《淮南鴻烈解》Vol. 19

Huainan Honglie Jie, Volume 18, “Shen” (Spirit), Part Four: Daoying Xun (Vernacular Interpretation)

Huainan Honglie Jie, Volume 18, “Shen,” Part Four

Recorded above by the Grand Commandant’s Libationer, subject Xu Shen

Daoying Xun

(Explanation: How the Dao operates—whenever the myriad things move, there is a responsive resonance; misfortune and blessing are used to test whether they conform to tally-verification.)

Taiqing (Great Clarity)—Taiqing is the purest layer of primordial Qi—asked Wuqiong (Infinite)—Wuqiong is without fixed form: Do you know the Dao?

Wuqiong said: I do not know.

He then asked Wuwei (Non-action)—Wuwei has form but does not act recklessly: Do you know the Dao?

Wuwei said: I know the Dao. Because Wuwei has form, he says he knows the Dao.

He asked again: Since you know the Dao, are there countable items in it?

Wuwei said: I know that the Dao has numbers.

He asked: What are those numbers?

Wuwei said: I know the Dao can manifest as weak, and it can manifest as strong; it can be soft, and it can be hard; it can be Yin, and it can be Yang; it can be dark, and it can be bright; it can encompass Heaven and Earth, and it can respond to endless transformations—these are what I call “the numbers of the Dao.”

Taiqing then asked Wushi (No Beginning)—Wushi is the primordial Qi that has not yet entered the stage of “beginning to exist”:

A moment ago I asked Wuqiong, and he said he did not know; I then asked Wuwei, and Wuwei said he knew.

He asked again: Do you know the Dao, and are there numbers in it?

Wuwei repeated the same set as before: “It can be weak, it can be strong…”

Wushi said: If that is so, between Wuwei’s “knowing” and Wuqiong’s “not knowing,” which is right and which is wrong?

Wushi said: “Not knowing” is deep; “knowing” is instead shallow. “Not knowing” is inside; “knowing” falls outside. “Not knowing” is refined; “knowing” is only coarse.

Taiqing looked up and sighed: Then not-knowing is knowing? And knowing is instead not-knowing? Who can determine that “knowing” is actually not-knowing, and “not-knowing” is actually knowing?

Wushi said:

The Dao cannot be grasped by hearing—once heard, it is not the true Dao.

The Dao cannot be fixed by the eyes—once seen, it is not the true Dao.

The Dao cannot be fully expressed in words—once spoken, it is not the true Dao.

Who can understand “the formless above the formed”?

Therefore Laozi said: When all under Heaven know that the good is good, that “good” is no longer pure.

He also said: Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.

Lord Bai asked Confucius: Can people…

Reading Note (corresponding to Xu Shen-style commentary):

This chapter has Taiqing ask Wuqiong, Wuwei, and Wushi in turn, personifying three kinds of Qi: Wuqiong presides over the formless, so he calls himself not-knowing; Wuwei has form and can respond, so he calls himself a knowing that has numbers; Wushi finally exposes the point—clinging to a countable, speakable “knowing” is instead shallow, external, and coarse; true accord with the Dao is close to “not-knowing” (fu zhi). This is tied together with the thread in the Dao De Jing: “Those who know do not speak” and “When all under Heaven know the good as good.” It belongs to the Huainan school’s exposition of “the Dao’s responses” and “knowing and not-knowing.”

Vernacular Interpretation

The “Subtle Words” Section (Duke Bai Asks Confucius)

Duke Bai (grandson of King Ping of Chu and son of Crown Prince Jian; after Jian was murdered, Duke Bai harbored thoughts of revenge, and so asked about “subtle words”) asked Confucius, and Confucius did not respond (Confucius perceived that Duke Bai had a conspiracy, and so did not answer).

Duke Bai asked: What happens if you throw a stone into water? Confucius said: Those in Wu and Yue skilled at diving can retrieve it.

He asked again: What if you throw water into water? Confucius said: When the Zi and Sheng rivers merge, Yiya knows it with a single taste (the Zi and Sheng are two rivers in Qi).

Duke Bai said: Then in the end one cannot speak subtle and wondrous words with them? Confucius said: What do you mean by cannot? Who knows the one who can understand “subtle words”? One who truly understands subtle words does not speak with mouth and tongue (does not show off with words, but knows through the heart). Those who fight over fish get their clothes wet; those who chase animals must run; it is not that they love wetness or love running, but the nature of the matter makes it so. Therefore the utmost words are close to no words, and the utmost action is close to Wuwei (non-action). Those who contend with words within shallow understanding contend only over branch tips. Duke Bai did not awaken to this, and in the end died in a bathhouse (the men of Chu killed Duke Bai in a bathhouse). Hence Laozi said: “Words have a source, affairs have a ruler”; and also, “It is only because of non-knowing that I am not known”—Duke Bai was exactly this type.

Huizi Establishes the Laws and Zhai Jian

Huizi (Hui Shi) established the state laws for King Hui (King Hui is King Hui of Liang; Huizi’s name was Hui Shi). When the laws were completed, he showed them to the assembled elders; the elders all praised them. They were submitted to King Hui, who was very pleased, and he then showed them to Zhai Jian. Zhai Jian said: Good. King Hui asked: Good—can they be implemented? Zhai Jian said: They cannot. King Hui asked: Good, yet they cannot be implemented—why? Zhai Jian answered: Now when lifting a great log, those in front call out “xie xu” and those behind respond; this is a work song for exerting strength in lifting something heavy. Are there not the stirring Chu melodies of Zheng and Wei? Yet when lifting logs they do not use those, simply because the work chant better suits the task. Governing a state depends on the root of ritual and law, not on rhetorical phrases and disputation. Hence Laozi said, “The more laws and decrees are promulgated, the more thieves and robbers there are”—this exactly refers to this principle.

Tian Pian Persuades the King of Qi

Tian Pian (a man of Qi and a minister of Qi) expounded the arts of the Dao (the Way) to the King of Qi. The king replied: What I have is the state of Qi; the arts of the Dao are difficult to use directly to remove troubles. I wish to hear the government that orders the state. Tian Pian answered: Although what I say does not speak of concrete administrative affairs, it can still be used for government. For example, trees and wood are not in themselves implements, yet they can be made into implements. May the king carefully examine what I say and select for himself what can be used in the government of Qi. Although Tian Pian had no explicit name of “removing troubles,” his purport was contained in it.

Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

What he actually worried about was this: between Heaven and Earth, within the six directions, the myriad things can all be shaped and changed. What was there in the petty government of Qi worth making a topic of discussion? This is precisely what Laozi called “the form of no fixed form, the image of no concrete image”—it speaks of the more fundamental great Dao, not the branch details of one state or one government.

The Great King asked about Qi, while Tian Pian boasted of cai (talent, timber, and the like). But cai cannot be separated from the “forest,” and the “forest” cannot be separated from “rain”—only with rain can timber grow. Pushing further upward: rain cannot be separated from Yin-Yang, Yin-Yang cannot be separated from “harmony,” and “harmony” cannot be separated from the Dao. The Dao is the root from which the myriad things arise, the source of all branch particulars.

Bai Gong Sheng usurped Chu, yet could not bear to distribute the goods and property in the treasuries to the people—he coveted the state’s cai (resources) and refused to share them with others. He hoarded in this way for seven days. On the seventh day, his follower Shi Yi advised: what is gained unjustly and cannot be given away will surely bring disaster; since you cannot give it to others, better to burn it, lest others use it to harm us. Bai Gong did not listen. On the ninth day, Duke Ye (Zigao, a Chu minister) led troops from outside Fangcheng into Chu, opened the great treasury’s goods and wealth and distributed them to the crowd, issued the weapons from the high storehouse to the people, and then raised troops to attack Bai Gong; after nineteen days he captured Bai Gong (Duke Ye killed Bai Gong).

The state did not originally belong to him, yet he wanted to monopolize it—this is extreme greed; he could neither bestow benefits on others nor preserve himself—this is extreme folly. How was Bai Gong’s stinginess any different from the owl’s “loving its young”?—the owl’s offspring, when grown, will peck and eat the mother bird. (This metaphor means that Bai Gong only knew how to guard wealth and in the end brought about his own death.)

Therefore Laozi said: “To hold a vessel brimming full is not as good as stopping; to sharpen a point to keenness cannot be long preserved.”—Forcing a vessel to be held completely full is not as good as knowing when to stop; grinding an edge too sharp makes it hard to preserve for long.

