（校對於2008&年。莫然）
Copyright 2008 Patrick Edwin Moran
存性編卷二 ¶
PART TWO.
性圖
Section One. Diagrams of the Nature.
竊謂宋儒皆未得孟子性善宗旨。故先繪朱子圖於前，而繪愚妄七圖於後，以請正於高明長者。¶
I maintain that none of the Song Confucians attained to [a good
understanding of] the fundamental teaching of Mencius on the
goodness of the Nature. Thus I will first reproduce Master Zhu's
diagram of the Nature, and then hazard to draw my own seven
diagrams in order to seek correction from my eminent elders.
朱子性圖¶
Section Two. Master Zhu's Diagram of the Nature.
性善 (性無不善。) ¶
Nature is Good (Nature has nothing that is not good.)
惡(惡不可謂從善中直下來，只是不能善，則偏於一端而為惡。)¶
Evil. (Evil cannot be depicted as directly descending from good;
It is only the inability to be or do good, and so is biased
toward one extreme and becomes evil.)
善(發而中節，無性不善。)¶
Good (Issuing forth they [all] hit the center of the interval,
and there is no Nature that is not good.)
{ZZYL 55:3b/16}
右圖解云：「發而中節，無性不善。」竊謂雖發而不中節，亦不可謂有性不善也，
此言外之弊也。「惡」字下云：「惡不可謂從善中直下來。」此語得之矣。則
「惡」字不可與「善」字相比為圖，此顯然之失也。¶
The above diagram explains: "Issuing forth [the emotions] hit
the center of the interval [i.e., the mean]; there is no Nature
that is not good." But I say that even though it were to issue
forth without hitting the center of the interval, one still
could not [on this account] say that there is a Nature that is
not good. [The word "evil"] properly refers to external sources
of harm. Beneath the word "evil" it says: "Evil cannot be said
to derive directly from good." This utterance is correct. Thus
the word "evil" cannot be compared diagrammatically with the
word "good," and in this respect [Zhu Xi] obviously goes astray.
又云：「只是不能善。」此三字甚惑，果指何者不能為善也？上只有一性，若以性不
能為善，則誣性也；若謂才或情不能為善，則誣才與情也；抑言別有所為而不能為善，
則不明也。¶
He also says: "[Evil] is only the inability to do good." These
four words are exceedingly confused. What, after all, is being
singled out as being unable to do good? There is only one
"Nature" above it [in the diagram]. If it means that this Nature
is unable to do good, then this statement slanders the Nature.
If it means that (Capacity) or qing (Feeling) is unable to do
good, then it defames cai or qing. Or if it means that there is
something else that acts and yet is unable to do good, then the
[statement] is unclear.
承此，云「則偏於一邊而為惡」，但不知是指性否？若指性則大非。「性善」二字，
更無脫離。蓋性之未發，善也；雖性之已發，而中節與不中節 皆善也；謂之有惡，
又誣性之甚也。¶
Continuing from this [point] he says: "Thus one is biased to one
extreme and does evil." But we do not know whether this statement
refers to the Nature or not. If it refers to the Nature, it is a
great wrong, for the words "Nature" and "good" are quite
inseparable. That is to say, the Nature, being good before it
issues forth [from the mind], remains good even though it may
have already issued forth, and irrespective of whether or not it
then hits the center of the interval [i.e., the mean]. To say
that it has evil [at this time] is also a great slander of the
Nature.
然則朱子何以圖也？反覆展玩，乃曉然見其意，蓋明天命之性與氣質之性之別，故上
二字諸之曰「性無不善」，謂其所言天命之性也；下二字「善」「惡」並列，謂其所
言氣質之性也。噫！氣質非天所命乎？抑天命人以性善，又命人以氣質惡，有此二命
乎？然則程、張諸儒氣質之性愈分析， 孔、孟之性旨愈晦蒙矣。此所以敢妄議其不
妥也。¶
Then why did Master Zhu diagram it in this way? I mulled it over
in my mind and then his intent suddenly dawned on me. It must
have been to clarify the distinction between the Nature as given
by the Mandate of Heaven and the Nature as found in materialized
lifebreath. Therefore he annotates the above words ["Nature is
good"] by saying "Nature has nothing not good," referring to the
Nature said by him to be given by the Mandate of Heaven. The two
words written side by side below, "Good" and "Evil," refer to
what he calls the Nature as found in materialized lifebreath.
Oh! Is not the materialized lifebreath given by the Mandate of
Heaven? Or does Heaven mandate for humans that their Nature be
good, and again mandate for them that their materialized
lifebreath be evil? Are there indeed these two mandates? So the
more the Chengs, Zhang, and the various other [Song] Confucians
analyze the Nature found manifest in materialized lifebreath,
the more the teaching of Confucius and Mencius on that Nature
becomes obscured. This is why I dare to hazard criticism of
their weak points.
妄見圖(凡七)
Section Three. Diagrams Hazarded for Inspection
(a total of seven)
僕自頗知學來，讀宋先儒書，以為諸先正真堯、舜、孔、孟也。故於通書稱其為二論
後僅見之文；尊周子為聖人，又謂得太極圖則一以貫之；大程子似顏子；於小學稱朱
子為聖人；於家禮尊如神明，曰如有用我者，舉此而措之；蓋全不覺其於三代以前之
學有毫釐之差也。¶
From the time I first had some acquaintance with learning, I
read the books of the earlier Confucians of the Song, and though
t that these several earlier [Confucians] were truly like Yao,
Shun, Confucius, and Mencius. Thus I proclaimed the [Zhou yi]
tong-shu (Penetrating the Book of Changes) to be the only book
[worthy] to be read after the Two Discourses [i.e., the Analects
of Confucius and the Mencius]. I revered Zhou [Dun-yi] as a sage,
said that the Tai-ji tu [Tai-ji diagram] provides that by which
things may be "linked together by one [principle]." and
magnified Master Cheng to be like Master Yan [Hui]. On account
of his Xiao-xue (Studies for Minors), I proclaimed Master Zhu to
be a sage, and on account of his Jia-li (Family Ritual) I
revered him like a spirit. I said that if "someone would employ
me in public office," I would use these [texts] to manage
affairs. I completely failed to perceive the slightest
discrepancy between those texts and the learning from the third
dynasty (i.e., the Zhou) and before.
惟至康熙戊申，不幸大故，一一式遵文公家禮，罔敢隕越；身曆之際，微覺有違於性
情者，哀毀中亦不能辨也。及讀記中喪禮，始知其多錯誤。卒哭，王子法幹來弔，謂
之曰：「信乎，非聖人不可製作，非聖人亦不可刪定也！朱子之修禮，猶屬僭也。」
蓋始知其非聖人也。至練後，哀相殺，又病，不能純哀思，不若於哀不至時
略觀書。於是檢性理一冊，至朱子性圖，反覆不能解。久之，猛思朱子蓋為氣質之性
而圖也，猛思堯、舜、禹、湯以及周、孔諸聖皆未嘗言氣質之性有惡也，猛思孟子性
善、才、情皆可為善之論，誠可以建天地，質鬼神，考前王，俟百世，而諸儒不能及
也。乃為妄見圖凡七，以申明孟子本意，¶
It was only in the wu-shen year of the Kang Xi emperor [1668],
when there was a death in my immediate family, that I carried
out the provisions of the Jia-li (Family Ritual) of the Cultured
Lord (Zhu Xi) one by one, not daring either to fall short or
exceed their requirements, and during that personal experience
had the faint feeling that there was something that went against
the Nature and qing (Feelings) [therein]. But amid grief and its
ravages I was unable to descry what it was. Only when I read the
"Mourning Ritual" in the Li Ji (Book of Rites), did I first
become cognizant of [the Jia Li's] many errors. When I had
terminated my [ritually required] weeping period and Master Wang
Fa-qian came to offer his condolences, I said to him: "Truly,
he who is not a sage cannot institute [rituals], nor can one who
is not a sage edit or emend. Master Zhu's act of revising the
ritual seems to fall into the category of exceeding authority."
It was in this way that I first realized that [Zhu Xi] was not a
sage. After I had finished going through [the formal ceremony of
mourning], and my grief was somewhat assuaged, I became ill in
addition to everything else, and was unable to maintain the
unadulterated presence of grief in my thoughts. Then, when grief
could not be summoned, there was nothing better to do than to
read a little. Thereupon I studied the Xing Li [Da Quan] (Great
Compendium on Nature and Li), but when I came to Master Zhu's
"Diagram of the Nature," I still could not comprehend it after
repeated readings. After a long time it suddenly occurred to me
that Master Zhu was making a diagram of the Nature of the
materialized lifebreath (qi-zhi), and it [also] suddenly
occurred to me that among the several sages, Yao, Shun, You,
Tang, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, none had ever said that
the Nature of the materialized lifebreath has evil. I [further]
suddenly realized that Mencius' theory that the Nature is good,
and that qing (Feelings) and cai (Capacity) can do good, truly
can be {{used to set Heaven and Earth to rights and to confront
ghosts and spirits//established in the world [without conflict],
examined by ghosts and spirits [without falling suspect], tested
against [the institutions of] the early kings [of the Three
Dynasties] without discovering error, and can wait a hundred
generations for the reappearance of a sage, who will find no
fault with it.}} Whether one examines the kings prior [to
Mencius] or those who came for a hundred generations [after him],
none of the various Confucians can match [this teaching]. So I
made my several diagrams in order to expand upon the basic
meaning of Mencius and hazard to put them forth for inspection.
此則其總圖也。¶
This is the summary diagram:
DIAGRAM OF THE TWO QI (Lifebreaths) AND THE FOUR DE (Powers)
AMIDST INCHOATE HEAVEN AND EARTH TRANSFORMING AND GENERATING
THE MYRIAD CREATURES
大圈，天道統體也。上帝主宰其中，不可以圖也。左陽也，右陰也，合之則陰陽無間
也。陰陽流行而為四德: 元、亨、利、貞也，(四德，先儒即分春、夏、秋、冬，論
語所謂「四時行」也。)橫豎正畫，四德正氣正理之達也，四角斜畫，四德間氣間理
之達也。交斜之畫，象交通也；滿面小點，象萬物之化生也，莫不交通，莫不化生也，
無非是氣是理也。知理氣融為一片，則知陰陽二氣，天道之良能也；元、亨、利、貞
四德，陰陽二氣之良能也；化生萬物，元、亨、利、貞四德之良能也。知天道之二氣，
二氣之四德，四德之生萬物莫非良能，則可以觀此圖矣。¶
The large circle represents the integral body of the Way of
Heaven. The Lord on High rules at its center but cannot be
diagrammed. The left is Yang and the right is Yin. Uniting them,
there is no discontinuity between Yin and Yang. In their flux
the Yin and Yang make the four De [Virtues]: Origination,
Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct Firmness. (Yan
Yuan's note: The earlier Confucians divided the four powers
among spring, summer, fall, and winter. This is what the Lun Yu
(Analects of Confucius) speaks of when it says: "The four
seasons run their course." {17:17}) The [two] vertical and [two]
horizontal lines [radiating from the center] are the loci
(da 達, arrivals) of the normal[ly incident] lifebreath
and the normal[ly incident] li of the four Virtues. The slanted
lines from corner to corner are the images of intercourse. The
small dots all over the surface are the images of the
transformation and engendering (hua sheng) of the myriad
creatures. There are none which are not in interaction, and none
which are not transformed and engendered. There is nothing that
is not this li and this lifebreath. When you know that the li
and the lifebreath form a continuum, then you know that the two
lifebreaths which are Yin and Yang are the "good potency" (liang
neng) of the Way of Heaven; that the four Virtues called
Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct
Firmness are the "good potency" of the two lifebreaths which are
Yin and Yang; that the transformation and engendering of the
myriad creatures is the "good potency" of the four Powers,
Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct
Firmness. When you know concerning the two lifebreaths of the
Way of Heaven, the four Powers of the two lifebreaths, and the
transformation and engendering of the myriad creatures by the
four Powers, that there is none which is not this "good potency,"
then you will be able to comprehend this diagram.
