Qingjiang Three-Hole Collection

Author: (Song) Kong Wenzhong, (Song) Kong Wuzhong, (Song) Kong Pingzhong, edited and annotated by Sun Yong
Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: Confucius said, "He who governs without action is like Shun." From this statement, one might infer that as Shun, he should have remained silent. In the Ming Tang Hall, matters of the world had never been heard or considered before being deemed as non-action. However, when examined in the texts, it is said that Shun ruled for seventy years, growing weary of his duties. To labor over state affairs until weary of effort—how could this be called non-action? It is said: The ancient concept of non-action does not mean abandoning all tasks and neglecting them. It refers to not being at the forefront of affairs. The affairs of the world follow a pattern: there is a time for establishing them and a time for maintaining them. During the establishment phase, one must restore the abandoned rites and music, reform the excessive laws and punishments, restore the useful instruments, and fill the long-vacant posts. When customs have decayed, they must be held to become orderly; when discipline has become lax, it must be tightened. At such times, even if one wishes to be non-action, it is impossible.
If one enters the phase of maintaining established systems, it is different. Rites and music have fixed forms, laws and punishments have established rules, instruments have their proper uses, and posts have their designated responsibilities. Customs are already good, and discipline is already sound. Even the smallest efforts are not burdensome; the slightest reductions do not hinder affairs. At such times, even if one wishes to act, it is impossible. Shun governed the world that Yao had left. Yao, with the virtue of a sage, ruled for a long time. His moral influence and laws were widespread throughout the world, considered complete. Shun, though a sage, could neither add to what Yao had done nor reduce it. He could only inherit the laws Yao had established and clarify their implementation. Thus, Shun's governance of the world was never at the forefront of affairs. This is what is meant by non-action. Yet, he was deeply engaged in the affairs of the world without ceasing. Therefore, he inspected the states every five years to assess the governance of the feudal lords. From early spring to late winter, he traveled from the Eastern Mountain to the Northern Mountain, enduring cold and heat, crossing mountains and rivers. He never remained idle in the capital, neglecting the affairs of the world. The Miao people were a small state in the southern region. The campaign against the Miao occurred in Shun's later years. Shun personally commanded Yu in his military campaigns. When the campaign failed, he danced with feathered drums on the steps to appease the spirits. The Miao people, though small, were not overlooked by Shun. Thus, he never indulged in luxury in the deep palace, neglecting the affairs of the state.
Therefore, the concept of non-action means not being at the forefront of affairs. This was not only true for Shun but for all ancient rulers. Thus, Yao, as a ruler, after the floods were pacified, saw Hosi enrich the people and Xi teach them, and the world was already peaceful. This was Yao's time of non-action. However, when examining the Mencius, his "laboring to bring them together, correcting their deviations, and aiding and supporting them" was never abandoned. During King Cheng's reign, inheriting the legacy of Wen and Wu, maintaining the accumulated governance, after the execution of Guan and Cai and the destruction of Shang and Yan, the world was already peaceful. This was King Cheng's time of non-action. Yet, the Duke of Zhou handed down three hundred rites and ceremonies to him, and his affairs of attending court, observing the new moon, serving heaven and earth, interacting with the gods, and governing the feudal lords were never abandoned. Thus, it is said: "The king reviews the affairs of the year." If the king's work never ceases, then the king's duties are never stopped. From this perspective, one can understand Shun's concept of non-action. Later, mediocre rulers like Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Minghuang of Tang were misled by the theory of non-action without examining its reality, wishing to govern the world with tranquility and solitude. Some ended in failure, while others fell into decline and chaos. Alas! Did they not understand Shun's concept of non-action?