Zhao Jianzi established his concubine-born son Wuxu (Xiangzi) as heir. Dong Ezi said: Wuxu is of low birth; why establish him? Jianzi answered: This man can endure humiliation for the state. Later, Zhi Bo drank with Xiangzi and struck Xiangzi’s head with a vessel, injuring him. The ministers asked to kill Zhi Bo. Xiangzi said: When the former ruler established me, he said I could endure shame for the state, not that I would kill people. In the tenth month, Zhi Bo besieged Xiangzi at Jinyang, and Xiangzi dispersed his ranks and attacked (shu dui means dividing troops into formation and responding flexibly).

Vernacular Reading of Huainan Honglie Explained

(Zhi Bo’s army was organized into units of two hundred; Zhao Xiangzi assigned troops from each unit to attack in turn,) and they decisively defeated Zhi Bo, cut off his head, and made it into a drinking vessel. Therefore Laozi says: “Knowing the masculine and keeping to the feminine, one becomes the stream of the world.”

Nie Que asked Bei Yi about the Dao. (Both Nie Que and Bei Yi were hermits of Yao’s time.) Bei Yi said: “Straighten your body, unify your spirit, and watch for heavenly harmony to arrive; withdraw your knowledge, rectify your bearing, and Shen will enter its dwelling, De will attach to you. Be simple and whole like an infant, and the Dao will stay with you. Be blank and unknowing, like a newborn calf that does not seek what it knows.” Before he had finished speaking, Nie Que pressed further. Bei Yi stared at him in silence, then sang and walked away, saying: “His body is like withered bones, his mind like dead ashes; truly clear yet not relying on old knowledge to support himself; silent and vast, with no mind to scheme with—what sort of person is this!” Therefore Laozi says: “Clear and penetrating in all directions, can one be without knowledge?”

Zhao Xiangzi attacked Di and won, seizing the two cities of Youren and Zhongren. (Youren and Zhongren were two towns of Di.) A messenger came to report the victory; Xiangzi was about to eat but wore a worried look. His attendants said: “Taking two cities in one day is a joyful occasion; why is the ruler worried?” Xiangzi said: “However great the rivers, in no more than three days they dry up; (three days and they are exhausted.) Violent winds and storms do not last past midday. (That is, they cannot last the whole day.) Now the Zhao clan has accumulated no De, yet in one morning it gains two cities—ruin may well fall on me.” Confucius heard of it and said: “The Zhao clan will likely flourish. Worry is the cause of flourishing; joy is the cause of ruin. Winning is not difficult; a worthy ruler uses worry to preserve victory, so blessings reach later generations. Qi, Chu, Wu, and Yue all once won victories but in the end perished, because they did not know how to preserve victory. Only a ruler with the Dao can preserve victory. Confucius could lift the bar of a city gate (the shao was a pulling device; ancient gates were hung, and pulling the bar upward from below was extremely difficult), but did not wish to be known for strength; Mozi was skilled in defense and attack and subdued Gongshu Ban, but did not wish to be known for using troops. (Though Mozi was skilled in using troops, he would not boast of understanding them.) One who is good at preserving victory treats strength as weakness. Therefore Laozi says: “The Dao is empty; when used, it is never filled.”

Hui Meng visited King Kang of Song, bowed once, and withdrew. King Kang said: “I have heard that you, sir, possess the Dao. May I ask: when occupying a ruler’s position, one fears losing the state; when cultivating oneself, one fears being defiled; between advancing and withdrawing, I wish to hear a word from you.” Hui Meng said: “You alone know these three worries, but do not know to ask one who possesses the Dao. To attack states without taking territory, to be greedy and cruel without satisfaction, to impose heavy punishments and harsh executions, so that superior and inferior are estranged, the people’s strength is exhausted in the ditches and valleys, weapons are worn out in the central plains, the world is resentful and angry, and the common people rebel and scatter—this is the ruler destroying himself; it is not that another can destroy him.” King Kang of Song said: “I truly regard the world as not worth contending with.” Hui Meng said: “My substance is foolish; I cannot understand you. Nevertheless, I wish to offer a little. One who can exhaust the world—his ruler cannot be overcome; one who can overcome others—his troops cannot be weakened. Now your troops cannot weaken others, and so Chu and Wei can weaken them; you cannot overcome others, and so Qi and Qin can overcome you. I wish you to abandon this and think of not contending with the world in ability.” King Kang said: “Good; I respectfully receive your command.”

The Great Dao fundamentally abides in harmonious balance. If one wishes to make it manifest from the Dao’s outermost tip, this is in fact already to lower it. Thus, in a hidden and obscure manner, the work of salvation has already been brought to completion. What is called truly great benefit is that the body remain pure and sincere; the essential point lies in the Dao’s essential purport, which may roughly be called supreme plainness. One who is plain has long been revered: spirit and selflessness become one, hiding the sun and moon within defilement while guarding only the Shen mechanism.

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

Thus, if a person races a thousand-li horse on foot, the person cannot outrun the horse; but if the person sits in a carriage, no matter how fast the horse runs, it cannot beat the person—the key lies in whether one knows how to rely on external things.

In the north there is a beast called the Jueshu (with short front legs like a rabbit and long hind legs). As soon as it runs it stumbles, and it cannot walk steadily. It often keeps company with another beast called the Qiongqiong Juxu (which has long front legs and short hind legs; it can run through the air but cannot climb to high places). The Jueshu finds licorice for it, and the Qiongqiong Juxu carries the Jueshu on its back when fleeing danger. Each makes up for the other’s weakness and relies on the other to accomplish what it cannot do itself.

Therefore Laozi said: “He who chops in place of the great carpenter seldom fails to hurt his own hand.” Do not take over for an expert the work in which he specializes; most likely you will injure yourself.

Bo Yi used the art of governing to persuade Lord Sijun of Wei (the ruler of Wei). Lord Sijun said: “I have a thousand war chariots; are you using such shallow views to instruct me?” Bo Yi replied: “Wu Huo could lift a thousand jun; what difficulty would lifting one jin be?”—If one can handle great matters, small matters naturally present no problem.

Du He explained to Lord Zhaowen of Zhou (a ruler of one faction after the Zhou royal house had split) how to stabilize the Zhou house. Lord Zhaowen said he wanted to learn. Du He replied: “If my words are not right, Zhou cannot be stabilized; if they are right, Zhou will stabilize itself.” This is called not deliberately seeking stability and yet naturally being stable. Laozi’s saying “The great regulation does not cut” and “when carriages are many, it is as if there were no carriages” also mean this: the greatest tailoring seems uncut; when there are many carriages, it is as if there were no carriages—not clinging to form.

Lu had a rule: if a citizen of Lu was enslaved in one of the feudal states, whoever ransomed him would be reimbursed by the government. Zigong ransomed people but refused the money. Confucius said: “Ci (Zigong), you are wrong. When a sage acts, he must be able to shift customs and change habits and set an example for later generations; he cannot merely seek his own moral purity. Now in Lu the rich are few and the poor many; taking money for ransoming people seems greedy, but not taking it will mean no one ransoms anyone in the future—from now on, no one in Lu will ransom slaves again.” Confucius can also be said to understand ritual propriety. Laozi said, “To see the small is called clarity”; only by seeing the subtle is one called clear-sighted.

Marquis Wu of Wei asked his chancellor Li Ke: “Why did the state of Wu perish?” Li Ke said: “It won repeated battles and repeated victories.” Marquis Wu said: “Repeated battles and repeated victories should be a blessing; how could they instead cause the state’s fall?” Li Ke replied: “Too much fighting exhausts the people; too many victories make the ruler arrogant.” Marquis Wu asked again: “Did it perish solely because of this?” Li Ke said: “There is more: exhausting military force and waging war without restraint impoverish the state; an arrogant ruler fond of war causes the worthy to withdraw; when laws and decrees are neglected, treachery and evil arise; when the people are unsettled, the foundations are shaken; when meritorious service goes unrewarded, morale declines—when internal disorder and external troubles come together, how could the state not perish?”

(The above uses historical events to explain: apparent “victory” is not necessarily a blessing; governing a state requires seeing the whole situation and guarding the root, which is in the same vein as Laozi’s “great regulation” and “seeing the small.”)

When an arrogant man becomes ruler and drives the exhausted people as laborers, it is rare in the world for the state not to perish. Arrogance leads to indulgence; indulgence reaches its extreme. When ruler and minister, high and low, have all reached the extreme, the destruction of Wu came late rather than soon. That Fuchai killed himself at Gansui was precisely for this reason. Therefore Laozi said: “To withdraw oneself after achieving merit and fame—this is the way of Heaven.”

