Section 78.1
The movements of Heaven and Earth are excellent. For this reason,
in spring, wear coarse cloth;
in summer, keep to the cool shade;
in autumn, avoid the deadly winds;
and in winter, avoid the heavy rains,
and so follow [Heaven’s] harmony.
With clothing, one’s desire is to ameliorate cold;
with food, one’s desire is to ameliorate hunger;
with the body, one’s desire is to ameliorate toil but be free from prolonged idleness.
As a general rule, creatures that live within Heaven and Earth
spring up during their [i.e., Heaven and Earth’s] period of ascendancy and so are born,
and become exhausted during their period of conquest and so die.
The alterations of the four seasons are like this. Therefore winter’s qi of Water [moves] eastward, increasing until spring, when Wood is born, springing up during its period of ascendancy. What is born in spring [moves] westward [until it] arrives at Metal and dies, being exhausted by conquest.
What is born by Wood arrives at Metal and dies.
What is born by Metal arrives at Fire and dies.
What is born in spring does not last beyond autumn.
What is born in autumn does not last beyond summer.
These are Heaven’s regularities.
Among the various aromas and flavors of food and drink, each arrives at a particular season. Each has a time when it is ascendant and a time when it is not ascendant; these patterns should be investigated. The
qi of the four seasons is not alike, and each kind of
qi has a particular suitability. Where the suitability [of each] resides is where things succeed one another in their excellence. Observe the successions of excellence and successively nourish them. Variously eat those things that are excellent in their own season. In every case, this will be what is suitable. Therefore the water chestnut attains its excellence in winter, and mustard greens ripen in summer. From this we can observe what is suitable to winter and summer. Winter is the
qi of Water. The water chestnut has a sweet taste. What avails itself of the
qi of Water and thereby flourishes corresponds to sweetness conquering cold. The word
ji (water chestnut) corresponds to the word
ji, which means “great flood.”
1 Summer is the
qi of Fire. Mustard greens have a bitter taste. What takes advantage of the
qi of Fire and thereby ripens corresponds to bitterness conquering heat.
Heaven does not say anything but expresses its will by means of living things. Those things that do not live or die at the same time as the majority of other things [of the same sort] must be deeply investigated, for such things are the means by which Heaven informs people. Therefore, with the ripening of the water chestnut, [Heaven] informs people of sweetness. With the ripening of mustard greens, [Heaven] informs people of bitterness. The noble man investigates the ripening of things and announces that [it is necessary to be] circumspect. This is why [when] arriving at the season when water chestnuts are inedible, he completely avoids sweet things, until the season when mustard greens ripen. Just as Heaven alone successively brings things to maturity, the noble man alone successively [eats] them. Such are the things appropriate to winter and summer. In spring and autumn, various foodstuffs are in harmony, but in winter and summer, he successively submits to what is suitable and so obtains exactly the excellence of Heaven and Earth and the harmony of the four seasons. In general, the main principle in selecting flavors is that there is an excellence appropriate to each season and [that one must] avoid departing far from Heaven. [78/78/10–23]
Thus, during the season when the myriad things are mostly engendered, all the various living things spring to life…. [78/78/23]
Section 78.3
The norms of the people’s ministers are derived from and modeled on Earth. Therefore from morning to evening, they come and go….
3 When facing death, [they] do not covet life; that is what makes them [able to] relieve others in distress.
They promote his radiance and splendor, and extol and praise [the ruler’s] goodness; that is what makes them enhance [his] brilliance.
They follow his orders and make known [the ruler’s] grace, and assist him in becoming a noble man; that is what makes them enhance his transforming influence.
They complete [their] achievements and finish tasks, and ascribe all beneficence to [the ruler] on high; that is what makes them achieve righteousness.
For this reason,
Earth makes clear its principles and acts as the mother of the myriad things.
The minister makes clear his duties and acts as the councillor of a unified state.
It is imperative that the mother not be untrustworthy.
It is imperative that the councillor not be disloyal.
If the mother were untrustworthy, grasses and trees would suffer injury at their roots.
If the councillor were disloyal, treacherous ministers would endanger the ruler.
When the roots suffer injury, trees and grasses lose their branches and leaves.
When the ruler is endangered, the ruler loses his state.
Therefore,
Earth’s task is to dutifully show its form;
the minister’s task is to manifest his true nature. [78/78/23–27]
The ruler of a unified state is like the mind of a unified body.
He is hidden deep within the palace, just as the mind is hidden within the chest.
He is the most honored without an equal, just as the mind’s spirit has no counterpart.
The ruler
drafts men for official posts and elevates officers, promoting the pure and brilliant while demoting the impure and stupid, just as the body honors the eyes and slights the feet.
employs the multitudinous ministers without favoritism, just as the four limbs perform their respective tasks;
within relies on the four supports,
4 just as the mind relies on the liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys;
without relies on officialdom,
5 just as the mind relies on the body and apertures;
draws near sages and promotes worthies, just as spirit illumination jells in the mind;
moves upward and downward finding mutual recognition and compliance, just as the limbs and body mutually act and direct each other;
extends his grace and spreads his favor, just as the primal energy flows to the hair of the skin and the vessels of the muscles.
All the hundred surnames obtain their place, just as when harmonized and tranquil, the blood and qi cause the body to be free from pain.