Some say that the Mencius states that Yi Yin, when residing in Shen, was courted three times by Tang before he accepted the position, thus becoming his minister. Thus, Yi Yin was difficult to advance himself. Yet, it also states that Yi Yin sought Tang five times and sought Jie five times. How could his movements be so easy and his advances so swift? This was not Yi Yin's story but rather a distortion by Mencius in his transmission. In response, the three courtesies before becoming a minister were Yi Yin's way of respecting his principles. The five times he sought Tang and Jie were Yi Yin's way of fulfilling Tang's aspirations. Ancient virtuous scholars, when rejected by their superiors, would hide in fields and caves without complaint. When they met their time and found a worthy ruler, they would uphold the noble rituals of father and teacher without chaos. Yet, it is rare for nobles and officials to humble themselves to serve the lower classes and honor the way. Yi Yin, having long honed and nourished himself with the teachings of Yao and Shun, had long since found peace within himself. For him, saving the people and rescuing the world were merely incidental. Yet, the depth of Cheng Tang's belief in the way was unknown. When summoned, he hastened to obey, but if the way was not respected, his words would not be believed, and his intentions would not be carried out. Thus, he waited patiently for proper protocol and observed Cheng Tang's intentions with gravity. However, Cheng Tang's gifts came three times without weariness, showing his respect for the worthy and capable. Thus, Yi Yin accepted the position of minister to assist Cheng Tang. Ultimately, through mutual understanding between ruler and minister, words were heeded and plans followed, achieving merits worthy of the. Thus, it is said: Yi Yin accepted the three courtesies before becoming a minister to Tang because he respected his principles.
However, conquering Xia and saving the people was not what Cheng Tang desired. It was done out of necessity. Cheng Tang, as a minister to Jie, was a subject. Xia was the ruler of Shang. A subject to a ruler, their sentiments are profound, often desiring the continuation of the ruler's lineage, the permanence of the state, the stability of the ancestral temples, and the harmony of the people. Even though Jie was extremely unworthy, Cheng Tang's intentions were not to usurp his position and cast him into the wilderness of Nanquan. He would guide Jie with benevolence and persuade him with righteousness, hoping that one day he might repent and reform. If Xia's ancestral rites could be preserved, and Jie's faults need not be pursued. Thus, he sent Yi Yin to Jie to serve him. He told Jie of the great difficulty in serving heaven and protecting the people, the hardship of upholding the ancestral temples, the dangers of regret and misfortune, the horrors of disaster, and the accumulation of virtue and the repentance of faults. His words were earnest and his tone was resolute. Even though Jie was chaotic, Yi Yin believed he could be purified and refined like Yao and Shun. When Jie did not repent, Cheng Tang considered it insufficient to blame him deeply, so he sent Yi Yin to Jie again. Yet, it was still not enough. After the third, fourth, and fifth times, Jie did not change his evil ways, so Yi Yin, considering Jie unadvisable, returned to Cheng Tang and decided to lead the army. The Book of Documents states: "Yi Yin left Bo to go to Xia, having grown ashamed of Xia, and returned to Bo." This is what is meant. Thus, it is said: The five times he sought Tang and five times he sought Jie were Yi Yin's way of fulfilling Tang's aspirations. From this perspective, Yi Yin's actions, though seemingly complex and difficult to understand, can be organized and unified. Mencius's words were not arbitrary.
Alas! The efforts of Cheng Tang and Yi Yin were sufficient. Yet, later scholars who liked the unusual, like Zhuangzi's followers, sometimes saw Yi Yin's actions as harsh and enduring humiliation. They only saw Yi Yin assisting Cheng Tang in conquering Jie but did not see him aiding Shang. Since the Han Dynasty, ministers who aided in establishing dynasties and benefited from new rulers, such as Xun Wenruo of Wei, Liu Muzhi of Song, and Pei Ji of Tang, all used their petty schemes to leave their former rulers and join new ones to gain great benefits for the world. Their intentions were to place themselves in the position of Yi Yin. Did they not understand the depth of ancient rulers and ministers' intentions and the reasons for upholding righteousness? The Great Vow states: "Therefore, I have invited the feudal lords of your allied states to observe the governance of Shang, for they have no intention of repenting." Thus, there was the battle of Muye. The Duke of Zhou's observation of governance at Mengjin was in hope that the King of Shang would repent. When he did not, the battle was fought. Thus, Yi Yin's seeking of Jie and the Duke of Zhou's observation of governance were different in action but the same in intent. Zhu Yuanzhen said: In the mountains of Zezhou, during late spring, there was a bird that cried "Eri Gui," its voice very sorrowful. Asking the local people, they said: In the past, a woman loved her own son but hated the stepson, wanting to drive him away but had no plan. On the day of planting hemp, she baked half and left the other half raw, letting the two sons plant them. She said, "When the hemp grows, you may return." But by mistake, she gave the baked hemp to her own son. After a long time, the disliked son returned, but her own son did not. When she went to see, she found that her son had turned into a bird, crying "Eri Gui." Now, the local people mark this as the time for planting hemp. I think that people's love and hatred are hidden in their hearts, and their schemes are revealed when dividing the planting. But when the heart and hands are reversed, things do not go as planned. Day people, night birds, mother and son separated. It seems as if there is a clever force manipulating the unseen. Though heaven's net is wide, its response is precise. Then, those in high positions who interact with the lower classes must be cautious in their thoughts and plans! Also, one should know that heaven shows warnings and signs to people to make them generalize and broaden their understanding, not just this one mother and son. Thus, I composed a poem to record it.
