Section 80A.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 out goodness;
in autumn he cultivates righteousness and seeks out 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. So how can those things that are governed by human beings maintain the principles of appropriate action for a long period of time while they must [also] wait for the [alterations of the] four seasons? This is called “obstruction.” It is not the mean. [80A/82/23–80A/83/8]
Section 80A.2
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 spontaneous action of Heaven’s
qi.
4 That they ought to move uniformly, free from obstruction or repression, is [due to] their being as one. Heaven completes the year with one revolution of these four [seasons], but when the people’s master completes his days and does not know when he is overstepping these four regularities, then their patterns cannot maintain [their proper order]. Moreover, Heaven’s desiring to benefit human beings is not limited to desiring to bring benefit to the [harvest of] grain. If removing what is rotting [in the fields] does not wait for a particular time, what about [the removal of] rotten human beings? [80A/83/8–11]