emperors have made attempts

at suppression.

In A. D.

Emperor Yii Wen Yung (A. D. 542Taoism and Buddhism were proscribed, and all teaching forbidden which was contrary to the Confucian canon; and K'ang

574, during the reign of the 578), both

Hsi

EE) of the Ch'ing dynasty (A. D.

greatest of Chinese rulers, banned principles

to be

1655-1723), one of the

Taoism

and banished."

discontinued

Its

" the strange

hold on the

was too manifest, and made While refraining from interference with the internal

people, however, necessity.

among

toleration a. practical

organisation of the order, the Imperial Institutes provided a frame-

work

harmony with

the all-pervading official system, to be grafted

on to the hierarchy as

own 1. 2.

traditional

rules.-

was found developed according This

control

See Sacred Edict, chap. 7, Sit Mayers, Chinese Government,

ffi

p. yy.

centred

rl? .IE

the

its

hereditary

KAN YING

PIEN.

"patriarch" of Taoism, and provided therefrom a complete system of ecclesiastical grades of rank and authority

in connection

FurtheiÂť,"many Taoist divinities were

priesthood.

by law, and required by Imperial

edict to be

officially

with the

recognised

worshipped by the

representatives of the government according to the forms of the religion.

For the purpose of our present study, we may now conveniently examine Taoisni

in three of

moral teaching, and

Kan Ying

the

three,

influence

first

aspects

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

notions of deity,

its

teaching regarding the future

chiefly

its

Although

life.

concerned with the second of these

and third are presupposed throughout and largely

morality.

its

The

its

Pien

its

divinities of

Taoism

fall into

two groups.

First, there-

are those which impersonate the various departments of Nature.

So we have

sea-gods,

river-gods, gods

who

preside over natural

phenomena, gods who watch the growing crops, and the life of man. But the most important deities in this group are those connected with the

stars.

Sometimes the

themselves' are

stars

regarded as gods; and, again, the stars are places of residence for

Where

the gods.^

the star

supposed to be a god,

it is

the result

of the transmutation of material substance into sublimated essence.

the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the

essences, respectively of water, metal,

the Star

fire,

wood, and

regarded as a place of divine abode,

earth.

Where

presupposes beings,

who have attained to the honours of deity by So Huang Ti (J^ ^), the mythical emperor who is,

historical or fabulous,

their virtues.

claimed as the founder of Taoism,

Heaven on the

first

spent

the back of a dragon.

century A. D.,

much of

his time

mounted

Mei Fu (|Â§ |g), an

who was a seeking how

have become an immortal of

said to have

this class;

official

great student of Taoism, and to prolong life,

believed

to-

he was deified in the eleventh

Both these conceptions of stellar deities are closely associated with alchemy and astrology, which have for long been among " The one deals in essences, the the favourite studies of Taoism. century.

other in stars

;

and they have each had an extensive influence on the

formation of the Taoist system of I.

But

cp.

Edkins, op.

cit, p. 105.

divinities,

well as

on the

KAN YING

PIEN.

Taoist doctrine of immortality, and of the method of self discipline

by which immortality

to be gained. "^

Secondly, there are deified men.

and embraces the majority of gods

This class

by far the larger,

Some

the Taoist pantheon.

are entirely fabulous, but others have an historical basis.

not

It is

our present purpose to enter into any enumeration of these;

indeed,

tion.

would be almost impossible

could

polytheism

to give an exhaustive descrip-

pronounced,

grotesque, with hardly a single feature of poetic fancy or aesthetical

beauty."^

The moral

treated in section in the notes

which

teaching of popular Taoism

iv.,

on the

and

It is,

some

parallels

particularly

analysed, and

accords with the materialistic system

for the most part, at one with the Con-

fucian and Buddhist ideas.

of the moral teaching

which the Kan Ying Pien

text.

represents,

a study of the text will show,

much

adapted from the classical writings, and

are quoted in proof of this

retribution that the moral teaching becomes

definitely

actions themselves are characterised as right and

wrong

the idea of

Taoist

;

the

entirely by

the Confucian standard.^

The

entire teaching of the

Kan Ying

Pien

an illustration of

the Taoist belief in the evil consequences of moral shortcomings,

consequences transcending the short span of

even more evident over the dead. to turn

away

in the life,

mortal

life.

ceremonies performed by Taoist priests

repentance and reformation are necessary

the consequences of sin; and for the salvation of the

dead ceremonies must be performed on 3.

this

As we have

their behalf.*

seen, the Taoists regard the Stars as being the

abode of gods, and also of

men who by

their virtues

have gained the

In addition, there are those who, though

right to a place there.

not having merited such high honour, are yet accounted worthy of a place of felicity in those happy abodes set apart for " terrestrial

immortals''

(ilil -(ill).

These paradises are generally supposed to be

106-7.

Edkins, op.

Legge, op. cit. 170. See Edkins, op. cit. 127-128.

See Soothill, Three Religions of China,

cit.

p. 269.

KAN YING

PIEN.

in the K'un Lun Mountains and presided over by the "Royal Mother of the West" (® Confucianism says nothing with regard to a future Hfe. But the Worship of ancestors, which, as is well known, is one of the

situated

S #V

chief characteristics of the system, has inculcated a strong belief in

a future

life

of some sort; and the silence of Confucius has thrown

arms of Taoism, which has made ample provision and the superstitious accretions thus supplied are a

the people into the in this respect,

great feature of the social life of the people.

