Shujing (ang.).pdf

Shu Jing

書經

These readings from the Shu Jing (Shu Ching) are taken from the translation of James Legge (reprinted by Hong Kong University Press,

1960, vol. III). They were selected and entered by Bro. Andrew Thornton, O.S.B. at Saint Anselm College. Names in Legge's r omanization

have been changed to pinyin. The text is in the public domain and may be freely used.

THE CANON OF YAO

1 Examining into antiquity, we find that the emperor Yao was called Fang Xun. He was

reverential, intelligent, accomplished, and thoughtful, naturally and without effort. He was

sincerely courteous and capable of all complaisance. The display of these qualities reached to

the four extremities of the empire and extended from earth to heaven. (2) He was able to make

the able and virtuous distinguished, and thence proceeded to the love of the nine classes of his

kindred, who all became harmonious. He also regulated and polished the people of his

domain, who all became brightly intelligent. Finally, he united and harmonized the myriad

states of the empire, and lo! the black-haired people were transformed. The result was

universal concord.

3 Thereupon Yao commanded Xi and He, in reverent accordance with their observation of the

wide heavens, to calculate and delineate the movements and appearances of the sun, the

moon, the stars, and the zodiacal spaces, and so to deliver respectfully the seasons to the

people.

4 He separately commanded the second brother Xi to reside at Yu, in what was called the

Bright Valley, and there respectfully to receive as a guest the rising sun, and to adjust and

arrange the labors of the spring. "The day," he said, "is of the medium length and the star is in

Niao; you may thus exactly determine mid-spring. The people begin to disperse, and birds and

beasts breed and copulate.

5 He further commanded the the third brother Xi to reside at Nan Jiao, and arrange the

transformations of the summer, and respectfully to observe the extreme limit of the shadow.

"The day," said he, "is at its longest, and the star is in Huo. You may thus exactly determine

mid-summer. The people are more dispersed, and birds and beasts have their feathers and hair

thin and change their coats."

6 He separately commanded the second brother He to reside at the west, in what was called

the Dark Valley, and there respectfully to convoy the setting sun, and to adjust and arrange

the completing labors of the autumn. "The night," he said, "is of the medium length, and the

star is Xu; you may thus exactly determine mid-autumn. The people begin to feel at ease, and

birds and beasts have their coats in good condition."

7 He further commanded the third brother He to reside in the northern region, in what was

called the Sombre Capital, and there to adjust and examine the changes of the winter. "The

day," said he, "is at its shortest, and the star is Mao. You may thus exactly determine mid-

winter. The people keep their cosy corners, and the coats of birds and beasts are downy and

thick."

8 The emperor said, "Ah! you, Xi and He, a round year consists of three hundred, sixty, and

six days. By means of an intercalary month do you fix the four seasons, and complete the

determination of the year. Thereafter, in exact accordance with this, regulating the various

officers, all the works of the year will be fully performed.

9 The emperor said, "Who will search out for me a man according to the times, whom I may

raise and employ?" Fang Qi said, "There is your heir-son Zhu, who is highly intelligent." The

emperor said, "Alas! he is insincere and quarrelsome. Can he do?"

10 The emperor said, "Who will search out for me a man equal to the exigency of my

affairs?" Huan Dou said, "Oh! there is the minister of Works, whose merits have just been

displayed in various ways." The emperor said, "Alas! when unemployed, he can talk, but

when employed, his actions turn out differently. He is respectful only in appearance. See! the

floods assail the heavens!"

11 The emperor said, "Oh! chief of the four mountains, destructive in their overflow are the

waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the mountains and overtop the

hills, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the inferior people groan and murmur.

Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction of this calamity?" All in the court

said, "Oh! there is Gun." The emperor said, "Alas! no, by no means! He is disobedient to

orders and tries to injure his peers." His Eminence said, "Well, but try him, and then you can

have done with him." The emperor said to Gun, "Go, and be reverent!" For nine years he

labored, but the work was unaccomplished.

12 The emperor said, "Oh! you chief of the four mountains, I have been on the throne for

seventy years. You can carry out my appointments; I will resign my throne to you." His

Eminence said, "I have not the virtue; I should only disgrace the imperial seat." The emperor

said, "Point out some one among the illustrious, or set forth one from among the poor and

mean." All in the court said to the emperor, "There is an unmarried man among the lower

people called Shun of Yu." The emperor said, "Yes, I have heard of him. What is his

character?" His Eminence said, "He is the son of a blind man. His father was obstinately

unprincipled; his step-mother was insincere; his half brother Xiang was arrogant. He has been

able, however, by his filial piety to live in harmony with them, and to lead them gradually to

self-government, so that they no longer proceed to great wickedness." The emperor said, "I

will try him! I will wive him, and then see his behavior with my two daughters." On this he

gave orders, and sent down his two daughters to the north of the Gui, to be wives in the family

of Yu. The emperor said to them, "Be reverent!"