"Eri Gui, Eri Gui, not returning,
Morning was son and mother's joy,
Evening became bird and flight.
Home no longer returned,
Deep forest, how could one rely?
Alone and lonely, I think my mother at home misses me.
Now, do you not think of your mother?
Empty of old heart, no old body.
Eri Gui, Eri Gui, spring is late,
Morning has much wind, evening has much rain.
Mountains have springs, fields have millet,
Cold, who will listen? Hungry, who will speak?
All things are like eggs, following closely,
Now, I cannot be son or mother.
Eri Gui, Eri Gui, every March,
Planting hemp, this sound is sorrowful and sad.
Once there was a mother with two sons,
She loved her own son alone,
Planting hemp meant returning home.
Only the one she hated came, the one she loved left,
The laws of nature are reversed, unknowable.
Does heaven wish it this way?
Good and evil are returned swiftly, like flutes and drums.
Even now, sorrow remains in the empty mountain,
A warning for mother and son.
Not only for the traveler's sorrowful face,
But also for the heartbroken pain.
Rivers surge, passing through the southern land,
Long ribbons drag the blue sky.
In the center of the great waves,
Suddenly see the ancient stone.
This stone has been here for how long?
Since the beginning of chaos, when the universe first opened.
Divine power split the chaotic embryo,
Falling half into the sky with lightning.
Not turtle, not alligator, hard to distinguish,
Like a divine turtle, leaving traces.
Its tough texture, not needing Nuwa's refining,
Its simple purity, not needing the giant's splitting.
I know this divine object is its nature,
Its movement and transformation are not by force.
At that time, the great Yu traveled the world,
Driving it to the Ji River as a gift.
Ten thousand oxen could not carry it,
The iron axle piled up in heaps.
Qin Shi Huang whipped the mountains to move the seas,
Furious, unable to move an inch.
Even now, it still surprises,
Beyond the records of local histories and mountains.
Who knows its thousand forms and ten thousand appearances?
Only its tough texture is recognizable.
Upright, prominent in the green waves,
Kneeling, crossing the veins of the earth.
Tough shells crisscross, holes and caves,
A patch of mossy black in the center.
Not visible in the tail's movement,
Yet still startled by the color of the chart.
Its green beard has fallen to where?
Autumn grass is soft, morning dew drips.
Once supported the bed of the jade maiden,
Spotted, like marking the forehead of the mischievous dragon.
The fisherman is startled before casting the net,
The spiritual diviner cannot lie down.
Turtles and alligators shrink their heads, not daring to approach,
Frogs patrol at night, cautious and fearful.
In winter, the great cold, all saints hide,
Round and tough, no leaning or tilting.
Wind and frost polish without rest,
The lines of the hair and wrinkles become cracks.
Though it bears talent, it suffers from the heart's cutting,
The most precious is heaven's mercy.
Ignited with the fire of Emperor Huang,
Sealed with the liquid of Emperor Shao,
Divine drills and ghost divination are unseen,
Yin and yang's creation leaves no strategy.
Great is the turtle, the essence of things,
After long years, it has turned into true form.
Sometimes in the dark night, no one is around,
Its light shines around the shore, self-generated.