萬物之性，此理之賦也；萬物之氣質，此氣之凝也。正者此理此氣也，間者亦此理此
氣也，交雜者莫非此理此氣也；高明者此理此氣也，卑暗者亦此理此氣也，清厚者此
理此氣也，濁薄者亦此理此氣也，長短、偏全、通塞莫非此理此氣也。至於人，則尤
為萬物之粹，所謂「得天地之中以生」者也。二氣四德者，未凝結之人也；人者，已
凝結之二氣四德也。存之為仁、義、禮、智，謂之性者，以在內之元、亨、利、貞名
之也；發之為惻隱、羞惡、辭讓、是非，謂之情者，以及物之元、亨、利、貞言之也；
才者，性之為情者也，是元、亨、利、貞之力也。謂情有惡，是謂已發之元、亨、利、
貞，非未發之元、亨、利、貞也。謂才有惡，是謂蓄者元、亨、利、貞，能作者非元、
亨、利、貞也；謂氣質有惡，是元、亨、利、貞之理謂之天道，元、亨、利、貞之氣
不謂之天道也。噫！天下有無理之氣乎？有無氣之理乎？有二氣四德外之理氣乎？惡
其發者，是即惡其存之漸也；惡其力者，是即惡其本之漸也；惡其氣者，是即惡其理
之漸也。何也？人之性，即天之道也。以性為有惡，則必以天道為有惡矣；以情為有
惡，則必以元、亨、利、貞為有惡矣；以才為有惡，則必以天道流行幹幹不息者亦有
惡矣；其勢不盡取三才而毀滅之不已也。¶
The Natures of the myriad creatures are given (fu 賦) to
them by li; the materialized lifebreath of the myriad creatures
is the consolidation of this lifebreath. Those that are on the
normal [lines of incidence] are of this li and this lifebreath.
Those that are on [the slanted] median [lines] are also of this
li and this lifebreath. Nothing produced by intercourse and
mixture [between sectors] fails to be of this li and this
lifebreath. What is eminent and bright is this li and this
lifebreath. So is what is lowly and dark. What is clear and
abundant is this li and this lifebreath. So is what is turbid
and meager. Whether long or short, one-sided or well-rounded,
in communication [with the center, the source of power and being]
or blocked off, all are this li and this lifebreath. Coming now
to humans, they are above all the purest among the myriad
creatures. Of them it is said: "They are born by attaining to
the center of Heaven and Earth." The two lifebreaths and four
Virtues are the not-yet-consolidated humans, and humans are the
already-consolidated two lifebreaths and four Virtues. As
retained [within the body, the four Virtues] are Compassion,
Justice, Propriety, and Wisdom, which are called [the four
components of] the Nature, they being the names of Origination,
Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct Firmness when
these are yet within. When they have issued forth, they are
compassion and sympathy, shame and dislike, modesty and yielding,
and approval and disapproval, which are spoken of as the four
qing (Feelings) since they are the names of Origination,
Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct Firmness as these
reach out to [external] things. Cai (Capacity) is the Nature in
action as the qing; it is the motive power (li 力) of
Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct
Firmness. To say that qing (Feelings) has evil is to say that
the already-issued Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit,
and Correct Firmness are not [the same as] Origination,
Flourishing Penetration, Benefit, and Correct Firmness before
they have issued forth. To say that cai (Capacity) has evil is
to say that the stored-up Origination, Flourishing Penetration,
Benefit, and Correct Firmness possessing the ability to act are
not [the real] Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit,
and Correct Firmness. To say that materialized lifebreath has
evil is to say that the li of Origination, Flourishing
Penetration, Benefit, and Correct Firmness is the Way of Heaven,
but the lifebreath of Origination, Flourishing Penetration,
Benefit, and Correct Firmness is not the Way of Heaven. Oh!
Under Heaven is there any lifebreath without li? Is there any li
or lifebreath other than those of the two lifebreaths [Yin and
Yang] and the four Virtues? To despise these when they have
issued forth is just a delayed (i.e., indirect) way of despising
them in their latent form. To despise them in their potency is
just a delayed form of despising them in their fundamental form.
To despise the lifebreath is just a delayed form of despising
the li. Why? Because the Nature of human beings is precisely the
Way of Heaven. If one maintains that the Nature has evil, then
one must maintain that the Way of Heaven has evil. If one
maintains that the qing (Feelings) have evil, then one must
maintain that Origination, Flourishing Penetration, Benefit,
and Correct Firmness have evil. If one maintains that the
Capacity has evil, then one must maintain that the Way of
Heaven's flowing and ceaselessly producing things has evil. Is
not the effect of this finally to bring unceasing destruction
upon the Three Realms [i.e., Heaven, Earth, and humans]?
Commentary:
Yan Yuan mentioned in Section Two of Part One that one or more
virtues could "come to the aid of" another virtue that happened
to be weak. In the above discussion we begin to see Yan's
theoretical discussion of how this process of aiding could occur.
-- PEM
嗚呼！漢、魏以來，異端昌熾，如洪水滔天，吾聖人之道如病蠶吐絲，迨於五季而倍
微。當此時，而以惑於異端者誣聖曰「聖人之言性本如是也」，必諸先正之所不忍；
天道昭布現前如此，聖經賢傳指示親切如此，而必以惑於世俗者誣天曰「天生人之氣
質，本有惡也」，亦必諸先正之所不敢。其為此論，特如時諺所雲「習俗移人，賢者
不免」耳。是圖也，正就程、張、朱發明精確者一推衍之，非敢謂於先儒之見有加也，
特不雜於荀、揚、佛、老而已矣；正即氣質之性一訂釋之，非謂無氣質之性也，特不
雜以引蔽習染而已矣。意之不能盡者，仍詳說於各圖下。無非欲人共見乎天道之無他，
人性之本善，使古聖賢性習之原旨昭然複明於世，則人知為絲毫之惡，皆自點其光瑩
之本體，極神聖之善，始自踐其固有之形骸；而異端重性輕形因而滅絕倫紀之說，自
不得以惑人心，喜靜惡動因而廢棄六藝之妄，自不得以蕪正道。諸先正之英靈，必深
喜其偶誤頓洗而大快乎！聖道重光，僕或幸可以告無罪矣。其辭不副意，未足闡天人
之秘，或反汩性理者，庸陋亦不敢自保其無也，願長者其賜教焉！¶
================================================================
[A long polemical passage, the above passage, has been omitted.]
DIAGRAM OF THE TWO LIFEBREATHS AND THE FOUR DE (VIRTUES)
TRANSFORMING AND GENERATING THE MYRIAD BEINGS: ACTING IN CONCERT
AND ACTING IN OPPOSITION, INTERTWINING AND PENETRATING, MESHING
AND INTERWEAVING, SMOKING AND STEAMING, MUTATING AND ALTERING,
REACTING AND IMPACTING, CONSOLIDATING AND DISPERSING, UNCOILING
AND COILING.14
(Yan Yuan's note: The following three diagrams are excerpts taken
from the main diagram for [more specific] discussion.)
COMMENTARY: Yan Yuan has selected sixteen terms to represent what
are apparently modes of interaction of the four Virtues. He has
chosen many of these terms for their prominence in earlier
philosophical texts such as the Appendices to the Yi Jing, but
some terms seem to have Buddhist rather then Confucian associations.
There is no practical interpretation given for most of these terms.
There are eight pairs of terms in the text for this diagram, so by
beginning with the terms used for the previous diagram we have a
series of two, four, and now eight elements. But now rather than
talking about cosmic forces themselves, Yan Yuan is talking about
how these forces interact. -- PEM
陰陽流行而為四德。¶
Yin and Yang flow and make the four Virtues.
[Then the four Virtues:]
順者，如春德與夏德，順也； ¶
Act in concert (shun) like the Virtues of spring and summer;
such is acting in concert, [the one continuing the growing
activity of the other].
逆者，如春德與秋德，逆也。 ¶
Act in opposition (ni) like the powers of spring and autumn;
such is acting in opposition, [the one fostering growth,
the other destroying it.]
交者，二德合或三四合也； ¶
Intertwine (jiao), such as when two of the Virtues come
together, or three or four of them come together.
通者，自一德達一德，或中達正、間，正、間達中，正達間，間達正，正、正達，
間、間達之類也。¶
Penetrate (tong, to travel from one place to another as through
a tube or channel), as when one Virtues impinges on (da, to
arrive at) another Virtues -- whether it be the Virtues of the
center impinging on the Virtues of [something at] a normal
locus, or a locus of [equal] mixture; the Virtues of [something
on] a normal locus, or a locus of mixture, impinging on the
Virtues of the center; a Virtues of a normal locus impinging on
the Virtues of a locus of mixture; the Virtues of a locus of
mixture impinging on the Virtues of a normal locus; the Virtues
of a normal locus impinging upon the Virtues of [another]
normal locus; or the Virtues of a locus of mixture impinging
upon the Virtues of another locus of mixture.
錯者，陰陽、剛柔彼此相對也；¶
Meshing/Negation (cuo): Yin and Yang, rigid and supple, each
stands in direct opposition to the other [i.e., the elements of
two things that are cuo are exactly opposite in terms of yin
and yang, so that each is a negative image of the other like
negative and positive images in photography.]
綜者，陰陽、剛柔上下相穿也。¶
Interweaving/Inversion (zong): Yin and Yang, rigid and supple,
are exchanged for each other vertically [i.e., the elements of
two cong things are inverted top to bottom in terms of yin and
yang, so that each (hexagram or n-level figure) is an inverted
image of the other like the image of a distant scene observed
through a hand lens held at arms length.]
熏者，如香之熏物，居此及彼，以虛洽實，不必形接而臭至之也；¶
Smoking (xun): When fragrance "smokes" [i.e., perfumes] things,
it stays here but reaches there, permeating solids (shi
實) across empty space, the scent reaching without the
need for contact between physical forms.
烝者如烝食，如天地絪縕，下漸上也，一發而普遍也。¶
Steaming (zheng): Steaming is like steaming food, like the
generative ethers (yin yun) of Heaven and Earth, which gently
rise from below, but once they issue forth spread everywhere.
