Section 80.1
Yin and yang
qi are present above
1 in Heaven and also in human beings.
In human beings, they constitute love, hate, happiness, and anger.
In Heaven, they constitute warming, cooling, chilling, and heating.
Emerging and retiring,
ascending and descending,
leftward and rightward,
forward and backward,
they circulate uniformly and ceaselessly. There has never been anything that has hindered, restrained, obstructed, or repressed them. In human beings likewise, it is fitting that they circulate without restraint, like the four seasons that follow one another in good order. Now the cessation and movement of happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy constitute the nature and destiny that Heaven confers on human beings. When their time arrives, they desire to issue forth. Their responses also are Heaven’s responses. It is no different from the way in which warmth, coolness, cold, and heat want to issue forth when their season arrives. If you restrain your beneficence in anticipation of spring and summer, or restrain your punishments in expectation of autumn and winter, you might gain a reputation for complying with the four seasons; but in reality, you will defy the constant norms of Heaven and Earth. As with human beings, so also with Heaven: Why, then, detain and restrain Heaven’s
qi, causing it to become obstructed and repressed so that it is unable to circulate properly? Thus, according to the cycles of Heaven, millet rots by the
yin month,
2 whereas wheat sprouts in autumn, thereby informing the people to eliminate what is rotting and to replenish what is deficient. In this way, [Heaven] completes its achievements and replenishes what is deficient to provide for humankind. In Heaven’s engendering of things, there are grand norms,
3 but in its circulation, there also are misfortunes and accomplishments. Under exceptional circumstances [involving] killing and corporal punishment, when urgent situations arise, do not wait for the normal season [to take action]. Such is Heaven’s will. The sage receives Heaven’s will and governs accordingly. For this reason,
in spring he cultivates humaneness and seeks goodness;
in autumn he cultivates righteousness and seeks evil;
in winter he cultivates punishments and extends his purity;
and in summer he cultivates beneficence and extends his magnanimity.
This is how he complies with Heaven and Earth and embodies yin and yang. Nevertheless,
when he has just begun to seek goodness, if he sees evil he does not dismiss it;
when he has just begun to seek malefaction, if he sees goodness he immediately implements it;
when he has just begun to extend his purity, if he sees a great goodness, he immediately advances it;
when he has just begun to extend his magnanimity, if he sees a grave malefaction he immediately eradicates it.
He thereby imitates the way that Heaven and Earth, just at the time of giving life, also bring death and that, just at the time of bringing death, also give life. Thus,
his will and intentions follow Heaven and Earth,
and his tarrying and hurrying follow yin and yang.
Human affairs that are appropriate to be carried out will encounter no delay. Moreover, showing reciprocity to others and complying with Heaven, so that the Way of Heaven and the Way of humankind are mutually realized, is called “grasping the mean.” Heaven does not,
on account of spring, give life to human beings
or, on account of autumn, bring death to human beings.
To those who ought to live, [Heaven] says live;
to those who ought to die, [Heaven] says die.
It is not that the righteousness of killing things must await the four seasons. [80/81/25–80/82/5]
Section 80.2
[Even when] spirit illumination arises in a chaotic age, it is widespread. Both [well-governed and chaotic ages] rely on the transformations of Heaven and Earth to bring success or failure to things, and both depend on the assistance of yin and yang to take responsibility for what they do. Thus doing what is evil causes one’s strength to diminish and one’s achievements to suffer injury; one’s reputation will thus decline.
The space between Heaven and Earth contains yin and yang
qi that constantly immerses human beings, [just] as water constantly immerses fish. The way in which they differ is that [water] can be seen, whereas [
qi] cannot be seen, as it is colorless and clear. Nevertheless, human beings’ dwelling in the space between Heaven and Earth is like fish not
4 leaving the water; they are the same. Its seamlessness is like that of
qi, but [
qi] is more fluid than water. Water is to
qi what mud is to water. Hence, the space between Heaven and Earth appears empty but is full. Human beings are constantly immersed in this colorless clarity. [When they] avail themselves of this chaos-quelling
qi, it flows forth, penetrates, and intermingles with them. Thus when the
qi of human beings blends harmoniously, the transformations of Heaven and Earth are beautiful; when it intermingles hatefully, its fragrance is destroyed. This is something that is easy to understand. If you infer from the categories of things and rely on what is easy to understand to see what is difficult to understand, the true situation may be apprehended: Orderly or disorderly
qi and noxious or salutary customs intermingle with the transformations of Heaven and Earth. Born of the transformations of Heaven and Earth and returning to intermingle with the transformations of Heaven and Earth, they join together with the cycles of Heaven and Earth. When the
Spring and Autumn makes known the way of worldly affairs, it also writes of what can and cannot be [understood] exhaustively with regard to Heaven, for such are the responsibilities of the true king. An
Ode declares:
“Heaven is hard to trust;
it is not easy to be a king.”
5This expresses it. The ruler must know Heaven. “Knowing Heaven” is what the poem calls “difficult.” Heaven’s intentions are difficult to see, and its Way is difficult to get straight. Thus, the ruler clarifies the emerging and retiring of yin and yang and the places where it is full or empty and thereby observes the Will of Heaven; he distinguishes the root and branches, compliance and deviance, contraction and expansion, [and] broadening and narrowing of the Five Phases and thereby observes the Way of Heaven. The Will of Heaven is humane; its Way is righteous.
One who acts as the people’s ruler
gives or takes, lets live or executes, in each case in accordance with its [respective] righteous principle; [thus he is] like the four seasons.
He classifies the officials and establishes the functionaries, ensuring accordance with their abilities; [thus he is] like the Five Phases.
He loves humaneness and loathes vileness, relying on virtue and avoiding punishments; [thus he is] like yin and yang.
Of such a ruler it is said, “He is a counterpart to Heaven.”
6 It is the Way of Heaven to nourish living things, and it is the way of the ruler to nourish human beings.
The greatness of the ruler lies in his forming a triad with Heaven and Earth;
the distinction between what he likes and loathes lies in the principles of yin and yang;
the expression of his approval and disapproval lies in the comparison of chilling and heating;
the tasks of the officials lie in the righteous principles of the Five Phases.
With such things, the ruler nourishes all that lies within the space between Heaven and Earth and stirs all that lies within the Four Seas. [80/82/5–19]