《淮南鸿烈解》Vol. 11

Remove the obstacle, and the runner will no longer trip over it; the archer will shoot swiftly and skillfully. Here, fa means “to shoot,” as in the phrase “a hundred shots, a hundred hits.”

Thus, when valued things are kept outside oneself, the heart is burdened by them. The valued things meant here are gold and jade; “digging” refers to the uneasy movement of the breath. A person chasing wild animals cannot see Mount Tai, but sees only the animals. When preferences and desires remain outside the heart, its clear insight is obscured. A person whose vision is obscured sees only what is advantageous and not what is harmful.

Those who listen only to audible sounds are like the deaf; those who can hear soundless sounds are truly sharp of hearing. By clinging neither to audible sound nor to silence, one can communicate with the spirit world.

The diviner holds a tortoiseshell, while the person practicing milfoil divination sorts the yarrow stalks—the implements used for divination—and seeks answers in numerical principles. But what, in fact, should one ask? The stalks mentioned here are the forty-nine yarrow stalks. They can be used to divine good and ill fortune, or to inquire into numerical principles. These principles are the underlying matters the diviner seeks to investigate.

The dancers raise their rhythm instruments, and the spectators clap along in unison, their movements all alike because they are pursuing the same aim. The sun rises from Tanggu and sets in Yuyuan, yet people cannot see how it travels. In the blink of an eye, it has already made them bow their heads. Fu means to lower or bend the head. No one wants to learn to control a dragon, but everyone wants to learn to ride a horse; no one wants to learn to govern spirits and gods, but everyone wants to learn to govern the human world. This is because the latter pursuits are useful in the present. Riding a horse and governing people are treated as urgent concerns because controlling dragons and governing spirits have no practical benefit in ordinary life.

Dismantling a door for firewood and filling in a well to use as a stone mortar—people sometimes act with this sort of absurdity. Huo means “sometimes”; the comparison is that the actions are alike in being nearly foolish.

Water and fire overcome one another, but place a small ding vessel between them and water can harmonize the five flavors, after which fire can cook them. When slander and ill will come between relatives who love one another, even father and son may harm each other. The stories of King Ping of Chu and Duke Xian of Jin are examples of this.

What is meant to protect something can instead harm what it protects. This is as absurd as cutting down one’s feet to fit one’s shoes, or even chopping off one’s head to fit a hat. Here, “what protects” is a metaphor for those who use slander to harm relatives, while “the one harmed” represents close kin. A large head and a small hat do not fit; cutting down the head to make the hat wearable is foolish.

Sweet flag (changyang) gets rid of small lice but attracts qiongqiong, a tiny insect that can burrow into the ear. This is like eliminating a minor harm only to invite a greater calamity: a brief moment of satisfaction ends up damaging a greater interest.

A broken wall is worse than no wall, but a broken wall is still preferable to a collapsed roof. Once destroyed, the wall simply becomes earth again, whereas a collapsed roof leaves the house utterly ruined.

Bi and yuan, different forms of jade, can be fashioned into objects through the work of jiangzhu, a whetstone used to polish jade. The Book of Songs says, “The stones of another mountain can serve as a whetstone.” This means that stones from other mountains can also be used to polish jade. The ancient sword Moxie, too, could cut things apart only because it had been sharpened on a whetstone; here, “strength” also means “effectiveness.”

Once the cunning hares have been caught, the hounds are cooked; once the high-flying birds have been shot down, the powerful crossbow is put away. Here, “cooked” means killed, and “put away” means discarded and no longer used. The image is a metaphor for how meritorious servants are no longer employed once their task is complete.

A fine horse can gallop a thousand miles, yet cannot fly. Even without stores of grain, it will not go hungry. If a fire breaks out just as rain begins to fall, the fire is a misfortune, but the rain is good fortune. Thus, good fortune may be found even within disaster.

Those who sell coffins hope the people will fall ill; those who hoard grain hope for a poor harvest and a hungry populace. “Famine” means a great shortage of food, when the crops have failed to ripen. When the surface of the water is still, its flow is even. Once the water clears, one can see the shapes of things beneath it, and nothing can remain hidden; thus it can be used to discern things.

When rivers dry up, the valleys lose their water; when hills are leveled, the depths are filled in. If the lips no longer protect them, the teeth grow cold. The river’s depth and abundance have their source in the mountains. None of these conditions came about in a single day.

A bolt of white silk can be divided: one piece can be made into a cap, the other into shoes. The cap belongs on the head, while the shoes are worn on the feet. Those who understand themselves cannot be lured by external things, for such things cannot sway them. Those who understand life and death cannot be driven back by danger, for they do not fear it. Thus, a skilled swimmer is not daunted by crossing water, because they are not afraid of drowning.