Below, it startles the deep marsh and the land's dragon's cave,
Above, it aligns with the Vermilion Bird of the center of the sky.
Countless, densely facing each other,
To decide the truth and falsehood of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness.
Foxes and mice break their,
Mountain demons and wild spirits are also startled.
The wave god swallows air, not daring to breathe,
Surrounded by long ripples, like a spread-out mat.
I heard the old streamer remember the past,
Midnight, wind and rain came, dark and mysterious.
Suddenly, it turned left of the big pool,
A hundred miles shook like thunder.
Though jealous and hateful, it was broken in countless ways,
Yet its solitary height remained spiritual.
Ah! The most extraordinary object of heaven and earth,
Why did it drift to the Jiangcheng?
The bronze horse still marks the Han palace,
The divine sheep was once tamed by Yao.
It should be placed in the jade hall,
Its ancient face, towering, without leaning.
Cunning ministers and treacherous people, seeing it,
First swallow their faces in silence.
Famine and drought can be predicted,
Sudden changes and anomalies are all foreseen.
The Xiongnu lose their souls far away,
Shrinking, not daring to look at the heavenly army.
Turtle, turtle, used or not used,
To die with the brave, together in life.
[The following text appears to be a separate document, likely an official decree or notification regarding labor laws.]
Approved by the command of the prefecture: In accordance with the recent decree, the labor tax money surplus should not exceed two-tenths, and the remainder should be reduced for the lower classes. I have carefully considered this, and I believe that the benefits and harms to the people may not be fully addressed. It is necessary to present this for consideration.
The labor tax system was established fourteen years ago. Although the treasury is full, the people's strength is gradually declining. The court, with deep thought, seeks to ease the people's burdens and attract harmonious atmosphere to achieve praise. At the beginning of this reform, the lightness and heaviness, the density and looseness, are of great importance for the benefits and harms of thousands of years, and it is necessary to be careful and thoughtful. Now, if we follow the reduction for the lower classes, there are three.
People's nature prefers light taxes to heavy taxes, and light taxes to no taxes. If we now exempt the lower classes from double benefits, even the wealthy will compete to hide and transfer their land, avoiding classification, and seeking to avoid official money. Moreover, within one household, if they divide and separate, with less land, the labor tax is also reduced. In the past, the expenses of the prefecture and county were supplemented by the surplus, often several times over. The treasury is full and cannot be used up. Now, if the surplus is only two-tenths, if the labor tax gradually decreases, the expenses will not be sufficient, and what will be taken?
Moreover, the upper classes, seeing that the lower classes are exempt from labor tax, will compete to collect it for themselves. If we do not require them to increase the labor tax, the upper classes will be lucky from now on. If we follow this, it will be an additional burden on the people, which is not in line with the intention of the law. This is the first.
The court has already taken too much from the upper classes. The taxes and labor should be based on the amount of land. With less land, the amount paid is also small. Therefore, it is often easier to pay and collect. There are also diligent people who open up wasteland and plant various seeds, and they should be exempted from tax. Those who have not yet been promoted but are already prosperous are numerous. If we reduce them too much, it may be too favorable. Compared to this, the upper classes suffer too much, and the lower classes are too favored. This is the second.
The system of taxes and labor, reducing the upper classes to benefit the lower classes, is not something that must be done. Now, both the two taxes are levied equally on land above one mu, with as much land as tax. As for labor tax, why should it be different? If the law is not fair, the people will complain. This will damage the beauty of the court in easing the people and benefiting the lower classes. Moreover, it is not a way to set a uniform standard for future generations. This is the third.
Therefore, I believe that from the fourth to the fifth class, reducing them according to the amount of land is fair, and the law will be without flaws, no harm will arise, and it will be feasible for the long term, truly beneficial and helpful. Moreover, the court has widely opened the way for suggestions, from scholars in the mountains and forests to common people in the streets and markets, each presenting their views. Although there are decrees from the ministries and departments, at the beginning of the law, it is also necessary to take into account the opinions of the prefectures and counties. Now, I have presented the benefits and harms as follows, and I beg to have them recorded and submitted for consideration, or to report to the ministries and departments for instruction.