THE CANON OF SHUN

1 Examining into antiquity, we find the emperor Shun was called Chong Hua. He

corresponded to the former emperor; he was profound, wise, accomplished, and intelligent.

He was mild and respectful, and entirely sincere. The report of his mysterious virtue was

heard on high, and he was appointed to occupy the imperial Seat.

2 Shun carefully set forth the beauty of the five cardinal duties, and they came to be

universally observed. Being appointed to be General Regulator, the affairs of each department

were arranged in their proper seasons. Having to receive the princes from the four quarters of

the empire, they were all docilely submissive. Being sent to the great plains at the foot of the

mountains, amid violent wind, thunder, and rain, he did not go astray.

3 The emperor said, "Come, you Shun. I have consulted you on all affairs, examined your

words, and found that your words can be carried into practice, now for three years. Do you

ascend the imperial throne." Shun wished to decline in favor of someone more virtuous, and

not to consent to be successor. (4) On the first day, of the first month, however, he received

Yao's retirement from the imperial duties in the temple of the Accomplished ancestor.

5 He examined the gem-adorned turning sphere, and the transverse tube, that he might

regulate the seven Directors.

6 Thereafter, he sacrificed specially, but with the ordinary forms, to God; sacrificed purely to

the six Honored ones; offered their appropriate sacrifices to the hills and rivers, and extended

his worship to the host of spirits.

7 He called in all the five tokens of gem, and when the month was over, he gave daily

audience to the chief of the four Mountains, and all the Pastors, finally returning the tokens to

the several nobles.

8 In the second month of the year, he made a tour of inspection eastwards, as far as Dai

Zhong, where he presented a burnt offering to Heaven, and sacrificed in order to the hills and

rivers. Thereafter he gave audience to the nobles of the East, putting in accord their seasons

and months, and rectifying the days; he made uniform the standard tubes, the measures of

length and of capacity, and the steelyards; he regulated the five classes of ceremonies. As to

the several articles of introduction, the five instruments of gem, the three kinds of silk, the two

living animals, and the one dead one. When all was over, he returned the five instruments. In

the fifth month, he made a similar tour to the south as far as the southern mountain, observing

the same ceremonies as at Dai. In the eighth month, he travelled westwards, as far as the

western, and in the eleventh month he travelled northwards, as far as the northern mountain.

When he returned to the capital, he went to the temple of the cultivated Ancestor, and offered

a single bullock.

9 In five years there was one tour of inspection, and four appearances of the nobles at court.

They set forth a report of their government in words. This was clearly tested by their works.

They received chariots and robes according to their services.

10 Shun instituted the divison of the land into twelve provinces, raising altars upon twelve

hills in them. He likewise deepened the rivers.

11 He gave delineations of the statutory punishments, enacting banishment as a mitigation of

the five great inflictions, with the whip to be employed in the magistrates' courts, the stick to

be employed in schools, and money to be received for redeemable crimes. Inadvertent

offenses and those which might be caused by misfortune were to be pardoned, but those who

offended presumptuously or repeatedly were to be punished with death. "Let me be reverent;

let me be reverent!" he said to himself. "Let compassion rule in punishment!"

12 He banished the minister of Works to You island; confined Huan Dou on Mount Chong;

drove the chief of San Miao and his people into San-wei and kept them there; held Gun til

death a prisoner on Mount Yu. These four criminals being thus dealt with, universal

submission prevailed throughout the empire.

13 After twenty-eight years the emperor demised, when the people mourned for him as for a

parent for three years. All within the four seas, the eight kinds of instruments of music were

stopped and hushed. (14) On the first day of the first month, Shun went to the temple of the

Accomplished Ancestor.

15 He deliberated with the chief of the four Mountains, how to throw open the doors of

communication between the court and the empire, sought to see with the eyes and hear with

the ears of all.

16 He consulted with the twelve Pastors, and said, "The food! It depends on observing the

seasons. Be kind to the distant and cultivate the ability of the near. Give honor to the virtuous,

and your confidence to the good, while you discountenance the artful. So shall the barbarous

tribes lead on one another to make their submission."

