廣弘明集 8.26

8.26

"The Book of Later Han states: 'The Grand Astrologer Sima Qian drew upon the Zuo Commentary and the Guoyu, abridged the Shiben and the Zhan'guo ce, and based upon the Chunqiu of Chu and Han, arranged contemporary affairs. Ascending to the Yellow Emperor and descending to the capture of the lin, he composed the Basic Annals, Hereditary Houses, Liezhuan, Treatises, and Tables, totaling one hundred and thirty chapters, of which ten chapters are lost. As for selecting from the classics, picking from the commentaries, and dispersing the affairs of the hundred schools, it is very often superficial and sketchy, not matching the originals. He sought to achieve merit through broad hearing and extensive recording, but his discussions of principles are shallow and not solid. When discussing doctrines and learning, he revered Huang-Lao and slighted the Five Classics, belittled benevolence and righteousness, and debased the preservation of integrity. These were his grave defects, harming the Dao, which led to the fault of receiving the ultimate punishment.' Furthermore, the 'Treatise on Rites and Music' in the Book of Jin states: 'The world says Sima Qian's Shiji is extraordinary yet not comprehensive. "Extraordinary" refers to his extensive knowledge of antiquity and far-reaching penetration; "not comprehensive" refers to his deficiency regarding Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism and Daoism having fallen into defect, the sacred teachings did not flourish. He Yan and Wang Bi modeled themselves after this, exalting Daoism and abandoning Confucianism, confusing and disordering the realm, altering customs and destroying manners, ultimately causing the Wei and Jin to decline, the four barbarian tribes to invade each other, and the Central Realm to become feeble.' These are all texts from the truthful records of the national histories. Why should one find it strange to evaluate their merits and demerits and examine their canons and treatises in detail? How could acceptance or rejection, ascent or descent, have anything to do with my humble personal inclinations?"