Ning Yue wished to seek an audience with Duke Huan of Qi but was so poor that he could not recommend himself. He therefore became a merchant and drove a freight cart to Qi to trade, lodging outside the city gate at night. Duke Huan was in the suburbs welcoming guests. At night he questioned the gatekeeper; beside the freight cart torches blazed brightly and attendants were numerous. Ning Yue was feeding his ox beneath the cart. Looking up and seeing Duke Huan, he was moved to sorrow, struck the ox’s horn, and sang a merchant’s song. Hearing him, Duke Huan clapped his attendant’s hand and said, “How strange! The singer is no ordinary man!” He ordered the rear carriage to receive him. When Duke Huan arrived, his attendants asked for instructions. Duke Huan bestowed clothes and a cap on Ning Yue and granted him an audience. He discussed the great affairs of the realm with him, and Duke Huan was delighted and wanted to employ him.

The assembled ministers vied in saying: “This man is from Wei, and Wei is not far from Qi. You had better send someone to inquire about him. If he is indeed a worthy man, it will not be too late to employ him.” Duke Huan said: “Not so. Inquiry risks his small faults; to forget a man’s great excellences because of his small faults is the very reason rulers lose worthy men throughout the realm. In all cases, when one hears words there must be verification; to hear once and ask no further is to accord with what one knows oneself. Moreover, people are inherently difficult to match completely; weigh them and use their strengths, and that is enough.” Thus Duke Huan gained him. Therefore Laozi said: “Heaven is great, Earth is great, the Dao is great, and the king is also great. Within the domain there are four great ones, and the king occupies one of them”—this speaks of being able to encompass the myriad things.

Taiwang Danfu lived at Bin. The Di attacked him. He sent them skins, silk, pearls, and jade, but they would not accept them, saying that what the Di sought was land, not wealth. Taiwang Danfu said: “To dwell with another man’s elder brother and kill his younger brother, to dwell with another man’s father and kill his son—I will do neither. Let all strive to live together. What difference would it make whether you are my subjects or the Di’s? Moreover, I have heard that a worthy ruler does not cause the people to abandon their occupations, does not seize the people’s farming seasons; good women remain at home, good men in the fields; he does not privately hoard goods rather than give them to others.” Taiwang Danfu then abandoned Bin and left. The people followed him from the slope below Qi to Liang; again he moved on and halted at the foot of Mount Qi. When Taiwang Danfu departed, old and young among the people supported one another and followed him, and thus Zhou was formed.

I have heard: He did not let what nourishes life instead harm life; staff in hand, he whipped his horse and departed, and the common people followed one after another, so he founded a state below Mount Qi (north of present-day Meiyang in Shaanxi). Below Mount Qi lay the land of Zhou, and hence “Zhou” became the title for the realm. Great King Danfu (Gugong Danfu, ancestor of the Zhou clan) may be said to have been able to preserve life: in wealth and honor he did not injure his body through lavish nourishment; in poverty and lowliness he did not burden his form through greed for gain. Now if one inherits the rank and emoluments of one’s forebears, one ought to know deeply that they were not easily come by; to lose them lightly—is that not beclouded confusion? Therefore Laozi said: Only one who governs the world with the heart that prizes his own body can have the world entrusted to him; only one who governs the world with the heart that loves his own body can have the world reposed in him.

Prince Mou of Zhongshan (Zhongshan was a state of the Xianyu) said to Master Zhan: Though I dwell by the rivers and seas, my heart remains tied to the palaces of Wei—what should I do? Master Zhan said: Value the nourishing of life; if you value it, you will make light of fame and profit. Prince Mou said: Though I know the principle, I still cannot control myself. If I yield to feeling and desire and act accordingly, will my Shen (spirit) and mind not resent it? (The implication is: if feeling cannot prevail and one gives the heart free rein to follow desire, then one’s own Shen will also have no complaint.) Master Zhan said: To be unable to control oneself yet forcibly twist oneself away from following desire—such a person is called “doubly injured” and will hardly attain long life. Therefore Laozi said: Knowing harmony is called constancy; knowing constancy is called clarity; augmenting life is called a portent; the mind commanding Qi (vital energy) is called forcing. Thus one uses its light and returns again to its clarity.

King Zhuang of Chu asked Zhan He: How should one govern the state? Zhan He replied: Why are you clear about ordering the body but not clear about governing the state? The king of Chu said: I have been able to establish the ancestral temples and state altars; I wish to learn the way of guarding them. Zhan He replied: I have not heard of a state in chaos when the body is ordered, nor of a state ordered when the body is in chaos. The root lies in the body; I dare not answer with branch details. The king of Chu praised this. Therefore Laozi said: Cultivate it in the body, and one’s De (Virtue/Power) becomes true.

Duke Huan (ruler of Qi) was reading in the hall, while the wheelwright Bian, a wheel-making craftsman, was hewing a wheel below the hall. Setting down his mallet and chisel, Bian asked Duke Huan: What book is Your Lordship reading? Duke Huan answered: The books of the sages. Bian said: … (The original text continues below with Bian’s argument that what is read cannot be transmitted in words.)

Vernacular Interpretation

Wheelwright Bian Asks “Where Is the Sage?”

Someone asked: Where is the person who wrote the book now? Duke Huan said: He died long ago. Wheelwright Bian said: What you are reading is merely the dregs left by the sage (wine lees, the residue after filtering, a metaphor for surface words). Duke Huan’s expression changed and he grew angry: I am reading, and you, a craftsman, on what grounds do you mock me? If you have a reason, speak it; if you cannot, you will be put to death.

Wheelwright Bian said: I will use my own work making wheels to explain. If the hole is chiseled too tightly, it is rough and will not go in; if too loosely, it slips and will not hold. Neither too loose nor too tight, when the hand moves smoothly and the mind is satisfied, one can reach the subtle point—this skill I cannot teach my son, and my son cannot learn it from me. I am sixty years old and still making wheels. That bit of true substance in the sage’s mind died with the man; what remains is only dregs. Therefore Laozi said: “The Dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name.”

Zihan Monopolizes Punishment and Reward

In former times Sicheng Zihan (the Sicheng officer of Song, named Zihan) served as minister of Song and said to the ruler of Song: The safety of the state and the order or disorder of the people lie in reward and punishment. Ranks and rewards are what the people love; please let the ruler bestow rewards himself. Killing and corporal punishment are what the people resent; please let me, your servant, take responsibility for them. The ruler of Song said: Good. The fair name goes to me, the resentful name goes to you; I need not fear that the feudal lords will laugh at me.

Everyone in the state knew that the power of life and death lay with Zihan. The great ministers drew close to him, and the common people feared him. In less than a year, Zihan deposed the ruler of Song and held state power alone. Therefore Laozi said: “Fish cannot leave the deep pool; the sharp instruments of the state cannot be shown to others.”

Wang Shou Burns His Books

Wang Shou (a man of antiquity who loved to collect books) carried his books on his back as he traveled and met Xu Feng (a recluse of Zhou) in the territory of Zhou. Xu Feng said: Affairs should move according to the times, and change arises from the times; one who knows the times has no fixed method. Books are the vehicle of speech, and speech comes from knowledge; the knowledgeable person stores books in his breast—thereupon Wang Shou burned his books and danced (rejoicing in his own awakening, hence he danced).

Therefore Laozi said: “Much speech leads to exhaustion; it is better to keep to the center.” (Too many words instead bring distress; better to hold fast to the middle way.)

Note: This chapter uses stories such as Wheelwright Bian from the Zhuangzi, Zihan from the historical biographies, and Wang Shou’s meeting with Xu Feng to explain in sequence the meanings in the Daodejing such as “the Dao cannot be spoken,” “sharp instruments are not shown to others,” and “keeping to the center and speaking little.” This belongs to the scriptural-commentary style of the Huainan Honglie; the final word “ling” may be the opening character of the following text, and here, following the common quotation, it ends at “keeping to the center.”

A Vernacular Explanation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

Yin Zipe invited King Zhuang of Chu to a banquet, and the king agreed.

Zipe, barefoot and with his hands clasped in salute, stood facing north beneath the hall and said, “Earlier Your Majesty agreed to attend the banquet, but now you have not come. Have I committed some fault?”

The king said, “I heard that you had prepared the banquet at Qiang Terrace. Qiang Terrace looks south toward Mount Liao and overlooks the Fanghuang waters, with the Yangtze on the left and the Huai on the right. Pleasures of that kind are enough to make one forget life and death. My virtue is shallow; I could not bear such pleasure, and I feared that once I went I would linger and forget to return. Therefore Laozi said: Do not look at things that can arouse desire, and the heart will not be thrown into disorder.”

Chong’er, prince of Jin, passed through Cao while in exile, and Duke Gong of Cao treated him rudely. Having heard that Chong’er’s ribs were joined as one, he had him bare his body and catch fish, and set out a thin mat to watch. Xi Fuji’s wife said to Xi Fuji, “The ruler has been rude to the prince of Jin. I observe that his followers are all worthy men. If they assist him, once Chong’er returns to his state he will surely attack Cao. Why not show him goodwill first?” Xi Fuji sent him a pot of food, along with a jade disk. Chong’er accepted the food but returned the jade disk.

Later, after returning to his state, he raised troops and attacked Cao. He broke Cao, but ordered the three armies not to enter Xi Fuji’s village. Therefore Laozi said: “To yield is to be preserved whole; to be bent is to become straight.”

King Goujian of Yue fought with Wu and was defeated. His state was broken and his life imperiled; he was trapped at Kuaiji. In his heart was resentment, and his courage surged like a spring. He carefully selected armored soldiers, who went into fire as if returning home. He then asked to become a subject himself and for his wife to become a concubine, and holding a halberd he acted as a vanguard for the Wu army, and in the end captured King Fuchai of Wu. Therefore Laozi said: “The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong. No one under heaven does not know this, yet no one can practice it.” Goujian practiced it in person, and so became hegemon of the Central Plains.

Zhao Jianzi died, and before he was buried, Zhongmou rebelled and went over to Qi. Five days after the burial, Zhao Xiangzi raised troops and besieged Zhongmou. Before the siege could close, a stretch of the city wall ten zhang long collapsed by itself. Xiangzi sounded the metal gong and withdrew the army. (Military law: beat the drum to advance, sound the gong to retreat.)

A Vernacular Interpretation of Relevant Passages from the Huainan Honglie Jie

(In the army) “Strike the zheng (a metal percussion instrument used in ancient marches for advancing and retreating) to withdraw the troops.” The military officer remonstrated: “The ruler has just launched a punitive expedition against Zhongmou (a place name) for its offense, and the city wall has collapsed by itself. This is Heaven helping us. Why withdraw?” Xiangzi (Zhao Xiangzi, leader of the Zhao clan in Jin) said: “I have heard the words of Shuxiang (a worthy minister of Jin): a gentleman does not take advantage of another’s misfortune, nor does he press someone when that person is in danger. Let them repair the city first, and then attack.” When Zhongmou heard of this principle, it voluntarily asked to surrender. Therefore Laozi said: precisely because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.

Duke Mu of Qin (ruler of Qin) asked Bo Le (a famous master of horse physiognomy): “You are advanced in years. Is there anyone in your household whom you can send out to seek horses?” Bo Le replied: “For judging ‘good horses,’ one looks at outward form and bone structure; for judging ‘horses of the world’ (the supreme, elusive steeds), they seem as if about to be extinguished, as if about to be lost, as if about to vanish—(Ruomie: their appearance is almost invisible; Rush: they advance and withdraw unpredictably; Ruwang: indistinct, impossible to catch up.) If among them there is such a horse, it can ‘cut off the dust’ (run so fast that the dust cannot catch it) and ‘stop the ruts’ (halt the tracks, running extremely fast). My sons are only good enough for the ‘xialin’ level (ordinary parks, ordinary good horses); they can be entrusted with finding good horses, but not with finding horses of the world. I have a man who together with me carried ropes and gathered firewood, named Jiufang Yin (‘chan’ refers to rope and harness; Jiufang Yin is a person’s name). His horse judging is not inferior to that of my sons. I beg permission to introduce him.”

Duke Mu received him and sent him to seek the horse. After three months he returned and reported: “It has been found, at Shaqiu.” Duke Mu asked what kind of horse it was. He answered: “A male, yellow.” When men were sent to lead it back, it was female and black (deep black). Duke Mu was displeased and summoned Bo Le: “This is bad. The man you sent cannot even distinguish coat color or sex; how can he talk of recognizing horses?” Bo Le sighed with deep feeling: “He has actually reached this level! This is precisely why he surpasses me a thousandfold—by countless times. What Jiufang Yin looked at was the heavenly mechanism (innate intuition, spiritual resonance); he grasped the essence and forgot the coarse, attended to the inner and forgot the outer—seeing only what should be seen, not seeing what should not be seen; looking only at what should be looked at, not clinging to what should not be looked at. What he judged was something more valuable than ‘horse.’” When the horse arrived, it was indeed a thousand-li horse. Therefore Laozi said: the straightest seems bent; the most skillful seems clumsy.

Wu Qi (a famous general of the Warring States period) served as Lingyin (chief minister) of Chu. He went to Wei and asked Qu Yiruo…

(Qu Yi was originally a high officer of Chu and later went into exile in Wei.) He said to the King of Chu: “Your Majesty does not know that Wu Qi’s conduct is poor, yet you have made him Lingyin (chief minister). You might as well see for yourself what sort of man Wu Qi is.”

Qu Yi asked: “What do you plan to do?”

Wu Qi said: “I plan to cut back Chu’s excessively high ranks, unify the salary system, reduce surplus and supplement insufficiency, reorganize the armed forces, and contend for advantage throughout the world.”

Qu Yi said: “I have heard that those skilled in governing do not alter old institutions or lightly change constant laws. Now you want to cut ranks, equalize salaries, reduce surplus, and relieve insufficiency—this is changing the old and altering the constant, and no one who does so comes to a good end. I have also heard: anger violates virtue; weapons are inauspicious instruments; war is what people should guard against. Now you secretly plot matters contrary to virtue, are fond of using inauspicious weapons, and stir up what people should fundamentally avoid (the word ‘ben’ here refers to armed conflict)—this is great rebellion. Moreover, when you used Lu’s army, you were not supposed to succeed against Qi, yet you did (Wu Qi commanded troops against Qi and badly defeated its army); when you used Wei’s army, you were not supposed to succeed against Qin, yet you did (Wu Qi served as defender of Wei’s West River, and the Qin army did not dare come east). I have heard: one who is not a bringer of disaster cannot bring disaster about. I have long wondered why our ruler has repeatedly gone against the Way of Heaven and violated human principles, yet to this day has met no disaster; perhaps he has been waiting for you (the term ‘chaxu’ means ‘to wait for’).”

Wu Qi, visibly uneasy, said: “Can it still be changed?”

Qu Yi said: “When guilt is already formed and the shape already fixed, it cannot be changed again (the phrase ‘those who have completed the punishment’ means that disaster has already been brewed among the people). You had better be sincere and self-respecting and act in a solid, practical way.”

Laozi said: “Blunt the sharpness, untangle the knots, harmonize the light, and merge with the dust.”

Jin attacked Chu and, after advancing three marches, still did not stop. The high officers of Chu asked to go out and fight. King Zhuang said: “When the former ruler was alive, Jin did not attack Chu; now that I am in charge, Jin comes to attack—this is my fault. How can I let the assembled ministers be humiliated again?” The high officers said: “When the former ministers were alive, Jin did not attack Chu; in our generation Jin comes to attack—this is our crime. Please let us make three sorties.” The king bowed his head and wept, soaking his lapels, then rose and bowed to the high officers.

When the people of Jin heard this, they said: “Ruler and ministers all compete to take the fault upon themselves, and the ruler moreover humbles himself before his ministers; such a state cannot be attacked.” Thereupon they withdrew their army and returned home overnight.

Laozi said: “To be able to bear the dirt of the state—that is, to bear the state’s humiliation and faults—is to be the lord of the altars of soil and grain.”

Only one who can bear the calamities of a state without shifting them onto others deserves to be called lord of the altars of soil and grain (sheji).

During the reign of Duke Jing of Song, the Yinghuo star (what the ancients called Mars) entered the “Heart” lunar mansion. Duke Jing was frightened and summoned Zi Wei, asking, “Yinghuo is in the Heart mansion—what does this mean?” (Zi Wei was an official in charge of observing the stars and divination.) Zi Wei said, “Yinghuo is a sign of heavenly punishment; the Heart mansion corresponds to Song’s field-allocation (fenye) (in astrological field-allocation, Song belonged to the Fang and Xin mansions). The calamity was originally to fall on the ruler, but it can be transferred to the prime minister.” Duke Jing said, “The prime minister governs the state on my behalf; to push a fatal calamity onto him is inauspicious.” Zi Wei said, “It can be transferred to the people.” Duke Jing said, “The people depend on the harvest for their food; if the harvest is poor, they will starve to death. As the ruler, if I wished to kill the people in exchange for my own survival, who would still acknowledge me as lord? My fate is probably already settled.” Zi Wei said no more.

