Section 72.1
General rules for presenting gifts to superiors:
The Son of Heaven uses black millet wine;
a duke or a marquis uses jade;
a minister uses a lamb;
a great officer uses a wild goose.
The wild goose has [qualities] that are the same in kind as elders. Elders occupy a position above the people.
Invariably they arrange themselves in hierarchical order;
invariably they reverently form themselves into an orderly row.
Thus a great officer uses the wild goose as his gift.
The lamb has [qualities] that are the same in kind as Heaven.
1The Way of Heaven is to rely on yang and not to rely on yin.
The Way of a king is to rely on beneficence and not to rely on punishments;
this is how he complies with Heaven. The lamb has horns but does not use them. It is fully equipped [with horns] yet does not use them, being the same in kind as one who loves humaneness.
When you seize it, it does not bleat;
when you kill it, it does not cry out,
being the same in kind as one who will die for righteousness. When feeding from its mother, the lamb always kneels to receive, being the same in kind as one who understands propriety. Thus the name for sheep,
yang 羊, resembles
xiang 祥, meaning auspicious.
2 Thus a minister uses the lamb as his gift.
Jade has qualities that resemble a noble man. “The Master said: ‘There is nothing I can do with a man who is not constantly saying, “What am I to do? What am I to do?” ’ ”
3 Thus, those who hide their illness will not secure a good doctor, and those who avoid seeking instruction will be shunned by the sage. Considering that such people distance themselves from success while they draw near to disaster, [the doctor and sage] have nothing to do with them.
Jade is utterly clear and does not conceal its imperfections. Should a blemish exist on the inside, it will always be visible from the outside. Thus [similarly] a noble man does not hide his shortcomings.
When he does not know something, he seeks an answer.
When he cannot do something, he learns how
and so appropriates [the qualities] of jade. The noble man is comparable to jade. Jade is lustrous and undefiled: these [are the qualities of] the humane and utterly incorruptible. [Jade can be made] pointed, but it is not injurious: these [are the qualities of] the righteous who do not harm others.
[Jade is] hard but indestructible,
4warm to the touch but not clammy.
5At first glance it appears commonplace;
inspected closely, it [reveals itself as] precious stone.
6It can be carved but cannot be bent.
7 It is pure and white as unadorned [silk] but cannot be stained. Things in the category of “jade” are replete with virtue.
8 Thus a duke or a marquis uses jade as his gift.
Black millet wine has [qualities] that are the same in kind as the sage, who is pure, humane, pellucid, and unadulterated and who possesses the highest kind of knowledge.
What [the sage] contains within himself is inexhaustible in its virtue and accord;
What [the sage] exhibits in his actions is inexhaustible in its magnanimity and fructification.
Its refined aroma, pleasant and fragrant, penetrates up to Heaven.
9Black millet is obtained from the most fragrant of all the grasses.
10 It is ground into flour and mixed until it is uniform; and when it attains its particular fragrance, the aroma wafts up to Heaven. Its being pellucid and unadulterated, without anything to pick out, is as one with [the qualities of] the sage. Thus the Son of Heaven uses black millet wine as his gift, on each and every occasion using it to serve [Heaven] above.
Observe the significance of these various gifts, and you will understand their various usages. [72/71/16–28]