Non-action brings Great Peace, just as spirit qi naturally penetrates to the source.
With non-action, the ruler summons the yellow dragon and the phoenix,
6 just as spirit illumination summons the Jade Maiden and the
zhiying fungus.
7The ruler is brilliant while the minister conceals his achievements, just as with the mind’s spirit, the body finds perfection.
The minister is worthy while the ruler conceals his grace, just as the mind obtains the stillness of the body and so is calmed.
When the ruler is chaotic, his inferiors suffer harm, just as when the ears and eyes are beclouded, the hands and feet suffer injury.
When the minister is disloyal, the ruler is destroyed, just as when the body moves recklessly, the mind is lost.
For this reason, the propriety between the ruler and minister resembles the mind’s relation to the body.
The mind must be firm, [just as] the ruler must be sagely.
The body must comply, [just as] the minister must be loyal.
The mind is perfected by the efforts of the body.
The ruler is secured by the achievements of the ministers. [78/79/1–10]
Section 78.5
For this reason, Heaven
elevates its position yet sends down its manifestations;
conceals its form yet reveals its light;
8orders the arrayed stars and draws near the Utmost Essence;
relies on yin and yang and sends down frost and dew.
It elevates its position; that is what makes it honorable.
It sends down its manifestations; that is what makes it humane.
It conceals its form; that is what makes it spiritlike.
It reveals its light; that is what makes it brilliant.
9It orders the arrayed stars; that is what gives it continuity.
It draws near the Utmost Essence; that is what makes it endure.
It relies on the yin and yang; that is what makes it complete [each] year.
It makes fall frost and dew; that is what makes it engender or slay.
The norms of the people’s ruler are derived from and modeled on Heaven. Therefore,
he values rank and [treats the] states as vassals; that is what makes him humane.
He dwells in seclusion, not revealing his form; that is what makes him spiritlike.
He appoints the worthy and employs the capable, observing and listening to the four quarters of his realm; that is what makes him brilliant.
He confers office according to capability, distinguishing the worthy from the stupid; that is what gives him continuity.
He induces worthy men to draw near, employing them as his legs and arms; that is what makes him endure.
He investigates the true nature of his ministers’ achievements, ranking and ordering them from worst to best; that is what makes him achieve [the full span of] his reign.
He promotes those who possess merit and demotes those who lack merit; that is what enables him to reward and punish.
For this reason,
Heaven cleaves to the Way and [thus] is the master of all things.
The ruler maintains [Heaven’s] constant regularities and [thus] is the master of a unified state.
It is imperative that Heaven be resolute.
It is imperative that the ruler be firm.
If Heaven were not resolute, the arrayed stars would be disordered in their movements.
If the ruler were not firm, evil ministers would be disorderly in their offices.
When stars become disordered, they create havoc for Heaven.
When ministers become disordered, they create havoc for the ruler.
Therefore,
Heaven’s task is to stabilize its qi;
the ruler’s task is to stabilize his government.
[He must be] resolute and firm; only then will the Way of yang regulate his Mandate.
Earth
humbles its position and sends up its qi;
shows its forms and manifests its true nature;
receives the dead and offers up the living;
completes its tasks and confers its merit [on Heaven].
It
humbles its position; this is what makes it serve Heaven;
sends up its qi; this is what makes it nourish yang;
shows its forms; this is what makes it loyal;
manifests its true nature; that is what makes it trustworthy;
receives the dead; that is what makes it store away the end [of life];
offers up the living; that is what makes it enhance Heaven’s brilliance;
completes its tasks; that is what makes it enhance Heaven’s transformations;
confers its merit [on Heaven]; that is what makes it achieve righteousness.
The norms of the people’s ministers are derived from and modeled on Earth. Therefore, from morning to evening, they come and go.
They take up various tasks and respond to various inquiries; that is what makes them serve the honorable [ruler].
They provide food and drink and attend to him in sickness and illness; that is what makes them nourish [the ruler].
They dedicate themselves and sacrifice their lives and serve without usurping [the ruler’s prerogatives]; that is what makes them loyal.
They expose their ignorance and manifest their true nature and do not gloss over their mistakes; that is what makes them trustworthy.
They suffer setbacks and die for righteousness [78/79/12–26]
Section 78.6
Successively there are four seasons. Regarding what human beings govern, how can they maintain a pattern of appropriate action for a long period of time while they [also] must wait for the [alterations of the] four seasons? This is called “obstruction.” It is not the Mean.
Human beings have happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy,
just as Heaven has spring, summer, fall, and winter.
When happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy arrive at their time, they desire to issue forth,
just as when spring, summer, fall, and winter arrive at their time, they desire to issue forth.
In every case, it is due to the inherent character of Heaven’s qi. That [the regularities appropriate to humans] ought to move uniformly, free from obstruction or repression, is identical [in principle]. Heaven completes the year with one revolution of these four [seasons], but when the master of the people completes the days [of a year] and does not know whether [or not] he has exceeded these four numbers, then their patterns certainly cannot support one another. Moreover, Heaven’s desiring to benefit human beings is not limited to desiring to bring benefit to the grain [crops]. If removing what is rotting [in the fields] does not wait for the right time, what about rotten human beings? [78/79/28–78/80/2]
