The Complete Works of Han Fei Tzu: A Classic of Chinese Political Science [2]

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PROBSTHAIN^S ORIENTAL VOL. XXVI

THE

SERIES

COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU vol .

n

UNESCO COLLECTION OF R E PR ESEN TA T IV E W ORKS — C H IN ESE SE R IE S

I •3 . 1

6S6i ‘NOCINO了 , In response to this Yii Ch'ing said : “ When dry， the wood will become straight; when dry the plaster will become light. Suppose the wood and the plaster are really dry now. Then they will become lighter and straighter day by day and will never collapse even after a long period of time.” Thereby the carpenter gave in and did the building in the way Yii Ch'ing wanted. In the meantime following the completion, the house actually collapsed. D

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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

Fan Chii1 said: u The bow breaks always towards the end and never at the beginning. To be sure, the bow-maker first draws the bow, leaves it in the stand for thirty days,2 then puts the string on it, and after one day shoots arrows with it. Thereby he makes it tender at the beginning and tough towards the ending. How can the bow not break ? Chii’s way of making bows is not the same—namely, to leave the bow in the stand for one day, then put the string on it, and • after thirty days shoot arrows with it. Thereby I make it tough at the beginning and tender towards the ending/' At his wits' end, the bow-maker made bows in the way Fan Chii wanted. The bows broke to pieces. The sayings of Fan Chii and Yii Chcing are all eloquent in structure and excellent in diction to the realities of things. Yet the lord of men is always delighted at such sayings and never suppresses them. This is the cause of his failure. Indeed, not to seek for the merits in attaining order and strength but to covet the voices in making eloquent speeches and beautiful compositions, is to reject the experts in state­ craft and trust to such laymen as would-break houses and bows. Therefore， the lord of men in administering state affairs is always not as skilful as the carpenter in building houses and the craftsman in making bows. However， the experts are driven to their wits' end by Fan Chii and Yii Chcing. Because 3 of the futility of 4 empty phrases the latter 1 With Ku Kuang-ts^ 范 且 refers to Fan Chii ( 范 are sometimes synonyms. 2三旬. 3 With Kao H6ng 4 With Kao

其

爲

虛 辭 should be 因. 無 用 should be 之 .

above

above

睢

） as

且

and

唯

OUTER CONGERIES OF SAYINGS, UPPER LEFT SERIES

43

triumph. Because of the immutability of 1 practical things the former are driven at bay. The lord of men makes much of useless eloquent speeches and makes light of immutable propositions. This is the cause of disorder. In the present world there are always men who would imitate Fan Chii and Yii Ch‘ing, but the lord of men is unceasingly delighted with them. This is to revere such types of men as the house^ and bow_makers and look at the technical experts as carpenters or craftsmen. As the carpenter and the craftsman 12 could not exert their technical skill, the house collapsed and the bow broke. Likewise, as the experts in statecraft cannot carry out their policy, the state is disorderly and the sovereign is jeopardized. To be sure, children, when they play together, take soft earth as cooked rice, muddy water as soup, and wood shavings as slices of meat. However, at dusk they would go home for supper because dust rice and mud soup can be played with but cannot be eaten. Indeed, tributes to the legacy of remote antiquity, are appreciative and eloquent but super­ ficial ; and admiration of the early kings for their benevolence and righteousness, cannot rectify the course of the state. Therefore, they can be played with but cannot be used as instruments of government, either. Indeed, those who have longed after benevolence and righteousness and become weak and disorderly are the Three Chins. The one who has never longed but has become orderly and strong is Ch'in. However, she has not yet become an empire because her government is not yet perfect. 1 With Kao 2 With Ku

