Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu fanlu)
Interpreting Omens
[Intro by translator] Like his predecessors in the late Warring States and early Han periods, Dong Zhongshu articulated both anthropomorphic and naturalistic explanations of omens. When he attributed anomalies to Heaven’s conscious intent, as in the excerpt below, he depicted an omnipotent power that spoke through omens to awaken rulers who strayed from Heaven’s Way, so they would realign themselves with Heaven’s norms. In his naturalistic explanations, Dong wrote that the ruler disrupted the natural processes when he did not follow Heaven’s norms by generating what he called “deviant energy.” Since humans and Heaven share the vital energy of the cosmos, activities in the human realm “stimulate” phenomena in other parts of the universe, which “respond” according to the yin or yang categories to which they belong. Yet they did not simply operate spontaneously, as the Daoists claimed. Dong believed Heaven ultimately brought these operations into effect. Han theories of omens and portents helped establish a Heaven-centered mode of political criticism, providing opportunities for officials to censure the emperor and predict the fall of unworthy rulers and dynasties.
Humaneness Must Precede Wisdom According to a rough classification, when things in Heaven and Earth undergo abnormal changes they are called “anomalies.” Lesser ones are called “portents.” Portents always appear first and are followed by anomalies. Portents are Heaven’s warnings；anomalies are Heaven’s threats. If Heaven warns [the ruler] and he does not acknowledge [these warnings], then Heaven sends anomalies to awe him. The Ode says: “We tremble at the awe and fearfulness of Heaven.”[1] It perhaps is referring to this.
The source of all portents and anomalies lies in faults that exist within the state. When faults have just begun to germinate, Heaven sends forth fearful portents to warn and inform the ruler of these faults. If after being warned and informed, the ruler fails to recognize the cause of these portents, then strange anomalies appear to frighten him. If after being frightened he still fails to recognize the cause of his fear, only then do misfortunes and calamities overtake him. From this we can see that Heaven’s intent is humane and does not desire to entrap a person. If one examines these portents and anomalies carefully, one will observe Heaven’s intent. Heaven’s intent desires certain things and does not desire other things. As for those things that Heaven desires and does not desire, if one examines oneself, one will surely find such warnings within oneself. If one observes affairs around oneself, one will surely find verification [of these warnings] in the state. Thus Heaven’s intent is manifested in these portents and anomalies. Stand in awe of them but do not despise them; consider that Heaven desires to save us from error and from doing wrong. Therefore Heaven relies on these means [portents and anomalies] to warn us….
According to the standards of the Spring and Autumn Annals, when the ruler of a state altered the ancient ways, departing from the norms, and Heaven responded with portents，these states were designated “fortunate states.” … When Heaven did not send down portents and Earth did not bring forth calamities, King Zhuang of Chu prayed to the mountains and rivers, saying, “Is Heaven about to destroy me? It does not announce my faults or criticize my crimes.” From this we see that the portents of Heaven are a response to human transgressions and anomalies are clearly to be feared. This is how Heaven hopes to save a state that has transgressed. This alone is what the Spring and Autumn Annals takes to be fortunate [in portents]. This is why King Zhuang of Chu prayed and asked [Heaven to cause portents to appear]. If a sagely ruler or worthy lord delights in receiving the reproofs of his loyal ministers, then how much more should he delight in receiving the warnings of Heaven.
Source: Chunqiu fanlu yizheng 8：23b-25b. In Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1, compiled by W. Th. de Bary and Irene Bloom. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1999. (pp. 305-06).
[1]: Ode 272 in the Book of Odes
Zuo Tradition (Zuozhuan)
The Battle of the Snakes
[Intro by translator] [This] excerpt deals with a strange battle of snakes in the capital of the state of Zheng. At the time of the incident, Duke Li (r. 700-697[BCE]; 680-673[BCE]), the ruler of Zheng, had been forced to flee the state and was residing abroad. In 680 [BCE] his efforts to regain control of the state and return to his capital were finally successful. The battle of the snakes that had taken place six years previously was interpreted as an omen of this event.
Earlier, the snakes living within the city and those from outside had engaged in battle in the middle of the southern gate to the capital of Zheng. The snakes living within the city died. Six years later, Duke Li of Zheng returned to the capital.