變者，化也，有而無也，無而有也，或德相變，或正、間、斜相變也，如田鼠化鴽，
雀化為蛤之變也；¶
Mutation (bian): This is a [sudden] transformation from
something to nothing, or from nothing to something. Perhaps the
Virtues change among themselves, or perhaps the loci of the
normal [incidence], the loci of intermixture, or the images of
intercourse change. This is like the change of a field mouse
into a quail, or of a sparrow into an oyster.
易者，神也，往來也，更代也，治也，陽乘陰，陰承陽也。¶
Altering (yi): This is something spiritlike, something that
comes and goes, something that passes back and forth, something
that creates an order, something wherein the Yang rides (cheng)
the Yin, and the Yin takes from (cheng) the Yang.
感者，遙應也，如感月光，感蒼龍，感流星之類是也；¶
Reacting (gan): This is distant response, like reacting to the
moon, reacting to the constellations of the Azure Dragon group,
or reacting to shooting stars.
觸者，邂逅也，不期遇也，如一流複遇一流，舟行遇山，火發遇雨，
雲集遇風之類是也。¶
Impacting (chu): This is contingent encounter or unanticipated
meeting, such as a stream rejoining [after having branched
upstream], a boat running up against a mountain, a fire that
having sprung up encounters rain, or clouds that having
gathered encounter [a dispersing] wind.
聚者，理氣結也，一德聚，或二三四德共聚也；¶
Consolidating (ju): This is the uniting of li and lifebreath.
One Virtue may consolidate or two, three, or four Virtues may
consolidate.
散者，散其聚也；¶
Dispersing (san): This is the dispersal of what has been
consolidated.
舒者，縷長直去也；¶
Uncoiling (shu): This is like a thin silk thread stretching out
straight.
卷者，回其舒也。¶
Coiling (juan): This is the return of what was uncoiled.
十六者，四德之變也。德惟四而其變十六，十六之變不可勝窮焉。¶
These sixteen are the permutations (bian) of the four Virtues.
There are only four Virtues, but their permutations number
sixteen. Then the [further] permutations of the sixteen are
inexhaustible.
為運不息也，止有常也，照臨、薄食也，燦列、流隕、進退、隱見也，吹噓、
震盪也，高下、平陂、土石、毛枯也，會分、燥濕、流止也，稺老、雕菑、材灰
也，飛、潛、蠕、植，不可紀之狀也。¶
[The above-mentioned sixteen permutations] operate in ceaseless
cycles whose periods of latency are constant. What radiates
light becomes eclipsed. What gleams forth becomes a falling
star. What advances and withdraws goes into hiding. There is
huffing and puffing, shaking and quaking, high and low, level
and sloping. There is soil and stones, sprouting and withering.
There is union and division, dryness and dampness, flowing and
stagnation, youth and old age, formation and destruction, wood
and ash, flying and submerging, wriggling around and rooting to
the spot. Such are the innumerable phenomena [which flow from
the sixteen permutations]!
至於人，清濁、厚薄、長短、高下，或有所清，有所濁，有時厚，有時薄，大長
小長，大短小短，時高時下，參差無盡之變，皆四德之妙所為也。世固有妖氛瘴
癘，亦因人物有所激感而成，如人性之有引蔽習染，而非其本然也。¶
With respect to mankind, there are [variations as to] the clear
and turbid, the generously and parsimoniously endowed, the long
and short, the elevated and lowly. Some have that which is
clear, and some have that which is turbid. There are times of
generous and times of parsimonious endowment. This is a greater
and lesser length, a greater and lesser shortness. There are
times of height and times of lowness. These irregular and
inexhaustible changes are all the acts of the inexplicable
[power] of the four Virtues. And so the way in which miasmas
and epidemics inevitably occur in the world because of
emotional outbursts among humans and other creatures is like
the way in which human Nature suffers from inducements,
blindings, habituations, and stains that do not pertain to its
original nature.
或謂既已感激而成妖瘴，則稟是氣而生者即為惡氣惡質。不知雖極污穢，及其生
物，仍返其元，猶是純潔精粹二氣四德之人，不即污穢也。如糞中生五穀瓜蔬俱
成佳品，斷不臭惡。穢朽生芝，鯀、瞍全聖，此其彰明較著者也。¶
Some say that since the miasmas and epidemics are formed after
the occurrence of emotional outbursts, then what was produced
after receiving that lifebreath was [itself] an evil lifebreath
and an evil zhi (substance). Those [who would say this] do not
know that although something be most filthy and unclean, when
it gives birth to things it [in so doing] reverts to its primal
state. Such is the case with a person: his two lifebreaths (Yin
and Yang) and four Virtues being pure, clean, and refined
[since no stain has been passed on from his parents] is not
[as the Song Confucians would have it] filthy and unclean.
This is like manure bringing forth the five grains, melons, and
green vegetables that are all excellent products, and certainly
not foul-smelling or bad. Dirty rotten wood produces the zhi
fungus a fungus with a purplish stalk, valued because of it is
believed to promote longevity and prosperity? Gun and Sou
brought up perfect sages. The foregoing are some of the more
striking and obvious examples [of pure things being produced
from fouled sources].
DIAGRAM OF THE PRODUCTION BY TRANSFORMATION OF THE MYRIAD
CREATURES FROM THE TWO LIFEBREATHS [YIN AND YANG], THE FOUR DE
[AND THEIR ENSUING THIRTY-TWO THIRD-ORDER PERMUTATIONS]:
CENTRALITY AND PERIPHERALITY, STRAIGHTNESS AND CROOKEDNESS,
SQUARENESS AND ROUNDNESS, ACCESSIBILITY AND INACCESSIBILITY,
EVENNESS AND SHARPNESS, DISPERSION AND ASSEMBLAGE, FARNESS AND
NEARNESS, DIVERGENCE AND CONVERGENCE, GREATNESS AND SMALLNESS,
GENEROSITY AND PARSIMONIOUSNESS, CLEARNESS AND TURBIDITY,
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS, HIGHNESS AND LOWNESS, LONGNESS AND
SHORTNESS, FASTNESS AND SLOWNESS, COMPLETEDNESS AND DEFICIENCY.
Commentary: Does he mean to say that these thirty-two are
characteristics of the Two Lifebreaths and the four Virtues?
Or does he mean that they are entities that derive from them
and yet have their own existence? The text below seems to
indicate the first possibility is the correct one.
At this point in Yan Yuan's diagrams instead of "psychological"
ways to interact, we find terms more suited to geometry and
physics. This change to more concrete terms of reference is
consonant with the way Zhu Xi's scheme seems to go from the
transcendent to the merely invisible, and so on to more
concrete things.
Later in this text, Yan Yuan explains that he might have
continued to provide diagrams with more and more elements.
-- PEM
四德之理氣，分合交感而生萬物。其稟乎四德之中者，則其性質調和，有大中之
中，有正之中，有間之中，有斜之中，有中之中。¶
The li and the lifebreath of the four Virtues divide, unite,
intertwine, and react, thereby producing the myriad creatures.
Those creatures whose endowment comes from the center of the
four Virtues have the innate characteristic of harmony. There
is the centrality of the great center, the centeredness of
being on a line of normal incidence, the centeredness of being
on an intermediary axis, the centeredness of being on a line of
intercourse, and the centeredness of the center.
其稟乎四德之邊者，則其性質偏僻，有中之邊，有正之邊，有間之邊，斜之邊，
邊之邊。其稟乎四德之直者，則性質端果，有中之直，正之直，間之直，斜之
直，直之直。¶
Those things whose endowment comes from the peripherality of
the four Virtues have the innate characteristic of one-
sidedness and perversity. There is the peripherality of the
center, the peripherality of the normals, the peripherality of
being on an intermediary axis, the peripherality of being on a
line of intercourse, and the peripherality of being on the
periphery.
Those things whose endowment comes from the straightness of the
four Virtues have the innate characteristic of decisiveness
. . . .
其稟乎四德之屈者，則性質曲折，有中之屈，有正之屈，間之屈，斜之屈，屈之屈。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the crookedness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of convolution . . . .
其稟乎四德之方者，則性質板棱，有中之方，正之方，間之方，有斜之方，方之方。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the squareness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of immobility . . . .
其稟乎圓者，則性質通便，有中之圓，正之圓，間之圓，斜之圓，圓之圓。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the roundness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being penetrating
and facile . . . .
其稟乎四德之衝者，則性質繁華，有中之衝，有正之衝，有間之衝，有斜之衝，
有衝之衝。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the accessibility of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being luxuriant . . . .
其稟乎僻者，則其性質閒靜，有中之僻，正之僻，間之僻，有斜之僻，有僻之僻。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the inaccessibility of the
four Virtues have the innate characteristic of tranquility . . . .
其稟乎四德之齊者性質漸鈍，¶
Those whose endowment comes from the evenness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being gradual and
dull.
稟乎四德之銳者性質尖巧，亦有中、正、間、斜之分焉。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the sharpness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being pointed and
clever. Among these too there are differences among the center,
the normals, and the lines of intercourse [et cetera].
稟乎四德之離者性質孤疏，¶
Those whose endowment comes from the divergence of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being alone and
distant.
稟乎四德之合者性質親密，亦有中、正、間、斜之分焉。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the convergence of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of being close and
gregarious [literally, thick, the opposite of sparse]. Among
those too there are differences among the center, the normals,
and the lines of intercourse [et cetera].
稟乎四德之遠者則性質賓馳，¶
Those whose endowment comes from the farness of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of haste.Among those
too there are differences among the center, the normals, and
the lines of intercourse [et cetera].
稟乎四德之近者則性質拘謹，亦有中、正、間、斜之分焉。¶
<missing> Those whose endowment comes from the nearness of the
four Virtues have the innate characteristic of wariness. Among
these too there are differences among the center, the normals,
and the lines of intercourse [et cetera].
其稟乎違者性質乖左，¶
Those whose endowment comes from the divergence of the four
Virtues have the innate characteristic of perversity.
稟乎遇者性質湊濟，亦有中、正、間、斜之分焉。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the convergence have the
innate characteristic of tractability. Among these too there
are differences among the center, the normals, and the lines of
intercourse [et cetera].
稟乎大者性質廣闊，¶
Those whose endowment comes from the greatness have the innate
characteristic of being broad and wide.
稟乎小者性氣狹隘，亦有中、正、間、斜之分焉。¶
Those whose endowment comes from the smallness have the innate
characteristics of being narrow and constricted. Among these
too there are differences among the center, the normals, and
the lines of intercourse [et cetera].
至於得其厚者敦龐，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its generosity are fruitful.
得其薄者磽瘠，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its parsimoniousness are
barren.
得其清者聰明，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its clearness are intelligent.
得其濁者愚蠢，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its turbidity are stupid.
得其強者壯往，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its strength are stout and
outgoing.
得其弱者退諉，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its weakness are retiring and
undependable.
得其高者尊貴，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its highness are respected and
noble.
得其下者卑賤，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its lowness are base and cheap.