17 Shun said, "Ah! chief of the four Mountains, is there any one who can vigorously display

his merits, and give wide development to the undertakings of the emperor, whom I may make

General Regulator, to aid me in all affairs, and manage each department according to its

nature?" All in the court said, "There is baron Yu, the superintendent of Works." The emperor

said, "Yes. Ah! Yu, you have regulated the water and the land. In this new office exert

yourself." Yu did obeisance with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favor of the

minister of Agriculture, or Xie, or Gao Yao. The emperor said, "Yes, but do you go, and

undertake the duties."

18 The emperor said, "Qi, the black-haired people are still suffering from the distress of

hunger. It is yours, O prince, the minister of Agriculture, to sow for them these various kinds

of grain."

19 The emperor said, "Xie, the people continue unfriendly with one another, and do not

observe docilely the five orders of relationship. It is yours, as the minister of Instruction,

reverently to set forth the lessons of duty belonging to those five orders. Do so with

gentleness."

20 The emperor said, "Gao Yao, the barbarous tribes disturb our bright great land. There are

also robbers, murderers, insurgents, and traitors. It is yours, as the minister of Crime, to

employ the five punishments for the treatment of offenses, for the infliction of which there are

the three appointed places, and the five banishments with their several places of detention, for

which three localities are assigned. Perform your duties with intelligence, and you will secure

a sincere submission."

21 The emperor said, "Who is equal to the duty of superintending my workmen?" All in the

court said, "There is Chui?" The emperor said, "Yes. Ah! Chui, you must be minister of

Works." Chui did obeisance, with his head to the ground, and wished to decline in favor of

Shu, Qiang, or Bo Yu. The emperor said, "Yes, but do you go and undertake the duties. Effect

a harmony in all the departments."

22 The emperor said, "Who is equal to the duty of superintending the grass and the trees, with

the birds and beasts, on my mountains and in my marshes?" All in the court said, "There is

Yi." The emperor said, "Yes. Ah! Yi, do you be my Forester." Yi did obeisance with his head

to the ground and wished to decline in favor of Zhu, Hu, Xiong, or Pi. The emperor said,

"Yes, but do you go and undertake the duties. You must manage them harmoniously."

23 The emperor said, "Ah! chief of the four Mountains, is there any who can direct my three

religious ceremonies?" All in the court said, "There is the baron Yi?" The emperor said, "Yes.

Ah! baron, you must be the Arranger of the ancestral temple. Morning and night be respectful.

Be upright, be pure." The baron did obeisance with his head to the ground, and wished to

decline in favor of Kui or Long. The emperor said, "Yes, but do you go and undertake the

duties. Be reverential!"

24 The emperor said, "Kui, I appoint you to be Director of music, and to teach our sons, so

that the straightforward may yet be mild, the gentle may yet be dignified, the strong not

tyrannical, and the impetuous not arrogant. Poetry is the expression of earnest thought;

singing is the prolonged utterance of that expression. The notes accompany that utterance, and

they are harmonized themselves by the pitch pipes. In this way the eight different kinds of

instruments can all be adjusted so that one shall not take from or interfere with another, and

spirits and men will thereby be brought into harmony." Kui said, "Oh! I smite the stone; I

smite the stone. The various animals lead on one another to dance."

25 The emperor said, "Long, I abominate slanderous speakers, and destroyers of right ways,

who agitate and alarm my people. I appoint you to be the minister of Communication. Early

and late give forth my orders and report to me, seeing that every thing is true."

26 The emperor said, "Ah! you, twenty and two men, be reverent, and so shall you aid me in

performing the service of heaven."

27 Every three years there was an examination of merits, and after three examinations the

undeserving were degraded, and the deserving promoted. By this arrangement the duties of all

the departments were fully discharged. The people of San Miao were discriminated and

separated.

28 In the thirtieth year of his life, Shun was called to employment. Thirty years he was on the

throne with Yao. Fifty years after he went on high and died.

THE COUNSELS OF THE GREAT YU

1 On examining into antiquity, we find that the great Yu was called Wen Ming. Having

arranged and divided the empire, all to the four seas, in reverent response to the inquiries of

the former emperor, (2) he said, "If the sovereign can realize the difficulty of his

sovereignship, and the minister can realize the difficulty of his ministry, government will be

well ordered, and the people will sedulously seek to be virtuous." (3) The emperor said, "Yes,

let this really be the case, and good words will nowhere lie hidden; no men of virtue and

talents will be neglected away from court, and the myriad States will all enjoy repose. But to

ascertain the views of all; to give up one's opinion and follow that of others; to refrain from

oppressing the helpless, and not neglect the straitened and poor: it was only the emperor Yao

who could attain to this."

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