| | 禮運: |
以天地為本，故物可舉也；以陰陽為端，故情可睹也；以四時為柄，故事可勸也；以日星為紀，故事可列也；月以為量，故功有藝也；鬼神以為徒，故事有守也；五行以為質，故事可復也；禮義以為器，故事行有考也；人情以為田，故人以為奧也；四靈以為畜，故飲食有由也。 |
| Li Yun: |
The origin of all things being found in heaven and earth, they could be taken in hand, one after the other. The commencement of these being found in the two forces (of nature), their character and tendencies could be observed. The four seasons being used as a handle, (the people) could be stimulated to the business (of each). The sun and stars being constituted the measures of time, that business could be laid out in order. The moon being taken as the measure (of work to be done), that work could be accomplished successfully. The spirits breathing (in nature) being considered as associates, what is done will be maintained permanently. The five elements being considered as giving substance (to things), what has been done could be repeated. Rules of propriety and righteousness being viewed as the instruments, whatever was done would be completed. The feelings of men being the field to be cultivated, men would look up (to the sages) as to their lords. The four intelligent creatures being made to become domestic animals, there would be constant sources of food and drink. |
| | 禮運: |
故禮行於郊，而百神受職焉，禮行於社，而百貨可極焉，禮行於祖廟而孝慈服焉，禮行於五祀而正法則焉。故自郊社、祖廟、山川、五祀，義之修而禮之藏也。 |
| Li Yun: |
By means of the ceremonies performed in the suburb, all the spirits receive their offices. By means of those performed at the altar of the earth, all the things yielded (by the earth) receive their fullest development. By means of those in the ancestral temple, the services of filial duty and of kindly affection come to be discharged. By means of those at the five sacrifices of the house, the laws and rules of life are correctly exhibited. Hence when the ideas in these sacrifices in the suburb, at the altar of the earth, in the ancestral temple, at the altars of the hills and streams, and of the five sacrifices of the house are fully apprehended, the ceremonies used are found to be lodged in them. |
| | 禮運: |
故禮義也者，人之大端也，所以講信修睦而固人之肌膚之會、筋骸之束也。所以養生送死事鬼神之大端也。所以達天道順人情之大竇也。故唯聖人為知禮之不可以已也，故壞國、喪家、亡人，必先去其禮。 |
| Li Yun: |
Thus propriety and righteousness are the great elements for man's (character); it is by means of them that his speech is the expression of truth and his intercourse (with others) the promotion of harmony; they are (like) the union of the cuticle and cutis, and the binding together of the muscles and bones in strengthening (the body). They constitute the great methods by which we nourish the living, bury the dead, and serve the spirits of the departed. They supply the channels by which we can apprehend the ways of Heaven and act as the feelings of men require. It was on this account that the sages knew that the rules of ceremony could not be dispensed with, while the ruin of states, the destruction of families, and the perishing of individuals are always preceded by their abandonment of the rules of propriety. |
| | 禮運: |
故禮之於人也，猶酒之有蘗也，君子以厚，小人以薄。故聖王修義之柄、禮之序，以治人情。故人情者，聖王之田也。修禮以耕之，陳義以種之，講學以耨之，本仁以聚之，播樂以安之。故禮也者，義之實也。協諸義而協，則禮雖先王未之有，可以義起也。義者藝之分、仁之節也，協於藝，講於仁，得之者強。仁者，義之本也，順之體也，得之者尊。 |
| Li Yun: |
Therefore the rules of propriety are for man what the yeast is for liquor. The superior man by (his use of them) becomes better and greater. The small man by his neglect of them becomes meaner and worse. Therefore the sage kings cultivated and fashioned the lever of righteousness and the ordering of ceremonial usages, in order to regulate the feelings of men. Those feelings were the field (to be cultivated by) the sage kings. They fashioned the rules of ceremony to plough it. They set forth the principles of righteousness with which to plant it. They instituted the lessons of the school to weed it. They made love the fundamental subject by which to gather all its fruits, and they employed the training in music to give repose (to the minds of learners). Thus, rules of ceremony are the embodied expression of what is right. If an observance stand the test of being judged by the standard of what is right, although it may not have been among the usages of the ancient kings, it may be adopted on the ground of its being right. (The idea of) right makes the distinction between things, and serves to regulate (the manifestation of) humanity. When it is found in anything and its relation to humanity has been discussed, the possessor of it will be strong. Humanity is the root of right, and the embodying of deferential consideration. The possessor of it is honoured. |
| | 禮運: |
故治國不以禮，猶無耜而耕也；為禮不本於義，猶耕而弗種也；為義而不講之以學，猶種而弗耨也；講之於學而不合之以仁，猶耨而弗獲也；合之以仁而不安之以樂，猶獲而弗食也；安之以樂而不達於順，猶食而弗肥也。 |
| Li Yun: |
Therefore to govern a state without the rules of propriety would be to plough a field without a share. To make those rules without laying their foundation in right would be to plough the ground and not sow the seed. To think to practise the right without enforcing it in the school would be to sow the seed and not weed the plants. To enforce the lessons in the schools, and insist on their agreement with humanity, would be to weed and not to reap. To insist on the agreement of the lessons with humanity, and not give repose to (the minds of) the learners by music, would be to reap, and not eat (the product). To supply the repose of music and not proceed to the result of deferential consideration would be to eat the product and get no fattening from it. |
| | 禮運: |
故聖王所以順，山者不使居川，不使渚者居中原，而弗敝也。用水火金木，飲食必時。合男女，頒爵位，必當年德。用民必順。故無水旱昆蟲之災，民無凶饑妖孽之疾。故天不愛其道，地不愛其寶，人不愛其情。故天降膏露，地出醴泉，山出器車，河出馬圖，鳳凰麒麟皆在郊棷，龜龍在宮沼，其餘鳥獸之卵胎，皆可俯而窺也。則是無故，先王能修禮以達義，體信以達順，故此順之實也。 |