得其長者壽固，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its longness are long-lived
and tough.
得其短者夭折，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its shortness are short-lived
and fragile.
得其疾者早速，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its fastness are early and
speedy.
得其遲者晚滯，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its slowness are late and slow.
得其全者充滿，¶
Those whose endowment comes from its completeness are
filled-out and replete.
得其缺者破敗：亦莫不有中、正、間、斜之別焉。¶
Those whose endowment comes from its deficiency are tattered
and broken. Of these too, there are none but have differences
among the center, the normals, the mixtures/medians, the
slanted lines of intercourse [et cetera].
此三十二類者，又十六變之變也，三十二類之變，又不可勝窮焉。然而不可勝窮
者，不外於三十二類也，三十二類不外於十六變也，十六變不外四德也，四德不
外於二氣，二氣不外於天道也，舉不得以惡言也。昆蟲、草木、蛇蠍、豺狼，皆
此天道之理之氣所為，而不可以惡言，況所稱受天地之中、得天地之粹者乎！¶
These thirty-two kinds are permutations of the sixteen
permutations. The [further] transformations of these thirty-two
permutations are inexhaustible. And yet the inexhaustible does
not go beyond these thirty-two transformations. The thirty-two
transformations do not go beyond the sixteen permutations. The
sixteen permutations do not go beyond the four Virtues. The
four Virtues do not go beyond the Two Lifebreaths (Yin and Yang).
The Two Lifebreaths do not go beyond the Way of Heaven. None can
be spoken of as evil. Insects, grasses and trees, snakes
and scorpions, jackals and wolves are all made by this li and
this lifebreath, and evil cannot be predicated of them, much
less of [humans who are] proclaimed to have received the
centrality of Heaven and Earth, and to have gained the purity
of Heaven and Earth.
Commentary: Centrality refers to being near the metaphysical
center of the universe, or to falling on or near the center of
the diagram. Peripherality refers to being far from the
metaphysical center of the universe, or to falling far from the
center of the diagram. The other kinds of centeredness
described seem to me to refer to points where the actions of
the Four Powers are balanced in their impact on beings. For
instance, some creature located on a diagonal in the NE
direction received balanced impacts from the Powers of the
north and the east, and also receive balanced impacts from the
Powers of the south and west. However, there is an imbalance
between the strengths of the Powers of north and east and the
Powers of south and west, since the latter two are farther away.
既有萬物圖，複摘繪其一隅者，全圖意有所不能盡，複即一隅以盡其曲折也。此上
黑點，亦象萬物，姑以人之性質言之。如中角半大點，理氣會其大中，四德全體，
無不可通，而元亨為尤盛。得其理氣以生人，則惻隱辭讓多；或裏元而表亨，則中
惠貌莊之人也；或裏亨而表元則中嚴貌順之人也。然以得中也，四德無不可通也，
則有為聖人者焉，有為賢人者焉，有為士者焉；以通元亨之間，去利貞之濟遠也，
則亦有為常人者焉；皆行生之自然，不可齊也。仁之勝者，聖如伊尹，賢如顏子，
士如黃憲，常人如裏巷中溫厚之人；禮之勝者，聖如周公，賢如子華，士如樊英，
常人如裏巷矜持之人。南邊一大點，則偏亨用事，禮勝可知也。準中之禮盛例，而
達乎元者頗難，達乎利貞者尤難。然而可通乎中以及乎貞，可邊通乎元利，可斜通
乎利亨之交，可邊通乎亨利之間，而因應乎元貞之間，可邊通乎亨元之間；而因應
乎貞利之間，可斜通乎亨元之交。故雖禮勝而四德皆通，無不可為樊英、子華、周
公也。東邊一大點，則偏元用事，仁勝可知也。準中之仁勝例，而達乎亨者難，達
乎貞利者更難。然而可通乎中以及於利，可邊通乎貞亨，可斜通乎貞元之交，可邊
通乎元貞之間，而因應乎利亨之間，可邊通乎元亨之間；而亦因應乎利貞之間，可
斜通乎元亨之交。故雖仁勝而四德皆通，亦無不可為叔度、顏子、伊尹也。東南隅
一大點，元亨之間也，然直通元亨之斜以達於中，而與貞利之間為正應，雖間，而
用力為之，亦無不可為黃、樊、顏、西、伊、周也。隅中一大點，居元亨斜間之交，
而似中非中。然斜中達於大中而通及貞利，雖間斜，而用力為之，亦無不可為黃、
樊、顏、西、伊、周也。其隅中若干小點，或大，或小，或方，或圓，或齊，或銳，
或疏，或密，或衝，或僻，或近中，或近正，或近間，或近斜，或近元，或近亨，
蓋亦莫不以一德或二德，總含四德之氣理而寓一中，所謂「人得天地之中以生」也。
是故通、塞、正、曲，雖各有不同，而盈宇宙無異氣，無異理。苟勉力為之，而勿
刻以行其惻隱，不傲以行其恭敬，亦無不可為黃、樊、顏，西、伊、周也。故曰
「人皆可以為堯、舜」，而全體從可知矣。¶
Having already presented the diagram of the myriad creatures,
I will now chose one quadrant of it to redraw. Since there
are points concerning the full diagram which it has not yet
been possible to explicate fully, I will address myself to a
detailed explication of one quadrant in order to elucidate
the finer details of the whole.
The black dots on this diagram also symbolize the myriad
creatures, and, for the sake of convenience, I will speak of
them [solely] in terms of the innate characteristics of human
beings. In the case of the large quarter-dot in the central
corner, here the li and the lifebreath meet at the exact
center, and here are found the four Virtues in their totality,
all available, but with Origination and Flourishing
Penetration especially prevalent. A person constituted of
this li and this lifebreath will [be characterized by] a
preponderance of commiseration and yieldingness. Perhaps
his external aspect will be [characterized by] Origination
and his internal aspect by Flourishing Penetration. Then he
will be a person of inner kindness and his mien will be
serious. Perhaps he will be [characterized by] Flourishing
Penetration internally and by Origination externally. Then
he will be a man of inner strictness and his mien will be
complaisant.
Commentary:
Note the Yin Yang duality involved when one characteristic
of a pair is internal and latent or at least not readily
apparent in its operation, and the other characteristic is
external and gives the outer guise by which the individual
concerned is known to observers. This duality is like that
of the darkness at the center of a candle flame in comparison
to the luminosity of the mantle of the flame.
But since such [a person] has attained to the center where
all of the four Virtues are available, there will be some who
are sages, some who are worthies, and some who are [merely]
literati. But because [those in the remainder of this
quadrant] also communicate with the mixed [Virtue of]
Origination and Flourishing Penetration, and are remote from
the aiding [Virtue of] Benefit and Correct Firmness,
ordinary people [will also be produced]. This [process] all
carries out the natural way of production, and it cannot be
evened out. When there is a preponderance of Benevolence, a
sage will be one such as Yi Yin, a worthy will be one such
as Yan Zi, a literatus will be one such as Huang Xian, and a
common person will be a warm and generous man in the
community. When there is a preponderance of Propriety, a
sage will be one such as the Duke of Zhou, a worthy will be
one such as Zi Hua, a literatus will be one such as Fan Ying,
and a common person will be one of firm dignity in the
community.
Commentary:
The individuals produced in a certain quadrant are alike in
being characterized by a preponderance of the qualities of
that quadrant, but because of their varying distances from
the point of origin of the four Virtues, they receive these
four Powers in greater and greater dilution as they depart
from the center. Ñ PEM
At the large dot on the southern edge [i.e., the
uppermost edge], [[Chinese map making convention was opposite
to that of the West due to the custom of the emperor's always
facing south when seated at court.]] Flourishing Penetration
holds sway one-sidedly, and it may be known [from this fact]
that Propriety predominates. Propriety is uncommonly
preponderant at this point, and it is somewhat difficult to
establish contact with (da, arrive at) Origination, and even
more difficult to establish contact with Benefit and Correct
Firmness. Nevertheless it is possible, by penetrating
through the center, to get to Correct Firmness, and it is
possible to go along the periphery to get to Origination and
Benefit, and to pass diagonally to the point of intercourse
of Benefit and Flourishing Penetration, to move along the
periphery to the mixture of Flourishing Penetration and
Benefit. Because it resonates with the mixture of Origination
and Correct Firmness, it is possible to reach the mixture of
Flourishing Penetration and Origination through the
periphery. Because it resonates with the mixture of Correct
Firmness and Benefit, it is possible to reach the point of
intercourse of Flourishing Penetration and Origination along
the slanted line that indicates intercourse. Thus although
Propriety is preponderant, all four Virtues communicate
[with that point]. Everyone can become a Fan Ying, Zi Hua,
or Duke of Zhou.
Commentary:
It is difficult to understand what Yan Yuan means in the
above passage unless we remember that he has a psychological
model in mind. He is thinking of a person of one character
type trying to call on the resources that are more easily
available to someone of another character type. For instance,
one who is naturally little inclined to heed the requirements
of etiquette and ritual because his share of Propriety is
limited may need to call on his other virtues to access
Propriety. So such a one may realize that in order to truly
fulfill his tendencies for benevolence he must take account
of the other person's need to be handled with proper ceremony
and restraint. Once having gotten that far in his internal
dialog his rather more sluggish natural feelings of Propriety
will presumably be awakened and his behavior will be more
ideal than if he had charged forward without first marshaling
his internal resources.
In the large dot on the eastern [i.e., left] periphery,
Origination holds sway one-sidedly, and it may be known [from
this] that Benevolence predominates unprecedentedly in this
place. Benevolence is uncommonly predominant here, and it is
difficult to establish contact with Flourishing Penetration,
and even more difficult to establish contact with Correct
Firmness and Benefit. Nevertheless it is possible to
penetrate through the center to get to Benefit, and it is
possible to move along the periphery to get to Correct
Firmness and Flourishing Penetration. It is possible to go
diagonally to the point of intercourse of Correct Firmness
and Origination. It is possible to reach the mixture of
Origination and Correct Firmness through the periphery.
Because it resonates with the mixture of Benefit and
Flourishing Penetration, it is possible to reach the point
of intercourse of Origination and Flourishing Penetration
through the periphery. And because it also resonates with
the mixture of Benefit and Correct Firmness, it is possible
to reach the point of intercourse of Origination and
Flourishing Penetration through the slanted image of
intercourse. Thus although Benevolence is predominant, all
four Virtues communicate [with that point]. Everyone can
become a Shu Du, Yan Zi, or Yi Yin.
Commentary:
We need to will and direct our inner resources more
deliberately than one to whom these activities come easily.
-- PEM
The large dot in the south-east [i.e., upper left] is the
mixture of Origination and Flourishing Penetration. Thus it
communicates directly with the [point of] intercourse of
Origination and Flourishing Penetration in order to establish
contact with the center. And it is in direct resonance with
the mixture of Correct Firmness and Benefit. Although it is
[an uneven] mixture, if effort is employed there are none
who cannot become a Yellow Emperor, Fan [Ying], Yan [Hui],
[Gong] Xi (Zi Hua), Yi [Yin], or [Duke of] Zhou.
