Section 46.1
Someone raised an objection: In regard to the meeting of yin and yang, during the course of one year they have two encounters. They encounter each other in the southern quarter at the midpoint of summer, and they encounter each other in the northern quarter at the midpoint of winter. Winter is [dominated by] the qi of mourning for [the destruction of] things. Why, then, do [yin and yang] meet there?
[Someone responded:] It is like Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, each of which follow yin and yang to implement that over which they rule. They unify their respective strengths and combine their respective achievements. Their substance is not only that of yin and yang, and yet yin and yang accord with them to arise and help them in that over which they rule. Thus,
Lesser Yang in accordance with Wood arises and assists spring’s generating;
Greater Yang in accordance with Fire arises and assists summer’s nourishing;
Lesser Yin in accordance with Metal arises and assists autumn’s completing;
Greater Yin in accordance with Water arises and assists winter’s storing away.
Although yin unites its qi with Water and joins winter, their substance is not identical. Therefore Water alone possesses [the qi that] mourns [the destruction of] things. Yin does not partake of it. Therefore, yin and yang meet at the midpoint of winter, but it is not they that mourn.
Spring is the loving will;
summer is the joyous will;
autumn is the stern will;
and winter is the sorrowful will.
Therefore to love and yet know sternness, to be joyous and yet know sorrow, are the regulations of the four seasons.
The misfortunes
1 of happiness and anger and the righteousness of sorrow and joy do not reside in human beings alone. They also reside in Heaven.
The yang of spring and summer and the yin of autumn and winter do not reside in Heaven alone. They also reside in human beings.
Without the qi of spring, how could human beings love widely and be hospitable toward the multitudes?
Without the qi of autumn, how could human beings establish their sternness and perfect their achievements?
Without the qi of summer, how could human beings nourish abundantly and rejoice in life?
Without the qi of winter, how could human beings pity the dead and commiserate with the mournful?
Likewise,
without the qi of happiness, how could Heaven warm and thereby engender and nourish in spring?
Without the
qi of anger, how could Heaven cool and thereby proceed to kill
2 in autumn?
Without the qi of joy, how could Heaven disperse yang and thereby nourish and mature in summer?
Without the qi of sorrow, how could Heaven arouse yin and thereby seal up and store away in winter?
Therefore it is said: Heaven surely possesses expressions of happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy, and human beings likewise possess the qi of spring, autumn, winter, and summer. This is what is called “joining in accordance with one’s kind.”
Although commoners are of lowly status, they still can observe the application of bounty and punishment. Thus, the circuits of yin and yang each reach completion in six months, [and] their distance [from each other] is always the same degree, but they lodge themselves at different places.
In its circuit, yin
resides in the eastern quarter in spring,
resides in the western quarter in autumn,
has emptiness to its left in summer,
has emptiness to the right in winter,
has emptiness below in summer,
and has emptiness above in winter.
3These are the constant places of yin.
In its circuit, yang resides
above in spring,
below in winter.
These are the constant places of yang. Yin completes the yearly cycle with four shifts in location, while yang constantly resides in [positions of] solidity. Is this not a case of embracing yang and rejecting yin, employing accretion and avoiding recision?
4 The will of Heaven constantly places yin in empty places and appropriates yin sparingly to assist [yang]. Therefore punishment is bounty’s aide, just as yin is yang’s assistant. Yang is the master of the year.
The crawling things of the world follow yang and thereby emerge and withdraw;
the grasses and trees of the world follow yang and thereby thrive and wither;
the Three Kings
5 of the world followed yang and thereby rectified [the first month of the calendar];
the honorable and the base of the world follow yang and thereby set their positions in proper order.
6The young reside where yang is immature;
the old reside where yang is elderly;
the honorable reside where yang flourishes;
the base reside where yang declines.
“Hidden” means not being able to match up to yang. Those who are not able to match up to yang are the minister and the son. Those who match up to yang are the ruler and the father. Therefore, the human ruler faces south, taking yang as his position. That yang is honorable and yin is base is [due to] Heaven’s regulations. The rites esteem the right. They do not esteem yin. They revere the old and the yang and honor their perfected achievements. [46/53/20–46/54/8]