鐔津文集 6.6

6.6

What the world calls ‘yielding’ ought to have distinctions of degree and circumstance, yet scholars lump them together and treat them as one. If there is no differentiation within ritual propriety, how can later generations take them as a model? When the Son of Heaven yields the world, the feudal lords yield their states, the ministers and grandees yield their ranks and emoluments, and the scholars and commoners yield fame and profit, these all have that whereby they yield. If that whereby they yield attains what is correct, then their ritual propriety can be adopted; if that whereby they yield fails to attain what is correct, what is there in their ritual propriety to adopt? Now, among yieldings: there are those who yield according to the times; there are those who yield out of righteousness; there are those who yield for the sake of fame; there are those who yield out of forced circumstance; and there are those who yield carelessly. Those who yield according to the times are benevolent; those who yield out of righteousness encourage [others]; those who yield for fame make a display of rectitude; those who yield out of forced circumstance are at their wit's end; and those who yield carelessly bring about disorder. Duke Yin of Lu yielded carelessly; Emperor Xiaoping of the Han yielded out of forced circumstance; Jizha of Wu and Zicang of Cao yielded for fame; Boyi yielded out of righteousness; and Yao and Shun yielded according to the times. In the time of Yao, there was Great Concord; the times permitted yielding, so he yielded to the worthy, and the world revered his benevolence. Thus it is said: ‘Those who yield according to the times are benevolent.’ By the era of Yu, the times had gradually changed; the world could not be yielded to another, so his son succeeded him, and the world likewise revered his benevolence. Taibo and Boyi deferred to one another on account of worthiness, and their righteousness permitted yielding; their yielding was sufficient to encourage a hundred generations. Thus it is said: ‘Those who yield out of righteousness encourage [others].’ When Jizha and Zicang lived, the feudal states contended with one another, and fathers and sons mutually slaughtered each other; thereupon they exerted themselves to yield for the sake of fame, in order to rectify and arouse their times. Thus it is said: ‘Those who yield for fame make a display of rectitude.’ Emperor Xiaoping of the Han was coerced by the power of an overbearing minister; his person was at an impasse and in such danger that he could not rally, so he yielded the world. Thus it is said: ‘Those who yield out of forced circumstance are at their wit's end.’ Duke Yin of Lu did not yield in a proper manner, yielded to the wrong person, and carelessly gave it up, ultimately leading to depravity and disorder. Thus it is said: ‘Those who yield carelessly bring about disorder.’ Mencius said: ‘If Heaven gives it to the worthy, then give it to the worthy; if Heaven gives it to the son, then give it to the son.’ Xunzi said: ‘Yao and Shun's abdication and yielding (some texts have the character shan [meaning usurp/monopolize], following Xunzi's text; this carries the meaning of monopolizing, and in reason it should be shan [monopolize], which tallies with shan [abdication]) is not so. The power and position of the Son of Heaven is supremely honored and without peer in the world; to whom, then, could he yield?’ Yangzi said: ‘The truly wise Yao monopolized the weight of Shun, so he did not treat Xu You lightly.’ Hanzi said: ‘Yao and Shun transmitting [the throne] to the worthy was because they desired the world to find its proper place.’ However, none of these four masters comprehended the times of the sages and worthies. Whose words can be considered complete? If Yao had not met with such times, how could he have been willing to yield the world to another? Had Yu met with the times of Yao, how would the world have passed to his son? When Yao, Shun, and Yu stood preeminent above ten thousand generations, it was precisely because they acted according to the times. Yao, Shun, and Yu were those who were timely among the sages. Alas, how deeply selfish are the people of later generations! Living in the times of Yu, those who transmitted [the throne] could not base themselves on Yu and said: ‘I admire Yao and Shun, and shall abdicate and yield for them.’ This, too, is delusion. How could they know the times?