Nothing is closer than one’s own flesh and blood; the parts of the body are joined to one another. Yet once the heart loses its restraint, it can harm the self. How much more so, then, can it harm others, whose ties are more distant?

The sage turns toward the Dao as a sunflower turns toward the sun. Though unable to accompany the Dao from beginning to end, the sage still gazes toward it with sincere devotion. The palace pond swells when there is abundant rain and dries up in drought; the source of the river, however, lies deep within springs and abysses and does not run dry.

An umbrella’s ribs without its canopy cannot shield one from the sun, and spokes without a wheel cannot make a cart travel swiftly. Yet the ribs or spokes alone are not enough to accomplish anything. Metal overcomes wood, but a single blade cannot cut down an entire forest; earth overcomes water, but a single clod cannot block a great river.

A lame person who sees a tiger but does not flee is not acting out of courage; circumstances simply do not allow them to run. What is tilted is easily toppled, and what depends on support is easily pushed over. What is near is easily helped; when it is damp, rain is likely to come. “Ji” means “near,” while “fu” means “to push or assist.”

When a mousetrap is triggered, the mouse is caught; when a fishing float moves, the fish takes the hook; when a cart bears a heavy load, its wheels turn and make a sound. Once an action is set in motion, it brings about a corresponding result. The Book of Songs says, “I bear it; I carry it.”

A grass dog used in a sacrifice—a dog-shaped figure made of straw—can be set in place, but it cannot walk by itself. Shechuang grass looks like miewu, but it lacks miewu’s fragrance. Shechuang smells unpleasant, while miewu is fragrant.

Some say that Xu You lacked virtue and Niaohuo lacked strength, but people are always troubled or ashamed by what they themselves lack. “Chou” can mean “anger,” though some explain it as “shame.” “Fen” means to rouse oneself and strive. If a rabbit ran as fast as a horse, even catching up with the swift steed called Guifeng, that would certainly show astonishing speed. But if it became a horse, it would no longer run. People always strive to make up for what they lack.

Thunder and lightning sometimes occur in winter, and frost and snow sometimes fall in summer, but the broad pattern of the seasons does not change. Small variations are not enough to damage a great order.

The Yellow Emperor was an ancient heavenly deity. Legend says that when he brought forth humankind, he caused Yin and Yang to transform and give birth to it. Shangpian and Sanglin are both names of deities: according to legend, Shangpian created the ears and eyes, while Sanglin created the arms. Nüwa, the deity said to have governed the world and created all things, thus underwent seventy transformations and carried out the work of creation. Yu, who governed the world and brought forth all things, did not accomplish this through his own strength alone.

People may talk all day about the deeds of sages, or display the archery skill of Yi and Fengmeng, hitting the mark with every shot, yet the world may still refuse to acknowledge them. If someone merely clings to appearances without matching them to reality, that is not genuine practice.

Ox hooves and pig heads are bones too, but people do not use them for divination. They must use tortoise shells to inquire about good and ill fortune, because those shells have endured for many years. People who live near Aocang, the great ancient granary north of Xingyang, do not therefore eat more; nor do those who live beside rivers drink more. It is enough to eat and drink until one is full.

Though orchids and zhilan are fragrant, they have never known frost or snow. According to one account, Guzhao was an owl; another says it was a toad. Among the people, objects shaped like owls or toads were made and burned on the fifteenth day of the fifth month to ward off weapons and pray for long life. These accounts show that not everything is suited to every use.

Between the tongue and the teeth, which wears away first? “Long” means to wear down completely. Between a bronze spear butt and a blade, which is ruined first? The bronze fitting at the end of a spear shaft is durable, while the blade wears down first. Between a rope and an arrow, which is straighter? An arrow is a shaft.

Eels and snakes, silkworms and candles have similar shapes, yet people feel differently about them: they like eels and silkworms, but fear snakes and candles.

The state of Jin once obtained Yu and Guo in exchange for the jade disc of Chuiji. The related story appears in the “Qisu” chapter. The Li Rong, by means of the beauty Li Ji, brought disaster upon Jin.

A deaf person cannot amuse himself by singing, and a blind person cannot see the world outside. Someone watching archery may forget his own skill; someone reading may also forget what he once valued, because his attention is fixed elsewhere.

If the practices of the ancients could never be changed, then carts such as the handcart should still be unchanged today. The yu is an ancient wind instrument. If someone who does not know how to play it simply blows into it, it will not sound, even if the person keeps the beat. Without real ability, one cannot do the work.

It is difficult to be a good physician to someone who has the same illness as a dead person, and difficult to plan with someone who follows the same path as a fallen state. Some editions write “yu” instead of “mou”; the meanings are similar.