Zi Wei turned and ran back; bowing twice toward the north, he said, “I venture to congratulate Your Majesty: Heaven dwells on high yet hears and examines the affairs below. Just now Your Majesty spoke three sentences that possess a ruler’s virtue; Heaven must bestow a threefold reward. Tonight the star must shift by three lodges (she), and Your Majesty may extend your lifespan by twenty-one years.” Duke Jing asked, “How do you know?” Zi Wei replied, “Your Majesty has spoken three humane ruler’s words, hence there are three rewards; the star must shift three lodges, one lodge corresponding to a journey of seven li; three times seven is twenty-one, hence twenty-one years are added to your lifespan. I wish to prostrate myself beneath the palace hall and wait to observe the stars; if the star does not move, I ask to be put to death.” Duke Jing said, “Good.”

That night, the star indeed shifted by three lodges. Therefore Laozi said: Only one who can bear the state’s inauspiciousness is worthy to be called king of the world.

Formerly, when Gongsun Long was in the state of Zhao, he said to his disciples, “I do not associate with people who have no ability.” A visitor wearing coarse cloth and tied with a grass rope came to see him and said, “I can call out.” Gongsun Long turned and asked his disciples, “Have any of my followers ever been able to call out?” They answered, “No.” Gongsun Long said, “Bring him in.” Several days later, this man went to persuade the King of Yan. When he reached the river, he had to wait for a ferry; the boat was on the far side of a river branch (si: water’s edge, bank). He had the skilled caller give a shout, and the boat came over. Thus it is said that when the sage deals with the world, he does not reject people with skills. Laozi said: People are not abandoned if they have usable talent, and things are not discarded if they are usable; this is called inheriting clarity (ximing).

Zi Fa (a Chu general, a commander under King Xuan of Chu) attacked Cai; the Yue people assisted in battle and won. King Xuan went to the outskirts to welcome him, granting him a hundred qing of land and bestowing honors. “Holding the gui” (a ritual object; here it refers to the rite of enfeoffment)—this passage is connected with “Zi Fa attacked Cai” and discusses being rewarded for merit. Laozi further emphasizes: making good use of talent, not abandoning people, and not discarding things—this is the Dao of “inheriting clarity” (ximing).

Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

On the “Gui” and Declining a Title

The “gui” was a ritual vessel bestowed by Chu upon meritorious officials; its recipients were called “holders of the gui,” and their status was equivalent to that of the ruler of a dependent state. Zifa declined it and would not accept, saying: In governing the state and establishing its policies, so that the feudal lords come to offer congratulations—this is the virtue of the ruler. In issuing orders, so that before the army has assembled the enemy has already withdrawn—this is the awe-inspiring authority of the general. In drawing up battle formations and fighting to defeat the enemy—this is the strength of the people. To establish merit by relying on the strength of the people and yet monopolize rank and stipend for oneself does not accord with the way of benevolence and righteousness. Therefore he declined and would not accept it.

Thus Laozi says: “Achieve success but do not dwell in it; only because one does not dwell in it, it does not leave.” (To accomplish merit without claiming it; precisely because one does not claim it, the merit does not depart.)

Duke Wen of Jin Attacks Yuan

Duke Wen of Jin attacked the state of Yuan (Yuan was a city of Zhou; King Xiang of Zhou had once granted this place to Duke Wen, and later Yuan rebelled, so Duke Wen sent troops to punish it). He agreed with his senior officials on a three-day limit. After three days Yuan did not surrender, and Duke Wen ordered the army to withdraw. A military officer said: “Yuan will surrender in no more than a day or two.” Duke Wen said: “I do not know about Yuan’s affairs, but since I agreed with the senior officials on three days, if it does not surrender by the deadline I must withdraw. I will not break faith in order to obtain Yuan.” The people of Yuan, hearing this, said: “With a ruler like this, how could we not surrender?” Thereupon they surrendered. The people of Wen, hearing this, also asked to surrender (at that time the Zhou had also granted the land of Wen to Duke Wen; Wen bordered Yuan, and both had rebelled).

Thus Laozi says: “Profound and obscure, within it there is Jing (essence); this essence is utterly real, within it there is trustworthiness.” (Deep and dark, yet within it there is essence; that essence is very real, and within it is contained trustworthiness.)

Gongyi Xiu as Minister of Lu

Gongyi Xiu served as prime minister of Lu (he was an erudite of Lu). He liked to eat fish, and people throughout the state offered fish to him, but he never accepted them. His disciples admonished him, saying: “You like to eat fish; why do you not accept them?” He replied: “It is precisely because I like to eat fish that I do not accept them. If I accepted fish and thereby were removed from the office of prime minister, then even if I liked to eat fish, I could no longer supply fish for myself; if I do not accept fish and am not removed from the office of prime minister, then I can long supply fish for myself. This is to understand the principle that acting for others is acting for oneself.”

Thus Laozi says: “Putting himself behind, he is in front; setting himself outside, he is preserved. Is it not because he is selfless? Thus he can accomplish his private ends.” (Placing oneself behind, one instead leads; setting oneself aside, one is preserved. Is it not precisely because he is selfless? Therefore he can accomplish his private ends.)

Huqiu Zhangren and Sunshu Ao

Huqiu Zhangren said to Sunshu Ao (Zhangren means an old man who walks with a staff): “People have three things that invite resentment; do you know them?” Sunshu Ao asked: “What are they?” He answered: “Those of high rank are envied by the scholar-officials; those of great office are disliked by the ruler; those with generous stipends are resented by the multitude.” Sunshu Ao said: “The higher my rank, the humbler my resolve; the greater my office…”

Small guidance brings great benefit; small words are deep and broad; this is what the true Dao requires. Laozi says: “The noble must take the humble as its root; the high must take the low as its foundation.” Thus the Grand Marshal’s hook-hammerer, though eighty years old and paying no attention to anything but the hook, did not rely on useless things, and so his use of his craft endured. King Wen sharpened his virtue and cultivated government for three years, and the two extremities of the world turned to him. King Zhou was troubled by this and had Qu Shang imprison King Wen at Youli. San Yisheng spent a thousand pieces of gold to seek rare marvels and obtained a zouyu, Jisi horses, dark jade, great cowries, black leopards, yellow bears, blue wild dogs, and white tiger skins, which he presented to Zhou. Fei Zhong served as intermediary; Zhou was pleased, pardoned King Wen, and gave him oxen. After King Wen returned, he built the Jade Gate and the Spirit Terrace, and young girls beat bells and drums in welcome.

Relevant Passages from the Huainanzi (Huainan Honglie) · A Plain-Language Reading

I. King Zhou's Loss of the World and King Wen's Stratagem

There is a background story to King Zhou's downfall. When King Zhou heard that the Earl of Zhou, Chang (that is, King Wen of Zhou), had already "changed his ways and altered his conduct" and drawn in his sharp edges, he said with satisfaction, "There is nothing left for me to worry about." From then on he grew even more unbridled: he devised the roasting-pillar punishment (paoluo), had Bi Gan's heart cut out, had pregnant women ripped open, and killed ministers who remonstrated. King Wen, seeing that the hearts of the people had turned away and that the feudal lords looked on askance, was instead able to calmly complete the great plan of overthrowing Zhou. This is why Laozi said: "Know honor, keep to disgrace, and become the valley of the world." Understanding glory without displaying it, being willing to occupy the lowly and humiliated position—only thus can one hold all things as a valley does, and become the "valley" to which the world returns. King Wen was outwardly compliant while in truth gathering strength; his meaning connects with this.

II. King Cheng Asks Yin Yi About Governance

King Cheng of Zhou asked Yin Yi (Shi Yi) about the way of governing: "What sort of De (Virtue/Power) should I practice so that the common people will feel close to and submit to those who rule over them?"

Yin Yi answered: "In employing the people, one must suit the season; treat them with respect and guide them gently."

King Cheng asked: "To what degree should this 'measure' extend?"

Yin Yi said: "As if gazing into a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice."

King Cheng said: "That is truly awe-inspiring!"