The large dot in the middle of the sector rests at the point
of intercourse of Origination and Flourishing Penetration,
and seems to be a center [since it is a balance point between
the adjacent Virtues of Origination and Flourishing
Penetration, and also is a balance point between the more
distant Virtues of Benefit and Correct Firmness] yet it is
not truly so. Thus the center of the slanted line reaches
to the true center [of the entire circle] and communicates
thereby with Correct Firmness and Benefit. Although [an
uneven] mixture and also along the line of intercourse
between two forces, if effort is exerted there are none who
cannot become a Yellow Emperor, Fan [Ying], Yan [Hui],
[Gong] Xi (Zi Hua), Yi [Yin], or [Duke of] Zhou.
The many small dots within the sector, whether large or
small, whether square or round, whether smooth or jagged,
whether far or near, whether thick-set or thin, whether
{{forward or backward}}, whether near the center or near a
normal, whether near one of the mixtures or near a slanted
image of intercourse, whether near Origination or near
Flourishing Penetration, all assuredly, by means of one or
two of the Virtues, embrace the lifebreath and li of all four
Virtues and {{reside on one of the centers}}. The foregoing
is what is meant by "Men are produced by attaining to what is
central to Heaven and Earth." Therefore, although there are
individual differences between the penetrating and the
obstructed, the right and the crooked, there is no other
lifebreath and no other li [than that] which fills the
universe. If one strenuously exerts oneself, avoiding
harshness so as to practice compassion and sympathy, and
avoiding arrogance so as to practice dignity, there will be
no one who cannot become a Yellow Emperor, Fan [Ying], Yan
[Hui], Yi [Yin], or [Duke of] Zhou. Thus it is said:
"Everyone can become a Yao or a Shun." {Mencius, 6b:2} And
the entire (body =) substance [of the moral nature of the
cosmos] can so be experienced.
DIAGRAM OF MENCIUS' SAYING THAT THE NATURE, QING, AND CAI ARE ALL GOOD
-------------------------------
圈，心也；仁、義、禮、智，性也；心一理而統此四者，非塊然有四件也。既非
塊然四件，何由而名為仁、義、禮、智也？以發之者知之也，則惻隱、羞惡、辭
讓、是非也。發者情也，能發而見於事者才也；則非情、才無以見性，非氣質無
所為情、才，即無所為性。是情非他，即性之見也；才非他，即性之能也；氣質
非他，即性、情、才之氣質也；一理而異其名也。若謂性善而才、情有惡，譬則
苗矣，是謂種麻而秸實遂雜麥也；性善而氣質有惡，譬則樹矣，是謂內之神理屬
柳而外之枝幹乃為槐也。自有天地以來，有是理乎？後儒之言性也，以天道、人
性攙而言之；後儒之認才、情、氣質也，以才、情、氣質與引蔽習染者雜而言之。
以天道攙人性，未甚害乎性；以引蔽習染雜才、情、氣質，則大誣乎才、情、氣
質矣。此無他，認接樹作本樹也，嗚呼，此豈樹之情也哉！¶
The circle is the mind. Benevolence, Justice, Propriety,
and Wisdom are the Nature. The mind has a single li that
unites these four [aspects], and it is not that there are
four discrete entities [within the mind]. This being the
case, how is it that [separate] names are given to
Benevolence, Justice, Propriety, and Wisdom? They are known
by what they cause to issue forth: compassion and sympathy,
shame and dislike, modesty and yielding, and approval and
disapproval. What issues forth is Feeling. What is able to
cause these to issue forth so that they are seen in affairs
is Capacity. Thus without Feeling and Capacity there would
be nothing whereby to perceive the Nature. Without
materialized lifebreath there would be nothing to the
Feeling and the Capacity, so there would be nothing to be
the Nature. This Feeling is none other than the
manifestation of the Nature, and this Capacity is none other
than the potency of the Nature. Materialized lifebreath is
none other than the materialized lifebreath of the Nature,
Feeling, and Capacity Ñ a single li although different names
are given to [aspects of] it. If it be said that the Nature
is good but that Feeling and Capacity have evil, then to make
an analogy with sprouts of grain, this would be like getting
some oats in the yield when [only] hemp had been sown. To say
that the Nature is good but that materialized lifebreath is
bad, to make an analogy with trees, would be like saying that
the divine essence (shen li ) of the tree is that of a willow,
but the external parts, the branches and trunk, are those of
a locust tree. Was there ever anything like this since the
beginning of Heaven and Earth?
The discussions of the later Confucians on Nature confuse the
Way of Heaven and the Nature of human beings. In their
discussions of the Feeling, Capacity, and materialized
lifebreath, the later Confucians confuse the Capacity,
Feeling, and the materialized lifebreath with inducement,
obscuration, habituation, and staining [which are events
that happen to the aforesaid Capacity, Feeling, and
materialized lifebreath]. Confusing the Way of Heaven with
the Nature of human beings does no great injury to [the
concept of] the Nature [of human beings]. But to confuse
Capacity, Feeling, and materialized lifebreath with
inducement, obscuration, habituation, and staining is a
great defamation of the Capacity, Feeling, and the
materialized lifebreath.1 To do so is just the same as
taking the grafted-on part of a tree to be the same tree as
the root stock. Oh! How could this be the true character of the tree?
DIAGRAM ON MENCIUS'S TEACHING THAT NATURE, QING, AND CAI
ARE ALL GOOD, AND THAT IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF CAI WHEN
EVIL DEEDS ARE DONE
-------------------------------
===============================
-------------------------------
中渾然一性善也。見當愛之物而情之惻隱能直及之，是性之仁；
其能惻隱以及物者，才也。見當斷之物而羞惡能直及之，是性之義；
其能羞惡以及物者，才也。見當敬之物而辭讓能直及之，是性之禮；
其能辭讓以及物者，才也。見當辨之物而是非能直及之，是性之智；
其能是非以及物者，才也。不惟聖賢與道為一，雖常人率性，亦皆如此，
更無惡之可言，故孟子曰「性善」，「乃若其情，可以為善」，
「若為不善，非才之罪也」。¶
In the center is the homogeneous, unitary Nature,
which is good. The Benevolence (ren) of this Nature
is such that on seeing what deserves to be loved the
Feeling of compassion and sympathy reach directly to
it. What makes it possible to feel compassion and
sympathy, and so to reach to the object [of these
sentiments], is its Capacity. The Sense of Right
and Wrong (yi) of this Nature is such that on seeing
what deserves to be excised the Feeling of shame and
dislike reach directly to it. What makes it
possible to feel shame and dislike, and so to reach
to the object [of these sentiments], is its Capacity.
The Sense of Ritual (li) of this Nature is such that
on seeing what deserves to be respected the Feeling
of modesty and yielding reach directly to it. What
makes it possible to feel modesty and yielding, and
so to reach to the object [of these sentiments], is
its Capacity. The Wisdom of this Nature is such
that on seeing what deserves to be judged on ethical
grounds the Feeling of approval and disapproval
reach directly to it. What makes it possible to feel
approval and disapproval, and so to reach to the
object [of these sentiments], is its Capacity.
It is not only sages and worthies who are at one
with the Way. Even ordinary men, if they follow
their Natures, are also all like this. Much less do
they have any evil of which to speak. Therefore
Mencius says: "The Nature is good," {6A:2} "As for
their true and unsullied condition, they are able to
do good," {6A:6} and "If someone does something that
is not good, it is not the fault of the Capacity."
{6A:6}
及世味紛乘，貞邪不一，惟聖人稟有全德，大中至正，順應而不失其
則。下此者，財色誘於外，引而之左，則蔽其當愛而不見，愛其所不
當愛，而貪營之剛惡出焉；私小據於己，引而之右，則蔽其當愛而不
見，愛其所不當愛，而鄙吝之柔惡出焉；以至羞惡被引而為侮奪、殘
忍，辭讓被引而為偽飾、諂媚，是非被引而為奸雄、小巧，種種之惡
所從來也。然種種之惡，非其不學之能、不慮之知，必且進退齟齬，
本體時見，不純為貪營、鄙吝諸惡也，猶未與財色等相習而染也。斯
時也，惟賢士豪傑，稟有大力，或自性覺悟，或師友提撕，知過而善
反其天。又下此者，賦稟偏駮，引之既易而反之甚難，引愈頻而蔽愈
遠，習漸久而染漸深，以至染成貪營、鄙吝之性之情，而本來之仁不
可知矣，染成侮奪、殘忍之性之情，而本來之義不可知矣，染成偽飾
、諂媚之性之情與奸雄、小巧之性之情，而本來之禮、智俱不可知矣。¶
When the tastes of the world become twisted and
perverted and the depraved become separated from
their [original] correctness, it is then only the
sage, endowed with perfect virtue, who, being
[produced from] the true center and being of supreme
correctness, can respond harmoniously [to the things
of the world] without lapsing from the [correct]
design (ze ) [of Heaven]. As for those below this
[level of ontological perfection], on being
externally seduced by wealth and sexual desire and
thus being drawn away to the left [on the diagram],
what they ought to love becomes obscured so that
they do not see it, and they love what they ought
not to love. Thus there is produced in them the hard
evil2 of greed for glory. On being grasped from
within by selfish pettiness and thus drawn away to
the right [on the diagram], what they ought to love
becomes obscured so that they do not see it, and
they love what they ought not to love. Thus there is
produced in them the soft evil of {{vulgar miserliness??? }}.
Furthermore, shame and dislike are drawn away to
become arrogance or cruelty, modesty and yielding
are drawn away to become villainous effrontery or
petty toadying. These are the sources of the many
kinds of evil.
These several kinds of evil, however, are not [the
individual's] unlearned [i.e., innate] abilities,
nor are they his innate? knowledge. [Therefore] it
is inevitable that in the course of everyday
activity the fundamental constitution will from
time to time show itself, for the person's behavior
will not entirely be composed of greed for glory,
selfish pettiness, etc., save that it shall have
first been habituated and stained by wealth, sexual
desire, etc. When things have arrived at this
state, it is only the worthies and the heroes,
those endowed with great powers, who either awakening
[to the error of their ways] through their own
Natures, or having it pointed out by teachers or
friends, will thus know their own transgressions and
admirably return to their true natures.3 Those on a
level below these people, having endowments that are
one-sided and contrary [lit., impure], are easily
led astray. They find returning [to their true
natures] extremely difficult. The more frequent the
inducements, then the more complete the obscuration.