Preparing a meal for a guest while eating only rough wild greens oneself is a mismatch between reputation and reality. The reputation for benevolence and righteousness may be esteemed, but in practice it is better to make sure the meal is properly prepared.

A puppy attacking a tiger, and a brooding hen fighting a wildcat, both act out of affection and disregard their own strength. A shadow bends because its form bends; an echo sounds muddy because the original sound is muddy. Once desires are revealed within, others can easily see through a person.

If flowers and fruits do not ripen in their proper season, they are not fit to eat. For example, eating late-ripening melons in the eighth or ninth month may cause malaria. The same principle applies to speech: words that are untimely or unreasonable are not worth following.

When traveling on foot to Yue, some people go by boat and others by cart. Though their routes differ, they ultimately reach the same place. “Zhi” and “ji” both mean “to arrive”; “yi” means “the same.”

Beautiful women differ in figure, and beauties differ in appearance, yet all can delight the eye. Pears, oranges, dates, and chestnuts each taste different, yet all can suit the palate. Here, “beautiful” and “flavorful” mean pleasing to the eye and pleasing to the taste.

Some people grow rich through theft, but the rich are not necessarily thieves. Some are honest and upright yet poor, but the poor are not necessarily all honest. The tender shoots of the xiang plant look like cotton, but cannot be used as cotton; fen hemp, with its seeds, does not look like cloth, yet it can be woven into fabric.

Once you leave the woods, you cannot keep to a straight path at every turn; when crossing steep and dangerous ground, you cannot always step in a straight line. Yi, the legendary archer, could shoot far and hit tiny targets, but his skill depended on more than bow and arrow. Zaofu, the legendary charioteer, could race after speeding vehicles and travel great distances, but his skill depended on more than reins and bits. The sea is vast because it receives the waters of many rivers. A wheel keeps moving forward because it passes over the same place again and again.

Mutton does not seek out ants, but ants are drawn to it because of its gamey smell. Sour vinegar does not seek out tiny flies, but they are drawn to its sourness. Taste a small piece of meat and you can infer the flavor of the whole pot; suspend a feather and a piece of charcoal to observe whether the air is dry or damp. In each case, the whole is understood from a small part, and what is distant is inferred from what is near.

A reservoir of ten qing can irrigate forty qing of fields, while one of a single qing can irrigate four qing; their irrigation capacity differs in proportion to their size. The bright moon lets people see far away, but cannot illuminate fine writing clearly. On a foggy morning, nearby words are legible, while distant ones cannot be seen. A painter who concentrates only on rendering each hair may lose the subject’s overall spirit and appearance; an archer who fixes only on a small target may overlook a larger one. Different tasks call for different methods.

Destroying an entire village to block a rat hole, or causing a carbuncle while treating a small boil, is a loss outweighing any gain. A pearl may have a flaw and jade a blemish; if they are left as they are, each remains whole. Trying to remove the flaw may instead damage the pearl or jade. Those who build nests in trees are suited to places with dense woodland; those who live in caves make their homes on high ground or embankments. Each has its own advantages.

Prince Qingji (son of King Liao of Wu) could chase deer with his feet and grapple with rhinoceros and tigers with his hands. Yet when he was shut inside a dark room, he could not even catch a turtle. This was because his surroundings did not allow him to display his abilities.

Tang of Shang drove out King Zhou and gained a good name; Cui Zhu killed Duke Zhuang of Qi and was greatly condemned. Their actions seemed similar on the surface, but their aims were different: Tang killed Zhou for the sake of the people, while Cui Zhu killed Duke Zhuang for his own sake. So one earned a good name, and the other was criticized.

Lü Wang (the Grand Duke of Jiang) inspired older people to strive forward. He did not begin studying until he was seventy; at ninety, he became an adviser to King Wen of Zhou, assisted King Wu in attacking King Zhou, and was later enfeoffed in Qi. Xiang Tuo, by contrast, made children conceited: at seven, he could pose difficult questions to Confucius, who honored him as a teacher. Other children his age might therefore come to think highly of themselves. People naturally admire those who resemble them.

Wind makes leaves fall; fish stirring the water makes it cloudy. Tigers and leopards attract hunters who shoot them because of their markings. Monkeys, because they move so nimbly, draw pursuers who quickly chase after them to capture them.

A single move in a game of go cannot display all one’s wisdom, and one note cannot express all one’s grief. A three-inch tube has no bottom, so it could not be filled even with all the water in the world. A ten-bushel vessel, if blocked, can hold no more than a hundred pecks. To measure a river with a bamboo pole, then treat the place where the pole reaches the bottom as the river’s end, is foolish.

Fishermen go to deep pools and woodcutters go into the mountains because that is where they find what they need. People hurrying to market in the morning walk briskly; those passing through at dusk stroll slowly, because what they came to buy is already gone.

