Section 17.1
When Zhongni [i.e., Confucius] composed the
Spring and Autumn, he first plumbed the uprightness of Heaven to rectify the positions of the king and the nobles
1 and the desires of the multitudinous people.
2Next he
illuminated successes and failures
and promoted the worthy and capable
in expectation of a future sage. Thus he
cited historical records,
ordered past events,
rectified right and wrong,
and revealed his kingly mind.
3Now the events of the twelve dukes in the historical records all were events of a declining age. Consequently, Confucius’s disciples had doubts about them. Confucius told them, “I rely on past events and apply my kingly mind to them because I consider that explaining things with abstract theories is not as good as the breadth and depth of past events for parsing and illuminating things.”
4[The disciples] Zigong, Minzi, and Kong Jianzi discussed [Confucius’s] parsings and thereby were able to assist the rulers of their states. His parsings touched on the assassination of rulers, the annihilation of states, and those who fled and failed to defend their altars of the grain and soil. They explained that these events came to pass because these rulers did not understand the Way, having failed to read the
Spring and Autumn. Thus it was that Zixia of Wey said: “Those who rule a state must not fail to study the
Spring and Autumn. If they do not study the
Spring and Autumn, they will lack the means to observe the dangers that surround them and will not understand the state’s ‘great handle of authority,’ which is the chief responsibility of the ruler.”
5Thus some rulers lost their states through coercion or impoverishment, and others were assassinated while still on their thrones. [Such evils] did not coalesce in a single day.
6 If you could perpetuate the standards of the
Spring and Autumn and practice its Way, would this not give you the power to rid the world of such calamities? This would approach the virtue of Yao and Shun. Thus it was that Shizi said: “Their merit extended to their sons and grandsons, resplendently illuminating one hundred generations. [Among] the virtues of the sage-king, none is more beautiful than magnanimity.” Thus it was that Zi Xian
7 said: “The
Spring and Autumn spoke in detail about [the affairs of] its own [state (i.e., Lu)] and in general outline about [the affairs of] other [states]. It took account of [the affairs of] its own state and extended [its principles to] the entire world.
As for the Way of the Spring and Autumn,
if you comprehend it in to a great degree, you will become a king;
if you comprehend it to a lesser degree, you will become a hegemon.”
Thus it was that Zengzi and Zi Shi effusively praised the marquis of Qi for pacifying the Lords of the Land and honoring the Son of Heaven. The Way of hegemons and kings is rooted in humaneness. Humaneness is the heart of Heaven. Therefore [the text] ranked them in accordance with their Heavenly heart.
In the great matter of loving the people, nothing is greater than being mindful of their misfortunes and making preparations to defend against them. Thus when Chai realized its aims in Wu and when Lu realized it aims in Qi, the Spring and Autumn did not report such events. Therefore it disparaged them by stating:
“People who are angry with you cannot be brought near.”
“A state that despises you cannot be tamed.”
“A state you have pillaged cannot be made to have enduring affection for you.”
All these admonitions defend against misfortune; they begin with the intention of eradicating misfortune on behalf of the common people. If your love for the people does not well up, then you ultimately will perish. This is why the Spring and Autumn explained that King Ling of Chu and Duke Li of Jin were assassinated while on their thrones. Their inhumanity led to these consequences. Therefore [the Spring and Autumn] praised Duke Xiang of Song because he did not endanger his people. He felt that to abandon the Way to defeat others did not compare with holding fast to the Way and being defeated. The Spring and Autumn honored him because he tried to transform the habits and customs of his people and thereby perfect the transformative influences of the king. Thus it was that Zi Xia said, “The Spring and Autumn emphasizes the people. All its numerous criticisms are based on this.”
Those who were extravagant and wasteful angered and enraged the people;
those who were violent and cruel injured and harmed the people.
Ultimately they all suffered personal calamity. Thus Zi Chi spoke of [the
Spring and Autumn entries that record] Duke Zhuang of Lu erecting [three] earthen platforms,
8 painting the pillars [of Duke Huan’s temple] red, and carving its rafters.
9 [He also spoke of] the punishments [enacted by] Duke Li of Jin that revealed his oppressive intent. None [of these rulers] were able to live out their natural life spans.
When the ruler is extravagant and his punishments are harsh, [it shows] a lack of sympathy within himself. Yet he demands perfection from others. Therefore, in case after case, [one must] use the Spring and Autumn to
accord with the feelings of others
and pardon their minor transgressions.
Moreover, the [
Gongyang]
Commentary clarifies [this principle when it] states, “The Noble Man [expressed leniency] in his terminology.”
10[In the Spring and Autumn,] Confucius featured successes and failures and illustrated victories and defeats. He loathed the fact that [he lived in] an age of inhumanity in which the world had lost the substance of the Kingly Way. Thus [Confucius]
accorded with the feelings of others
and pardoned their minor transgressions.
Moreover, the [Gongyang] Commentary clarifies [this principle when it] states, “The Noble Man [expressed leniency] in his terminology.”
Confucius said: “I rely on past events and apply my kingly mind to them.” [Thus he]
availed himself of [recorded] positions and titles to rectify human relationships
and relied on [recorded] successes and failures to illuminate compliance and disobedience.”
Thus
what he admired was the conduct of Dukes Huan and Wen, who ultimately succeeded;
what he loathed was the conduct of chaotic states that ultimately were defeated.
Therefore he began by discussing the gravest crimes, the assassination of rulers and the annihilation of states, and he ended by discussing pardoning the slightest crimes. That is, he began with the coarse and unrefined and ended with the refined and subtle. When the transforming influence of [
Spring and Autumn] instruction flows forth, virtue and kindness will greatly permeate the people of the world, and they will conduct themselves as scholars and noble men and scarcely transgress at all. This indeed is also the implication of the criticism [that Confucius directed at] “those with two [personal] names.”
11 [17/24/15–17/25/6]