其 above 無 易 should be 之 . 工 匠 should be supplied above 不 得 施

•

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

44

Annotations to Canon I I I ;— If one receives no good care in his childhood from his parents, when he grows up, as a son he shows resentment at them. Though the son grows to be a big and strong man, his provisions for his parents are rather scanty. Then the parents become angry and reprimand him. Now, father and son are the closest relatives. Yet they either reprimand or show resentment at each other simply because they are driven together by force of circumstances and neither can accom­ plish his self-seeking purpose. Indeed, in the case of workmen selling their services in sowing seeds and tilling farms, the master would at the expense of his housekeeping give them delicious food and by appropriating cash and cloth1 make payments for their services. Not that they love the hired workmen, but that, they say, by so doing they can make the workmen till the land deeper and pick the weed more carefully.2 The hired workmen, by exerting their physical strength, speedily pick the weed and till the land,3 and, by using their skill, rectify the boundaries between different tracts 4 of ground and the dykes separating different fields.5 Not that they love their master， but that， they say, by their so doing the soup will be delicious and both cash and clodi will be paid to them. Thus， the master’s provisions and the workmen’s services supplement each other as if between them there were the 擇 ， and 錢 below 易 且 should be supplied above 熟 ， and 転

1 With Kao HSng 2 With Ku

云. 3 With Ku

調

者

below

睦

above

means

耕転

is superfluous.

時

嘻

4 畦 is a piece o f ground fifty mou in area. 5 With Ku

should be

.

should be above below

熟

布.

should be

OUTER CONGERIES OF, SAYINGS, UPPER LEFT SERIES

45

compassion of father and son. However， their minds are well disposed to act for each other because they cherish selfseeking motives respectively. Therefore, when men deal with each other in managing affairs and rendering services, if their motive is hope for gain, then even with a native from Yiieh, it will be easy to remain harmonious. If the motive is fear of harm, then even father and son will become estranged and show resentment toward each other.1 Duke Wen attacked Sung but made a declaration beforehand， saying : “ I have heard the Ruler of Sung follows no right way of government, insulting seniors and elders, making unfair distribution of alms, and issuing faithless precepts and ordinances* Therefore, I am coming to punish him on behalf of the people•” Ytieh was attacking Wu. The King of Yiieh made a declara­ tion beforehand，saying : “ I have heard the King of Wu built the Ju-huang Tower and dug the Deep Spring Pool, wearing out the hundred surnames and wasting the money and resources of the country and thereby exhausting the strength of the people. Therefore， I am coming to punish him on behalf of the people•” A princess of Ts'ai became a concubine of Duke Huan. One day Duke Huan and she went on a boat. She moved the boat at random. Much frightened, Duke Huan stopped her but she kept on doing it. Enraged, he divorced her. Soon he recalled hen But the Ts'ais replied that they had married her out elsewhere. Thereat Duke Huan became very angry and thought of attacking Ts'ai. Uncle Chung，accordingly, 1 Bodde's translation of this whole paragraph (Fung, op. cit., p. 327) like those of many other citations from Han Fei Tzu involves inaccuracies on many points, and, what is worse, contains omissions.

4^

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

admonished him, saying: “ Indeed, the trouble due to the play between sleeping partners makes no sufficient cause for attacking their country. Otherwise, the achievement of Hegemony cannot be expected. Please do not take this as a wise plan." Duke Huan would not listen. So Uncle Chung said: “ Suppose Your Highness cannot help attacking Ts‘ai. Well， for three years Ch‘u has not brought thorny reeds1 as tribute to the Son of Heaven. Your Highness had better raise an army and attack Ch'u on behalf of the Son of Heaven. After Ch‘u is subdued, turn back and raid Ts‘ai and say to the world， ‘ when His Highness was attacking Ch‘u on behalf of the Son of Heaven, Ts‘ai never followed him with reinforcements. Therefore His Highness is destroying it•’ This will be righteous in name and profitable in fact. In consequence, Your Highness will have the name of punishing the disobedient on behalf of the Son of Heaven and the fact of taking revenge•” Wu Ch'i commanded Wey's forces in attacking Central Hills. Among his soldiers someone became sick of boils. Therefore, Wu Ch'i knelt down himself and sucked the pus out of the boil. The mother of the wounded soldier was stand­ ing by and crying. People then asked her, “ The general is so kind to your son. Why should you keep crying ? In reply she said: “ Wu Ch‘i sucked the pus out of his father's wound and his father later died fightings Now die son will die fighting, too. I 2am, therefore, crying•” The Father Sovereign of Chao once ordered masons to use a scaling ladder, thereby climb Mountain Fan-wu, and 1善 茅 ， namely， thorny reeds triangular in shape used for filtering wine on ceremonial occasions. 2 With Wang Hsien-shen 今 above 吾 is superfluous.