The habituation builds up slowly and the stain
deepens gradually. It reaches the point where the
staining produces a nature and Feeling characterized
by greed for glory or selfish pettiness, so that the
original Benevolence can no longer be known. Or the
staining produces a nature and Feeling characterized
by arrogance or cruelty, so that the original Sense
of Right and Wrong cannot be known. Again, the
staining produces a nature and Feeling characterized
by deception or flattery, or by villainous
effrontery or petty toadying so that the original
Sense of Ritual and [the original] Wisdom cannot be
known.4
嗚呼！禍始引蔽，成於習染，以耳目、口鼻、四肢、百骸可為聖人
之身，竟呼之曰禽獸，猶幣帛素色，而既汙之後，遂呼之曰赤帛黑帛
也，而豈其材之本然哉！然人為萬物之靈，又非幣帛所可倫也。幣帛
既染，雖故質尚在而驟不能複素；人則極凶大憝，本體自在，止視反
不反、力不力之間耳。嘗言盜蹠，天下之極惡矣，年至八十，染之至
深矣，儻乍見孺子入井，亦必有怵惕惻隱之心，但習染重者不易反也
。蠡一吏婦，淫奢無度，已踰四旬，疑其習性成矣；丁亥城破，產失
歸田，朴素勤儉，一如農家。乃知繫蹠囹圄數年，而出之孔子之堂，
又數年亦可複善。吾故曰，不惟有生之初不可謂氣質有惡，即習染凶
極之餘亦不可謂氣質有惡也。此孟子夜氣之論所以有功於天下後世也
。程、朱未識此意，而甚快夜氣之說，則亦依稀之見而已矣！¶
Oh! Calamity is initiated by inducement and
obscuration, and is culminated through habituation
and staining. To take the ears, eyes, mouth, nose,
four limbs, and hundred bones of what may be the
body of a sage and nevertheless call them those of a
bird or a beast5 is like calling a pure white
presentational silk Òred silkÓ or Òblack silkÓ after
it has been stained. For how can this [condition]
be held to be the original appearance of the cloth?
Yet "humans are the most spiritually responsive of
the myriad creatures." {Shu Jing, Book of Documents,
______}, and should not be put on the same level
[of being] as ceremonial presentation silk. For once
the silk has become stained, even though the
original material is still there, it cannot easily
be made white again. In the case of humans, even
though they be most fierce and evil, their original
constitution is still present, so that it is only a
question of whether or not they reverse their paths,
and whether or not they exert effort.6 It has been
said that Dao Zhi [ÒRobber FootpadÓ] was the most
evil man in the world. But even at the age of
eighty, when his stain would have been deepest,
should he suddenly have seen a child about to fall
into a well,7 he too would have had a heart that
felt a sudden surge of compassion and sympathy. It
is nevertheless true that those with a heavy
accumulation of habituation and stain cannot easily
reverse themselves.
The wife of an official of Li was immeasurably
lascivious and extravagant. Having already exceeded
the age of forty, one would expect that her habitual
nature8 had been set. Yet in the year 1647, when
the city was destroyed, she lost her property and
returned to the fields to live simply and frugally
just like a farmer.9 So it may be concluded that if
[Dao] Zhi were to have been confined to prison
several years and then remanded to the hall of
Confucius, after a few more years he too could have
reverted to [his original] goodness. Therefore I
say, it is not only just after birth that the
materialized lifebreath cannot be said to have evil,
but even after having received the abundant harm
inflicted by habituation and staining, the
materialized lifebreath still cannot be said to have
evil. This is the reason that Mencius' discussion
of the nighttime [receipt of supplementary]
lifebreath is of benefit to the later generations
of this world.10 Cheng and Zhu never perceived the
[true] meaning of this [teaching], and so the
theory of the nighttime lifebreath very rapidly
became [treated as] a mere vague idea.
DIAGRAM OF MISTAKES BY REASON OF GOING TO ONE
EXTREME OR THE OTHER DUE TO INDUCEMENT, OBSCURATION,
HABITUATION, AND STAINING
吾之論引蔽習染也，姑以仁之一端觀之。性之未發則仁，既發則惻隱
順其自然而出。父母則愛之，次有兄弟，又次有夫妻、子孫則愛之，
又次有宗族、戚黨、鄉里、朋友則愛之。其愛兄弟、夫妻、子孫，視
父母有別矣，愛宗族、戚黨、鄉里，視兄弟、夫妻、子孫又有別矣，
至於愛百姓又別，愛鳥獸、草木又別矣。此乃天地間自然有此倫類，
自然有此仁，自然有此差等，不由人造作，不由人意見。推之義、禮
、智，無不皆然，故曰「渾天地間一性善也」，故曰「無性外之物也
」。但氣質偏駁者易流，見妻子可愛，反以愛父母者愛之，父母反不
愛焉；見鳥獸、草木可愛，反以愛人者愛之，人反不愛焉；是謂貪營
、鄙吝。以至貪所愛而弑父弑君，吝所愛而殺身喪國，皆非其愛之罪
，誤愛之罪也。又不特不仁而已也；至於愛不獲宜而為不義，愛無節
文而為無禮，愛昏其明而為不智，皆《一》<不>誤為之也，固非仁之
罪也，亦豈惻隱之罪哉？使篤愛於父母，則愛妻子非惡也；使篤愛於
人，則愛物非惡也。如火烹炮，水滋潤，刀殺賊，何咎！或火灼人，
水溺人， 刀殺人，非火、水、刀之罪也，亦非其熱、寒、利之罪也；
手持他人物，足行不正塗，非手足之罪也，亦非持行之罪也；耳聽邪
聲，目視邪色，非耳目之罪也，亦非視聽之罪也，皆誤也，皆誤用其
情也。誤始惡，不誤不惡也；引蔽始誤，不引蔽不誤也；習染始終誤
，不習染、不終誤也。去其引蔽習染者，則猶是愛之情也，猶是愛之
才也，猶是用愛之人之氣質也；而惻其所當惻，隱其所當隱，仁之性
複矣。義、禮、智猶是也。故曰「率性之謂道」也；故曰「道不遠人
」也。程、朱惟見性善不真，反以氣質為有惡而求變化之，是「戕賊
人以為仁義」，「遠人以為道」矣。¶
In my discussion of inducement, obscuration,
habituation, and staining, I will for the moment
take as a point of departure one [of the four moral]
Beginnings, that of Benevolence. Before the Nature
has issued forth [in response to events in the
outside world] there is Benevolence. When it issues
forth, compassion and sympathy follow their natural
course and are produced. Fathers and mothers are
loved, and then successively older and younger
brothers, and husbands and wives. Children and
grandchildren are loved, and then successively the
ancestral clan members, other relatives, neighbors,
and friends. There is a distinction between the
love for elder and younger brothers, husband or wife
, children and grandchildren, and the love for one's
parents. Again, there is a distinction between the
love of ancestral clan members, other relatives, and
neighbors, and the love for older and younger
brothers, husband or wife, and children and
grandchildren. And yet too, this [love] is
distinguished from the love shown to birds and
beasts, and plants and trees. This [differentiation]
exists because there is a natural hierarchy of
classes in the world. There is naturally this
Benevolence, and there are naturally these gradations
. They are neither the fabrications nor the opinions
of human beings. The logical extension of this
[idea] is that the Sense of Right and Wrong, Sense of
Ritual, and Wisdom are all this way. Thus it is said
: "Inchoate amid heaven and earth is the one good
Nature," #####citation and again: "There is nothing
outside the Nature." {XLDQ, 1:35a UPS} However,
those with unbalanced and contrary materialized
lifebreathare easily moved.11 Seeing their wives and
children lovable, they contrarily apply to them the
love appropriate to their parents, while failing to
show love to their mother and father. Or seeing
birds, beasts, plants, and trees lovable, they
contrarily apply the love appropriate to human beings
and contrarily do not love people. This [error] is
called the greed for glory and {{vulgar miserliness}}
. It may reach the point that people are so greedy
for what they love that they may slay their father
or assassinate their ruler. Or they may be so greedy
for what they love that they bring death to their own
bodies and destruction to their country. Yet none of
this is the fault of love, but rather the fault of
mistaken love.12
Again, it is not just that [people] are particularly
unbenevolent. As to love that is inappropriate and
therefore does what is against the Sense of Right
and Wrong, love that is without proper bounds and
therefore does what is contrary to the Sense of
Ritual, love which beclouds one's intelligence and
therefore does what is contrary to Wisdom Ñ these
are all done by [i.e., as a result of] a single
mistake, so they are certainly not the fault of
Benevolence. How could they then be the fault of
compassion and sympathy either? Providing that there
is ample love of parents, there is nothing wrong
with loving one's wife or children. Providing there
is ample love of human beings, there is nothing
wrong with loving other creatures. What fault is
there in fire that cooks, water that moistens [the
fields], or the knife that kills thieves. Should
fire burn a human being, water drown a person, or a
knife kill someone #####cai, it is not the fault of
the fire, water, or knife; nor is it the fault of
heat, cold, or sharpness.#####qing13 When hands
seize other people's things, or feet walk improper
paths, it is not the fault of the hands or feet,
nor of seizing or walking. When ears listen to
depraved sounds, or eyes watch depraved sights, it
is not the fault of ears or eyes, nor the fault of
listening or seeing. These [acts] are all errors.
They are all mistaken exercises of the Feeling.
Mistakes are the beginnings of evil; without
mistakes there would be no evil. Inducement and
obscuration are the beginnings of mistakes.
Without inducement #####a "field" idea##### and
obscuration there would be no mistakes.
Habituation and staining are the beginnings of the
consolidation of mistakes. Without habituation and
staining, there would be no consolidation of
mistakes. With the removal of inducement,
obscuration, habituation, and staining, there is
again the Feeling of love, the Capacity to love,
and the materialized lifebreath of the person who
exercises love. When compassion is shown to what
should receive compassion, and sympathy is shown to
what should receive sympathy, the Nature of
Benevolence returns. The same is true of the
Sense of Right and Wrong, the Sense of Ritual, and
Wisdom. Therefore it is said: "Following the
Nature is called the Way," {ZY, 1} and "The Way
does not go far from human beings." {ZY, 13} Cheng
and Zhu just saw the goodness of the Nature as
unreal, and contrarily considered the materialized
lifebreath to have evil, and so sought to change it.
To do so is to "regard killing and violence done to
people as Benevolence and Justice,"14 and to 小學校"
regard what departs from the human as being the Way."
xxx15
然則氣質偏駁者，欲使私欲不能引染，如之何？惟在明明德而已。存
養省察，磨勵乎詩、書之中，涵濡乎禮樂之場，周、孔教人之成法固
在也。自治以此，治人即以此。使天下相習於善，而預遠其引蔽習染
，所謂「以人治人」也。若靜坐闔眼，但可供精神短淺者一時之葆攝
；訓詁著述，亦止許承接秦火者一時之補苴。如謂此為主敬，此為致
知，此為有功民物，僕則不敢為諸先正黨也。故曰「欲粗之於周、孔
之道者，大管小管也；欲精之於周、孔之道者，大佛小佛也」。¶
Then what should people who have a one-sided and contrary
materialized lifebreath do when they desire to prevent
selfish desires from being able to induce and stain them?