Heaven

the notion of horrible.

and

hell

It. is

— the

Chuan (3E

student

have seen what is

conversely

referred to the popular tract,

W-)> which describes in a graphic the ten Courts of Justice situated at the bottom of a great U^'

ocean in the depths of the earth."

With

this gross

tion there has arisen the idea of a moral debit

which

Taoist doctrine of hell

not to our purpose to describe in detail the purgatory

of Taoism

Yii Li Ch'ao

manner

finds a place in the teaching of the

view of retribu-

and

credit account,

Kan Ying

Pien.

borrowed from Buddhism, but with the peculiar physical and materialistic elaborations of Taoism which render it more grotesque and

horrible.

In Taoist legend the K'un

Lun Mountains

are not the Tibetan peaks

;

but the

There is the fountain of immortality, and from it flow the three great rivers. It is the same as the Hindu Sumeru. H 3i -ffi is used (i) as a place name, for the country of the Hsi Jung (jg 5^). "the wild tribes of the west "—Tibetans (Giles). In, the Erh Ya (W Ji) it is explained as "the desolate land" (#^±.3)In Huai Nan Tzu (jft p^^) it refers central mouniiin of the world, 10,000

in height.

(2) As the name of the Queen of the rmmortals. of the Chou dynasty (^ EE), in his extensive travels westward, visited the K'un Lun Mountain and saw the at the 3E Emerald pool there (J$ Ji,), Another legend states that Hon I (S #) a mythical archer of renown, asked her for the drug of immortality, which his wife Ch'ang O

to the borders of the Gobi Desert.

Legend records

that

King

from him, and then fled to the moon, where she was turned into a In later Taoist legends there are "heavens" both for male and female immortals. The males live in a place called Tung Hua (jjj -^), presided over by the ^'S. &• while the females live in Hsi Hua (pf ^), with f/l EE -1$ as their head. Dr. Giles thinks the gtj -fj: is identical with the Greek Hera. 2. This work has been translated by Dr. Giles, and forms Appendix I of " Stories from a Chinese Studio." See also an article in the Chinese Recorder for (iiSiS) stole

toad.

October, igi4,

Study of a Taoist Hell," by R. F. Fitch.

KAN YING

PIEN.

SECTION

III.

AUTHORSHIP AND DATE OF THE KAN YING PIEN. Chinese religious writings generally are categories

(H M)>

under three

classified

The Kan

Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist.

Ying Pien is one of the ^. to come from Lao Tzu (^ ^),

It is

one of

many works

purporting

_L S)> and which the characters -j^ ±, are prefixed, so vouching for the authority and inspiration of the contents. Probably the T'ai

Shang Chun

{-j^

to the titles of

nobody

believes

him

works, which criticism places at a

of the

any one of these

to be the actual author of

Kan Ying Pien with

much

later date.^

the philosopher

The connection

attributed, by

some

Chinese scholars, to its being one of the class of Taoist books emanating from the " fu lun " (^" |||) or magic wheel a sort of

—

The instrument and

planchette.

described by Dr. Martin

—"

the

manner of

It consists

its

working are thus

of a vertical stick, suspended

a pendulum from a crossbar. The bar is supported at each end by a votary of the genii, care being taken that it shall rest on the hand as freely as an oscillating engine does on its bearings. A table like

sprinkled with meal, and, after becoming invocation, the spirit

manifests his presence by

pendulum, which leaves

slight, irregular

its

trace in the meal.

deciphered by competent authorities,

from

motions of the pen or

These marks are

who make known

the response

the spirit- world. "^

The Kan Ying Pien is generally included in the class of Taoist books known under the general name of Pao P'o Tzu (^ if]- ip), the pen name of Ko Hung (^ ^), who lived in the 4th century A. D., and who wrote many Taoist works.^ Ko Hung was a great student of ancient and curious books, especially such as dealt with alchemy

and occult

art.

By much

secret study he learned the

magic, and even compounded the elixir of

life

(f^

methods of

^ ^\

which

would make men immortal (pf |f: ^[Ij Jg). The original Pao P'o Tzu -?)) written by Ko Hung, were in two sections, the ^ ^, (t&

treating of immortals, charms, alchemy, exorcism,

etc.,

(|&

See Wylie, Notes on Chinese Literature, pp. 2ii, 222. Martin, Hanlin Papers, Second Series, 239 f. See Giles, Biographical Dictionary, No. 978. Dr. Giles gives 3. epithet as }fe ^, probably a printer's error.

jji^

jll|

li£

Hiing's

KAN YING

^^M

*fi

from

politics

}n :5: *).•

and the

PIEN.

^ ^,

the Taoist standpoint

(

government and

treating of

^ B#

# :^, A ^ f^ ^

gS:

proved the existence of immortals, and taught that

)•

was

possible,

by special breathing exercises (^g^), to cultivate immortality

jjiijj

notices

also wrote the

Shen Hsien Chuan

When

of 84 immortals.

(jjiiji

-filj

Ko Hung, who

old

years

ff ), biographical

retained the complexion of a child; vanished from the earth in a

mysterious manner, his body never being found.

Some Chinese commentators of the Kan Ying Pien regard it This as one of the genuine Pao P'o Tzu written by Ko Hung. view is taken by Hui Tung (^^ ^^ Ch'ing dynasty), whose edition

—

well-known.

But others simply place

works now grouped under that

Hung's

in the

appellation,

from

category of Taoist their affinity

writings.