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47

on the summit engrave a human footprint three feet wide and five feet long, and inscribe it， “ The Father Sovereign once strolled here•” King Chao of Ch^n ordered masons to use a scaling ladder, thereby climb the Hua Mountain, on the summit construct a backgammon board with the kernels of pines and cypresses and arrows eight feet long and chess pieces eight inches long, and inscribe on the board, “ King Chao once played backgammon with a heavenly god here.’’ 1 Duke Wen on the way to his homeland reached the Yellow River， where he ordered all bamboo and wooden vessels for food to be thrown into the river, the sheets and mats to be thrown into the river, the men whose hands and feet are thick and chapped and those whose faces and eyes were black or dark to follow from behind. Hearing about this, Uncle12 Fan wept all night. So Duke Wen asked h i m , I have been exiled for twenty years till now when I am barely able to return to my native soil. Hearing about this, Uncle Fan is not delighted but crying all the time. Does it mean that he does not want His Highness to return to his native country ? ” In reply Fan said : “ The bamboo and wooden vessels have been used for serving food but Your Highness is going to throw them away• 丁he sheets and mats have been used for making beddings but Your Highness is going to give them up. The men whose hands and feet are thick and chapped and faces and eyes are black or dark have rendered meritorious services but Your Highness is going to keep them following from behind* Now thy servant happens to be among the 1 With Wang the Im perial Readings has no 2^

矣

b e lo w 此 .

reads J | , and Fan was an epithet o f Hu Yen.

48

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

group following from behind. Unable to bear the sadness, I am crying. Moreover, thy servant in order to enable Your Highness to return to his native country committed mis­ representations many times. O f this even thy servant never approves. How much less would Your Highness ? ’’ 1 So saying, he repeated bowing and took his leave. Stopping him from leaving, Duke Wen said: “ There is a proverb saying, c Builders of the shrine take off their clothes when installing the image in it but wear their black hats straight when commemorating the enshrined spirit/ Now, with me you have recovered the country but you are not going to govern the country with me. This is the same as though you installed the image in the shrine with me but would not commemorate the enshrined spirit with me.” So saying， he untied the horse attached to the left of the yoke of his carriage and swore by the River to repeal the order. Once a man of the Prefecture of Cheng, named Po Tzu, asked his wife to make a pair of trousers. How would you like to have your trousers made this time ? asked the wife. “ Like my old trousers，” replied the husband. Accordingly the wife tore the new trousers and made them look like the old ones. Once a man of the Prefecture of Cheng came by a yoke but did not know its name. So he asked somebody else, " What thing is this ? 2 “ It is a yoke，” was the reply. Suddenly he found a yoke again and asked, " What thing is this ? ” “ It is a yoke，” was again the reply. Thereby the man was enraged and said, You called the former one a yoke and are again calling the present one a yoke. Why so 1 With Wang Hsien-shen the D ig e s ts o f C lassics has 2 With Kao H 会 ng

何種

means

何物•

below

OUTER CONGERIES OF SAYINGS, UPPER LEFT SERIES

49

many ? Aren’t you deceiving me ? ” So saying, he started quarrelling with the man. A man of Wei intended to shoot arrows with strings tied to them. When a bird came, he beckoned to the bird with the ball of string. The bird was frightened. He did not shoot. Once the wife of Po Tzu, a man of the Prefecture of Cheng, went to the market, bought turtles, and was bringing them home. Passing by the Ying Water, she thought the turtles were thirsty, let them go drinking, and lost her turtles. Once upon a time a youngster was attending an elder man drinking wine. But every time the elder took a drink, he would himself drin^1 too* According to a different source : A man of Lu wanted to learn etiquette.2 He saw elder people drinking wine and spitting it out whenever unable to finish it. So he followed them in spitting wine out. According to another different source: A youngster of Sung wanted to learn etiquette. Once at a feast he saw elder people drinking a toast and not leaving a single drop. So he started finishing the whole cup though not drinking a toast It is said in an ancient book， “ Gird yourself, belt yourself! ，’ A man of Sung, who once ran across this passage, doubled his sash and girdled himself with it accordingly. “ Why do you do th a t? " asked someone else. “ The ancient book saying so, so must I d o /5 was the reply. 1 According to the Chinese etiquette a youngster is not supposed to drink at the same time at the same table with elder people. 2 With Wang Hsien-shen 自 喜 below 有 seems a mistake for 效 善 .