| Li Yun: |
The sage kings showed their sense of this state of harmony in the following way: They did not make the occupants of the hills (remove and) live by the streams, nor the occupants of the islands (remove and live) in the plains; and thus the (people) complained of no hardship. They used water, fire, metal, wood, and the different articles of food and drink, each in its proper season. They promoted the marriages of men and women, and distributed rank and office, according to the years and virtues of the parties. They employed the people with due regard to their duties and wishes. Thus it was that there were no plagues of flood, drought, or insects, and the people did not suffer from bad grass or famine, from untimely deaths or irregular births. On account of all this heaven did not grudge its methods; earth did not grudge its treasures; men did not grudge (the regulation of) their feelings. Heaven sent down its fattening dews; earth sent forth its springs of sweet wine; hills produced implements and chariots; the Ho sent forth the horse with the map (on, his back)'. Phoenixes and Qi-lins were among the trees of the suburbs, tortoises and dragons in the ponds of the palaces, while the other birds and beasts could be seen at a glance in their nests and breeding places. All this resulted from no other cause but that the ancient kings were able to fashion their ceremonial usages so as to convey the underlying ideas of right, and embody their truthfulness so as to secure the universal and mutual harmony. This was the realisation of it. |
| | 禮器: |
先王之立禮也，有本有文。忠信，禮之本也；義理，禮之文也。無本不立，無文不行。 |
| Li Qi: |
The rules as instituted by the ancient kings had their radical element and their outward and elegant form. A true heart and good faith are their radical element. The characteristics of each according to the idea of what is right in it are its outward and elegant form: Without the radical element, they could not have been established; without the elegant form, they could not have been put in practice. |
| | 禮器: |
禮，時為大，順次之，體次之，宜次之，稱次之。堯授舜，舜授禹；湯放桀，武王伐紂，時也。《》云：「匪革其猶，聿追來孝。」天地之祭，宗廟之事，父子之道，君臣之義，倫也。社稷山川之事，鬼神之祭，體也。喪祭之用，賓客之交，義也。羔豚而祭，百官皆足；大牢而祭，不必有餘，此之謂稱也。諸侯以龜為寶，以圭為瑞。家不寶龜，不藏圭，不臺門，言有稱也。 |
| Li Qi: |
In (judging of) rites the time should be the great consideration. (Their relation to) natural duties, their material substance, their appropriateness to circumstances, and their proportioning are all secondary. Yao's resignation of the throne to Shun, and Shun's resignation of it to Yu; Tang's dethronement of Jie; and the overthrow of Zhou by Wen and Wu - all these are to be judged of by the time. As the Book of Poetry says, "It was not that he was in haste to gratify his wishes; It was to show the filial duty that had come down to him.'" The sacrifices to heaven and earth; the services of the ancestral temple; the courses for father and son; and the righteousness between ruler and minister - these are to be judged of as natural duties. The services at the altars of the land and grain and of the hills and streams; and the sacrifices to spirits - these are to be judged of by the material substance of the offerings. The use of the funeral rites and sacrifices; and the reciprocities of host and guest - these are to be judged of by their appropriateness to circumstances. Sacrificing with a lamb and a sucking pig, by the multitude of officers, when yet there was enough; and sacrificing with an ox, a ram, and a boar, when yet there was nothing to spare - in these we have an instance of the proportioning. The princes set great store by the tortoise, and consider their jade-tokens as the insignia of their rank, while the (chiefs of) clans have not the tortoises that are so precious, nor the jade-tokens to keep (by themselves), nor the towered gateways - these (also) are instances of the proportioning. |
| | 禮器: |
是故昔先王之制禮也，因其財物而致其義焉爾。故作大事，必順天時，為朝夕必放於日月，為高必因丘陵，為下必因川澤。是故天時雨澤，君子達亹亹焉。是故昔先王尚有德、尊有道、任有能；舉賢而置之，聚眾而誓之。 |
| Li Qi: |
Hence it was that in old times, when the ancient kings instituted ceremonies, they conveyed their idea by means of the qualities of the articles and observances which they employed. In their great undertakings, they were sure to act in accordance with the seasons; in their doings morning and evening, they imitated the sun and moon; in what required a high situation, they took advantage of mounds and hillocks, and in what required a low situation, of the (banks of the) rivers and lakes. Hence each season has its rains and benefits, and those wise men sought to make use of them with intelligence with all the earnestness they could command. The ancient kings valued (men's) possession of virtue, honoured those who pursued the right course, and employed those who displayed ability. They selected men of talents and virtue, and appointed them. They assembled the whole of them and solemnly addressed them. |
| | 禮器: |
祀帝於郊，敬之至也。宗廟之祭，仁之至也。喪禮，忠之至也。備服器，仁之至也。賓客之用幣，義之至也。故君子欲觀仁義之道，禮其本也。 |
| Li Qi: |
In the sacrifice to God in the suburb, we have the utmost expression of reverence. In the sacrifices of the ancestral temple, we have the utmost expression of humanity. In the rites of mourning, we have the utmost expression of leal-heartedness. In the preparation of the robes and vessels for the dead, we have the utmost expression of affection. In the use of gifts and offerings between host and guest, we have the utmost expression of what is right. Therefore when the superior man would see the ways of humanity and righteousness, he finds them rooted in these ceremonial usages. |