Kan Ying

But the ordinary reader of the

Pien cares

name of the original writer. He remains, to The date, also, is very uncertain. Two

of the book, or the to us,

exhaustive

\'ery little

and transmission

for the various theories regarding the inspiration

them and

with

unknown.

Taoist

collections

compiled

works (jg |^) were

during the Ming dynasty

(B^), between the years 1435 and 1572 A. D. But both these collections include many older books, which are gen-

erally regarded as products of

1279).

the

can tface tne

name appears

works.

It is

in a

also a

Sung dynasty

the

Kan Yiag

{'-^

— ^- D.

960-

Pien to the earlier period, where

Book"

"Literary Year

well-known fact that during

^ jg)

of Taoist

this period, fruitful

many Taoist works on alchemy, made their appearance.''' Dr. Giles

in all kinds of literary activity,^

astrology, and magic generally,

thinks this date far too early, and Professor Douglas favours a date

between the 15th and i6th centuries. evidence adduced above the

Sung

period, but

by no means conclusive for a date during

may

well be the case, at a time

was gaining a prominent place among this, the

must be admitted that the

all

when Taoism

classes of the people, that

most popular publication of the system, found the place

has ever since held.

Nominally a Taoist production, the Kan Ying Pien

example of the extraordinary syncretism which displays

another itself

For

literary activity during the Sung, see Giles, Chinese Literature, 210 f,

See

list

of works cited in Wylie, op.

cit.

220

KAN YING Many

Chinese religion.

PIEN.

of the countless editions through which the

Avork has passed are pronouncedly Buddhist in setting. is

held to be a book transcending

Avhich

may

not be read

and no person by study

whom

may

heard of men, but rather to ponder

note concerning the

title

which

There

to shout

no time at

not be read

;

VVe are advised to aloud, so as to be

over in the heart. "^

may

Indeed,

may

not be read.

and not necessarily

fasting,

creeds.

all

no place

;

not be out of place here.

characters have been variously translated by European

The

scholars.

Remusat (1816) rendered it by "Le Livre des Recompenses et des Peines," and in this he was followed by Klaproth (1828) and Julien Douglas, who made a translation from the last-named, ^1835). called it "The Book of Rewards and Punishments." Giles has " Evoke-Response tractate," and Dr. Legge, "The Book of Actions and

their Retributions," with

an explanatory sentence that " actions "

as including thoughts

must be taken

Dr. Edkins has

The following

and purposes though unacted.

Book on Retribution." are the principal

translations

into

European

languages 1.

Le Livre des Recompenses et des Peines, traduit du Chinois, ^avec des notes et des eclaircissements par M. Abel Remusat. ;

Paris, 18 r6.

Traite des Recompenses et des Peines de Thai Chang, Klaproth. (This forms part of the author's " Chrestomathie Paris, 1828.

Mandchou"

pp. 211-221.

The Manchu

text also

given, pp.

25-36.) ^.

English translation of the Kan Ying Pien was published in the Canton Register for 1830.

Le Livre des Recompenses et des Peines, en Chinois et en Franjais; accompagne de quatre cent legendes, anecdotes, et histoires,

c^ui

moeurs de

font connaitre les doctrines, les croyances et las

Stanilas Julien. 5.

Balfour, F. H.

Shanghai, N. C. I.

secte

des

Tao-sse.

Traduit

du Chinois par

Paris, 1835.

The Book of Recompenses, Herald O^ct, 1884.

Giles, Chinese Literature, p.

Balfour, Taoist Texts, pp. 107

419

in " Taoist

See also Chinese

note

Texts,"

translated in

KAN YING

PIEN.

The Thai Shang Tractate of Actions and James Legge, Sacred Books, of the East,

their Retributions^

Oxford, 1890.-

vol. xl.

Shang Kan Ying Pien Treatise of the 'Exalted One on Response and Retribution, by Paul Carus.

T'ai

A translation into English, with short introduction, by Rev. R. A. Haden. East of Asia magazine. Vol. 3, pp. 172 f, Shanghai, N. C. Herald Office, 1904.

SECTION

IV.

ANALYSIS OF THE KAN YING PIEN. At kind;

less

work seems almost beyond

sight the

first

analysis of

any

appears to be a series of phrases strung together more the only connection being that

loosely,

o'f^

the subject of

retribution, which clearly dominates the entire book. Giles calls it a " commination .... directed against evil doers of all kinds," and

the description

overlapping

— in

many

But analysis

not

instances of repetition

and

suitable in a general way.

altogether impossible; in spite of

some cases probably due

to misplacement

—there

are certain leading lines of procedure and treatment which

way

the following

Introduction.

The Argument. The Good Man Exemplified. The Bad Man Exemplified.

II.

III.

IV. V. VI.

Judgment.

A Way

of Repentance and Escape. Concluding Remarks and Exhortation.

VII.

Though somewhat more

are

Using modern terms, we may divide the book

clearly defined;

arbitrary, such a division helps to bring out

clearly the purpose

a definite progression.

and meaning of the work, and gives

will be well to

make

few notes under

each of these heads. I.

Introduction.

look,

representation.

how

— Here the whole scheme

were, on the completed

all

briefly represented.

drama of

life,

ready for

are taken behind the scenes and are

everything works.

Earth, with

The

relation

towards

man

the host of subordinate spirits,

shown

of Heaven and revealed to us.

KAN We

sec the relation of

life

— happiness and woe.

YING' PIEN.

man

himself to the two great factors of

They

are seen to be no mere things of

chance, but fitted with scientific precision into the scheme of things;

and the gods are represented, not

as indifferent or careless, unwilling

or unable, but as controlling, strictly and impartially, the issues of

rewarding virtue and punishing

life;

The Argument.

II.

and the proneness of

Taoist conception of sin ism.

ethical, but

into

its

assumption of

the

Taoism, with

Confucian idea to bring

relation to

The an

has

its

numerous

man, has elaborated

the simple

not a spiritual significance.

some one or other

sin

manifold snares.

main, akin to that of Confucian-

in the

is,

rests

fall

means the disregard of human obligations;

gods

— This

all

vice.

into line with this development.

(See

notes pp. 15, 26. j

The Good Man

III.

Exemplified.

— This

and the succeeding

section are the elaboration of the exhortation (or warning) with

which the

last

paragraph

closes

^ij

M W M. M

M-

The

way means simply the path of rectitude and its opposite, and has none of the abstract import of philosophical Taoism.^ It is a very the idea of duty which has so plain path which is here pointed out "

—

The

large a place in the classic writings of Confucianism. is

that of the " Princely

Man

Some

(g" -^).

But one or two phrases

quoted' in the notes.

characteristic standpoint of Taoism.

especially the closing sentences of the

reward.

" Confucius

conscience,

also Buddhist);

section

setting

rank, and a

numerous

forth

and the

posterity."

The Bad Man Exemplified.— Following on

I'J piS)

does not

while the other faith (Taoism) desires as rewards of

some

negatively, "

So Douglas, in his translation from This " Confucianism and Taoism," pp. 259 fif.)-

not, etc. "

treatment seems to For the

the phrase

translators have rendered the whole of this section

Julien's version (see

even here, the "

content with the rewa,rd of an approving

vii'tue longevity, riches, health,

IV.

reveal,

For example,

destroy insects, plants, or animals" (this

portrait

parallel passages are

make

the section very unwieldy, and has not

special significance of it in philosophical

Taoism

Essays on the Chinese Language, the word Tao, pp. 234 ft". Edkins, Religion in China, p. 141, But cp. Legge, op. 2.

cit. p.

see Watters,

116.

KAN VING

14 been followed is

much

accompanying

in the

PIEN. This part of the work

translation.

greater detail, and soon leaves the

strictly ethical

character of Confucianism for the devious paths of Taoist- accretion.

has been sub-divided, in the present translation, into four

though arbitrary, seem to suggest a

paragraphs, which,

The

treatment.

and second paragraphs adhere more

lirst

line

closely to

the Confucian notions of propriety— in the general relationships of

and again,

life,

third

The

as exemplified in the character of an official.

and fourth paragraphs are

characteristic of the Taoist develop-

ments, and especially in regard to the notions of stellar divinities

and subordinate and some

spirits

(see notes p.

26).

There

is.

overlapping,

nor should the division adopted

repetition, in this section;

be regarded as anything more than a help to an intelligent study of this part of the book.

Judgment.

V. that of

— The view of retribution here shown out for good or — working

Confucianism

descendants

the

itself

(See also

in the

But the particular treatment

individual.

purely Taoist, which has given the simple idea a content.

mainly

is ill

27, note 4.)

The

last

definite

clauses of this section

bring in a nobler thought, that motives are the springs of conduct.

"As

man

thinketh in his heart, so

VI, VII.

he."

— These two remaining sections are short,

comment beyond what

little

made

the

notes.

remarked, however, that the idea of repentance -

fucius—the idea of self-reformation.

man it.

and It

call for

may

that of

Con-

In Taoism the Powers above

take account of this repentance, but 'they do not help towards

Actions

may

be changed, in order to gain happiness and avoid

judgment; but no change of attitude not the N. T. metanoia

necessarily implied.

It is

— a change of mind which works out through

the whole life; but a change of procedure due to threatened punish-

ment.

KAN YING

PIEN.

TEXT, TRANSLATION, AND NOTES.

A m n ii ^E % $1 z. m s p. a ^ A S A #, '"'

X in m m ^

-\^

X £ m ^

4iii>

Most High Woe and come only at the As the shadow follows the form, so are good and Therefore, the two great Powers, Heaven and

of men^^ requited.

evil

ri.

^ ^ It ^ m. A

The words of

Introduction. weal have no doors call

(i.e.,

the

•

are hot predestined), but

Earth,- appoint spirits as Ministers of Justice, who, according to the lightness or gravity of men's crimes,

The

shorten

adjudged number of

years.^

comes upon the

sorrows assail him: he

For this Most High," mouth of the

culprit,

their

penalty pronounced,

section in general, see Introduction, Sect.

hated of

iv.

by an

lives

poverty all

men:

"Tlie words of the

(ig J-). The teaching of the tract is thus put into the See Intro. Sect. iii. sage. to ensure its authoritative character. i.e.,

Lao Tzu

1. The phrase is found originally in the Tso Ch'uan (:fe fg), a famous commentary on the Ch'un Ch'iu {# ft), Spring and Autumn Annals, compiled by Confucius. It first appeared in the Han dynasty, but was probably written much earlier. (See L,egge,- Chinese Classics, Vol. v. Prol. Ch. i. Sect, iv, and for the phrase in its historical setting, Vol. v. Pt. 2. Bk. ix. Year 23). It appears, in an amended form, in Mencius, Bk. ii. Pt. i. Ch. iv. 5. jtS *S ^ ^• S S "Calamity and happiness in all cases are men's own seeking" (Legge). Both this and the shorter form in the text have passed into proverbial use (see Appendix 2), Jg Pg gives an illustrative touch, and Dr. W. A. P. Martin paraphrases: "Happiness and misery never enter a door until they are invited by the occupant of the house.'' The phrase i^. .g forms a succinct and popularised expression of the

fflft

doctrine of individual freedom. Cp. also the proverb 2.

tfe-

;

11^.

iH in

tS-

Here, practically equivalent to God.

and the following clause, a substantive. Lit. a reckoning. For its definite application, see is practically equivalent. Cp. Lecky, Hist, of European Morals, i. 32if on Plutarch, Maximus p. 16, note 5. of Tyre, and Apuleius, and especially the quotation from the latter's De Dasmone 3.

^fi

this

Our word "sentence"

Socratis (p. 323-4).

KAN YING

H.P

lif

ji> ^

^ A tl3

l>J

tij

^-^-

his footsteps, happiness

and joy shun

stars in their courses fight against hira,"i

and when the

punishment and calamity dog

him; "the

^ ^ ^,^ m ^ ;i. ^.^.5^ M

^ ±.P

# H ^

^ W. 0. ^^r

PIEN.

retribution

complete death claims him for

There are

also

San

the

T'ai.s

its

own."

and the Spirit ruler of the

Dipper/ who from above keep a record of men's crimes, and pronounce sentence,

some

one hundred days.^

others

who

body,6

report on each

the offences committed.

day of the Lit.

cases curtailing twelve years of

Section

month by

the

evil star afflicts

AVithin

Kcng

This

are the three spirits of the

Shen' to the Heavenly tribunal^ on

office is also

God of

life,

performed on the

last

the Kitchen."

him. For the astrolog}' of Taoism, see Introduction,

And not only physical, death; but also the three posthumous judgments, being in hell; in the state of a hungry demon; being changed into an animal.

viz.,

See Giles, Dictionary, nos. 3317 and 3120. Walters: The Three Eminent Ones; Julien, Councillors. But the refer3. ence is astrological. According to Mayers, Chinese Reader's Manual, Pt. ii. S7. the They are depicted in three n" are six stars forming part of LJrsa Major. pairs, forming successive angles below chat portion of the constellation called if. Giles: i.K.\. in Ursa Major.

i\-

Wf S'

The

Controller of Destiny.

and on the 3rd of the eighth Chinese montli there

is the apotheosis of Pf 1,1). The ft 4- fp who died while supporting the Yin (gj) dynasty.

ifi)i

(seep.

IS,

body

have here

a definite significance

resides in the Great

Bear,

his feast of incarnation (ft

Huang T'ien-Hsiang

— the

ij-

(^t Jc #).

duration of the "sentence"

note 3).

{H ^), and the Controller of Destiny are "above men,'' are the San Shih (S ^) " within men." The divided into three departments (H 3^): #, the body in its material the heart, the seat of emotion and sentiment; S;, the mind, the it>,

Contrasted with the San T'ai

(ft

aspect;

who

WS)>

—

reasoning faculties. These are controlled by three familiar spirits called the ^, supposed to reside respectively in the head, belly, and feet. Z' I'll or

The metal

day. Also called San Peng (H ^), from the fact that the spirits of the body (see preceding note) are at work on that day. The term may have reference to the testing of metals. 7.

orltWThe God

of the Kitchen is the family monitor. He is intimate with all the domestic relations, and thus able to render an accurate account of the general behaviour of the household. Malt is 'sometimes rubbed on the kitchen lintel in order to make the god drunk and unable to report This is termed S] ff. 9.

KAN YING

PIEN.

^ -^ m a^ ^jj.m m m ^ m.m.± m :k ^ m m.m m it m m a r^ m. @. m, % w, ^ -^ %.m. K \%. j^ ^ ^ ^. ii ;^ m ^ ^e, ^ m

.^.

/j>.

ife

iij

>i^^

all cases,

a grave fault

punished by a deduction of twelve

years, a light offence by the deduction of one

Tpie Argument. numberless causes. these (occasions of

way

He who would sin).

seek immortality^ must

first flee

Enter into the right path, and shun the

of evil!^

*The Good Man ExempeifiEd.

Man Who He He

hundred days.^

All faults, small and great alike, arise from

Foelows the

Characteristics oe The

^ il.

does not walk in evil paths, nor violate domestic privacy.

accumulates virtue and merit by his compassionate

towards

all

living things.

subject, he

spirit,

loyal; as son,

shown

filial;

Students of philosophy will recall Paley's hypothesis of a graduated scale 1. of punishment and reward. (Moral Philosophy, Book i, Ch. 7.)

^ &.•

It defines the final bliss. important Taoist conception. The is to attain immortality by means of a mystic conception (ifS fe Sn :B 4)' It does not necessarily imply material existence. He seeks to be beyond both life and death (jK ?E). 2.

chief aim of a devotee

sentence which has passed into a common proverb. See Appendix It is widely used apart from the context: "If it is the right way, advance; if it the wrong way, retire." Its appropriateness is self-evident. 3.

2. is

forms the first main division of the treatise. In pithy sentences of the good man is set forth. To many of the clauses apposite parallels in Western languages will readily occur. After the introductory sentence, which represents the general character of the good man in its entirety, the section is divided according to the various relationships which exist between man and his kind. I. The nearer relationships— obligations of the subject to the sovereign; love between parent and child, relation of elder and younger brothers. 2. The general relationships— obligations to the poor, the forlorn, the needy; to age and youth. Then follow passages relating to modesty in success, to a generous and * This section

the

life

ungrudging

spirit.

This phrase means that in his unseen acts the good man is as careful as in ^. Jg, tB those which are manifest to others. The commentary quotes the " Looked at in your private apartment, be there free from shame, iS'(^ /{> '[^ ift igi tft -Hi. "the where you are exposed to the light of Heaven"; cp. also g' Great Learning, vi. i. superior must be watchful of himself when alone." Doctrine of the Mean, i. 3. 4.

KAN YING

^ e

;g:,

M M A tw Z ^. m m. ^ m^ ^ m T^ Z M. m #, m ^, A ^- m u. ^- z

PIEN.

IE ^ m. ^ M. cL "K w ^ it n tK, ^ A. A m m n z T^ '^. M Pj

|XJ>

^ Z m K m^ X z w: z # A .#, z m iin

tt.

and respect-

elder brother, friendly; as younger brother, courteous ful,^

— his

own To orphans and widows

rectitude in these relationships influencing

fellows.^

all

his

he, shows pity and compassion;

to elders, the respect due to age; to the young, a spirit of kindliness.

He to

does not destroy insects, plants, or trees.

show charity

good;

to those in misfortune,'^

to help the needy,

and

and succour those

counts

a duty

to rejoice at another's

in peril.

regards the

success of others as he would his own, and their failures as though

they touched him personally.

comings, nor boast his

goodness he praises. !•

#, S.

ffil.

own

does not expose another's shojrtEvil he condemns, and

superiority.

gives much, and takes

little.^

suffers

These characters, which have the extended application as

'i^.

given in the translation, fall into two groups. ,(& may be termed the major proprieties, as having the wider significance; minor proprieties, as '1^, the being more limited in content. The words make up a phrase which connects itself at once with numerous examples and applications in the Confucian classics, ,S is used especially (but not exclusively) of conduct towards superiors. So Analects iii. ig, {S. Wr- i^X ffil) "Ministers should serve their Prince with faithfulness." Filial piety, regarded as the fundamental virtue of social life. So frequently in the Analects. (Citations in Faber, Doctrines of Confucius, p. 52 ) It is defined in Ana. Bk. ii. 5, (^ ±. J^A Si). " I" Hf e serving parents :t JU IS, 5E 19. t. accDrding to propriety, when dead in burying them according to propriety, and in ^crificing to them according to propriety." ^, '|$, express the relationship which

ought 2.

those

to exist

between brothers.

Mencius, vii. are great men.

cp.

who

= ^ |1, >L (^ :^ A #, IE B

So the

B'J

&,1^

#f,

(^—1^).

lil), " There are *^ IE rectify themselves, and others are rectified."

xix.

They

rFB

Two

interpretations of this clause are discussed, (i) |X]=^X "I' 's ^ duty to be merciful to evil-doers, that they may be influenced, repent of their evil 3.

deeds and follow the good." It would thus be somewhat parallel to IE ffc above. As an illustration Confucius' treatment of the famous bandit T'ao Chih (^ Hi) is referred to. This story forms a chapter in the works of Chuang Tzu, (Balfour, ch. xxix), but it is regarded by Giles as a later addition, and without foundation in fact (see Diet. No 1908). (2) # S5> those in mourning, i.e., for the loss of near relatives. |)(|

cp. Analects

much from

Bk. xv,

himself, and of resentment."

little

14,

® M ^# i^ A. jlij

from others,

will

^. "-He who requires ftJ keep himself from being the object

KAN YING

# H

PIP:N.

z.m A,:^ m m. ^.filj H U z.m z.^ m.^ ^ m m. m.^ #,"51 ^ Is pn m.m ^ w ^ m #,1 »,^t z.m z.m m m, bI, JM ^ jt -^ jt ^ p PI ^ # A ffn

-- -^

5ic

rfn

f^^m

fiij

fill

IS:

^jf

i^>

;!i

without resentment, and receives benefits with

insult

fear.

-He

gives, not seeking recompense, nor afterwards regretting his gifts.

Such a one

Heaven

The

comes near him.

and he

called a

on the way

He who

He is reverenced by all. and prosperity attend him, no evil

"good man."

protects him, happiness Spirits

guard him, whatever he does prospers,

to immortality.^

seeks heavenly immortality must establish a claim to

To become an

1^300 good deeds.

earthly genius, he must establish a

claim to three hundred."

*The Bad Man Exemplified. Characteristics oe the Man Who Follows the ^ Jl- (^) I" early manhood (as student, etc.). The wicked man walks contrary to the sense of duty,^ and acts good

against

!•

il'l'

taste.

"an immortal."

fill,

regards wickedness

lit.

"he may hope

cleverness,

and

become an immortal" (see

following note). 2. 5^ fill, tfe fill, The two classes of immortals in the Taoist conception. The T'ien Hsien (Refill) reside in the stars; and in the legends speaking of the abode of these beings the stars about the North pole are generally preferred, cp. also p. The Ti Hsien (J| fjlj) have their abode in some mountain 16, notes 3 and 4. paradise the paradise of the West (M %> Buddhist), supposed to be situated in the K'un I<un range.. Both orders are endowed with wisdom, virtue, perpetual youth, and magical powers, but the Ti Hsien (Jfe fill) possess these qualities in a

—

lesser degree.