5〇

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

It is said in an ancient record,1 Already engraved and already carved, it reverts to its naivete/5 A man of Liang, who once ran across this passage, would talk about learning in his daily action and quote facts from the writing in illustration of his theory. Everyday12 he would do the same, till he lost the genuineness of his nature. Thereupon someone else asjked him, “ Why do you do that ? ” “ The ancient record saying so, so must I d o /' was the reply. A man of Ying once wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Yen, He wrote the letter at night. When the light was not bright, he， accordingly， said to the candle-holder, “ Raise the candle ! ’’ So saying he wrote down by mistake the words, “ Raise the candle,” although raising candles was not the gist of the letter. However, the Prime Minister of Yen on receiving the letter was glad and said : " To raise the candle means to exalt the bright. To exalt the bright means to elevate the worthy and appoint them to office•” Therefore, the Premier of Yen spoke to the King about the policy of appointing the worthy to office, which the King was very glad to carry into effect. In consequence, the state became orderly. As regards the problem of political order, they did attain political order. But it was not the gist of the letter ! Thus, scholars of the present world mostly resemble the Premier of Yen in interpreting the meaning of words. Once a man of Cheng wanted to buy a pair of shoes for himsel£ He measured his feet first and left measurements on his seat. He arrived at the market-place, but had forgotten 1 With Wang

書

言己and so throughout this annotation. 曰 above 難 之 should be 日•

should be

2 With Ku Kuang-ts‘6

OUTER CONGERIES OF SAYINGS, UPPER LEFT SERIES

51

to take the measurements along. Though he had already found the shoes for himself， he said， “ I have forgotten to take the measurements along. Let me go home to get them here.” When he came back again， the market was closed， however. He could not get the shoes after all. “ Why didn't you try the shoes with your own feet ? asked people. " I have confidence in the measurements but not in my own feet/' was the reply. Annotations to Canon I V :— Wang Teng, Magistrate of Chung-mou, once in his proposition to Lord Hsiang of Chao said: “ Chung-mou has scholars named Chung-chang and Hsli-i, whose personal appearances are very refined and whose learning is very erudite. Why does Your Highness not take them into service ? ，， In reply Lord Hsiang s a i d Y o u go to find them. I will apppoint them Middle Officials/' Thereupon the Premier remonstrated with him, saying, u The post of the Middle Official is an important rank in Chin. Now, appoint­ ment of men of no merit to office is not in accordance with the constitution of Chin. Your Highness has only heard about them but not yet seen them, isn’t it so ? ’’ “ When I took Teng into service/' replied the Lord, ^ I saw him after having heard about him. The men he has recommended I will see after I have heard about them, too. This is the way to use others as my own ears and eyes without cease/1 Thus, Wang Teng in one day recommended two Middle Officials to interview the Lord, who bestowed upon them fields and residences. In consequence>the people of Chungmou, who stepped tilling fields and mowing grass, sold their houses and farms, and pursued literary studies, numbered half the population of the fief.

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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

