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難歲篇

俗人險心，好信禁忌，知者亦疑，莫能實定。是以儒雅服從，工伎得勝。吉凶之書，伐經典之義；工伎之說，凌儒雅之論。今略實論，令〔世〕（親）〔觀〕覽，核是非，使世一悟。

《移徙法》曰：「徙抵太歲，凶；負太歲，亦凶。」抵太歲名曰歲下，負太歲名曰歲破，故皆凶也。

假令太歲在（甲）子，天下之人皆不得南北徙，起宅嫁娶亦皆避之。其移東西，若徙四維，相之如者，皆吉。何者？不與太歲相觸，亦不抵太歲之衝也。

實問：避太歲者，何意也？令太歲惡人徙乎？則徙者皆有禍；令太歲不禁人徙，惡人抵觸之乎？則道上之人，南北行者皆有殃。

太歲之意，猶長吏之心也。長吏在塗，人行觸車馬，干其吏從，長吏怒之，豈獨抱器載物，去宅徙居觸犯之者，而乃責之哉？

昔文帝出，過霸陵橋，有一人行逢車駕，逃於橋下，以為文帝之車已過，疾走而出，驚乘輿馬。文帝怒，以屬廷尉張釋之。釋之當論。使太歲之神行若文帝出乎？則人犯之者，必有如橋下走出之人矣。

方今行道路者，暴溺仆死，何以知非觸遇太歲之出也？

為移徙者，又不能處。不能處，則犯與不犯未可知。未可知，則其行與不行未可審也。

且太歲之神審行乎？則宜有曲折，不宜直南北也。長吏出舍，行有曲折。如天神直道不曲折乎？則從東西、四維徙者，猶干之也。若長吏之南北行，人從東如西，四維相之如〔者〕，猶抵觸之。如不正南北，南北之徙又何犯？

如太歲不動行乎？則宜有宮室營堡，不與人相見，人安得而觸之？

如太歲無體，與長吏異，若煙雲虹蜺，直經天地，極子午南北陳乎？則東西徙，若四維徙者，亦干之。譬若今時人行觸繁霧蜮氣，無從橫負鄉皆中傷焉。如審如氣，人當見之，雖不移徙，亦皆中傷。

且太歲、天別神也，與青龍無異。龍之體不過數千丈，如令神者宜長大，饒之數萬丈，令體掩北方，當言太歲在北方，不當言「在子」。其東有丑，其西有亥，明不專掩北方，極東西之廣，明矣。令正言在子位，觸土之中直子午者不得南北徙耳，東邊直丑、巳之地，西邊直亥、未之民，何為不得南北徙？

丑與亥地之民，使太歲左右通，〔不〕得南北徙及東西徙。（可）〔何〕則？丑在子東，亥在子西，丑、亥之民東西徙，觸歲之位；巳、未之民東西徙，忌歲所破。

儒者論天下九州，以為東西南北，盡地廣長，九州之內五千里，竟三河土中。周公卜宅，經曰：「王來紹上帝，自服于土中。」雒則土之中也。

鄒衍論之，以為九州之內五千里，竟合為一州，在東（東）〔南〕位，名曰赤縣〔神〕州。自有九州者九焉，九九八十一，凡八十一州。此言殆虛。地形難審，假令有之，亦一難也。

使天下九州，如儒者之議，直雒邑以南，對三河以北，豫州、荊州、冀州之部有太歲耳。雍、梁之間，青、兗、徐、楊之地，安得有太歲？

使如鄒衍之論，則天下九州在東南位，不直子、午，安得有太歲？

如太歲不在天地極，分散在民間，則一家之宅，輒有太歲，雖不南北徙，猶抵觸之。假令從東里徙西里，西里有太歲；從東宅徙西宅，西宅有太歲。或在人之東西，或在人之南北，猶行途上，東西南北皆逢觸人。

太歲位數千萬億，天下之民徙者皆凶，為移徙者何以審之？如審立於天地之際，猶王者之位在土中也。東方之民，張弓西射，人不謂之射王者，以不能至王者之都，自止射其處也。今徙豈能北至太歲位哉？自止徙百步之內，何為謂之傷太歲乎？