Yin Yi said: "My king, it is human beings you are governing! Between heaven and earth, within the four seas, if the people are treated well by you, they will be to you as though you were nurturing them; if you treat them badly, they will become your enemies. The subjects of Xia and Shang turned against Jie and Zhou and instead supported Tang and Wu; the people of the Susha region also once attacked their ruler and attached themselves to the lineage of Shennong (Fuxi)—legend holds that between Shennong and Fuxi there were still figures such as Gonggong and Susha who dominated the world. These are all matters known to everyone in the world—how could my king fail to hold fear in his heart?" This is why Laozi also said: "What people fear cannot but be feared." What the multitude fears—the way of Heaven, the hearts of the people, cause and effect—a ruler cannot fail to hold in awe.

III. Robber Zhi on "There Being a Way Even Among Thieves"

Robber Zhi's followers asked him: "Is there a 'way' (Dao) even in being a thief?"

Robber Zhi said: "How could one say there is no way? To guess where another has hidden his valuables and get them—that is 'sagehood'; to be the first to break in—that is 'courage'; to be the last to withdraw—that is 'rightness'; to divide the loot fairly—that is 'benevolence'; to judge whether the venture can succeed—that is 'wisdom.' There is no one in the world who lacks these five things and still wishes to become a great thief. From this we see that even in the hearts of thieves there must be reliance on those 'ways' spoken of by the sages before anything can be accomplished." This is why Laozi said, "Cut off sagehood and discard wisdom"—if understood from the reverse side: once the names of "sagehood" and "wisdom" are abused, even thieves will use the way of the sages as a cover. Laozi advocated weakening that worship of "sagehood and wisdom" which had been stolen and misused, so that the people might instead gain real benefit in abundance ("the people's benefit will be a hundredfold").

IV. Zifa's Courtesy to a Thief and the Repulse of the Qi Army

The Chu general Zifa was fond of gathering men of uncommon skill. There was a thief in Chu skilled at stealing who came to seek him out, saying: "I have heard that you seek men who possess extraordinary arts. I make my living by stealing, and I wish to offer my modest skill, asking only for the treatment of a single common soldier." When Zifa heard this, he did not wait to fasten his sash or set his cap straight, but went out to meet him and received him with courtesy. His attendants remonstrated: "A thief is the scum of the world—why receive him with courtesy?" Zifa said: "This is not something you attendants may decide on your own."

Before long, Qi raised troops to attack Chu. Zifa led the army to meet the enemy but was driven back three times in succession. The worthy men and great officers of Chu exhausted their stratagems and their loyalty, yet the Qi army only grew stronger with each battle. At this point the petty thief from the marketplace stepped forward and said: "I have a small skill and wish to serve my lord." Zifa said: "Good." Without asking for details, he sent him off.

That night the thief slipped into the Qi camp and removed the Qi general's bedding, headcloth, and the like (or unfastened his tent curtains and hairpin cords, throwing the army into confusion). When the Qi general discovered this he was greatly alarmed, believing that either divine aid or internal treachery was at work, and the morale of the army collapsed. When battle was joined the next day, the Chu army was greatly heartened and the Qi army was crushingly defeated.

Afterward Zifa said: "I did not measure men by the rank of their office, nor did I ask about their origins—I looked only at whether they could get the job done, and so I was able to repel the enemy. Had I despised him that day because he was a 'thief,' Chu would long since have perished."

Summary of Key Points

The above follows the common narrative sequence of the Huainanzi and its quotations from Laozi; proper names such as paoluo (the roasting pillar), Bi Gan, Yin Yi, Robber Zhi, and Zifa are explained briefly according to historical biography and the context of the various philosophers, so as to make it easier to read through to the original meaning.

A Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainan Honglie Jie

I. Xian Zhen Defeats the Qin Army

To launch a surprise attack on another while that other has already perceived it; one’s own defenses must first be prepared, and one must not act rashly.

The Qin army was withdrawing back to Qin. At just this time, Duke Wen of Jin had recently died and had not yet been buried. Xian Zhen, a Jin minister, said to Duke Xiang, son of Duke Wen: “Formerly our late ruler and Duke Mu of Qin divided the rule of the world, and all the feudal lords knew of it. Now our ruler has died unburied, and Qin does not come to mourn, nor does it ask us for passage to return home. This is to insult our ruler in his recent death and to bully our orphaned ruler and widow. I ask permission to send troops and strike them.” Duke Xiang agreed. Xian Zhen led the army and met the Qin forces at Yao, routed them, and returned with the commanders of Qin’s three armies as captives.

When Duke Mu of Qin heard the news, he put on plain mourning garments, went to the ancestral temple to weep and mourn, and explained his reasons to his ministers (“shuo” here means to explain or justify). Therefore Laozi said: “To be aware but not to display awareness is best; to be unaware yet to think oneself aware is a defect.”

II. Xue Gong Establishes a Queen

The queen of Qi died. The king of Qi wished to establish a new queen but delayed deciding and had his ministers discuss it. Xue Gong, that is Tian Ying, wanted to fathom the king’s mind, so he presented ten pairs of earrings and praised one pair as the most beautiful. The next day, by asking what had become of the most beautiful pair, he took the opportunity to urge the king to make their owner—the person Xue Gong had recommended—queen. The king was delighted and from then on regarded Xue Gong with particular favor.

Once a ruler’s intentions are revealed outwardly, he will be manipulated by his ministers. Therefore Laozi said: “Block the openings, shut the doors, and to the end of life there will be no toil.”

III. Lu Ao Meets an Extraordinary Adept

Lu Ao—a man of Yan, summoned by Qin Shi Huang as an erudite and ordered to seek immortals, after which he fled and never returned—traveled through the North Sea, passed through the land of Taiyin, entered Xuanque (Taiyin is the north; Xuanque is a northern mountain), came to the top of Mount Menggu (a mountain name), and met an extraordinary adept: his eye sockets were deeply sunken, his temple hair black, tears streaming down, his shoulders raised like a kite’s, his upper body full and his lower body thin, his bearing lofty; he was dancing into the wind. Seeing Lu Ao arrive, he slowly lowered his arms (“manran” means he stopped dancing) and withdrew into the shade of a stone tablet (the “bei” being the back of a stone tablet).

Lu Ao came closer and looked carefully: the man was sitting curled up (the people of Chu use “ju” for curling up) on a turtle shell, eating clams (sea mussels).

Lu Ao said to him: “Only I, Ao, have turned my back on the crowd, severed ties with my associates, and exhaustively surveyed beyond the six directions; if not I, who else could it be? Since childhood I have loved wandering, and even when grown I have not changed my resolve…”

(This passage is incomplete: Lu Ao is boasting of his resolve to wander; below there should be the adept’s response.)

Translator’s Note:

• Yao: Mount Yao, site of the great Jin-Qin battle in the Spring and Autumn period; the original text has a missing-character box, filled in according to the Huainanzi.
• The line “knowing yet not knowing” comes from chapter 52 of the Daodejing; the quotation here differs slightly.
• The Lu Ao story comes from the “Chuzhen xun” chapter of the Huainanzi; it is used here to expound the meaning of “blocking the openings and closing the doors”—the true wandering adept does not show off or reveal traces, forming a contrast with Lu Ao’s self-praise.

Lu Ao had once journeyed through the four quarters, but the dark and gloomy lands of the north were the only place he had never been. There he suddenly met a “Ruoshi” (a man who possessed the Dao), and asked, “Given your level of attainment, perhaps you would be willing to make friends with Lu Ao?”

Ruoshi puckered his face into a smile and said, “Ha—you are a man of the Central Plains, yet you were willing to come to such a distant place. It is true that here one can still see the light of the sun and moon and the movement of the constellations; the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang and the succession of the four seasons still remain. But compared with those hidden realms I often visit, realms that cannot even be named, this place is simply like a small, dark room.”

He continued, “I have gone south as far as the wilds of Gangsi; north, I rested in the land of Chenmo; west, I walked to the end of the dark and obscure; east, I could gaze upon the great light as when primordial chaos first opened. In that place below there is no earth, above no heaven; no sound is heard, no form is seen. Beyond it there is still a watery margin like Taiwo (legend says it lies at the horizon where the four seas meet, with the murmuring sound of water). Beyond that, a single step spans ten million li—and I have not truly reached even there. You have only just begun your travels from here, and already you speak of an ‘exhaustive view’ and of the end—is that not too soon and too far ahead? For now, keep to your own bounds. I have an appointment with ‘Hanman’ (the unknowable, boundless realm) to meet beyond the Nine Limits, so I cannot linger here.”