[The answer] lies simply in {{illuminating illustrious
virtue}}, and nothing more. Preservation and cultivation [of
the Nature], introspection,16 and [self-]inspection, gaining
refinement and encouragement from the Shi Jing [Book of
Poetry] and the Shu Jing [Book of Documents], immersion in
the fields of ritual and music -- these, the established
methods of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius for teaching
people, are still extant.17 Both self governance and the
governance of others is done by these means. "Governing
humans by means of the human"18 makes the [people of the]
world become mutually practiced in goodness, and forestalls
inducement, obscuration, habituation, and staining. As to
sitting in meditation with closed eyes, such activity can
only provide a temporary respite to persons whose spirit is
shallow and ill-developed. Textual criticism and writings
[about the classics] likewise permit only temporary
reinforcement to those who have inherited the fires of Qin.19
If it be said that these [methods] constitute emphasizing
seriousness,20 extending knowledge, and making
accomplishments for the benefit of the people, then I dare
not place myself among the ranks of the legitimate earlier
[Confucians]. Therefore I say: "Those who desire to make the
Way more coarse than that of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius
are greater and lesser Master Guans, and those who desire to
make the Way more refined than the Way of the Duke of Zhou
and Confucius are greater and lesser Buddhas.
又如仁之勝者，愛用事，其事亦有別矣。如士、庶人、卿、大夫、諸
侯、天子之愛親，見諸孝經者，仁之中也。有大夫而奉親如士庶者不
及，士庶如大夫之奉親者過，而未失乎發之之正也。吾故曰，不中節
亦非惡也。惟堂有父母而懷甘旨入私室，則惡矣；若甘旨進父母，何
惡！室有妻媵而辱恩情於匪配，則惡矣；若恩情施妻媵，何惡！故吾
嘗言，竹節或多或少皆善也；惟節外生蛀乃惡也。然竹之生蛀，能自
主哉？人則明德明而引蔽自不乘，故曰：「先立乎其大者，則其小者
不能奪也。」¶
Again, in the case of those in whom Benevolence is
predominant, and in whom love functions powerfully,
there are also differences among their activities.
The love of scholars, commoners, high ministers,
great officers, and the Son of Heaven for their
respective parents as seen in the Xiao Jing [Classic
of Filial Piety] is correct Benevolence. Those
great officers who serve their relatives as would a
scholar or commoner fall short, and those scholars
and commoners who serve their relatives as would a
great officer go beyond [the appropriate amount],
yet there is no lapse in the correctness of the
impulse [itself]. I therefore say: Not to strike
the mean is not yet evil. It is only when the
parents still live in the family home and [the son]
cherishes a fond desire to establish a private home
that there is evil. But if the fond desire is to
enter [the home of] the parents, what is evil about
that? Therefore I have said: "Whether the sections
of bamboo may be many or few, they are all good. It
is only when borer worms are produced in addition to
the sections of bamboo that there is evil.21 But
can the bamboo control the production of borer worms
? In the case of humans, if they {{illuminate their
illustrious virtue}}, then inducements and
obscurations naturally will not take effect." Thus
it is said: "First establish the great, and the
small will not be vulnerable."22
THE SINGLE DEPICTION OF ONE QUADRANT, THAT OF
ORIGINATION AND FLOURISHING PENETRATION, IN ORDER
TO EXPLICATE ITS MEANING
全體者為全體之聖賢，偏勝者為偏至之聖賢，下至椿、津之友恭，牛宏之寬恕，
皆不可謂非一節之聖。宋儒乃以偏為惡；不知偏不引蔽，偏亦善也，未可以引
蔽之偏誣偏也。木火一隅圖中，仁勝之說可玩也。¶
Those with a complete constitution become sages and worthies.
Those with one-sided and overpowering constitutions become
one-sided, extremist sages and worthies. Descending to the
level of the friendship and respect of Chun and Jin, or the
broad altruism of Niu Hong, they cannot be denied to be sages
of one dimension [of virtue]. The Song Confucians took
one-sidedness to be evil, not knowing that if one-sidedness be
without inducement and obscuration, then it too is good. It is
not permissible to defame [ordinary] one-sidedness by
[attributing to it the evil of] one-sidedness subjected to
inducement and obscuration. [From the foregoing discussion] one
can test the theory that Benevolence is preponderant in the
quadrant bounded by wood [the phase correlated with Benevolence]
and fire [the phase correlated with the Sense of Ritual].
Commentary: Yan Yuan's point is that one-sidedness is not
sufficient in itself to produce evil. It is a weakness, and
under certain environmental stresses it can lead to evil. The
Song Confucians, Yan argues, see the opening provided for evil
to develop and call the opening itself evil. -- PEM
或疑仁勝而無義，則泛濫失宜，將愛父母如路人，對盜賊而欷歔，豈不成其不宜之
惡乎？仁勝而無禮，則節文不敷，將養父母同犬馬，踰東家摟處子，豈不成其不
檢之惡乎？仁勝而不智，則可否無辨，將從井救人，莫知子惡，豈不成其迷惑之
惡乎？¶
Some suspect that should Benevolence be preponderant, so that
the Sense of Right and Wrong would be absent, then [that
Benevolence] would overflow [its proper bounds] with a loss of
what is proper, and subsequently a person would love his
parents no more than if they were strangers on the road, while
sighing after thieves and robbers. Would, [they ask,] these
[errors] not constitute the evils of inappropriateness? Or,
[they suspect], should Benevolence be preponderant so that the
Sense of Ritual would be absent, then there would be inadequate
restraint and polish, and people would care for their parents
as though they were dogs and horses, and go over the wall to
the house on the east to seize the maiden there. Would, [they
ask,] this [error] not constitute the evil of uninhibitedness?
Or yet again [they suppose that] if Benevolence should be
preponderant, and there should be no Wisdom so that there would
be no discrimination between what is permissible and what is not,
then such people would try to rescue people [i.e., their own
reflections] from wells, and would not know the evils of their
own children. Would, [they ask,] this [error] not constitute
the evil of delusion?
Commentary:
Note that Yan Yuan regards Wisdom as the capacity to determine
whether what people do is correct or incorrect, and that this
includes matters of empirical knowledge. -- PEM
予以為此必不知性者之言也。夫性，則必如吾前仁之一端之說，斷無天生之仁而
有視父母如路人諸惡者。蓋本性之仁必寓有義、禮、智，四德不相離也，但不盡
如聖人之全，相濟如攜耳。試觀天下雖甚和厚人，不能無所羞惡，無所辭讓，無
所是非，但不如聖人之大中，相濟適當耳。其有愛父母同路人，對盜賊而欷歔等
惡者，必其有所引蔽習染，而非赤子之仁也。禮、義、智，猶是也。¶
But I maintain that these [doubts] must be the words of persons
who do not know the Nature. As to this Nature, the situation
must be as I maintained above in my discussion of the Beginning
of Benevolence. There definitely cannot be a Benevolence
engendered by Heaven that could yet [inherently] have the evil
of regarding parents like strangers on the road or other such
evils. That is to say, the Benevolence of the basic Nature
invariably entails the Sense of Right and Wrong, the Sense of
Ritual, and Wisdom. These four Virtues are inseparable; it is
simply that they were not as complete as they are in the
perfection of a sage. But still they aid each other as though
linked hand to hand. Observe that even the most affable and
generous man in the world cannot get along without [reactions
of] shame and dislike, modesty and yielding, and approval and
disapproval, but these [impulses] are not comparable to those
of the great sage that derive from the highest centrality [of
their source] in their aid to each other as though linked hand
in hand. Such evils as regarding parents like strangers on the
road and sighing after thieves and robbers must derive from
inducement, obscuration, habituation, and stain; such is not
the Benevolence of the infant. The same is true of the Sense
of Right and Wrong, the Sense of Ritual, and Wisdom.
熟閱孟子而盡其意，細觀赤子而得其情，則孔、孟之性旨明，而心性非精，氣質
非粗；不惟氣質非吾性之累害，而且舍氣質無以存養心性，則吾所謂三事、六府、
六德、六行、六藝之學是也。是明明德之學也，即謂為變化氣質之功，亦無不可。
有志者倘實以是為學為教，斯孔門之博文約禮，孟子之存心養性，乃再見於今日，
而吾儒有學術，天下有治平，異端淨掃，複覩三代乾坤矣！¶
When the Mencius is thoroughly studied and its meaning
exhaustively comprehended, when its [discussion of the mind of
the] infant is minutely studied and his Feeling [i.e., the
actual functioning of his Nature] is learned, then the
teachings of Confucius and Mencius about the Nature become
clear, and it is seen that neither are the mind and the Nature
refined [above all else], nor is the materialized lifebreath
grosser [than all else]. Not only is the materialized
lifebreath not an encumbrance or injury, but were it to be
discarded there would be nothing by which to preserve and
cultivate the mind and the Nature. Thus is affirmed the study
of the three responsibilities, six treasuries, six virtues, six
patterns of conduct, and six liberal arts, of which I have
[earlier] spoken. This is the discipline whereby {{illustrious
virtue is illuminated}}, which may quite properly be called the
task of transforming the materialized lifebreath. If determined
persons would truly take these [goals] as their study and
teaching, then the "broadening by literature and restraining by
propriety" of the school of Confucius, and the preserving of
the mind and nurturing of the Nature of Mencius would reappear
today; we Confucians would have [true] learning, the world
would be well governed and peaceful, heterodoxy would be swept
away, and the [pure creative impulse represented by the cosmic
Yin and Yang hexagrams,] Qian and Kun, would be seen once again.
圖跋
AFTERWORD
嗟乎！性不可以言傳也，而可以圖寫乎？雖果見孔、孟所謂性，且不可言傳圖寫，
而況下愚不足聞性道如僕者乎！但偶爾一綫悟機，似有髣髴乎方寸者，此或僕一
人之所謂性，尚非孔、孟所謂性，未可知也。況僕所見尚有不能圖盡者乎！語云，
理之不可見者，言以明之；言之不能盡者，圖以示之；圖之不能畫者，意以會之。
吾願觀者尋其旨於圖間，會其意於圖外，假之以宣自心之性靈，因之以察僕心之愚
見，庶不至以佛氏六賊之說誣吾才、情、氣質，或因此而實見孔、孟之所謂性，亦
未可知也。若指某圈曰此性也，某畫曰此情也，某點曰此氣質也，某形勢曰此性、
情、才質之皆善無惡也，則膠柱鼓瑟，而於七圖無往不扞格背戾，且於僕所謂一綫
者而不可得，又安望由此以得孔、孟所謂性乎！恐此圖之為性害，更有甚於宋儒之
說者矣。¶
Oh! As the [truth about the] Nature cannot be communicated by
words, can it then be drawn in a diagram? If even someone who
has actually seen the Nature described by Confucius and Mencius
cannot communicate it by words or draw it in a diagram, how
much less can a lowly, ignorant one such as I, who is
inadequate [even] to hear about the Dao and the Nature? It is
only because I occasionally get a thread of understanding of
the hidden springs of things, as though I had some semblance of
the [true] human mind [that I dare make this attempt]. Whether
or not it may be that what I myself call the Nature is still
not what Confucius and Mencius called the nature, it is
impossible to know. Moreover, it has been impossible for me to
express all that I have seen through drawings. It is said the
li that cannot be immediately apprehended in vision may be
illuminated through words. What cannot be fully expressed
through words may be presented through diagrams. What cannot be
fully expressed though diagrams is [only] to be intuited. It is
my wish that my readers will seek the meaning of the diagrams,
and will go beyond the diagrams to gain intuitive understanding,
that they will make use of this [understanding] in order to
manifest the inborn efficacy of their own minds, and [that they
will] utilize it to examine the shallow views of my mind. Then
perhaps they will avoid defaming our Capacity, Feeling, and
materialized lifebreath by means of the Buddhist theory of the
six thieves. And perhaps because of this [abstention] they will
truly see what Confucius and Mencius call the Nature. This too
it is impossible to know. If one were to point to a certain
circle [in the above several diagrams] and call it the Nature,
point to a certain line and call it Feeling, point to a certain
dot and call it materialized lifebreath, or point to a certain
configuration and call it the total goodness without evil of
the Nature, Feeling, and Capacity, then such an act would be
unduly inflexible, and every point would serve as a barrier to
[a real understanding of] the seven diagrams. Moreover, if it
be impossible to attain to an understanding of what I have
called the one thread [of understanding], then what hope would
there be of attaining to what Confucius and Mencius call the
Nature? I fear that the damage to the Nature made by these
diagrams would then be even greater than that done by the
theories of the Song Confucians.