When Duke Zhuang of Lu heard of this, he questioned his minister Shen Xu about it, saying，”Are there really such things as portents?” Shen Xu replied, “When people have something they are deeply distressed about, their vital energy flames up and takes such shapes. Portents arise because of people. If people have no dissensions, they will not arise of themselves. When men abandon their constant ways, then portents arise. That is why these particular portents came about.”
Source: Zuo Tradition, Duke Zhuang fourteenth year, 680 B.C., from Anthology of Translations: Classical Chinese Literature, Vol. 1: From Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty, translated by Minford and Lau. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2000. (p. 173).
Mo-tzu [Mozi]: “Against Offensive Warfare” (selection)
In ancient times the three Miao tribes were in great disorder and Heaven decreed their destruction. The sun came out at night and for three days it rained blood. A dragon appeared in the ancestral temple and dogs howled in the market place. Ice formed in summertime, the earth split open until springs gushed forth, the five grains grew all deformed, and the people were filled with a great terror. Kao Yang gave the command in the Dark Palace, and Yu in person grasped the jade staff of authority and set out to subdue the ruler of the Miao. Amidst the din of thunder and lightning, a spirit with the face of a man and the body of a bird came bearing a jade baton to wait upon Yu. The general of the Miao was felled by an arrow, and the Miao army thrown into great confusion. After this their power waned. When Yu had conquered the three Miao, he marked off the mountains and rivers, separated those things which pertained to above and below, and clearly regulated the four extremities of the world, so that neither spirits nor people committed any offense, and all the world was at peace. This was how Yu launched an expedition against the ruler of the Miao.
In the case of King Jie of Xia, Heaven likewise sent down its direst command. Sun and moon failed to appear at the proper time, hot weather and cold mingled in confusion, and the five grains were seared and died. Spirits wailed throughout the land and cranes shrieked for more than ten nights. Heaven gave its command to Tang in the Biao Palace, ordering him to take over the solemn mandate from the Xia, for the Xia had fallen into grave disorder. Only then did Tang dare to lead forth his troops in obedience to the command and advance toward the border of Xia, and God caused the city of Xia to be secretly overthrown. After a while a spirit appeared and reported to T’ang: “The virtue of the Xia is in great disorder. Go and attack it, and I will surely cause you to win victory over it, for I have already received the command from Heaven.” Then Heaven ordered Zhurong to send down fire on the northwest corner of the city of Xia, and Tang, leading the army of Jie, conquered it. Then he summoned all the nobles to Bo and made clear to them the command of Heaven, sending word of it to the four quarters, and none of the feudal lords in the world failed to do obeisance to him. This was how Tang punished Jie.
In the case of King Zhòu[xin] of Shang, Heaven would not sanction his power. His sacrifices were untimely; for ten days and ten nights it rained earth at Bo, and the nine cauldrons moved about. Phantom women came out after dark and ghosts wailed at night. A woman turned into a man, flesh rained down from Heaven, and brambles grew on the state roads. And yet the king continued to behave in an even more willful and abandoned way. A red bird holding in its beak a baton of jade alighted at the altar of the Zhou state in the city of Qi and proclaimed: “Heaven orders King Wen of Zhou to attack Yin [i.e., Shang] and take possession of its state.” Daitian journeyed to pay his respects to the Zhou ruler, the river cast up its chart, and the land brought forth the “riding-yellow” beast. King Wu ascended the throne, and in a dream he saw three spirits who said to him: “We have already drowned Zhòu[xin] of Shang in the power of wine. Go and attack him, and we will surely cause you to win victory over him!” So King Wu went and attacked him, and replaced the state of Shang with that of Zhou, and Heaven presented King Wu with the yellow bird pennant. After King Wu had conquered the Shang dynasty and received the gifts bestowed by God, he assigned guardians to the various spirits, instituted sacrifices to Zhòu[xin]’s ancestors, the former kings of Shang, and opened up communications with the barbarians of the four quarters, so that there was no one in the world who did not pay him allegiance. This was how he carried on the labors of Tang. Thus, if we examine the cases of these three sage kings, we will see that what they did was not to “attack” but to “punish.”
Source: Mo Zi: Basic Writings Transl. by Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 1963. [transcription changed to pinyin]