So saying, Ruoshi raised his arm, straightened himself, and leaped, vanishing into the clouds. Lu Ao looked up again, but the man was already gone. He halted his carriage, vexed and regretful (the people of Chu called this kind of melancholy regret “beizhi”), and felt bereft, as if he had lost something. He sighed, “Compared with this gentleman, I am like a mulberry grub beside a yellow swan—crawling all day, never able to go beyond a foot or a yard, yet thinking I have traveled far. Is that not pitiful?”

Thus Zhuangzi said: the petty man cannot match the great man, and small wisdom cannot match great wisdom. The morning mushroom (a tiny fungus that lives only from dawn to dusk; some resemble little water insects, and in Hainan it is also called chongxie) knows nothing of the dark of the moon and the new moon; the huigu (a summer insect, also called huijie or diaoliao) knows nothing of spring and autumn—these words speak precisely of how understanding has its bright and dark sides, and how one’s horizon has its greater and lesser dimensions.

Some things are invisible to the naked eye. Jizi (also known as Zijian) governed Danfu for three years. Wuma Qi (a disciple of Confucius) changed into an ordinary silk upper garment and coarse cloth short clothes, altered his appearance, and went to observe the effectiveness of the moral education there (he changed clothes and went incognito to observe secretly).

He saw someone fishing at night and then releasing the fish. Wuma Qi asked: "Fishing is originally for getting fish; now you catch them and release them—why?" The fisherman replied: "Jizi does not want people to catch small fish." (In ancient times, fish less than a foot long were not presented on the sacrificial platter.) What he caught were all small fish, so he released them. Wuma Qi returned and reported to Confucius. Confucius said: "Jizi's De (Virtue/Power) has reached its utmost, causing people to act in secret as if severe punishment were beside them." Wuma Qi asked how Jizi could achieve this. Confucius said: "I once asked him about the way of governing a state. He said: 'Proclaim here, punish there.' Jizi must practice this technique." Therefore Laozi said: "Discard that and take this."

Wangliang (a kind of water spirit, a vague and unsettled spirit) asked Jing (the shadow cast by sunlight or moonlight on water): "Is the bright and clear one the divine brightness (Shenming)?" (Wangliang, being a vague and unsettled creature, sees the bright light and shadow and thinks it is the divine brightness.) Jing said: "No." Wangliang asked: "How do you know?" Jing said: "Fusang (the tree from which the sun rises) bears the sun and emerges, illuminating the universe (Fusang receives the sunlight, moistens and nourishes all things and rises). Its blazing radiance shines upon the four seas; but if doors are closed and windows sealed, the light has no way to enter. If the divine brightness (Shenming) flows through all four directions, reaching everywhere, extending above to heaven and coiling below to earth, nurturing all things without assuming form or image, and within a glance touches beyond the four seas—then how could that 'bright and clear' light be sufficient to be called divine brightness? Therefore Laozi said: The softest under heaven gallops through the hardest under heaven."

Guangyao (the visible) asked Wuyou (the ultimate void and formless): "Are you ultimately existent or nonexistent?" (Form arises from the formless; how can it generate the ten thousand things? Therefore he asked whether it is ultimately existent or nonexistent.) Wuyou did not answer. Guangyao could not ask again, so he approached to observe its appearance—it was dark and obscure, suddenly elusive; looking, one does not see its form; listening, one does not hear its sound; grasping, it cannot be caught; gazing, it cannot be exhausted. Guangyao said: "It is the most precious."

[Vernacular Interpretation]

Who can reach such a state? One may claim to have already grasped “being” and “nonbeing,” yet still be unable to achieve complete “no-nonbeing” (“wu-wu”: letting go even the thought of “nonbeing”). But once one truly enters “no-nonbeing,” how can one still speak of “this”? Therefore Laozi says, “The substanceless enters the seamless”; from this I know that Wuwei (non-action) is indeed beneficial.

Bai Gong Sheng plotted rebellion (raising troops to avenge his father). After court dispersed, he still leaned on a needle-tipped horsewhip; the needle at its tip pierced his cheek, and though blood flowed to the ground, he was completely unaware. When the people of Zheng heard of this, they said: If he can forget even his cheek, what can he not forget? This means that when the spirit wanders outside and intellect and deliberation churn within, one cannot regulate the physical form (“leak” here means to fill gaps and keep guard). Therefore, if the mind and spirit are focused on what is far away, what is near—namely oneself—will be neglected. Laozi says, “Without leaving the door, one knows the world; without peering through the window, one sees the Dao of Heaven.” The farther one goes out, the less one knows—this is the situation referred to.

After Qin Shi Huang obtained the realm, fearing he could not keep it, he sent troops to garrison the frontiers, built the Great Wall, fortified passes and bridges, set up barriers and fortresses, established relay stations, and appointed frontier officials. Yet the Liu clan seized the realm as easily as turning a door latch. In former times, King Wu attacked Zhou and defeated him at Muye. He then honored Bi Gan’s tomb, commended Shang Rong’s lane, and fenced and protected Jizi’s gate with brushwood (after Zhou died, Jizi fled to Korea; his old dwelling stood empty, so it was protected with brushwood). He paid respects at the temple of Cheng Tang, released the grain of Juqiao, distributed the money of Lutai, broke the drums and snapped the drumsticks, slackened the bows and cut the strings, left the dwellings and slept in the open to show simplicity and ease, and had swords unfastened and court tablets worn to show that they bore no enmity. Thereupon the world sang songs and rejoiced in him; the feudal lords, holding jade, came to pay court; and for thirty-four generations they did not lose the realm. Therefore Laozi says, “One who is good at closing uses no bolt or lock, yet it cannot be opened; one who is good at binding uses no rope or cord, yet it cannot be untied.”

Yin Xu studied chariot driving for three years… (If the scriptural text below is incomplete, it may be continued according to the original book.)

Plain-Language Interpretation

There was a man who sought something for a long time without obtaining it, and he suffered inwardly. He often lay down brooding, and in the middle of one night he dreamed that he had learned “autumn driving” from his master—that is, a superlative skill in charioteering. Early the next morning he went to pay his respects to the master. The master saw him from afar and said: “It was not that I transmitted the Dao to you; I was only afraid that you were not yet fit to receive it. Today I will teach you autumn driving.”

Yin Xu turned and ran; facing north, he bowed twice and said: “Your servant has had enormous good fortune. Last night I dreamed that I received instruction, and so today I dared to come.”

Therefore Laozi said: “Attain the utmost in emptiness; hold firmly to stillness. The myriad things arise together, and I watch their return.”—Empty the mind to the utmost, guard pure stillness, watch the myriad things arise together, and from this observe how they return to their origin.

In former times, Sunshu Ao was made Lingyin—the highest office in Chu—three times, and showed no joy; he was dismissed three times, and showed no sorrow. Someone wished to make Yanling Jizi, a worthy man of Wu, king, but he refused. Xu You declined and would not accept the world. Yanzi made a covenant with Cui Zhu, a powerful minister of Qi, and did not change his bearing even when facing death. All these men had minds that comprehended life and death, and external things could hardly shake them. If the spirit communicates with the principle of life and death, what could still delude a person?

In Chu there was a man named Ci Fei. He obtained a precious sword in Gandui—the state of Gan, in the area of present-day Linhuai. On his return he crossed a river. When the boat reached midstream, Yang Hou, Lord of the Waves, raised great waves, and two jiao—water dragons, fierce aquatic beasts—flanked the boat. Ci Fei said to the boatman: “Have you ever seen anyone survive a situation like this?” The answer was: “Never.” Thereupon Ci Fei closed his eyes, suddenly shook his arms, drew his sword, and said: “A warrior may be persuaded by the rites of benevolence and righteousness, but he cannot be robbed and despoiled. These are merely rotten flesh, decayed bones, and a discarded sword in the river—what do I have to begrudge?” Then he threw himself into the river and stabbed the jiao, cut off the jiao’s head, and everyone on the boat survived; the wind and waves also calmed. Chu enfeoffed him with the rank of Zhigui, a high noble title. When Confucius heard of it, he said: “One who can bear rotten flesh, decayed bones, and a discarded sword without sparing his life—that surely describes Ci Fei.”

So Laozi also said: “It is only one who does not make living his life the purpose of life who is superior to one who values life.”—Only one who does not take being alive as the foremost matter is wiser than those who “value life.”

Chunyu Kun of Qi first went to persuade the King of Wei with the strategy of Hezong, the vertical alliance. The King of Wei debated with him, agreed on ten chariots, and intended to send him to Chu. When he took leave, someone thought the Hezong strategy was still insufficient and again used the doctrine of Lianheng, the horizontal alliance; the wording seemed to fit better. (The “vertical” persuasion was a strategy urging the feudal lords to unite; the “horizontal” persuasion was to change to a horizontal alignment, the opposite of vertical.)

Note: The original text appears unfinished at the point where “he took leave, and someone thought the Hezong strategy was not yet sufficient, and again used the Lianheng persuasion; his words were like this.” If there are further paragraphs, you may send them and I will translate and read them together.

Vernacular Interpretation of the Huainanzi

The King of Wei therefore abandoned his former course, kept himself aloof and restrained, and lost his own judgment; in the end he could not accomplish even one great undertaking capable of “balancing”—such was the result of his stubbornness and rigidity.

Words must have roots, and affairs must have foundations. If one loses the root, no matter how many skills one has, it is not as good as carrying one thing through to the end. That is why the Zhou cauldrons were engraved with the story of Chui (a legendary craftsman skilled at making vessels): Chui made a cauldron, yet bit off his own fingers—the former kings wanted people to see that “great skill” cannot consist in endlessly showing off technique. Shen Dao (a man of Qi in the Warring States period and a thinker associated with Daoism) said: a craftsman knows “how to make a door,” but does not necessarily understand the essential meaning of “the door”; therefore he must first understand how to “block” (grasp the crux) before he can truly “complete the door” (so that the door can open and close, guard and pass).

Among the Mohists there was Tian Jiu, who studied Mozi’s arts and wished to see King Hui of Qin. He readied a carriage and bound its shafts, but stayed in Qin for a year without obtaining an audience. Someone said to him: Try Chu. He went to see the King of Chu, who liked him very much, gave him a tally, and sent him to Qin as an envoy. When he arrived in Qin, he used the general’s tally to seek audience with King Hui, and as soon as he spoke he was admitted. After leaving the guesthouse, he sighed deeply and said to his attendants: I stayed in Qin for three years without obtaining an audience; I never imagined that the “road” could be traveled through Chu. Thus it is with things: sometimes a near route turns out to be long, and a distant route turns out to be short. Therefore when the great man acts, he need not measure everything with plumb line and ink; he stops when he reaches the limit he should reach. This is what the common saying means: to tie an owl with a rope and still expect it to fly high—impossible. If a scholar has no constant standard in high or low matters and no fixed rule for advancing and retreating, it is likewise impossible, like tying a flying owl with a rope and demanding that it soar.

The Feng River is a thousand ren deep, yet it does not tolerate dust or dirt; throw a metal or iron needle into it, and its shape can immediately be seen from outside—it is not that the water is insufficiently deep or insufficiently clear, but that fish, turtles, dragons, and snakes are all unwilling to dwell there. Why? Because there is no shelter or cover to rely on. Thus the five grains cannot grow on rock, and deer do not come to dwell on barren mountains—all because there is “no shelter or cover.”

Formerly Zhao Wenzi asked Shu Xiang: Of the six generals of Jin, who will perish first? Shu Xiang said: the Zhonghang and Zhi clans. Wenzi asked: Why? Shu Xiang said: When they govern, they take harshness for clear-sightedness, sharpness for astuteness, fleecing the people for loyalty, and much calculation for merit—like scraping leather with a knife: the harder you scrape, the thinner the leather becomes, and soon it is gone.

This passage illustrates Laozi's political wisdom of "great wisdom appearing foolish" through several historical anecdotes.

Duke Jing of Qi once asked his Grand Diviner (official in charge of divination): "What special abilities do you possess?" The diviner replied: "I can make the earth shake." When Minister Yanzi heard this, instead of refuting it directly, he privately told the diviner: "In the past when I saw a comet (considered an ominous sign by ancients) appear between the constellations Fang and Xin, an earthquake did indeed occur. What you call 'making the earth shake' is merely recognizing the signs of an impending earthquake." Scholar Tian Ziyang commented that Yanzi's approach both prevented the diviner from being executed for deceiving the ruler and protected the duke from being misled, demonstrating loyalty to superiors and benevolence toward subordinates. This perfectly embodies Laozi's teaching that "the squarest corner does not pierce, the sharpest blade does not cut."

During a banquet, Marquis Wen of Wei lamented: "Why don't I have loyal ministers like Yu Rang (a righteous man who died avenging his lord Zhi Bo)?" His minister Jian Zhong raised his cup and advised: "Fortunate parents often cannot recognize their most filial child, just as wise rulers frequently fail to distinguish their most loyal ministers. The lord Yu Rang served ultimately met his demise - what's so praiseworthy about such loyalty?" After hearing this, the marquis drained his cup and sighed: "Precisely because I lack virtuous ministers like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, I would need martyrs like Yu Rang." This confirms Laozi's observation that "when the country falls into chaos, loyal ministers appear."

When Confucius saw a ritual vessel called the "Youzhi" (a wine vessel designed to warn against excessive drinking) in Duke Huan of Lu's temple, he immediately had disciples fetch water to demonstrate its "topple when full" property. This vessel's design embodies the Daoist principle of "things reversing upon reaching their extreme," reminding rulers that governance requires knowing moderation.

Maintaining Fullness: When Water Is Full, It Overturns

When water is poured into a vessel and only filled halfway, the vessel stands upright and steady; once it is filled to the brim, it overturns.

When Confucius heard this, his expression changed, and he sighed in admiration: “How well he handles ‘fullness’!”

Zigong, standing nearby, asked: “May I ask what ‘maintaining fullness’ means?”

The answer: it is like bowing with hands clasped—actively diminishing and leaving room. What does this mean? When things reach their height, they decline; when joy reaches its extreme, it turns to sorrow; when the sun reaches noon, it begins to slant west; when the moon is full, it wanes. Therefore intelligence and sagacity should be guarded by “bluntness,” not showing off everywhere; broad experience and eloquence by “frugality and few words”; martial courage by “awe and caution”; wealth, honor, and greatness by “humility and lack of display”; and De exercised throughout the world by “modesty and yielding.” These five are why the former kings could long hold the world without losing it; to violate these five is to fall into danger without exception. Thus Laozi says: one who keeps this Dao “does not desire fullness”; precisely because he does not seek fullness to overflowing, he can be worn without rushing to renew himself and display novelty.

King Wu Asks Taigong: After Winning the War, Will Later Generations Always Fight?

King Wu asked Taigong: “I attacked King Zhou, and everyone in the world says this is a subject killing his lord, a subordinate offending his superior. I fear that later ages will not cease using arms and that strife will not stop. What should be done?”

Taigong said: “The king asks well. In hunting, before game is caught, one fears only that the wound is too small and does not hit a vital spot; once it is caught, one fears instead that the flesh is too much damaged and the meat beaten to pulp. If the king wishes to hold the world long, he must, like the latter, ‘spare strength and stop contention.’”

The specific methods include: blocking and gathering in the people’s ears, eyes, mouth, and nose—their senses and desires—which is what Laozi calls “blocking the openings”; doing more things that seem “useless” and less troublesome political teaching, so that people rest in their proper occupations and follow their natures; being outwardly bright and clear while inwardly undifferentiated and silent; removing ornamental refinements, such as loose hair and water-bird caps and similar ceremonial display, and bearing plain, uncarved wood; unbuckling the sword and replacing it with the tablet of office; practicing heavy rites such as three years of mourning so that kin multiply without cease; using lofty words and humble yielding to keep the people from contending; using wine and meat to facilitate human feeling, yu and se music for amusement, and ghosts and spirits to inspire awe; using elaborate formalities and multiplying ritual rules to suppress plain simplicity; making burials rich and mourning long to burden their households; placing pearls in the mouths of the dead, using scale ornaments, and distributing silk cords and ribbons to exhaust their wealth; digging deep graves and raising high mounds to use up their strength; and leaving every household poor, clans diminished, and many illnesses and troubles. By this set of measures for transforming customs, one can long hold the world without losing it.

Therefore Laozi says: once people have desires and actions that come after cultivation and nurture, one must use the “nameless uncarved simplicity” to settle them.

Explanation

Maintaining fullness is not the pursuit of fullness; rather, like a vessel filled only to the right measure and left with empty space, one actively “diminishes” a little to avoid “when full, it overturns.” “Bowing and diminishing it” means using humility and diminution to preserve what lasts, with the same purport as Laozi’s “not desiring fullness” below. The Taigong passage ostensibly discusses rites, mourning, burial, and the expenditure of wealth and strength; it is saying that heavy rites, lavish burials, and elaborate formalities keep people from acting rashly and from endless contention and war, and that “nameless uncarved simplicity” stops desire. This is a cold, severe strategy for “long holding the world” in a Daoist context, not a general Confucian celebration of ritual.