雖然，即使天下後世果各出其心意以會乎僕一綫之意，遂因以見乎孔、孟之意，
猶非區區苦心之所望也。僕所望者，明乎孔、孟之性道，而荀、揚、周、程、張、
朱、釋、老之性道可以不言也，明乎孔、孟之不欲言性道，而孔、孟之性道亦可
以不言也，而性道始可明矣。¶
However, providing that future generations in this world really
put forth their thoughts to comprehend the meaning of my "one
thread," they will thereby perceive the meaning of Confucius
and Mencius; this [position] is still not [taken with] any
expectation of wracking people's minds at each point. My hope
is that by throwing light on the Dao and Nature of Confucius
and Mencius, there will be no need to speak of the Dao and
Nature of Xun [Zi], Yang [Xiong], Zhou [Dun-yi], the Chengs,
Zhang [Zai], Zhu [Xi], the Buddha, and Lao [Zi]; and that by
understanding the Dao and the Nature concerning which Confucius
and Mencius did not wish to speak, there will likewise be no
need to speak of the Dao and Nature of Confucius and Mencius,
and this Dao and Nature will then first become clear.
Commentary: Is Yan Yuan making an appeal to introspective
mysticism here? -- PEM
或曰：孔子罕言矣；孟子動言性善，何言乎不欲言也？曰：有告子二或人之性道，
孟子不得已而言性善也，猶今日有荀、揚、佛、老、程、張之性道，吾不得已而
言才、情、氣質之善也。試觀答告子諸人，但取足以折其詞而止，初未嘗言性善
所由然之故，猶孔子之罕言也。宋人不解，而反譏其不備，誤矣！¶
It might be asked: "Confucius seldom spoke of it, and Mencius
was moved [only by compelling reasons] to say that the Nature
is good. So why talk about what they did not wish to speak?"
[To this I] reply: There were the positions of Gao Zi and the
two unidentified speakers concerning the Dao and the Nature,
so Mencius had no way out but to [explicitly] teach that the
Nature is good, just as today there are the positions of Xun
[Zi], Yang [Xiong], the Buddha, Lao [Zi], the Chengs, and Zhang
[Zai] about the Dao and Nature, so that I have no way out but
to teach the goodness of that Capacity, Feeling, and the
materialized lifebreath. Take a look at the answers to Gao Zi
and others. [Mencius] only chose to say enough to shut them
off, and in the beginning did not give any reasons for the
Nature's being good, just as Confucius seldom spoke of it. The
men of Song did not understand this [reticence] and to the
contrary attacked [the teachings of Confucius and Mencius] as
inadequate. What a mistake!
或曰：吾儒不言性道，將何以體性道，盡性道？余曰：吾儒日言性道而天下不聞
也，日體性道而天下相安也，日盡性道而天下相忘也。惟言乎性道之作用，則六
德、六行、六藝也；惟體乎性道之功力，則習行乎六德、六行、六藝也；惟各究
乎性道之事業，則在下者師若弟，在上者君臣及民，無不相化乎德與行藝，而此
外無學教，無成平也。如上天不言而時行物生，而聖人體天立教之意著矣，性情
之本然見，氣質之能事畢矣，而吾之七圖亦可以焚矣。故是編後次之以存學、存
治云。¶
It might be asked: "If we Confucians do not speak of the Dao
and the Nature, then how will anybody embody this Dao and
Nature? How will anyone develop to the utmost this Dao and
Nature?" I reply: If we Confucians talk about the Dao and
Nature every day, and the world does not listen, let us then
daily embody it and then the world will be at peace with itself
Let us daily develop it to the utmost, and the world will
forget [its theoretical interests that are of detriment to a
true practice of the Dao]. When we speak about the functioning
of the Nature and the Way, this means the six virtues, the six
patterns of conduct, and the six liberal arts. When each of us
plumbs the workings of the Nature and the Way, those below will
imitate us like younger brothers, and those above will serve as
ministers to the ruler [in succession] all the way down to the
common people, so that all will transform each other with
virtue and the practice of the liberal arts. Other than this
[effort] there will be no need for schools or the establishment
of gradations. Just as Heaven above does not speak, yet the
seasons progress, just as creatures are produced and the sage
embodies Heaven to establish his teaching, when the basic
suchness of the Nature and Feeling is seen, then the ability
use one's materialized lifebreath to serve will be brought to
completion. Then my seven diagrams may be destroyed by fire.
Therefore I have followed this book with the Cun Xue Bian
(Preservation of Learning) and the Cun Zhi Bian (Preservation
of Governance).
附錄同人語¶
YAN YUAN'S APPENDIX::CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE
上谷石卿張氏曰：「性即是氣質底性，堯、舜底氣質便有堯、舜底性，呆獃底氣質
便有呆獃的性，而究不可謂性惡。」¶
Mr. Zhang Shi-qing of Shang-gu said: "The Nature is just the
Nature of the materialized lifebreath. The materialized
lifebreath of Yao and Shun had the Nature of Yao and Shun, and
the materialized lifebreath of an idiot has the Nature of an
idiot, yet in the final analysis it cannot be said that the
Nature [in either case] is evil."
又曰：「人性無二，不可從宋儒分天地之性、氣質之性。」¶
He also said: "There is no duality to the human Nature. It is
wrong to follow the Song Confucians and make a distinction
between the Nature of Heaven and Earth [i.e., a transcendent
Nature] and the Nature of the materialized lifebreath.
先生賜教，在未著存性前。惜當時方執程、朱之見，與之反覆辯難。及喪中悟性，
始思先生言性真確，期服闋入郡相質，而先生竟捐館矣！嗚呼！安得複如先生者
而與之言性哉！¶
The teachings which my elder brother bestowed upon me were
received before I wrote the Preservation of Nature.
Unfortunately, at that time I still maintained the opinions of
the Cheng [brothers] and Zhu [Xi], and I argued with him
repeatedly. When, during my period of mourning, I came to a
realization of the Nature, I first realized that my elder's
words about the Nature were correct., I planned to make my way
to his district on the completion of my mourning in order to
engage in mutual examination [of these matters], but he had
already been lost [in death] from his school. Oh! How can I
ever have someone like him with whom to discuss the Nature!
督亢介祺王氏曰：「氣質即是這身子。不成孩提之童性善，身子偏有不善。」¶
Wang Jie-qi of Du-kang said: "Materialized lifebreath is just
this body. The Nature of an infant is good; his body is biased
and contains what is not good."
又曰：「天生人來，渾脫是箇善。」¶
He also said: "When Heaven produces a human being he is
completely good."
又曰：「氣質、天命，分二不得。」¶
He also said: "Materialized lifebreath cannot be separated from
the Mandate of Heaven."
書後¶
Postscript
孟子曰性善，即魯論之「性相近」也，言本善也。晏子曰「汩俗移質，習染移性」，
即魯論之「習相遠」也，言惡所由起也。後儒不解，忽曰氣質有惡，而性亂矣，
聖賢之言背矣。先生辭而辯之，功豈在禹下哉？¶
Mencius' saying that the Nature is good is just the same as the
Lu [home state of Confucius] doctrine that the Natures are near
[at birth]; they both say that the Nature is fundamentally good.
Master Yan said: "Being immersed in customs modifies substance
(zhi, the substrate to which ornamentation is applied), and
habituation and staining modify the Nature," which is the Lu
doctrine that by practice men become far apart; this is an
explanation for the source of evil. The later Confucians did
not understand and jumped to the conclusion that the
materialized lifebreath has evil, thus disordering [the
understanding of] the Nature, and going against the teachings
of the sages and worthies. My master denied and contended
against this belief. Can his merit then be said to be less than
that of Yü?
特先生性圖，入「太極」「五行」諸說，則於後儒誤論，當時尚有未盡灑者。塨
後質先生曰：「周子太極圖，真元品道家圖也。‘易有太極兩儀’，指揲蓍言，非
謂太極為一物，而生天地萬物也。五行為六府之五，乃流行於世以為民物用者，
故箕子論鯀罪曰‘汩陳其五行’，非謂五行握自帝天而能生人生物也。生尅乃鄒衍
以後方家粃說，聖經無有。」先生曰：「然，吾將更之。」及先生卒後，披其編，
則更者十七而未及卒業，於是承先生意，而湔洗之如右。¶
Yet there was one point, where his [original] diagrams included
the Tai-ji [Supreme Ultimate] and the five elements, that he
had not completely purged himself of the mistaken teachings of
the later Confucians. I later remonstrated with my master
saying: "Master Zhou's Tai-ji Tu (Tai-ji Diagram) was from the
Shang-fang da-dong zhen-yuan-miao-jing pin. [The sentence] in
the Yi [Changes] there is the Tai-ji [Great Ultimate]...the two
Emblems [Yin and Yang],' {Yi Jing, Xi Ci, 11} refers to taking
up milfoil [stalks for divination], it does not mean that the
Tai-ji is a thing which produces Heaven and Earth and the
myriad creatures. The five elements are five of the six
treasuries, which flow through this world so that they may be
used by people and creatures. Therefore Master Ji said of the
transgression of Gun that he "threw the five elements into
disorder," which does not mean that the five elements are
controlled by August Heaven and are able [thereby] to produce
men and creatures. [The theory of succession] production and
diminution [of the five elements by each other] is a valueless
doctrine of the recipe gentlemen (i.e., Daoist magicians) who
came after Zou Yan. It does not occur in the holy classics."
My master said: "That is so. I will change it." After my master
died, I opened his manuscripts and [found that] seventy percent
were changed and that he had not reached the completion of his
work. Thereupon I have taken up my master's intention and have
expurgated [the heterodox material so that it appears as] above.
康熙乙酉三月上浣，蠡吾門人李塨書。¶
The third day of the third moon in the yi-you year of the
Kang-xi reign period.
蠡吾門人李塨書。¶
-- Disciple Li Gong of Li-wu.
康熙乙酉三月上浣，¶
