[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [鐔津文集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115) › 5.22 # 鐔津文集 5.22 鐔津文集 5.22 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5.22) 或者問曰。今稱皇者而不列其道。真學士固疑之而罔辯。雖然百家雜出。君子謂非所信也。是果有然。是果無耶。吾子至學不謬聖人。必能引決。為我明之也。曰是何云乎皇道豈無有耶。特乃不見耳。夫皇道者簡大無為。不可得而言之也。縣縣默默合體乎元極。元也者四德之冠也。五始之本也。體而存之。聖人之所以化也。推而作之。聖人之所以教也。教也者五帝之謂也。化也者三皇之謂也。善推教化則皇帝之道皎如也。古語云。德合元者皇。德合天者帝。與仁義合者王（仁或作人）孰曰皇無道真乎。曰如此也。孔子盍推而廣之。而祖述則何獨尊乎堯舜文武而已矣。曰夫聖人之云為者。必以其時之所宜也。苟非其宜雖堯舜必不能徒為也。故曰。孔子聖之時者也。言其能以時為而為之也。昔者孔子處周之衰世。因酌後世之時必也益薄且偽。因不稱以簡大之道化。是故推至乎禮樂刑政者也。蓋以合乎後世之時為治之宜也。然禮樂大造莫造乎堯舜者也。刑政大備莫備乎文武者也。此孔子所以推尊乎堯舜文武者也。故皇道者聖人存而不推也。王道者聖人推而不讓也。易曰。包犧氏沒神農氏作。堯舜垂衣裳而天下治。此聖人現皇道而存之者也。禮曰。大道之行也。與三代之英丘未之逮也。而有志焉。此聖人歎皇道而不得行之也。適有贏糧而趨於行者。不審其所以往而趨於行也。第以路跂相爭。斯雖愚夫亦笑其不知道也。與乎今之學者所以辯何以異哉。老子莊生亦頗論皇道。而學士嘗以為聖人之書。雜其所出而鄙之。此亦非詳也。夫皇道也以易言之。則文王周公其先德也。彼老莊也又何能始之乎。曰孔氏云。伏犧神農皇帝之書謂之三墳。言大道也。少昊顓帝高辛唐虞之書謂之五典。言常道也。今子也而論皇帝。而安見其所謂大道常道者耶。曰彼孔氏者以迹其教化而目之也。吾本其道真而言之也。教化迹也。道本體也。窺迹則宜其有大有常。極本則皇與帝者宜一。孔氏可謂見其徼者也烏足以知道淵邪。或者曉然而作。 > Someone asked: 'Nowadays, people speak of the August Ones (huang) but do not set forth their way. True scholars doubt it and cannot debate it. Moreover, the hundred schools proliferate, and the gentleman considers them untrustworthy. Did such a way truly exist, or was there really none? Your learning is consummate and does not stray from the sages; you can surely resolve this and make it clear to me.' I replied: 'Why do you say this? Could the Way of the August Ones not exist? It is simply not seen, that is all. The Way of the August Ones is simple, great, and non-active; it cannot be captured in words. Remote and silent, it unites in substance with the Primal Ultimate. The "primal" is the chief of the four virtues, the root of the five beginnings. To embody it and preserve it is how the sage transforms; to extend it and put it into practice is how the sage teaches. "Teaching" refers to the Five Thearchs; "transforming" refers to the Three August Ones. If one skillfully traces teaching and transforming, the way of the August Ones and Thearchs is bright and clear. An ancient saying states: "One whose virtue accords with the primal is an August One; one whose virtue accords with Heaven is a Thearch; one who accords with benevolence and righteousness is a King." Who can say that the August Ones lacked the truth of the way?' He said: 'If it is so, why did Confucius not extend and broaden it, and why in transmitting ancestral tradition did he honor only Yao, Shun, Wen, and Wu?' I replied: 'Whatever the sages do must be suitable to their time. If it is not suitable, even Yao and Shun could not act in vain. Thus it is said: Confucius was the sage of timeliness; this means he acted when the time called for action. Anciently, Confucius lived in the declining age of Zhou; inferring that times in later ages would inevitably become thinner and more deceitful, he did not proclaim the transformation of the simple and great way. For this reason, he extended down to rites, music, punishments, and administration, so as to accord with the timeliness of later ages as the appropriate means of governance. Yet for the grand establishment of rites and music, none surpassed Yao and Shun; for the complete provision of punishments and administration, none surpassed Wen and Wu. This is why Confucius praised and honored Yao, Shun, Wen, and Wu. Therefore, the sage preserved the Way of the August Ones without promoting it, while he promoted the Way of the Kings without yielding. The Book of Changes says: "When Baoxi passed away, Shennong arose; Yao and Shun simply let their robes hang down and the world was well governed." This is the sage revealing the Way of the August Ones and preserving it. The Record of Rites says: "When the Great Way prevailed, and in the flourishing eras of the Three Dynasties, I, Qiu, did not witness it, yet I have my aspirations set upon it." This is the sage lamenting that he could not practice the Way of the August Ones. Suppose someone with abundant provisions hurries on a journey, yet does not examine where he is going and rushes onward, merely squabbling over taking steps along the road—even a fool would laugh at his ignorance of the way. How is this different from the debates among scholars today? Laozi and Zhuangzi also discussed the Way of the August Ones considerably, but scholars often regarded their texts as mixed up with the sages' writings and despised them; this too is inexact. Speaking of the Way of the August Ones in terms of the Changes, King Wen and the Duke of Zhou were its earlier exemplars; how could Laozi and Zhuangzi have originated it?' He said: 'Master Kong said: "The books of Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor are called the Three Graves, speaking of the Great Way; the books of Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Gaoxin, Tang, and Yu are called the Five Canons, speaking of the Constant Way." Now that you discuss the August Ones and Thearchs, how do you see their so-called Great Way and Constant Way?' I replied: 'Master Kong designated them by tracing their teachings and transformations; I speak of them by getting to the root of the truth of their way. Teaching and transformation are traces; the way is the fundamental substance. If one examines the traces, it is fitting that there be the great and the constant; if one reaches the root, the August One and the Thearch are fittingly one. Master Kong may be said to have seen their outer limits; how could he suffice to know the depth of the way?' The questioner was enlightened and arose. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5.21) - [Next: 5.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5.23) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115~en-mt.5.22) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2115.5.22) · Pramāṇa