The

Ji]

filing is

a Taoist biography of persons

who have

attained

immortality. *

The second main

certain

marks of

translation.

Many

It is somewhat straggling in structure, but bears and arrangement which have been elaborated in the

section.

division

of the statements are parallel to clauses in the preceding on the intro-

section, but the treatment here is in much greater detail, following '^ 'X 'h, ^• ductory warning that Sit

H—

—

and gj my sheep, and is composed of without duty. #3. points towards a great obligation in primitive times. It can be best rendered in philosophy by duty towards one's neighbour. Thus it came to mean something provided from a sense of duty, as a burying ground for the poor, troops to defend the people's liberties, etc." Giles.

KAN YING

PIEN.

m m ^. ^ ^^ M R 3i m.m "^ ^ w\ n^ It. ^ # ^ A # S. ^ ± M m.m fs m 'M.-M m fi. If ^ m m. M. M iL ^ ^. jt # T^ ^ m m 11. 1^ n A m \^.^ T ^ t.^if n *. m jfl,

3l6

'it

m ^

without compunction.

injury

inflicts

m ^

iS:.

rude to those

who would

instruct

good men

secretly robs

own

of their reputation, and slanders the rulers and his

^ ^

him; as a servant,

parents. disloyal

to his master; deceives the ignorant; accuses fellow learners falsely; is

false

and

deceitful,

In a place of power (so the

(b)

^m'UM He

and quarrels with

place,

this

his

own ends

reverses right and wrong, and turns his

sacrifices his inferiors

back on

and usurps

reward; he toadies to superiors to win their favour.-

their

and cherishes implacable

ungrateful,

ordinary

order.

power without compassion, seeking

those he ought to befriend.

the

Commentary

a).

uses his

ruthlessly.

his elders.

people,^

throws

administration

the

despises into

dis-

rewards the undeserving, and punishes the innocent.*

men

puts

and

resentment.

to death in order to possess himself of their

overthrows others that he

may

take their

wealth

(In war), he puts

office.

The two most important relationships— duty to one's Sovereign; The lack of these, as expressed in the text, is alheism, in the Chinese sense. So (fl' |i ^ IS M 5c il#), "The gifts of sovereign and parent are like gifts from Heaven and Earth" the two great divinities. Also IN'lencius: (fffi^ fl', 1.

ffi-

piety.

filial

—

#C til), Jl beast." Bk. 2.

"To acknowledge iii,

Pt.

ii,

"to hope.''

Ch.

fftF.

neither king nor father

to be in the state of a

ix. p.

B an Imperial

decree.

The meaning

as given in the

translation. 3.

3c S;

"Heaven's people,"

Though

in his official capacity he despises the

Cp. Mencius Sv^ Si, iHS ordinary people, they are' none the less J3r2., 61 "The people are the most important elements in a nation; the spirits of if the land and grain are the next; the sovereign is the lightest." Bk. vii, Pt. 2, ch. 14.

U¥

^ ^ ?p M,

4.' The" commentary quotes the Shu Ching f .JC $S:^ -^, WR "Rather than put to death an innocent person, it is better to run the irregularity and error." Pt. II, Bk. ii, Ch. ii. 12. :

risk of

;

KAN YING

PIEN.

n m.m m T^ m. ^ m m t^, ^ m. M If ^ m A m m. M ^ ft, ^n m ^ m.m ^ m 3^.m M M.m ^ M m.. B m M ^^ H ^ M 11 ^ ^ ?^. A it M m. m A M ^, ^^ :^ ;^. ^p @ ^ », 1^ ^."^ ^i

captives to the sword.'

3jc,

sends righteous ministers into exile, and

dismisses virtuous advisers from

office.-

oppresses orphans and

widows sets the law aside, and accepts bribes. He calls and evil good; records trifling sentences as serious; gloats over an execution. He knows his faults, but will not give them up; knows the good, but will not follow it.^ He lays the persecutes

good

;

evil,

blame of

his

own

on others; checks

faults

scientific progress;* slan-

ders the holy and wise, ridiculing their lofty principles and (c)

In Ordinary

Lii'E

disturbs hibernating creatures;

virtue.'"*

shoots birds and pursues animals

brood hens; blocks up the

startles

runs of burrowing animals; destroys birds' nests, wounding the hens

and breaking the

eggs.''

seeks

secures success by the overthrow his

own advantage.

' I. ?^ hsiang''— to submit sentences.

do injury

others,

of his fellows, robbing

endangers to.

men

to secure his

and

them for

own

safety.

Note the alternated structure of many of these

— Z

^—&

' "To force him -^. 'k 1isends to a distant place " Sf g| t.is. :^ to lose his office". In colloquial English— " makes the place too hot for him."

Cp. Mencius,

.\.

mm^W

iX, " When you have faults, 3. j^ cp. Analects, I. viii. 4. *q dc not fear to abandon them." Also XV. 29. ^ 4. :i-nn ii ^. "To have faults and not to reform them,— this, indeed, should be pronounced having faults."

:§

5S— in

h ;t

ffi

jfii

"as the medical and magical arts."