Leopard skin may be marked, but it is not as fine as the fox’s smooth, unblemished fur. A white jade disc with a flaw cannot be counted a treasure. This shows how rare it is to be pure and whole.

The ghosts of those killed in battle fear spirit mediums, because the mediums can perform rites to drive them away. A band of thieves despises a guard dog. A local earth spirit with no permanent altar can easily be offered millet and meat; the spirit of grain, without state sacrifices, is also easy to entreat for blessings.

A softshell turtle has no ears, but that does not mean it cannot see. A blind person has no sight and cannot see things, yet may have keen hearing. A posthumous child does not long for his father, because he does not know what his father looked like and has never seen his image.

You cannot add feet to a viper, nor make tigers and leopards climb trees. A venomous snake is already dangerous; adding feet would only make it more so. A tiger is a fierce beast, but that does not mean it can climb trees. Horses do not eat fat, and the greenfinch does not peck at millet—not because they are morally upright, but because each has its own habits.

When Qin repaired the pass at Mount Xiao, Wei built its defenses. After Wei moved its capital to Daliang, it heard that Qin was repairing the pass and realized Qin might expand eastward, so it built walls and prepared its defenses. A hungry horse is quiet in its stall, but once feed is placed nearby, the urge to compete for it arises. A bow can shoot no arrow without a string. The string is only one small part of the whole process of shooting, yet it is indispensable.

Dao and De can be followed consistently, but adapting to circumstances cannot be fixed once and for all. Someone who has slipped through a pass or escaped from prison cannot expect to get away the same way again, because guards and wardens change their methods according to the circumstances.

A ring can serve as an example of a circle, but it cannot serve as a wheel. A decorative cord can be made into an ornament for clothing, but that does not make it a standard for measuring all things. The sun and moon do not rise at the same time; foxes do not have two leaders; divine dragons do not pair off, fierce beasts do not gather in herds, and mighty birds of prey do not fly in pairs. Cutting along a carpenter’s ink line prevents deviation; hanging a balance beam to weigh things prevents error; raising a sighting pole makes it easier to avoid being misled.

If you undercount someone’s age, you may mistake them for a younger brother; if you overcount it, you may suspect they are an older brother. It is better to judge from the circumstances and use the person’s actual age. People cannot see a dragon flying, yet know it can rise very high because wind and rain help it ascend. When woodworms multiply, a tree breaks; when a crack widens, a wall collapses. Hanging things sometimes fall, and supporting branches sometimes loosen and drop away.

If the weather is cold but no one freezes to death, there has been no loss of what is fitting. Freezing to death is what counts as a failure to withstand it. If the weather is hot but no one suffers heatstroke, there has likewise been no failure. Without ever experiencing cold or heat, there is no question of failing to withstand them.

When the bathing equipment had been prepared, booklice comforted one another; when a tall building was completed, sparrows and swallows congratulated one another. Their worries and joys were different. When Liu Xiahui saw maltose, he said it could be used to support the elderly. When Zhi the Robber saw it, he said it could be used to stick a door bolt in place. Faced with the same thing, people use it differently according to their aims. Liu Xiahui was a senior official of Lu, named Huo and styled Qin. “Liu Xia” may have been the name of his fief, or it may have come from a large willow tree in his home. The word mu for the door bolt refers to the locking pin on a door.

Someone who has never worked the fields has a granary piled high with millet; someone who has never raised silkworms has a bag full of silk. When wealth is gained through improper means, it will inevitably be used wantonly and violently.

The sea does not take in floating, rotting corpses. If something unjust flows into it, the sea god will drive it back out; hence the saying that the sea does not accept corpses. Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak and the place where ancient emperors performed the feng and shan rites, likewise does not allow petty people to climb to its summit. On the ritual stands used in ancient sacrifices, only suitable cuts of sacrificial meat, such as shoulder and leg, were placed; ribs and other parts were not offered. The sacrificial animals also had to be of a single, uniform color. Animals with mixed markings could not be used.

A fan feels cool in summer, yet some people do not know to put it away when winter comes. They lift their clothes to wade through water, then reach higher ground and still do not know to lower their hems. These are all failures to adapt to changing circumstances. A mountain does not necessarily have trees everywhere, a valley does not necessarily have wind everywhere, and not every stone contains gold. Trees grow on mountains, wind comes through valleys, and gold is hidden in stone; but this does not mean that every mountain has trees, every valley has wind, or every stone contains gold. It is like sages emerging from among ordinary people: one cannot therefore say that every ordinary person is a sage.

Everyone in a hall may look at hooks of different shapes, but the hooks serve the same purpose as belt rings. Their forms differ, but their uses can be the same.

