The Bamboo Texts of Guodian （Vol.1）
Cook, Scott, The Bamboo Texts of Guodian: A Study and Complete Translation (Vol.1), Ithaca: Cornell East Asia Series, 2012.
Introduction
Cook tries to summarize general themes of
Guodian manuscripts.
1, Heaven. Heaven is inconstant and it is
fate.
2, The Paths to Virtuous Cultivation. It
incorporates some psychophysiological terms, such as xing, xin, qi, qing.
3, Education. Leaders should educate people
through ritual and music.
4, The State of Musical Harmony. It is the state
of sagacity.
Ziyi 缁衣
1
What are “Black robes”? According to
footnote 5, “‘Black robes’ describes the formal attire that upper nobility wore
to court.” (p.375) Here, “Black robes” and “Xiangbo” are the names of two poems
in Shijing. Both refer to the concrete content of the two poems. This
chapter talks about a principle of politics, namely, being fond of beauty
(worthies) and despising the wicked.
2
As chapter 1 tells, the governor should “hold
fondness for the correct and upright” because they are the model of people.
3
It describes a picture of the relationship
between rulers and ministers. The author believes that they should act as
forerunners and followers.
4
Rulers’ likes and dislikes have political
influence.
5
There is a metaphor, that rulers are
heart-mind and people are the body. It is similar to the picture of political
philosophy of Plato or Hobbes. For example, Plato says the nation is the
capital letter of man. Hobbes also compares nation to body.
[Note: The last sentence -- The “Jun Ya”
says: “In hot [summer] days of copious rain, the common folk only complain more
each day; and so too, when the bitter cold of winter comes around, the common
folk only complain more each day.” – mentions people’s resentment (怨) to the heaven. ]
6
It has the same meaning as previous
chapters.
7
It explains that rulers are a paradigm of
the people of a hundred surnames.
8
Superiors should be cautious about their likes and dislikes.
9
Superiors should maintain constancy in their
demeanor since it determines people’s virtue.
10
It talks about the importance of holding
worthies dear (亲贤).
11
The chapter is like chapter 3. It
admonished rulers to realize the priority of great minister over the petty.
12
It shows a positive correlation between
rulers and people by virtue and ritual. By comparison, the negative interaction
is the rule of law.
13
“Superiors must not administer punishments
partially or bestow noble ranks lightly.” (p.403)
14
Superiors should be cautious about their
words and behaviors. It is like chapter 8 and 9. [How about Donald Trump?
Modern democracy shows a very different outlook.]
15
It emphasizes the consistency of words and
comportment so as to avoid risky words and practice.
16
It presents two corresponding counterparts,
rulers-people and words-actions.
17
Furthermore, words and actions are related
to trustworthiness.
18
The substance of words and standards of
actions help the noble man behave reasonably.
19
Do not feel tired of witnessing the effect
of words and actions.
20
Get
away from private favors.
21
The
noble man can truly show correct attitude to those nearby.
22
The difference between the poor and the
rich can not become the standard of making friends.
23
The importance of constancy.
------
One of academic issues about Ziyi is who is
its author. Shengyue(沈约) said it was written by Zisi(子思), but Liuhuan(刘瓛) said by Gongsun Nizi(公孙尼子).
What is the main argument of Ziyi?
-Premise: The society
consists of rulers and people (including ministers). They interact with one
another.
Text: “When superiors are cast in doubt,
the men of the hundred surnames will be perplexed; when subordinates are
difficult to know, their rulers will be in toil.” (chapter 4, p.383)
Typically, chapter 5 uses the mind-body
metaphor to show the relationship between rulers and people.
Likewise, there is chapter 12.
-To guarantee the society
goes in a good manner, there are some important respects rulers should note.
Text: The Ode says: “[If the ruler] upholds
virtuous conduct, the four quarters will follow suit.” (chapter 6, p.388)
1, Rulers should show
likes and dislikes reasonably because it will have a certain political
influence on ordinary people (chapter 4). In other words, it is because rulers
are the model of people (chapter 7).
Text: chapter 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22.
2, A principle derived
from the first one is that rulers ought to hold worthies dear and keep
away from the wicked.
Text: chapter 10, 11.
3, Then, rulers should keep
consistent in their words and actions. It is also a key element in the
relationship between rulers and people (chapter 16) since trust depends on it
(chapter 3, 17).
Text: chapter 3, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 23.
Lord Mu of Lu Asked Zisi 鲁穆公问子思
Who is the loyal minister？
Zisi said, “They are those who consistently
mention their ruler's flaws.
Chengsun Yi added, “It is because they
distance themselves from salary and rank so as to act propriety.”
------
This concept of the loyal minister is similar
to Mengzi 7B, 34. Mencius said, “Those who give counsel to the great should
despise them, and not look at their pomp and display.[…]” Both texts show the
advocated attitude towards rulers is confidence and integrity.
Poverty or Success Is a Matter of Timing 穷达以时
Question: Why is there the utter lack of
correlation between virtue and success?
It is a matter of Heaven that is out of
control. So we should concentrate on that which is entirely under our own control,
the cultivation.
The ideas expressed in this text are by no
means new ones, and it exhibits a number of close parallels in both wording and
exposition with more than a few other texts from the Warring States and early
Han periods (p.431), including “You zuo” 宥坐 in Xunzi, “Zai e”
在厄 in Kongzi jiayu, “Zayan”
雜言 in Shuoyuan and so on. [还有《庄子》的山木、让王；韩诗外传；《吕氏春秋·慎人》；《荀子·天论》]
All of them share the same narrative context, Confucius and his disciples being
“trapped between Chen and Cai”. (p.432)
The text’s ultimate conclusion, that“the noble man is earnest about
returning to himself” 君子惇於反己. (p.448)
------
1-8
There is a separation between Heaven and
man. Sometimes, the right person lives without the right age. Sometimes, within.