且移徙之家禁南北徙者，以為歲在子位，子者破午，南北徙者，抵觸其衝，故謂之凶。夫破者、須有以椎破之也。如審有所用，則不徙之民，皆被破害；如無所用，何能破之？

夫雷、天氣也，盛夏擊折，折木破山，時暴殺人。使太歲所破，若迅雷也，則聲音宜疾，死者宜暴；如不若雷，亦無能破。

如謂衝抵為破，衝抵安能相破？東西相與為衝，而南北相與為抵。

如必以衝抵為凶，則東西常凶，而南北常惡也。如以太歲神，其衝獨凶，神莫過於天地，天地相與為衝，則天地之間無生人也。

（或）〔式〕上十二神，登明、從魁之輩，工伎家謂之皆天神也，常立子、丑之位，俱有衝抵之氣，神雖不若太歲，宜有微敗。移徙者雖避太歲之凶，獨觸十二神之害，為移徙（時）者，何以不禁？

冬氣寒、水也，水位在北方。夏氣熱、火也，火位在南方。案秋冬寒、春夏熱者，天下普然，非獨南北之方水火衝也。今太歲位在子耳，天下皆為太歲，非獨子、午衝也。審以所立者為主，則午可為大夏，子可為大冬。冬夏南北徙者，可復凶乎？

立春，艮王、震相、巽胎、離沒、坤死、兌囚、乾廢、坎休。王之衝死，相之衝囚，王、相衝位，有死、囚之氣。

乾坤六子，天下正道，伏羲、文王象以治世。文為經所載，道為聖所信，明審於太歲矣。

人或以立春東北徙，抵艮之下，不被凶害。太歲立於子，彼東北徙，坤卦近於午，猶艮以坤，徙觸子位，何故獨凶？

正月建於寅，破於申，從寅、申徙，相之如者，無有凶害。太歲不指午，而空曰歲破；午實無凶禍，而虛禁南北，豈不妄哉？

十二月為一歲，四時節竟，陰陽氣終，竟復為一歲，日、月積聚之名耳，何故有神而謂之立於子位乎？積分為日，累日為月，連月為時，（紀）〔結〕時為歲。歲則日、月、時之類也。

歲而有神，日、月、時亦復有神乎？千五百三十九〔歲〕為一統，四千六百一十七歲為一元。歲猶統、元也。歲有神，統、元復有神乎？論之以為無。假令有之，何故害人？神莫過於天地，天地不害人。人謂百神，百神不害人。太歲之氣、天地之氣也，何憎於人，觸而為害？

且文曰：「甲子不徙。」言甲與子殊位，太歲立子不居甲，為移徙者，運之而復居甲。為之而復居甲，為移徙（時）者，亦宜復禁東西徙。甲與子鈞，其凶宜同。不禁甲，而獨忌子，為移徙（時）者，竟妄不可用也。

人居不能不移徙，移徙不能不觸歲，不觸歲不能不得時死。工伎之人見今人之死，則歸禍於往時之徙。俗心險危，死者不絕，故太歲之言傳世不滅。

Chapter XXXIX. Questions about the Year Star (Nan-sui).

Common people have a feeling of uneasiness, and are prone to believe in defences and prohibitions. Even the wise become doubtful, and are at a loss how to settle these questions. Consequently, artisans carry the day, and scholars and well informed people submit to them. Books on auguries outshine the Classics and Canons, and the utterances of artisans have more weight than the words of scholars and students. Now, I propose to inquire a little into this question, that others may see for themselves, weighing right and wrong, and that people in general may be roused.

Concerning the moving of one's residence, they say that to encounter T`ai-sui¹ is unlucky, and that to turn one's back upon it likewise bodes evil. The encounter of T`ai-sui is termed "Jupiter's descent," ² and the moving in opposite direction to it, "Jupiter's destruction", ³ wherefore both are attended with misfortune.

In case T`ai-sui is in chia-tse, people on earth must not move in a northerly or a southerly direction. Building a house and marrying, they should avoid this as well. When they move to the east or the west, ⁴ or in one of the four intermediate directions, these configurations are all lucky. Why? Because then they do not collide with the T`ai-sui, nor meet its shock.

Let us ask what this avoidance of T`ai-sui really means. Does it object to people's moving altogether? Then all moving would entail calamities. Or does T`ai-sui not prevent people from moving, but resent their collision? Then all people going north or south on the roads would be visited with misfortunes.

The feelings of T`ai-sui would be like those of a high officer. When a high officer is on a road, and somebody runs against the carts and horses of his men, he would fly into a passion. Why should T`ai-sui chastise only those who, carrying their furniture and transporting their things, in changing their domicile run against it?

Of yore, when on a trip, the Emperor Wên Ti⁵ was crossing the Pa-ling bridge, there was an individual on the road who, falling in with the cortêge, jumped down from the bridge. Trusting that the carriages of the emperor had already passed, he suddenly emerged again, and frightened the carriage-horses. The emperor, very angry, handed him over to the sheriff Chang Shih Chih⁶ for trial. Provided that the spirit of T`ai-sui⁷ travel like Wên Ti, then those who fall in with it would resemble the man emerging from below the bridge.

At present, many wayfarers are unexpectedly drowned, or fall down dead. How do we know but that they also encountered T`ai-sui on its journeys?

Those moving their residence cannot stay in their former home. Unable to stay there, they ignore whether they will meet with the Year Star or not, and not knowing this, they cannot make up their minds what to do.

Moreover, in case the spirit of T`ai-sui really travels about, then perhaps it proceeds along a crooked line, and not necessarily along a straight one, south or northwards, ⁸ as with high officers, leaving their houses, it happens that they take a crooked road. Should it, as a spirit of Heaven, take the straight road, and not a crooked one, ⁹ then people moving from east and west and in the four intermediate directions, would also run against it. ¹⁰ A high officer proceeding southward and northward, and people moving from east to west, the configuration of these intermediate directions would be like that leading to a collision. ¹¹ If T`ai-sui does not go straight south and north, how could people, moving in these directions, fall in with it?

If T`ai-sui did not move at all, then it might perhaps stay in its palace and behind its walls without meeting anybody; how then were man to encounter it?

Supposing T`ai-sui had no body like high officers and, shaped like vapours, clouds, or a rain-bow, stretched straight across the firmament, reclining at its extremities in the south and the north on tse and wu,¹² then people, moving east and west as well as those taking an intermediate line, would also run against it, just as men of our time, encountering an extensive fog and malarial exhalations, no matter whether they moved straightways or sideways, backward or forward, would all be affected. ¹³ If T`ai-sui were really like air, people ought to meet it and even, without moving, they would have to suffer from it.

Further T`ai-sui is another spirit of Heaven resembling the Green Dragon. ¹⁴ The body of the latter does not exceed several thousand chang.¹⁵ Let us suppose that the size of our spirit is exceptional, and measures several ten thousand chang, and that this body covers the north. Then we ought to say that T`ai-sui stands in the north, but not in tse. East of tse is ch`ou, (N.N.E.) and west of it, hai (N.N.W.). If it be shown that T`ai-sui does not cover the whole north, it is owing to the great distance between the extreme eastern and western limits of the north. But if it be held to be just in the tse point, and colliding with people on earth, only those settled in tse and wu regions should not move south and north; why should those living eastward as far as ch`ou (N.N.E.) and sse (S.S.E.), or westward as far as hai (N.N.W.) and wei (S.S.W.) refrain from doing so?

Provided that the inhabitants of the ch`ou and hai regions move up and down on the right or the left side of T`ai-sui southward and northward, or east and west, they are quite safe. Ch`ou being east and hai west of tse, the people of these quarters moving simply east and west, ¹⁶ must come into collision with the position of T`ai-sui, and those of the sse and wei regions moving east and west, be afraid lest they suffer destruction by the planet.

The Literati considering the Nine Provinces "under Heaven" ¹⁷ hold that they cover the entire length and breadth of the earth, north, south, east, and west. These Nine Circuits comprise five thousand Li which alone form the country of the Three Rivers, ¹⁸i. e., the centre of the earth. With reference to the Duke of Chou, consulting the tortoise, about his new residence the Classic says, [Let the king come here as the vicegerent of God, and labour in the centre of the earth. ¹⁹ ] Consequently Lo is the centre of the earth.

Tsou Yen, arguing on the subject, maintains that of the Nine Continents the five thousand Li form only one Continent, situated in the east and called Ch`ih-hsien.²⁰ Of continents, each comprising nine circuits, there are nine. Nine times nine gives eighty-one, consequently there are altogether eighty-one circuits. This view is probably imaginary, but it is difficult to know the shape of the earth. Should it be as described, there would also arise one difficulty.

In case all land under Heaven forms Nine Circuits as the Literati conceive it, then merely the circuits due south from Lo-yi and north from the Three Rivers viz. Yü-chou, Ching-chou, and Chi-chou could be frequented by T`ai-sui. How could it be between Yung and Liang-chou, in Ch`ing-chou, Yen-chou, Hsü-chou, and Yang-chou? ²¹

Should Tsou Yen's view be correct, and the Nine Circuits of the empire occupy the south-eastern corner of the earth, and not be lying exactly in tse or wu, how could T`ai-sui be present?

If T`ai-sui did not keep its position at the confines of Heaven and Earth, and were wandering about among the people, then the house of every family might harbour it, and although a person did not move south or north, it would come across it all the same. Moving from an eastern to a western village, it would find T`ai-sui there, and should it move from an eastern into a western building, T`ai-sui would be in the western dwelling too. It would be east or west, north or south of the person in question, just as, walking on a highway, one falls in with other people in the east or the west, the north or the south.

Provided that the space filled by T`ai-sui measures several thousand, ten thousand, or hundred thousand chang, and that all mankind under heaven by moving entails some adversity, then how can their moving be regulated? If T`ai-sui stands in the interstice between Heaven and Earth, it has a similar position to a king in the midst of his country. People in the eastern part of it, bending their bows and shooting westward, would not be supposed to have wounded the king, because their bows do not carry as far as the king's capital; they merely shoot in their own place. Now, how could people moving proceed as far north as where T`ai-sui has its resting-place? Moving no farther than perhaps a hundred steps, how could they be charged with having hurt T`ai-sui?

Moreover, people moving their residence, are warned to go south or north, because T`ai-sui is held to stay in the tse point; tse breaks wu,²² and those moving north or south, receive the shock, which is called a calamity. Now, in order to smash something, one requires a hammer. If there really be such a tool, then all people, even those not stirring, would be smashed and destroyed with it, but how could they be smitten in default of such a tool?

Thunder is the heavenly fluid. When in mid-summer it strikes, it splits trees and rends mountains, and, at times, suddenly kills a man. If the blow of T`ai-sui should be like a thunderbolt, there ought to be a crashing sound also, and death ensue instantaneously, for, otherwise, there could not be destruction either.

If the knocking together, and the falling foul of each other be said to cause destruction, how can the knocking and striking have this effect? The meeting of east and west is called knocking together, and the coming into contact of south and north, falling foul. Provided that knocking and running foul be calamitous, then east and west must be always baleful, and south and north always fatal. ²³

In case a collision with T`ai-sui proves disastrous only because of its being a spirit, it should be borne in mind that there are no spirits more powerful than Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth meeting, dashed one against the other, no human life would be possible between Heaven and Earth.

Perhaps there are Twelve Spirits above, Têng-ming, Tsung-k`uei and the like, ²⁴ which the artisans declare to be all celestial spirits. They always occupy tse, ch`ou, and the other cardinal points, and are endowed with a fluid rushing and dashing against whosoever crosses their way. Though in spiritual force not equal to T`ai-sui, still they must do some minor damage, and those moving their residence, although they may eschew the perils of T`ai-sui, would, nevertheless, fall a prey to the attacks of the Twelve Spirits. Therefore, whenever they are going to move they should be prevented.

The winter air is cold and corresponds to water, which has its position in the northern quarter. The summer air is hot and corresponds to fire, whose place is in the south. Autumn and winter are cold, spring and summer are warm; that applies to every place throughout the empire, and water and fire are not solely encountered in southern and northern regions. Now, T`ai-sui stands in tse only, but it is formed all over the world, and it is not merely encountered in tse and wu. Should really the position alone be decisive, then in wu there would be a hot summer and in tse, a hard winter. Would those moving south and north, in winter and summer, still meet with disasters?

In the beginning of spring, kên represents the king, and chên, the minister, sun is the embryo, and li means annihilation, k`un death, and tui imprisonment, ch`ien disgrace, and k`an tranquillity. ²⁵ The king incurring death, and the minister imprisonment, king and minister have knocked against the respective positions, ²⁶ and elicited the fluids of death and imprisonment.

Ch`ien, k`un, and their six sons ²⁷ embody the true laws of nature which Fu Hsi and Wên Wang have illustrated to govern the world thereby. These texts are written in the Classics, and the principles are believed by all the sages. They are evidently much more certain than what we know about T`ai-sui.

If, at the commencement of spring, people should move to the north-east, they would come under the diagram kên,²⁸ but not suffer any injury. When T`ai-sui stands in tse, and from the northeast they move to k`un,²⁹ this diagram would be near wu,³⁰ as when k`un is changed for kên, they would strike against the tse point. Why would the latter fact alone entail misfortune? ³¹

The first moon resting in yin³² is destructive in shên,³³ but the moving between yin and shên is not attended with disasters in its course. Although T`ai-sui does not point to wu, they wrongly maintain that the year breaks wu. As a matter of fact, there is no adversity to be apprehended, and the prohibition to move south and north is inane and unreasonable.

Twelve months make a year and, when the four seasons are completed, and the fluid of the yin and yang reaches a certain limit, again a year is formed, which is but another name of days and months joined together. Why should it be taken for a spirit, supposed to stand in the tse point? By dissolving this combination we get days, the addition of days forms a month, several months become a season, and a number of seasons, a year, which therefore, is something similar to a day, a month, and a season.

If the year possess a spirit, have days, months, and seasons spirits also? 1,539 years form a t`ung period, 4,617 a yuan period. A year is like a t`ung or a yuan period. ³⁴ A year having a spirit, have the t`ung and yuan periods spirits likewise? Critics deny it, but should they have them, for what reason would they injure mankind? No spirits surpass Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth do not hurt mankind. People speak of the Hundred Spirits, but they do not injure them either. Why should the fluid of T`aisui, being the essence of Heaven and Earth, be so inimical to men as to strike and hurt them?

Further, the text says that in chia-tse one must not move. This may denote that chia and tse are different directions; but T`ai-sui, having its position in tse, cannot stay in chia.³⁵ In case persons moving proceed there (to tse), and again settle in chia, taking that course, but finally staying in chia, those fixing the time for moving ought likewise to hinder them from moving eastward or westward. ³⁶ Provided that chia and tse are combined, their calamities should be the same too. Not shunning chia, but avoiding tse, those persons fixing the time talk at random and deserve no confidence.

People living somewhere cannot but change their residence, and changing their residence, they cannot but come into collision with the Year Star. Even if they do not, they cannot avoid dying at their time. Artisans noticing people's death at present, ascribe this misfortune to a change of residence in a former time. Common folk are very timid in their minds, there are always people passing away, and the consequence is that the story about T`ai-sui is handed down from generation to generation and never dies out.

Notes

1. , a fictitious point, also called sui-yin, "the opposite of Jupiter," used for designating the year by means of the cycle of sixty. (See Chavannes, Mém. Hist. Vol. III, p. 654). The term chia-tse would correspond to the North = . Then Jupiter itself would have its position due south.

2. .

3. .

4. . Ed. A and C write for .

5. 179-157 B.C.

6. Cf. Giles, Bibl. Dict. No. 105 and p. 144, Note 5.

7. We see from this passage that the personification of "T`ai-sui" is not a recent invention as De Harlez, Le Livre des Esprits et des Immortels, p. 134 says. This spirit is venerated at the present day, and seems by some to be regarded as a dangerous spirit of the soil.

8. On the firmament Jupiter describes a curve, not a straight line.

9. The spirits of Heaven dislike crookedness.

10. While crossing the course of T`ai-sui from north to south.

11. . Ed. A and C replace .

12. , the north and the south points.

13. The fog would spread sideways as well as from north to south.

14. The eastern quadrant of heaven.

15. Wang Ch`ung seems to take the Green Dragon for a real dragon of extraordinary dimensions.

16. I. e., not always keeping on one side of T`ai-sui.

17. Equivalent to China.

18. :---the Huang-ho, the Huai, and the Lo.

19. Shuking Part V, Book XII, 14 (Legge, Classics Vol. III, Part II, p. 428).

20. Cf. Vol. I, p. 253.

21. Names of the Nine Circuits.

22. In Chinese natural philosophy the North, or cold, overcomes the South, or heat; there is no real breaking.

23. Theoretically opposite directions as well as opposite qualities of things, in short all opposites, knock together and destroy one another.

24. Cf. Vol. I, p. 534.

25. The eight terms are those of the Eight Diagrams .

26. Viz. k`un and tui.

27. The other six diagrams.

28. In one plan of the Eight Diagrams (Mayers' Manual p. 335) kên represents the North-east.

29. The South-west.

30. The South.

31. Why would the approaching of wu from kun not be disastrous?

32. E.N.E.

33. W.S.W.

34. Cf. p. 389, Note 7.

35. In the term chia-tse, chia does not signify any direction. Together with yi it may stand for the east.

36. Because in the east they might collide with T`ai-sui in chia, provided it could stay there.


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Published by The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, © Copyright 2003 by Anne Kinney and the University of Virginia