Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1employed to the injury of men. [40] R 242 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM, father and elder brother; if he takes things by violence or vehemently demands them ; if he loves secretly to pilfer, and openly to snatch ; makes himself rich by plunder and rapine; or by artifice and deceit seeks for promotion; if he rewards and punishes unfairly; if he indulges in idleness and pleasure to excess; is exacting and oppressive to his inferiors; and tries to frighten other men; if he murmurs against Heaven and finds fault with men; reproaches the wind and reviles the rain; if he fights and joins in quarrels; strives and raises litigations ; recklessly hurries to join associate fraternities ; is led by the words of his wife or concubine to disobey the instructions of his parents; if, on getting what is new, he forgets the old; and agrees with his mouth, while he dissents in his heart; if he is covetous and greedy after wealth, and deceives and befools his superiors (to get it); if he invents wicked speeches to calumniate and overthrow the innocent ; defames others and calls it being straightforward ; reviles the Spirits and styles himself correct; if he casts aside what is according to right, and imitates what is against it; turns his back on his near relatives, and his face to those who are distant; if he appeals to Heaven and Earth to witness to the mean thoughts of his mind ; or calls in the spiritual Intelligences to mark the filthy affairs of his life; if he gives and afterwards repents that he has done so; or borrows and does not return; if he plans and seeks for what is beyond his lot; or lays tasks (on people) beyond their strength; if he indulges his lustful desires without measure; if there be poison in his heart and mildness in his face; if he gives others filthy food to eat; or by corrupt doc- ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 243
2243 trines deludes the multitude; if he uses a short cubit, a narrow measure, light weights, and a small pint; mixes spurious articles with the genuine; and (thus) amasses illicit gain; if he degrades (children or others of) decent condition to mean positions ; or deceives and ensnares simple people; if he is insatiably covetous and greedy ; tries by oaths and imprecations to prove himself correct; and in his liking for drink is rude and disorderly; if he quarrels angrily with his nearest relatives; and as a man he is not loyal and honourable; if a woman is not gentle and obedient ; if (the husband) ' is not harmonious with his wife ; if the wife does not reverence her husband; if he is always fond of boasting and bragging ; if she is constantly jealous and envious ; if he is guilty of improper conduct to his wife or sons; if she fails to behave properly to her parents-in-law; if he treats with slight and disrespect the spirits of his ancestors; if he opposes and rebels against the charge of his sovereign; if he occupies himself in doing what is of no use; and cherishes and keeps concealed a purpose other than what appears; if he utter imprecations against himself and against others (in the assertion of his innocence) 1; or is partial in his likes and dislikes ; if he strides over the well or the hearth ; leaps over the food, or over a man?; kills newly-born children or brings about abortions’; if he does many actions of secret depravity; if he sings and dances on the 1 The one illustrative story given by Julien under this clause shows clearly that I have rightly supplemented it. He translates it:—‘Faire des imprécations contre soi-méme et contre les autres,’ * Trifling acts and villainous crimes are here mixed together. R2 244 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. last day of the moon or of the year; bawls out or gets angry on the first day of the moon or in the early dawn; weeps, spits, or urinates, when fronting: the north ; sighs, sings, or wails, when fronting the fire-place ; and moreover, if he takes fire from the hearth to burn incense; or uses dirty firewood to cook with ; if he rises at night and shows his person naked ; if at the eight terms of the year? he inflicts punishments ; if he spits at a shooting star; points at a rainbow; suddenly points to the three luminaries; looks long at the sun and moon; in the months of spring burns the thickets in hunting; with his face to the north angrily reviles others; and without reason kills tortoises and smites snakes ? :-— ‘In the case of crimes such as these, (the Spirits) presiding over the Life, according to their lightness or gravity, take away the culprit’s periods of twelve years or of one hundred days. When his term of life is exhausted, death ensues. If at death there remains guilt unpunished, judgment extends to his posterity °. 1 The commencements of the four seasons, the equinoxes and solstices.