Duke Xian of Jin had talent and virtue, yet Lady Li misled him into killing Shensheng. Shusun was wise, yet Shuniu deceived him, and he starved to death after going three days without food. Thus, when Zheng Zhan fled to Lu, the Spring and Autumn Annals records someone crying out, “The sycophant is here! The sycophant is here!” Zheng Zhan was a minister of Duke Wen of Zheng. After Duke Huan of Qi died, the Earl of Zheng did not go to Qi to pay court; instead, he went to Chu. The people of Qi then seized him, and Zheng Zhan escaped from Qi to Lu. Because he was compared to people like Lady Li and Shuniu, he was called a “sycophant.”

When a gentleman has wine, a rustic may tap a clay basin for music. Even if people do not like him, they need not hate him. People naturally like to wear silk, but when war comes they must wear armor. By giving up what is inconvenient for the moment, they can obtain what is truly advantageous.

The spokes of a wheel fit into the hub, each aligned with its own socket; they cannot be inserted into one another’s places. This is like ministers each keeping to their own duties and not interfering with one another. Someone who once wore armor to protect himself from arrows might later wear armor while wading through water; someone who once carried a pot while crossing a river might carry one to put out a fire. This is what happens when people fail to distinguish between different kinds of things.

When a gentleman governs the people from above, it is like controlling a galloping horse with a rotten rope: he must be careful and composed, fearing that he may lose the people’s support. It is also like walking on thin ice with a jiao, a legendary water creature, beneath the surface, or entering a forest and encountering a tigress nursing her young: one must remain alert at all times. If instruction and moral guidance do not reach the people, they will not rally to their ruler.

Those skilled at employing people let everyone use their strengths without getting in one another’s way, like the many legs of a centipede. They also bring together what is hard and what is yielding, like lips and teeth, which depend on each other. The good flavor of fine wine begins with brewing; the splendid embroidered patterns on ceremonial robes can be made only by weaving and spinning thread.

New cloth is not as good as hemp cloth, while old hemp cloth is not as good as new cloth: one kind suits new garments, another old ones. Dimples in the cheeks look attractive, but on the forehead they do not. Embroidery is suitable for clothing, but people would laugh at a hat made of it. The Book of Songs says, “A dragon robe, with an embroidered skirt,” so embroidery is suitable for a lower garment. A horse’s teeth are not like a cow’s hooves, and the roots of sandalwood are not like the branches of the chair tree. By observing the nature of things, one can distinguish among them. Stone is hard by nature, and orchids are fragrant by nature. These qualities are present from the beginning and become more pronounced as things grow.

Helping and supporting, gratitude and deference, taking the rear and vying to go first, agreeing and declining: these may seem similar, yet their differences can be great. Wiping sweat on the forehead after putting powder on the face; burning incense in the palace to perfume one’s clothes while a rotten rat lies in a jar; fearing water yet going into it; carrying something foul while seeking fragrance—even a capable person cannot make such actions turn out well.

A tree that blossoms a second time does not necessarily bear fruit. In a severe drought, its flowers may wither before autumn arrives. Do not always call this misfortune: a steaming basket will not, in the end, fall into a well. Nor will ghostly phosphorescent fire appear on command just because someone beckons with a hairpin. Why be afraid?

You can stop someone from crossing a river before they set out; once they have reached the middle, you cannot tell them not to cross. Seeing only one stripe on a tiger does not reveal its ferocity; seeing just one hair of a fine horse does not show its ability to run. A water scorpion, the larva of a dragonfly, transforms into a young dragonfly, and mosquito larvae also change. Grass bitten by rabbits sometimes gives rise to a horsefly, an insect described in ancient texts. The transformations of things often defy expectation: those who do not understand are astonished, while those who do understand are not perplexed.

Copper has a bluish sheen, gold a yellow sheen, and jade a white sheen. An oil lamp with a hemp wick gives off a bright, lustrous light. From subtle signs one can infer what is evident; from outward appearances one can understand what lies within. Yet some things cannot be known through direct experience: without tasting it, one cannot know the flavor of meat; without seeing them, one cannot know what ghosts and spirits look like. Nor can the mind picture the idea of catching a shadow.

Winter ice can be broken, while trees in summer can be grafted. An opportunity is hard to find, and once it is missed, it is easily lost. When trees are flourishing, one can pick from them all day without thinking they will be stripped bare. After autumn winds and frost arrive, they may be completely bare in a single night. Forcing food on someone who has a fever, giving cold water to someone suffering heatstroke, pulling on the rope to save someone who has hanged themselves, or handing a stone to someone who is drowning: all are attempts to help that instead cause harm.