Shu Hsiang sat by Duke P cing and reported to him on different affairs. Though the calves of Duke P ‘ing became sore and the legs numb, yet he only turned his muscles around but dared not leave his seat. Hearing about this， everybody in the Chin State said: “ Shu Hsiang is a worthy. Duke P'ing respected him so much that during the interview he only turned his muscles around but dared not leave his seat/' In consequence, men in the Chin State who resigned from official posts and yearned after Shu Hsiang occupied one-third 1 the size of the country. A man of Cheng, named Ch'ii Kung, whenever he heard enemies were coming, would fear lest he himself 2 should die at their hands and also fear lest he himself should be captured alive by them. The Father Sovereign of Chao sent Li Tzcu to inspect Central Hills and see whether or not the country could be attacked. Upon his return Tzcu reported that the country could be attacked and that if His Majesty did not strike early enough, he would lag behind Chci and Yen, ‘‘ Why can the country be attacked ? " asked the Father Sovereign. In reply Li Tzcu said: “ It is because the Ruler is fond of celebrating retired scholars in rocky caves. For tens of times, he pulled down his carriage-cover and offered seats in his carriage when meeting scholars from destitute village gates or narrow alleys. The times that he paid such courtesies to scholars wearing hemp clothes as if they were his equals, numbers hundreds.” ‘‘ According to your description and estimation，” remarked the Father Sovereign， “ he is a worthy 1 With Wang Hsien-shen 錘 is a mistake for 垂 ， which with Kao Hdng means one-third. 2 With Wang 己 should be supplied above 因 死 .

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53

ruler. Why then can the country be attacked ? ^ That is not so ^ replied Tz'u, because if the Ruler is fond of cele­ brating retired scholars from rocky caves and employs them in the court, then warriors will neglect their duties at the camps ; if the superior esteems learned men, condescends to country scholars， and employs them in the court，1 then farmers will relax their efforts in the fields. If the warriors neglect their duties at the camps, the army becomes w eak: if the farmers relax their efforts in the fields, the state becomes poor. With the army weakened by enemies and the state impoverished at home, no country ever evades destruction. Isn't it then practicable to attack such a country ? Right." So saying, the Father Sovereign raised an army, attacked Central Hills, and finally destroyed the country. Annotations to Canon V :— Duke Huan of Ch'i was fond of wearing purple clothes, till everybody in the country wore purple clothes, too. At that time, nobody could get one purple thread at the cost of five plain white threads. Worried over this, Duke Huan said to Kuan Chung， “ I am fond of wearing purple clothes， but purple clothes are very expensive. The hundred surnames in the country like to wear purple clothes continually. What should I do about that If Your Highness wants to stop them，” replied Kuan Chung, ‘‘ why doesn’t he for a time not wear any purple clothes at all, and tell the atten­ dants, ' His Highness dislikes the bad odour of purple clothes “ All right，” said the Duke.2 Thenceforth, 1 With Wang the Im perial Readings has ^

下士居朝* 2 1 remove 公 曰 諾

here from a b o v e 於

^

士 而朝之

in place o f

是日郞中莫衣紫

.

54

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

whenever any attendant in purple clothes came in, the Duke would say， “ Get away a little ! I dislike the bad odour of purple clothes.” Accordingly, that day no courtier wore purple clothes; next day nobody in the state capital wore purple clothes; and by the third day nobody within the state boundaries wore purple clothes. According to a different source: The King of Ch‘i was fond of wearing purple clothes. So were the people of Ch'L As a result, in the Ch'i State with the cost of five plain white threads nobody could buy a purple one. Over the expensive­ ness of purple clothes, the King of Ch'i worried. Thereupon the Grand Tutor said to the K ing: " It is said in the Book q/" Po 打/y， uld h e 人臣 • 2 The dice on which an owl is engraved. 3 To kill die die means to discard it throughout the rest of the game.

j6

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF HAN FEI TZU

from small strings and small sounds from large strings. This is the same as the large and the small reversing their order and high and low exchanging status* The literati, regarding this as harmful io righteousness, refrain from playing the Se instrument/' “ Good,” said King Hsiian. Chung-ni said， ‘‘ Better let the people flatter the superior than let them flatter the inferior yy.\ Annotations to Canon T V ;— Chii was a retired scholar in C h ^ ; Ch'uan in Wey. The Rulers of Ch'i and Wey were not enlightened and not able to penetrate into the actual conditions within the boundaries, and both followed the words of the attendants. There­ fore, the two men used gold and jade and sought to join governmental service. Hsi-men, while Magistrate of Yeh, was clean and honest and had no self-interest even as small as the tip of an autumn spikelet. He was, however, very indifferent towards the courtiers. Therefore the courtiers joined one another and together did him an ill turn. After one year o f his term， he handed in his report on local finance; then the Ruler took back his official seal. Thereupon he presented to the Ruler his own petition saying: