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Chapter XXXI. Gentle Drums (Shun-ku).

According to the Ch`un-ch`iu, [in time of high water the drums were beaten, and animals immolated at the altars of the spirits of the land]. ¹ The expositors of the Classic hold that the drums symbolise an attack or compulsion, which is equivalent to an attack. The Yang² being paramount, the spirits of the land are attacked, to deliver people from the calamity.

Some one might object that an attack upon the spirits implies victory and defeat, and that such a measure cannot be in accordance with justice. A ruler of men honours Heaven like his father and Earth like his mother. In case the kindred of his mother had done mischief, would he attack his mother, in order to help his subjects? He whose government is deficient and who throws the Yin and the Yang into disorder, ³ is the sovereign. If, to restore order, instead of attacking himself, he violated all laws, and offended against august Heaven and Earth, would they bring him relief?

Provided that an inundation injured Heaven, but that it were not injured by Earth, then the water might be warded off; but now things have to suffer from the water. All the various things together are much inferior to Earth, and to violate her sacred body would be contrary to all principles. ⁴ The critics of the Ch`un-ch`iu, however, are unable to raise these objections.

Rain issues from mountains and flows into rivers. ⁵ Mountains and rivers are, therefore, nearly related to inundations. Yet when high water causes disaster, they do not attack mountains or rivers.

The altars of the land are earth. As regards the nature of the Five Elements, water and earth are quite dissimilar. When water does evil, earth is attacked. Earth is stronger than water. This is the idea underlying the attack upon the spirits of the land.

Is it not like the workmen of our time using a hammer and a chisel? With the hammer they beat the chisel, and make it enter the wood. Now, by attacking earth, do they cause it to subdue water?

Furthermore, the object of attacking the spirits of the land is to assault the kindred of the Yin.⁶ Suppose that A is a robber who has wounded people. A is there and has not fled, but the injured let him go and attack B. Would they stop A from committing more crimes in this way? Rain is water, and the water is there, but in lieu of assaulting water, they attack the spirits of the land.

When Heaven is going to rain, the mountains first emit clouds, which gather and become rain. The rain flows and becomes water. Thus the mountains are the parents, and water is their progeny. In capital punishment even relatives are implicated, but does the punishment attain ascendants and descendants only, or even the friends of the criminal? If mountains and water as well as the altars of the land are held to be related to rain, which of them are the nearest relatives? ⁷ The altars of the land are earth. The fluids of the Five Elements are different and vary very much. ⁸

In the time of T`ai Mou of the Yin dynasty a mulberry and a paper-mulberry grew together. Some say that Kao Tsung terrified began to practise virtue with stooping body. He would ponder over the government of former kings, illustrate the principle of feeding the old, regenerate extinguished States, re-establish the succession of extinct princely houses, and raise obscure scholars. Upon this the two trees died, and he enjoyed his government for a long time. This story was universally known in the "Spring and Autumn" period. Floods are not different from the extraordinary phenomenon of the mulberry trees, yet the king of Yin changed his government, whereas in the Ch`un-ch`iu era they attacked the spirits of the land. The two methods are conflicting; which of them must be followed?

In the time of King Ch`êng of Chou, a tempest broke loose over the empire, with thunder and rain. The grain lay down, trees were up-rooted, and the damage was enormous. King Ch`êng opened the book from the metal-bound coffer, to inquire what was to be done, and about the merit of the Duke of Chou. He held the book in his hands with tears in his eyes, and lo! the rain ceased, and the wind stopped. The grain rose again, and the big trees were raised up again. ⁹

Great rain and continual floods are of the same nature. King Ch`êng changed his faults, and in the Ch`un-ch`iu period they attacked the spirits of the land. Since the views of the two Classics disagree, what is to be done?

When insects eat the grain of the crops, those well versed in the calendar, cause the officers, whom they liken to the insects, to be flogged and maltreated, for the purpose of removing the calamity. ¹⁰ If we thoroughly go into the question, we find that this is not right, but it is done out of regards to the public feeling.

Now, is it the government which brings about the rain, or the officers? If neither the government is changed, nor the officers are punished, and merely the spirits of the land attacked, how can this put a stop to the rain?

Provided that the same kind must be attacked, then the moon is the essence of all the Yin. When we hold up a moon-mirror towards the moon, water comes down. ¹¹ The moon approaching the Hyades or leaving the constellation of the "House" from the north, it nearly always inevitably rains. ¹² The animals in the moon are the hare and the toad. ¹³ Their counterparts on earth are snails and corn-weevils. When the moon is eclipsed in the sky, snails and corn-weevils decrease on earth, which proves that they are of the same kind. ¹⁴ When it rains without ceasing, one attacks all that belongs to the Yin. To obtain a result one ought to hunt and kill hares and toads, and smash snails and corn-weevils.

When locusts appear, they either pass flying or they alight, and wherever they alight, all grain and grass wither and die. The officers and underlings direct the people to draw furrows and dig moats, and with rattles to drive the locusts into them. There they scrape together heaps of locusts, thousands and thousands of bushels, but, although they attack the locusts themselves, they cannot stop them. Now, what would be the effect of an attack upon the kind of the Yin? How could rain be checked thereby?

We read in the Shang-shu ta-chuan:¹⁵ ---"When there are inauspicious vapours, and the sacrifices to Heaven and Earth are neglected, mountains and rivers not prayed to, wind and rain not in season, and frost and snow fail to come down, the minister of Heaven ¹⁶ is held answerable. When officers frequently assassinate their prince, and illegitimate sons murder their progenitor, the five relationships being in discord, the minister of Men ¹⁷ is made responsible. When the city walls are not refitted, and ditches and moats in bad repair, the springs not flowing, and the people visited with floods, then the minister of Earth ¹⁸ bears the responsibility." The king as well as the three ministers ¹⁹ all have their functions, and the princes, lords, and high officers all have their special duties. Now floods are not laid at the charge of lords and high officers, but drums are beaten, and the spirits of the land attacked. How do we know but that this is wrong and that Lu acted contrary to the rites? Confucius writing the Classic mentioned the incident as a warning against malpractices. Kung Yang Kao²⁰ could not fathom it, and Tung Chung Shu, not determine its meaning, so that, at present, the idea of attacking the spirits of the land is again being put forward.

If Kung Yang Kao were still alive, and Tung Chung Shu not dead, we might nonplus them with the following argument:---When, after a long rain, the waters rise and flow over, who is responsible for it? If it be the ruler, then he must change his government, and amend his dealings, to stop them. If it be his ministers, they must suffer the penalties of their crimes, to appease Heaven. Should it be neither the sovereign nor his ministers, but the fluids of the Yin and Yang viz. their fortuitous revolutions, of what use would be the beating of drums and the attacking of the spirits of the land?

In the "Remarks on the Ch`un-ch`iu" ²¹ it is said:---"The sovereign boiling over, causes droughts, plunged in dissipation, he causes floods." Accordingly, in times of drought, one must commit acts of dissipation, and, in case of floods, proceed in a hot-headed way. Why then attack the spirits of the land? This attack is inexplicable. Besides they draw round red silk, which is likewise unaccountable. ²² They endeavour to explain it by the supposition that the altars correspond to the Yin, and red to the Yang. Water, being Yin, becomes surrounded by the colour of Yang, which cooperates with the drums in bringing relief.

If a big mountain catches fire and is sprinkled with water from a pool, every one knows the uselessness of such a measure, because the fire is much too intense, and the water too little to quench the flames. Now, the inundation of a State is like a big mountain on fire. To draw such a silken thread round the altars of the spirits of the land for help, would be like ²³ sprinkling a big mountain with water from a pool.

To understand the mind of Heaven, one takes human thoughts as a starting point, and to form an idea of Heaven's government, one considers human actions. ²⁴ At a battle, victory cannot be won, unless the combatants try conclusions man to man, and measure swords. Now, if in a State suffering from floods they really wished to attack the Yang, in order to extinguish the fluid, and if they sent forth all their men, armed with spears, and swords in hand, to smite it, as at the end of the year, they expel sickness, then perhaps a success might be achieved. When in the struggle between Ch`u and Han²⁵ and in the time of the Six States, they flew to arms, the stronger held the field, and the weaker were defeated. If one man alone assaults the spirits, beating the drum, without force of arms, what can he do against the rain?

Sunshine and rain are like day and night, and met with as Yao and T`ang encountered the flood and the drought. They are also like summer and winter. Should anybody desire to sacrifice to them, according to human custom, in order to check their changes, trying to turn winter into summer, or night into day, would he be successful? In case that it rains uninterruptedly, and that the sovereign quietly reclines on his high couch, the rain stops, all the same, of itself, and after having stopped for a long time, so that a great dryness has been the consequence, it also begins to rain afresh, spontaneously, even though the sovereign remains inactive on his pillows. Why? Because the Yang having reached its climax, suddenly turns into the Yin, and the Yin having gone to extremes, again turns into the Yang.

How do we know but that the floods of heaven and earth are like the "water sickness" ²⁶ of mankind, and whether a drought is not like jaundice among men? By prayers and supplications for happiness they are not to be cured, and a change of conduct or reforms are of no avail. By using a physician and taking medicines, they may perhaps still be cured, but, when life is at an end, and one's time is up, no doctor and no medicine can help.

The Great Flood, which Yao fell in with, is the high water of the Ch`un-ch`iu. The wise ruler understood its nature, and did not invoke the spirits, or change his government, but he employed Yü, to regulate the water and make all the rivers run eastward. Yao's employment of Yü for the regulation of the water is like a dropsical man's recourse to a doctor. The Great Flood of Yao, therefore, is the "water sickness" of heaven and earth, and Yü, regulating the water, was the clever doctor of the Great Flood. Wherefore did the critics change all this? The attack on the spirits of the land is not justified by facts.

In case of incessant rain, they sacrifice to Nü Wa.²⁷ The Rites know nothing of this. Fu Hsi and Nü Wa were both sages; that, omitting Fu Hsi, Nü Wa is to be sacrificed to, is not stated in the Ch`un-ch`iu, on what then does Tung Chung Shu base his suggestion? ²⁸

The Classic of the "Spring and Autumn" speaks of drums only; why does that mean to attack? The critics reading the word "drums," imagine that it means attacking, but drums need not necessarily refer to an attack. This view of the critics is erroneous.

[The head of the Chi family was richer than the duke of Chou had been, and yet Ch`iu collected his imposts for him, and increased his wealth. Confucius said, "He is no disciple of mine. My children, you may beat the drum and scold ²⁹ him."] ³⁰

Scolding means reproving, and reproving, recriminating. From the mutual armed attacks of the Six States an objection cannot be derived here. ³¹ But this course would likewise be improper. ³² For a mean person to reprove an exalted one, is impertinent. ³³ But may be that in reproving he acts under instructions from Heaven. The emperor treats Earth as his mother. A mother having committed some fault, can her son be charged by his father to reprove her? As to explanations of that sort between inferiors and superiors, a subject has solely the right to remonstrate, whereas the ruler may reprove and recriminate. Why then violate all the rules of propriety?

It is a human custom to reinforce cries and intensify shouts by drums. Of old, when a ruler was about to go out, bells were struck and drums beaten, to frighten and warn off low class people. ³⁴ If drums were really beaten for the purpose of assailing the spirits of the land, then the sound of bells and the roll of drums would mean an aggression and an onslaught on the highest powers.

At inundations, drums are most likely used to address the spirits of the land a second time. When the Yin is in its apex, the rain pours down unceasingly, Yin reigns supreme, and Yang is weak. This is not the proper course of things. Since oral supplications are inadequate, drums are employed, to assist the prayers in the same manner as, at an eclipse of the sun, drums are beaten and animals sacrificed at the altars of the land. ³⁵ All this is done, to inform the spirits of the urgent need, and to show the undue preponderance of the Yin.

In important and urgent matters bells and drums are used, in small and indifferent ones, jingles and fives. ³⁶ They make known what has happened, announce the urgency, and help the voice of the petitioner. Great principles are difficult to know. Provided that great floods and long inundations be occasioned by government, the urgent need is announced first nevertheless. But this is a government affair. When robberies are rife, the proceeding is the same. Robberies are likewise the upshot of government. As soon as the loss has been ascertained, in this case also an announcement is first made. The beating of drums and immolating of the animals at the altars of the land is the publication. The spirits of the land are the chiefs of all the Yin, therefore they are informed by the beating of drums.

Those who maintain that drums imply an attack, attack a mother. Such an impiety is the consequence of this view. Now, if we say that it is an announcement of the preponderance of the Yin and the impotence of the Yang, the difficulty of assaulting a venerable being does not arise. Moreover, an announcement agrees well with the offering of an animal, but a sacrifice does not tally with an assault. To immolate an animal, while making an announcement, is according to the rites, but is there any rule prescribing the combination of an attack and a sacrifice?

Red silk in the shape of a cord points to heat. Because the hot fluid is exhausted, one uses such a small thing. By driving in a needle one inch long, and by rubbing a ball of moxa over a vein, a violent disease may be cured. Red silk is like a needle an inch long and a ball of moxa.

Wu attacked and defeated Ch`u.³⁷ King Chao fled, and Shên Pao Hsü³⁸ took an opportunity ³⁹ to walk afoot to Ch`in. With plenty of tears he asked for help, and finally obtained auxiliary troops with which he repulsed Wu and saved Ch`u. How does a drummer beat the drum? Provided that he be as upright as Shên Pao Hsü, then one single person may eventually suffice to beat the drum. If one man beat the drum, then it might be possible to prevail upon the spirits of the land, that they feel the same pity as the king of Ch`in, and with earth overcome the power of water, averting and stopping the clouds and the rain. The fluids of clouds and rain cause fears like that of Wu. When they disperse, reverting into the mountains, the harrassed people are blessed with sunshine and repose, enjoying the peace of the kingdom of Ch`u.

["When a strong wind blows, and the thunderclaps quickly follow each other, a superior man will be deeply moved. Though it be night, he will rise, don his clothes and cap and sit up,"] ⁴⁰ apprehending an untoward accident. Water and drought are like thunder and storm. Though it be natural phenomena, subject to certain laws, it would show a want of sympathy for the troubles of the people, if the sovereign were to recline apatheticly on the bulging pillows of his bed-chamber, awaiting a change.

Yao did not immolate, which was perhaps owing to the simplicity of primitive times. T`sang Hsieh invented writing, and Hsi Chung wrought carts. Can the inventions of later generations be condemned, on the plea that in former ages writing and carts were unknown? When the times are the same, but doings differ, difficulties may arise. Different ages, however, have different customs, which do not exclude each other. ⁴¹

People painting pictures of Nü Wa, make a likeness of a lady and give it the appellative Nü (woman). In accordance with the view of Tung Chung Shu, the name Nü Wa was first introduced as designation for a lady and a ruler of ancient times. Yang is male, and Yin female. Since the Yin fluid causes disasters, Nü Wa is sacrificed to, to implore her protection.

There is a tradition that Kung Kung, fighting with Chuan Hsü for the imperial dignity, was vanquished, and, in his wrath, knocked against Mount Pu Chou, causing the "Pillar of Heaven" to break and the confines of the earth to be smashed. Nü Wa melted five-coloured stones, and repaired the blue sky, and having cut the legs of a sea-turtle, erected them at the four poles. ⁴² When TungChung Shu sacrificed to Nü Wa, this tradition first became current. Originally, their was a goddess who repaired the blue sky and erected the four poles. Provided that, the fluid of Heaven being in disharmony and the Yang principle vanquished, Nü Wa with her spiritual force helped a wise emperor, would she be able to check the rain showers?

Notes

1. Quoted from the Ch`un-ch`iu, Duke Chuang 25th year.

2. I suppose that Yin should be written here, for at times of great floods the Yin, and not the Yang fluid preponderates. See below p. 345 seq.

3. . Williams writes the last character , Kanghi and Couvreur , Giles .

4. It would be improper to hurt the sacred body of Earth, by attacking the spirits of the land, merely for the sake of the various things injured by an inundation. Neither Heaven nor Earth are materially affected by floods.

5. Cf. Vol. I, p. 277.

6. Heaven is Yang and Earth is Yin and so far the kindred of water which is Yin also.

7. Mountains and water of course, the parents and the progeny of rain as Wang Ch`ung puts it.

8. Therefore earth and water should not be interchanged, nor earth be made responsible for inundations.

9. See p. 17 seq.

10. For more details on this peculiar custom see chap. XXXIV.

11. Cf. p. 351 and Huai Nan Tse III, 2r.:--- .

12. Cf. p. 328.

13. See Vol. I, p. 268.

14. Cf. p. 4.

15. , so ed. C. Ed. A writes , ed. B . It is a work written by Fu Shêng , the preserver of the Shuking of the 2nd and 3rd cent. b.c. Cf. Vol. I, p. 447, Note 2, and Giles, Bibl. Dict. No. 599. According to Chang Chih Tung's Bibliography the work is still in existence.

16. .

17. .

18. .

19. . This expression usually denotes the three chief ministers of the Chou dynasty:--- Grand Tutor, Grand Assistant, and Grand Protector, mentioned in the Shuking Part V, Book XX, 5 (Legge, Classics Vol. III, Part II, p. 527). The titles given to them in the Shang-shu ta-chuan:---minister of Heaven, of Men, and of Earth, seem not to occur elsewhere; the Pei-wen-yün-fu ignores them. They bear some resemblance to the "officer of Heaven" and the "officer of Earth" of the Chou-li, who have been identified with the "prime minister" and the "minister of Instruction" of the Shuking. Cf. Legge, loc. cit. p. 528, Notes 7 and 8.

20. In his commentary to the above quoted passage of the Ch`un-ch`iu, Kung Yang says that the ceremony was correct.

21. , apparently a work on the Ch`un-ch`iu, but not enumerated in the Catalogue of the Hou Han-shu.

22. Kung Yang loc. cit. refers to this custom and gives a similar explanation as here given.

23. Ed. A and C:---, ed. B:---.

24. Cf. Vol. I, p. 287.

25. The struggle between Hsiang Yü who had made himself king of Ch`u and Liu Pang, the later Han Kao Tsu.

26. .

27. See below p. 347.

28. The suggestion that Nü Wa should be sacrificed to.

29. , the same word which in the foregoing discussions is used in the sense of attacking.

30. Analects XI, 16. Cf. p. 55.

31. The objection that should be taken in the sense of "attack" in the passage of the Analects, as it must be understood in regard to the struggles of the Six States.

32. The word , used concerning the high water sacrifice, cannot be explained by scolding or reproving.

33. Men are mean, compared with the spirits of the land, whom they are supposed to attack.

34. Now gongs are used for the same purpose.

35. This custom is mentioned in the above quoted passage of the Ch`un-ch`iu.

36. . Neither Kanghi nor the Chêng-tse-t`ung know this character. It is perhaps a misprint for , a fife or a shrill pipe used to exhort people to work, as the dictionaries say.

37. In 506 b.c.

38. A grandson of a ruler of Ch`u. See Giles, Bibl. Dict. No. 1697.

39. which is paraphrased by:---.

40. Quotation from the Liki. Cf. Vol. I, p. 296, Note 1.

41. Therefore Yao's not immolating does not tell against the later custom.

42. Cf. Vol. I, p. 250.


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