Even if you fear a horse will escape, you cannot tear down the doorframe to search for it. Even if you want to prepare wine in advance, you cannot keep a straw mat clutched in your arms all the time. When the warrior Meng Ben reaches into a mouse hole, the mouse may not die on the spot, but it will certainly bite his finger. This is a failure to grasp the right moment and the circumstances. When clouds rise among the mountains, the foundation stones beneath pillars become damp. If poria is dug up, dodder withers too, because the thing on which it depends for growth has disappeared.

A fire in one household may burn down a hundred households. When slanderers plot in secret, the people lie dead and exposed. Grain becomes hot when it is soaked with water; rice turns to liquid when exposed to fire. There is fire in water, and water in fire. A sudden clap of thunder splits stone: this is a natural event formed when Yin and Yang clash.

Pouring water into a river adds little to its flow. Even if water pouring into the sea cannot make it rise, this is still better than letting the flow stop. A net with only one eye cannot catch birds, and a hook without bait cannot catch fish. If you meet a worthy person but fail to treat them with respect, you will not win their service.

Dodder has no roots, yet it can grow; a snake has no feet, yet it can crawl; a fish has no ears, yet it can hear; a cicada has no mouth, yet it can sing. Each of these phenomena has its own cause.

The crane can live for a thousand years and roam freely; the jie shu, a tiny insect that lives only from morning until evening, can also enjoy its brief life to the fullest. Though their lifespans differ, each can fulfill its own aspirations. King Zhou of Shang killed Mei Bo, while King Wen of Zhou consulted with the feudal lords about how to oppose Zhou. Jie tortured those who remonstrated with him, while Tang of Shang sent people to mourn them. A galloping horse does not deliberately crash into a tree, and a mad dog does not deliberately leap into a river. Even ignorant insects do not bring about their own destruction, so how much less would a person?

Someone may love a bear yet feed it salt, or love an otter yet make it drink wine. Though they mean to keep the animals alive, their methods are unsuitable. Salt can kill a bear, and wine can harm an otter: the method is at fault. What we love in our hearts can lead us to dismantle a boat to make a walking stick, or destroy a bell to make a large signaling bell. Guan Zhong once served Prince Jiu. After their defeat, he was imprisoned by the state of Lu, which was a disgrace to him. Later, he served Duke Huan of Qi and helped Qi become hegemon, which brought him glory. He traded a brief humiliation for lasting honor. Su Qin, meanwhile, used many empty words to secure one final act of trustworthiness.

When a target is set up, bows and arrows gather around it; when a forest grows dense, axes go in to cut it down. No one summons these things deliberately; circumstances bring them about. If someone waits until they see a profit before rescuing a drowning person, they may also push someone into the water for profit. A boat can carry cargo, but it can also sink. A fool who does not understand this is afraid to set foot on a boat.

Even when driven hard, a fine horse refuses to move forward; when led, it refuses to stop. A ruler would not use it for travel. Those who criticize me may be seeking my friendship; those who disparage my goods may be hoping to trade with me. Clear water mixed with clear water is still unpleasant to drink, and a se with only one string is unpleasant to hear, because both lack variation and harmony. A fine horse dies when held back; an upright person suffers hardship when remaining true to the right path. The worthy are excluded from court, and beautiful women are neglected in the palace.

Those who travel away think of the road; those who stay at home dream of their beds. A loving mother sings in the lane, while her son, far from home, feels longing for his family. Feelings between people can resonate with one another. When fresh meat is hung up, crows and magpies gather; when a hawk is startled, other birds scatter. The gathering and dispersal of things often result from their responding to one another.

Those who enjoy food should not damage the vessels that hold it; those who gather fruit should not break the branches. Block the source and the water will dry up; turn away from the root and things will decline. When a road is blocked, even a linked chain is hard to untangle; when a problem is difficult to solve, brute force alone will not do. Rather than stand by the river and envy the fish, go home and learn to weave a net. A luminous pearl is an affliction to the oyster but a treasure to people; tiger claws and elephant tusks are useful to the animals, but may bring harm to people.

A fine horse makes people want to ride at a gallop; good wine brings joy and makes people want to sing. Doing what is right brings order to affairs; doing what is wrong creates confusion. A swift arrow cannot fly for several miles, but slow steps, if they never stop, can cross a hundred she, an ancient unit of distance, and eventually reach a thousand miles away. The sage dwells in quiet places, while ordinary people live in full view. The sage walks on water, while ordinary people walk on frost. Water has a surface that leaves no clear trace, so the sage acts without leaving a trace. Frost and snow retain footprints, so the actions of ordinary people are easily seen.

Sounds differ, so they cannot all be heard through a single pitch; forms differ, so they cannot be forced into one shape. Farmers toil in the fields, while rulers enjoy what they provide. A fool speaks, and a wise person selects what is useful from the words. Someone who leaves a dense forest to perch on a dead tree, and who shoots crows instead of swans, is hard to work with.