3When his term of life is exhausted, death ensues. If at death there remains guilt unpunished, judgment extends to his posterity °. 1 The commencements of the four seasons, the equinoxes and solstices. * Many of the deeds condemned in this long paragraph have a ground of reason for their condemnation; others are merely offences against prevailing superstitions. 5 The principle enunciated here is very ancient in the history of the ethical teaching of China. It appears in one of the Appendixes to the Yt Xing (Sacred Books of the East, vol. xvi, p. 419), ‘ The family that accumulates goodness is sure to have superabundant happiness; the family that accumulates evil is sure to have superabundant misery.’ We know also that the same view prevailed in the time of Confucius, though the sage himself does not expressly sanction it. This Tractate does not go for the issues of Retribution beyond the present life. ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 245 5. ‘Moreover, when parties by wrong and violence take the money of others, an account is taken, and set Conclusion of 22inSt its amount, of their wives and the whole children, and all the members of their matter. families, when these gradually die. If they do not die, there are the disasters from water, fire, thieves, and robbers, from losses of property, illnesses, and (evil) tongues to balance the value of their wicked appropriations}, Further, those who wrongfully kill men are (only) putting their weapons into the hands of others who will in their turn kill them *. ‘To take to one’s self unrighteous wealth is like satisfying one’s hunger with putrid food?, or one’s thirst with poisoned wine. It gives a temporary relief, indeed, but death also follows it. ‘Now when the thought of doing good has arisen in a man's mind, though the good be not yet done, the good Spirits are in attendance on him. Or, if the thought of doing evil has arisen, though the evil be not yet done, the bad Spirits are in attendance on him. ‘If one have, indeed, done deeds of wickedness, but afterwards alters his way and repents, resolved not to do anything wicked, but to practise reverently 1 These sentences are rather weak. Nothing is said of any recompense to the parties who have been robbed. The thief is punished by the death of others, or the loss of property. * A somewhat perplexing sentence. Julien gives for it:— ‘Ceux qui font périr des hommes innocens ressemblent 4 des ennemis qui échangent leurs armes et se tuent les uns les autres;’ and Watters:—‘ Those who put others to death wrongly are like men who exchange arms and slay each other.’ ® Literally, ‘soaked food that has been spoiled by dripping water.’ 246 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1employed to the injury of men. [40] R 242 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM, father and elder brother; if he takes things by violence or vehemently demands them ; if he loves secretly to pilfer, and openly to snatch ; makes himself rich by plunder and rapine; or by artifice and deceit seeks for promotion; if he rewards and punishes unfairly; if he indulges in idleness and pleasure to excess; is exacting and oppressive to his inferiors; and tries to frighten other men; if he murmurs against Heaven and finds fault with men; reproaches the wind and reviles the rain; if he fights and joins in quarrels; strives and raises litigations ; recklessly hurries to join associate fraternities ; is led by the words of his wife or concubine to disobey the instructions of his parents; if, on getting what is new, he forgets the old; and agrees with his mouth, while he dissents in his heart; if he is covetous and greedy after wealth, and deceives and befools his superiors (to get it); if he invents wicked speeches to calumniate and overthrow the innocent ; defames others and calls it being straightforward ; reviles the Spirits and styles himself correct; if he casts aside what is according to right, and imitates what is against it; turns his back on his near relatives, and his face to those who are distant; if he appeals to Heaven and Earth to witness to the mean thoughts of his mind ; or calls in the spiritual Intelligences to mark the filthy affairs of his life; if he gives and afterwards repents that he has done so; or borrows and does not return; if he plans and seeks for what is beyond his lot; or lays tasks (on people) beyond their strength; if he indulges his lustful desires without measure; if there be poison in his heart and mildness in his face; if he gives others filthy food to eat; or by corrupt doc- ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 243
2243 trines deludes the multitude; if he uses a short cubit, a narrow measure, light weights, and a small pint; mixes spurious articles with the genuine; and (thus) amasses illicit gain; if he degrades (children or others of) decent condition to mean positions ; or deceives and ensnares simple people; if he is insatiably covetous and greedy ; tries by oaths and imprecations to prove himself correct; and in his liking for drink is rude and disorderly; if he quarrels angrily with his nearest relatives; and as a man he is not loyal and honourable; if a woman is not gentle and obedient ; if (the husband) ' is not harmonious with his wife ; if the wife does not reverence her husband; if he is always fond of boasting and bragging ; if she is constantly jealous and envious ; if he is guilty of improper conduct to his wife or sons; if she fails to behave properly to her parents-in-law; if he treats with slight and disrespect the spirits of his ancestors; if he opposes and rebels against the charge of his sovereign; if he occupies himself in doing what is of no use; and cherishes and keeps concealed a purpose other than what appears; if he utter imprecations against himself and against others (in the assertion of his innocence) 1; or is partial in his likes and dislikes ; if he strides over the well or the hearth ; leaps over the food, or over a man?; kills newly-born children or brings about abortions’; if he does many actions of secret depravity; if he sings and dances on the 1 The one illustrative story given by Julien under this clause shows clearly that I have rightly supplemented it. He translates it:—‘Faire des imprécations contre soi-méme et contre les autres,’ * Trifling acts and villainous crimes are here mixed together. R2 244 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. last day of the moon or of the year; bawls out or gets angry on the first day of the moon or in the early dawn; weeps, spits, or urinates, when fronting: the north ; sighs, sings, or wails, when fronting the fire-place ; and moreover, if he takes fire from the hearth to burn incense; or uses dirty firewood to cook with ; if he rises at night and shows his person naked ; if at the eight terms of the year? he inflicts punishments ; if he spits at a shooting star; points at a rainbow; suddenly points to the three luminaries; looks long at the sun and moon; in the months of spring burns the thickets in hunting; with his face to the north angrily reviles others; and without reason kills tortoises and smites snakes ? :-— ‘In the case of crimes such as these, (the Spirits) presiding over the Life, according to their lightness or gravity, take away the culprit’s periods of twelve years or of one hundred days. When his term of life is exhausted, death ensues. If at death there remains guilt unpunished, judgment extends to his posterity °. 1 The commencements of the four seasons, the equinoxes and solstices.
3When his term of life is exhausted, death ensues. If at death there remains guilt unpunished, judgment extends to his posterity °. 1 The commencements of the four seasons, the equinoxes and solstices. * Many of the deeds condemned in this long paragraph have a ground of reason for their condemnation; others are merely offences against prevailing superstitions. 5 The principle enunciated here is very ancient in the history of the ethical teaching of China. It appears in one of the Appendixes to the Yt Xing (Sacred Books of the East, vol. xvi, p. 419), ‘ The family that accumulates goodness is sure to have superabundant happiness; the family that accumulates evil is sure to have superabundant misery.’ We know also that the same view prevailed in the time of Confucius, though the sage himself does not expressly sanction it. This Tractate does not go for the issues of Retribution beyond the present life. ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 245 5. ‘Moreover, when parties by wrong and violence take the money of others, an account is taken, and set Conclusion of 22inSt its amount, of their wives and the whole children, and all the members of their matter. families, when these gradually die. If they do not die, there are the disasters from water, fire, thieves, and robbers, from losses of property, illnesses, and (evil) tongues to balance the value of their wicked appropriations}, Further, those who wrongfully kill men are (only) putting their weapons into the hands of others who will in their turn kill them *. ‘To take to one’s self unrighteous wealth is like satisfying one’s hunger with putrid food?, or one’s thirst with poisoned wine. It gives a temporary relief, indeed, but death also follows it. ‘Now when the thought of doing good has arisen in a man's mind, though the good be not yet done, the good Spirits are in attendance on him. Or, if the thought of doing evil has arisen, though the evil be not yet done, the bad Spirits are in attendance on him. ‘If one have, indeed, done deeds of wickedness, but afterwards alters his way and repents, resolved not to do anything wicked, but to practise reverently 1 These sentences are rather weak. Nothing is said of any recompense to the parties who have been robbed. The thief is punished by the death of others, or the loss of property. * A somewhat perplexing sentence. Julien gives for it:— ‘Ceux qui font périr des hommes innocens ressemblent 4 des ennemis qui échangent leurs armes et se tuent les uns les autres;’ and Watters:—‘ Those who put others to death wrongly are like men who exchange arms and slay each other.’ ® Literally, ‘soaked food that has been spoiled by dripping water.’ 246 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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