Such as Shun, Gao Yao, Lü Wang and so forth.
14
“The choice to excel or not lay within
themselves, and poverty or success was a matter of
timing.” (p.460)
9-13, 15
The poverty or success is out of control, so
the noble man should return to himself.
The Five Conducts 五行
1
The five conducts, humanity,
propriety, ritual, knowledge and sagacity, take shape from within,
called “conduct of virtue”. If not, called “conduct”.
2
All five conducts come in harmony, called
“virtuosity”, and if only first four come
in harmony, called “goodness”. “Goodness is the
Way of mankind; virtuosity is the Way of Heaven.” (p.488)
3
Action helps us approach goodness.
Intention helps us achieve virtuosity.
Contemplation helps us attain knowledge.
[why is contemplation important here?]
4
Humanity makes
contemplation essential, and knowledge make it
extensive.
5
Humanity makes contemplation essential, and
sagacity makes it effortless [可能这就类似孔子不逾矩的状态].
6
With humanity, contemplation becomes
essential. It leads to a series of positive mind until the luster of jade. When
the luster of jade presents in the external form, someone will have humanity.
7
With knowledge, contemplation
becomes extensive. It leads him to have good judgment so as to see the worthy
man. As a result, he will have the luster of jade.
When the luster of jade presents in the external form,
someone will have knowledge.
8
With sagacity, contemplation becomes
effortless. It improves your discernment. Good discernment helps you hear the
way of the noble man. As a result, you will have the timbre
of jade. When the timbre of jade presents in the external form, someone
will have sagacity. [what is the difference between the luster of jade
and the timbre of jade?]
9
Being cautious over solitude (慎独) means being singular in one’s
manner.
10
“瞻望弗及，泣涕如雨”。能差池其羽，然后能至哀。君子慎其独也。
[…] Only when one can “wear his feathers
ragged” can he fully express his sorrow—the noble man is cautious over his solitude.
[what is the meaning?]
11
Carrying out goodness has a beginning and
an end.
Carrying out virtuosity has a beginning but
without an end.
12
Goodness: the tones of bronze, the way of mankind
Sagacity: the timbre of
jade
Virtuosity: the way of Heaven
Only one who possesses virtuosity has both the tones of bronze and the timbre of jade. [I guess
so-called the tones of bronze and the timbre of jade(金声玉振) is a musical state.]
13
Discerning leads to sagacity (knowing).
Sagacity leads to being humane. Humanity means a sense of security. Security
brings happiness (music). Happiness (music) leads to Virtuosity. [It can be
used to explain the happiness of Confucius and Yanhui孔颜之乐.]
14
Positive emotion leads to loving. Then, loving
leads to humanity.
15
Straightforward determination contributes
to taking action. Then, taking action will produce propriety.
16
Holding reverence brings humility. Holding
humility increases ritual.
17
To hear and know the way of the noble man,
called sagacious.
18
“To see it and know it is knowledge. To
hear it and know it is sagacity.” (p.504)
19
“The sage [is one who] knows the Way of Heaven.”
(p.505)
“Sagacity and knowledge are that from which
ritual and music are born, 【that in which the】 five 【conducts find
harmony】.” (p.506)
20
Why do we call the first four conducts in
harmony “goodness”?
To be secure is humanity.
To practice is propriety.
To know it when one sees it is knowing.
To hold reverence is ritual.
When the four conducts are in harmony, their
unity is called goodness.
21
Interaction with one’s inner-heart is
gratified.
“To love one’s father and, in turn, to love
others is humanity.” (p.508) [仁与孝]
22
“To value the noble and, in turn, to honor
the worthy is propriety.” (p.510) [亲贤与义]
23
To interact with others with one’s
outer-heart is maintaining distance. It leads to ritual. [仁用内心，礼用外心]
24
One should mete out great punishments for
great crimes and pardon minor crimes.
25
“harboring lenience is the orientation of
humanity. Firmness is the orientation of propriety.” (p.514) [The issue of Shun’s
father committing a crime]
26
The noble man “assembles the great
symphony.” The worthy man radiantly elevates his conduct to the way of the
noble man.
27
honoring the worthy
28
Goodness refers to the heart-mind being in harmony
with its body.
29
There are different ways to know it.
30
“When Heaven bestows it upon its [chosen]
person, this is [a matter of] Heaven.” (p.519) [It shows one respect for the Heaven-man
relationship.]
31
Different emotional tendencies refer to
different conducts.
The Way of Tang and Yu 唐虞之道
This text insists on the significance of abdication.
------
1-3
The author thinks the abdication from Yao
to Shun “is the pinnacle of sagacity”. The action benefits the world instead of
the self, so it is “the height of humanity”.
4-10
The practice of Yao and Shun reflects humanity
(filial piety, loving parents) and propriety (abdication, honor the worthy).
22-28
From Shun’s deeds to his relatives, Yao was
sure that Shun is talented for rulership.
When the ruler becomes old and weary, he will
abdicate the world to the worthy.
14-17
Yao and Shun know and receive their own
mandate.
18-21
Possession or loss of the world does not
affect sages because they benefit the world rather than the self.
11, 29
Knowing abdication is a type of nurturing
life.
The Way of Loyalty and Trustworthiness 忠信之道
The highest loyalty is like the soil nurturing
without claiming any credit. The highest trustworthiness is like the season
operation not relying on swearing an oath.