釋氏稽古略 1.86

1.86

In the third year of the Yuanfeng reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song, the Assistant Director of the Palace Library, Liu Shu (courtesy name Daoyuan), wrote in his Waiji: 'Among the Six Classics, only the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the Tuan, Xiang, Wenyan, Shuogua, Xugua, and Zagua of the Book of Changes were composed by Zhongni (Confucius). The Book of Songs and the Book of Documents were edited and settled by Zhongni. None of them use the designations of the Three Sovereigns, the Five Emperors, or the Three Kings. The "Xici II" of the Book of Changes states: "In ancient times, Baoxi ruled the world. When Baoxi died, Shennong arose; when Shennong died, the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun arose." They succeeded one another and changed reigns without the enumeration of three or five. Some take Baoxi down to Shun as the Five Emperors, yet Confucius never said this; scholars must not make forced associations with subjective opinions. Guanzi states: "He who is luminous in unity is a Sovereign; he who examines the Way is an Emperor; he who penetrates virtue is a King; he whose strategies succeed and whose arms conquer is a Hegemon." Kong Yingda said: "The book of Guanzi might have been compiled by later people, not the original book." Zhuangzi and Liezi are both fables and absurdities; Han and Qin scholars revered their literary rhetoric and arguments, and thus competed in naming the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, unaware that in antiquity there were no such figures and that Zhongni never spoke of them. Emperor Wu of the Liang considered Fuxi, Shennong, and Suiren as the Three Sovereigns, and the Yellow Emperor, Shaohao, Emperor Ku, Emperor Zhi, and Emperor Yao as the Five Emperors; he did not count Shun as one of the Three Kings nor as one of the Five Emperors, but grouped him with the Three Kings as the Four Dynasties, which makes no sense. Across successive generations, there has been endless confusion without a settled conclusion. The Grand Historian said: "Scholars often speak of the Five Emperors as ancient indeed; yet the Book of Documents records only from Yao onward, while the Hundred Schools speaking of the Yellow Emperor use words that are not refined and decorous, so gentlemen in robes and caps find them difficult to speak of. What was transmitted by Confucius—when Zai Yu asked about the Virtues of the Five Emperors and the Imperial Genealogies and Surnames—Confucian scholars sometimes do not transmit. I have traveled west to Kongtong, north past Zhuolu, east to the sea, and south sailed along the Yangtze and Huai rivers; the elders there frequently pointed out the places associated with the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun. Their customs and teachings certainly differed, but in sum, those which do not deviate from the ancient texts are close to the truth." The Suoyin says: "'Ancient texts' refers to the two books, Virtues of the Emperors and Imperial Genealogies, which are close to the truth. They are the words of the Sage. Look at the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Discourses of the States: their elucidation of the Virtues of the Five Emperors and the Imperial Genealogies and Surnames is clear indeed! It is only that people have not deeply investigated them. What is manifested in them is by no means false. There are gaps where the texts are deficient, yet their lost fragments appear from time to time in other accounts. Unless one is fond of learning and thinks deeply, knowing their meaning in one's heart, it is truly difficult to explain them to those of shallow views and limited hearing." I have arranged and selected those words that are especially refined, and therefore compiled them at the head of the Basic Annals.'