But see to the principles they hold. 5. II S?, refer to the persons, ii Watters: "Sometimes the word (Tao) seems to be in a measure personified for an occasion." He translates therefore: "to insult and harass the wise and virtuous.'' This expression, according to Watters, illustrates the use of "Tao" (jf) "in the Essays on the Chinese sense of one who seeks after or possesses wisdom." Language: On the word Tao, p. 221. 6. These sentences are taken by the commentary as illustrative. What he does to dumb creatures reflects his attitude towards his fellow men. Flying of hibernating animals=man at birds, running of beasts=man's means of locomotion rest: burrows and nests=man's home-life; breeding animals=propagation. ;

KAN YING

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i"^

pjf

i't\

>i:iK

i?>

(In trade), he

himself at the expense of another.

anc}

enriches

sells

inferior goods as of the best quality,

and for the furtherance

of his private interests sacrifices the general good. of what they have achieved their

failings.

wealth

most

and

conceals men's good points, and exposes

;

private

divulges

separates the nearest relatives

cherish.

incites

men

;

married

life;

and appropriates what others defrauds by intimidation,

to evil:

squanders others'

affairs;

triumphs over another's disgrace.

breaks up the

robs others

destroys young crops^

proud of

his

wealth;

ill-gotten

and shamelessly excuses himself for his crimes.^

takes credit

for good he does not do, and lays the blame of his faults on others.*

makes others share

another's door."'

ing

evil designs."

his

own

defects.

stopping even at

misfortunes, and

his

lays

his

crime at

He buys a false reputation,^ while secretly cherishHe decries the merits of others, while shielding He uses his power to persecute and coerce, not He cuts cloth needlessly; kills and fatal violence.

cooks animals in defiance of propriety; wastes and throws i.e.,

by leading into extravagance and debauch

2. By hindering the irrigation driving cattle over the fields, etc.

;

urging to lawsuits,

away

etc

destroying embanjcments and causing floods

^^^

^' ^. %• explains S' 't" -fr P/i SiV Sc has a sense of shame in life, therefore, he does not seek that which is unworthy and in death does not fear judgment." '^ %, to escape the consequences of an act by deceit. Cp. Mencius VI. vi. 7, where the reference

The commentary

"The

superior

man

;

man's original nature.

A-

i!ft

So the commentary, which expands The meaning is clear.

weds

his

misfortunes— to others

lit.

By pretending

IIt

to hoard.

to be

what he

not.

;

^p-

sells his

{U, iB

^ 2, iS W ft

crimes.

Cp. the phrase

MJM^-

y^i*-

?lc.

ffif

;

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m n

grain

;

am mm^mmm mX ^^x^M'^m^^mm^ m.m.M.m.^.m^^M^iKMM^

m.z.^

and

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and causes animals unnecessary

seizes their wealth

lets

;

%% i^

fi He

suffering.^

^^ 5^

ruins families

loose fire and water to destroy dwellings

confuses the plans of others to ruin their work; destroys implements of

toil,

making them

valueless

him banished

prosperous, and wishes

and longs for

sins; laughs at the deformed,"

resorts to " ku "

and night

-•&

magic

at "?c

him is

sees another

rich

and

complied with, he

of others he puts

and imderrates the

to get rid of people

affluent,"

stirred to lust.

down

abilities

(whom

passionate towards teachers; resists the

These four clauses

to their

of others."

he hates);"

commands

illustrate thoughtlessness in its varied forms.

cut

arduous labour of the women-folk, who work day their weaving. So the proverb $rW.~i%'&; .© IS ± ^. B =. ^ ^. "When you put on clothes, remember the weaver's toil when

cloth needlessly

sees

If his requests are not

The misfortunes

curses and hates.

poisons trees;

users. 2

downfall; sees beauty, and

his

wishes his creditors dead.

the

to spoil the

;

remember the farmer's labour." There should be a limit to the use of "Do not covet So another proverb: in "k ^ 'tt -$,for the mouth and belly, and so slay beasts and birds without restraint." To waste the grain is not only to treat lightly the toil of the farmer, but an insult to Heaven and Earth. Animals should not be cruelly treated. This last clause may also you

eat,

^M&Wi

animals as food.

include the people, 2.

who ought

not to be oppressed.

I? here, a verb, to render valueless.

Refers to jealousy between officials. It will be noted that 3. section might have been placed under the previous heading.

much

of this

^ greatly possessed of—as wealth or learning.

'«

tS hsiang*.

As an

f,g

official,

=B.-

bodily imperfections.

blocking the merited advancement of a junior.

Refers to the method of preparing this deadly poison. lit. "buries ku." 7. Insects of all kinds are put into a vessel, which is then aovercd up and left for a year. The insects will have devoured one another imtil only one is left, and this is ku. For interpretation of this phrase, see App. i. |f{ here, yeh, to repress.

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3(:

of seniors.

unreasonable in his demands.^ using both intrigue

and open violence

obtains riches by plunder

artful roguery.3

of pleasure.'

severity,^

and

fills

and blames man;" raves

of his parents.

seeks advancement by ;*

and indulges

dependants with harshness and

treats

He murmurs

against Heaven,

wind and abuses the

at the

rain.*^

and foolishly joins secret

litigation,

women

by his

influenced

others with fear.

provokes people to

;

rewards and punishes unjustly

in excess

)ii3

societies.

and disobeys the teaching

folk,

Forgets old attachments and takes on with new."

He covets riches He invents slander

Says one thing and means another, i"

and deceives

lessly,ii

innocent men;

5)3

JiK

and^ boasts

them,

and accounts himself

j!^ /fe,

"reward and punishment not according

lit.

J®

This clause refers particularly

iff>

A common m=fi.e.,

#— K ^

to send to the left, to degrade,

to equity."

to family dependants, as servants, etc.

couplet says,

Tp,

-Jb

A-

to slave girls,

The

and the practice of