On a hill where there are only shallow pools and no deep valleys, springs cannot flow far and wide. But as long as a stream has a source, it can irrigate a vast marsh of a thousand qing. What is clear to see is as easy to recognize as jade; what is obscure should be set aside for careful consideration. Entrusting the weight of the realm to one person’s ability is like hanging a thousand-jun weight from a single branch: it cannot bear the load. Carrying a child while climbing a wall is considered inauspicious, because if one falls, both may be hurt.

A person skilled in getting things done is like someone who starts singing while aboard a boat: one person leads, and a thousand respond. This shows that they can win the support of many. It is difficult to gain grain without farming, wear colorful clothes without weaving, or achieve results without doing anything. When prosperity comes, decline will follow; silk garments give way to coarse hemp clothes, and achievement can lead to ruin.

There is a great bird that raises waves on the water. The River Earl, the god who governs rivers, therefore does not dare to let the waters surge, for fear of its might. From this we can see that someone resolved to die will not be dismissed even by an army of a thousand chariots. The greatest strength of an army lies in steadfast resolve; the treasured Moye sword comes second. When a venomous snake bites someone, applying hejin, a poisonous wild vine, can bring about a cure. This shows that something that seems harmful can, in certain circumstances, become beneficial.

When the sage lives amid disorder, it is like enduring the fierce heat of a summer noon while waiting for the cool of night. As the sun sets among the mulberry and elm trees and the air gradually cools, it becomes easier to endure. This means that the age of disorder is nearing its end, just as the sun has dipped toward the west and night is about to fall.

The surface of the water may look calm, yet waves can still rise; a balance beam may appear level, yet still be off; the markings on a ruler may look regular, yet in practice still prove inaccurate. “Deviant” means different or off the mark. Without a compass and a carpenter’s square, one cannot determine what is round or square; without a plumb line, one cannot correct what is crooked or straight. Even those who use these tools must follow certain standards and methods. A person who can lay a plumb line level and draw it straight can correct things only by relying on it. That is why even they depend on the plumb line.

Only when a boat overturns can one see who is good at swimming; only when a horse gallops can one see who is good at driving a chariot. A good swimmer will not drown when a boat overturns; a good charioteer can keep the chariot from capsizing when the horse gallops. Thus, skill can be seen only in a dangerous situation. Food that has no taste when chewed cannot be swallowed; what the eyes cannot see cannot be considered in the mind. “Form” means an appearance: without an appearance before the eyes, the mind has nothing to think about.

With rhinos and tigers chasing from behind and the Pearl of Marquis Sui—a precious gem from ancient legend—lying before you, you cannot stop to pick it up. You must first escape danger, then seek profit. The state of Sui lay east of the Han River, and its ruler was descended from the Ji clan. Legend says that while Marquis Sui was travelling, he saw a large snake lying on the ground, cut in two. He ordered a doctor to heal its wound. After it recovered, the snake went away. Later, it returned with a large pearl in its mouth to repay him. This was said to be the luminous moon pearl, so it was called the “Pearl of Marquis Sui” and treasured by people.

Someone chasing a deer gives no thought to a hare; someone negotiating the purchase of goods worth a thousand gold pieces does not haggle over a few zhu. The point is that when you focus on something important, small gains will not hold your attention. A bow must first be adjusted before you can expect it to be powerful; a horse must first be trained before you can expect it to be excellent. “Powerful” means strong, and “trained” means obedient. When choosing people, first consider whether they are trustworthy, then whether they are capable. A person who is not trustworthy cannot establish themselves.

A potter discards a rope, and a wheelwright picks it up; a butcher throws down an iron tool, and a blacksmith takes it. Each person values different things and has different needs. The light of a hundred stars cannot match that of a single moon; ten open windows do not bring light as concentrated as one window. An arrow shot ten paces can pierce rhinoceros hide, but at the limit of its range it cannot pierce even a thin piece of Lu silk. This shows that everything has limits to its strength.

Mount Tai may be high, but if you stand with your back to it, you cannot see it. The tip of an autumn hair may be fine, but careful observation can distinguish it. This shows that whether we see clearly depends on how we observe. A mountain yields metal and is therefore quarried; a tree grows worms and is therefore eaten away by them. People, too, may be harmed by the very things they do. “Damage” means to harm or ruin. These effects arise from the nature of things themselves. A skilled metalworker can cast wood into a shape, but a carpenter cannot chop metal into the form of wood, because materials differ in shape and nature. White jade needs no carving, and pearls need no adornment, because their natural qualities are already excellent and need no further embellishment.

Step by step, without stopping, even a lame turtle can travel a thousand li; by steadily accumulating, one can build a small hill. “A short step” means a very small step, and “to stop” means to cease. A city wall is gradually built upward, while a tree naturally grows straight below. Neither requires some extraordinary technique: each develops according to its conditions.

Choosing and using people is like drilling wood to make fire. If you drill too slowly, no fire will come; if you drill too fast, that is also unsuitable. Fire appears only when you find the proper pace. Observing things is similar: watching from morning until evening can change the original situation, and forcing something crooked to become straight can cause harm. “Crooked” means bent or slanted. The sage observes things as a mirror reflects forms, bringing out their true condition in every detail. Here, “corresponding” means matching or fitting.

When Yangzi saw a fork in the road, he wept because the road could lead either south or north, and he lamented that it opened onto different directions. A broad road with many branches is called a “crossroads.” Mozi wept at the sight of white silk because it could be dyed either yellow or black, and he regretted that its color could be changed. “Silk” here means white silk. When people’s choices and aspirations accord, they are like a bell and a stone chime—ancient musical instruments—sounding the same note. Even if separated by a thousand years, they can still produce a single tone.

A bird that poses no threat need not be shot, even if it is nearby; a bird that could cause harm cannot be spared, even if it is far away. The wine you buy may be sour and the meat may be spoiled, yet buying wine and meat necessarily involves going to sellers of wine and meat. So if you want something, you should look for it in the place closest to where it can be found.

Answering deception with deception and schemes with schemes is like wearing a straw raincoat to put out a fire or destroying a ditch to hold back water: it only makes the disaster worse. Xi Shi and Mao Qiang looked different, yet people called them both beautiful because their beauty was equal. The systems and decrees established by Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang differed, yet all won the people’s hearts because each was able to gain their allegiance. The sage acts according to the times and builds achievements from the conditions at hand: in a flood, prepare vessels to store water; in a drought, make an earthen dragon, a dragon-shaped object used in ancient rainmaking rites.

The women of Linzi, the capital of Qi, might pursue fine clothes so single-mindedly that they end up behaving crudely. “Fine silk” means delicate silk, and “bearing” means one’s manner or conduct. Here, “improper” means crude or unsuitable. If a beautiful woman is in a house, people will make fine silk garments for her. The fabric is woven delicately because the heart has been moved—that is, stirred by beauty.

Zheng and Yu are names for notes in the ancient five-tone scale. Those of humble taste could not understand proper music in the Zheng and Yu modes, so they disliked it. But if the melody is shifted into a gentle, fitting mode and then changed to the brisk music of Shuchu—an ancient tune, not part of orthodox court music—everyone present will praise it.

People who pass a storeroom—a place where valuables are kept—with their hands clasped behind their backs may well have theft on their minds. In the same way, someone who disrespects the spirits may shake the branches of the tree at the altar of the soil god as they pass. “Altar” means the place where the soil god is worshipped.

Yang Chufu of Jin once led troops on behalf of Chu to rescue the state of Jiang. So the key to undoing a knot is not to keep pulling and tugging at it, but to find the critical point and strike or push it there. “Strike” means to hit; “push” means to press or shift. The idea is to act at the crucial point.

When a tree grows tall, its roots may be pulled up; when a mountain rises high, its base is pressed down. This happens because force bears upon their lower parts. Large animals often have far-reaching aims; when their bodies are stout, their joints may be more widely spaced. People may not blame a madman for injuring someone, nor resent an infant for insulting an elder, because neither intends to cause harm.

Wei Sheng’s faithfulness to a woman was less valuable than the expedient actions of Sui Niu and Xian Gao. Wei Sheng had arranged to meet a woman, but she did not arrive. He stayed beneath the bridge and eventually drowned; he kept his promise in the wrong way. Sui Niu and Xian Gao once acted under a false claim of royal orders. Though their actions were not truthful, they preserved their states, so their expedient measures are said to have been more valuable than Wei Sheng’s rigid fidelity. Besides, some people cannot keep a promise even once. “Once” can also mean “often”; the phrase may also refer to those who never keep promises and do not understand how to adapt.

A son worries when his father is ill, but it is the physician who treats the illness. The Analects says, “Parents worry only about their children’s illness,” meaning that children should care about their parents’ health. The person who presents the sacrificial offerings is the officiant, while the person who prepares them is the cook responsible for the ritual food.

Volume 24 of Huainan Honglie Jie ends here.

The following are the textual emendations: In the first instance, the character “ming” should read “bu”; in the second, “fu” should read “bian.” Elsewhere, “bai” should read “you,” “xuan” should read “hu,” “tong” should read “yi,” “you” should read “bu,” and “zi” should read “lan.” The characters “chun,” “bei,” “ze,” “qi,” and “xi” have been added on the basis of the collated edition; the three characters “shen wu zeng” have been deleted on the same basis. All these changes follow the Jijie edition.