Friday, January 14, 2022 |
"Know that you are going through a period of testing. Remain true to all that has been committed to you and know that each day is an opportunity and an experience." ECRL 3245-1 |
美言可以市
to put in a good word for somebody is marketable (saleable)
― Goodwill/Influence as a commodity ―
故立天子，置三公
天子，三公, 1 Imperator
3 Leaders
「領導 (公/Dukes, Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, a collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China)」
三公，是中國古代地位最尊顯的三個官職的合稱。
據史類作品記載秦朝設置，秦朝以後多為虛職。
據說周代已有此詞，西漢今文經學家據《尚書大傳》、
《禮記》等書以為三公指司馬、司徒、司空。
古文經學家則據《周禮》以為太師、太傅、太保為三公。
三公, a reminiscence of 三魂*「七魄」
據說周代已有此詞，西漢今文經學家據《尚書大傳》、
《禮記》等書以為三公指司馬 「Grand Marshal」、
司徒「Minister over the Masses or Excellency over the Masses，
originally 司土 sītǔ, meaning Administrator of Land」 、
司徒 「a rough modern equivalent of which might be 'prime minister'.」、
司空「Ministry of Works or of Public Works」。
古文經學家則據《周禮》以為太師 「Tàishī，Grand Preceptor」、太傅「Tàifù，Grand Tutor」、太保「Tàibǎo，Grand Protector」為三公。
* In Daoist physiology, the human body contains many indwellers besides the Three Corpses. 内神 Nèishén "internal spirits/gods" and 身神 shēnshén "body spirits/gods" are Daoist terms for deities inhabiting various parts of the body, including 五臟 the wǔzàng "the five viscera: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys", 六腑 liùfǔ "the six receptacles: gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner, and bladder", and 七竅 qīqiào "the seven apertures in the human head: eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth".
The "Inner Chapters" of 《包朴子》the (c. 320 CE) bāo pǔzi, written by 金代道士葛洪 the Jīn Dynasty Daoist scholar Gé Hóng, is the earliest source of detailed information about the Three Corpses. This text describes 三 尸or 屍, the sānshī parasites causing illnesses during unlucky times in the Chinese calendar and reporting sins on 艮申 gēngshēn days, as well as gives several methods for preparing poisonous 外丹wài dān alchemical elixirs to eliminate the Three Corpses (which synonyms read as 伏尸fúshī "hidden corpse", 尸虫 shīchóng "corpse worms", 尸鬼 shīguǐ "corpse ghosts", and in reference to the three corpses named 彭 Péng (保生經 Baoshengjing), 尸彭 shīpéng "corpse Pengs" or 三彭 sānpéng "three Pengs").
《包朴子》the bāo pǔzi records how the Three Corpses and 竈神 Zàoshén "God of the Stove" make regular reports to 司命 Sī mìng "Director of Destinies", who shortens the host's lifespan accordingly. Answering a question about the importance of 禁忌 jìnjì "taboo", 葛洪Gé Hóng cites three apocryphal 漢 Han texts, 易內戒 the Yì nèi jié "Inner Commands of the Book of Changes", 赤鬆子經 Chìsōng zǐ jīng "Classic of Master Redpine", and 河圖記命符 Hé tújì mìng fú "River Chart Life Talisman", which is attributed to 漢道家 the Han Daoist 樂子長 Lè Zǐchǎng.
These "body residents" were either health threats or health protectors, and said to engage in constant struggles with one another. The upper, middle, and lower 丹田 dāntián energy-centres contained both 三 尸 or 屍 shī "Three Corpses" or 三蟲 sān chóng "Three Worms" the Three Corpses/Worms and the counterpart guardian gods called 三一 the sānyī "Three Ones". When the Three Corpses approach spirits within the body, they can shapeshift, sometimes appearing as evil demons and sometimes taking human form.
The ancient inhabitants of what is now named China believed in soul dualism between 魂 the hún and 魄 pò souls: heavenly 魂 hún "spiritual, ethereal, 陽魂 yang soul" that leaves the body after death and 魄 the earthly pò "corporeal, substantive, 陽魂 yin soul" that remains with the corpse of the deceased. In some Daoist traditions, the body was thought to contain 三魂七魄 three hún and seven pò souls. The good 魂 hún-souls are clad in red and carry a red seal in their hands, 魄 the bad pò-souls, "who long for the body to die and therefore perform mischief to try to hasten the adept's demise", are clad in black and carry black seals. Strickmann, Michel in Chinese Magical Medicine, Stanford University Press (2002), wrote that the Three Corpses/Worms represent a specialized development of 魄 the pò-souls' destructive propensities.
But unlike 魂, the hún, whose nature (though flighty and inconstant) is entirely benign and whose tendencies are all heavenward, 七魄 the seven pò yearn for the earth. Their strongest wish is to rejoin the damp, dank underground springs whose moist, heavy nature they share, and so they seek to undermine and rid themselves of the constraining human body they inhabit. Thus at night, while their host is sleeping (and the airborne 魂, hún-souls are sporting and gambling with 魂 the hún of other sleepers, thereby causing dreams), 魄 the pò beckon to passing phantoms and disease-demons and invite them in to take possession of the sleeper’s body and work toward his destruction. The very names of 七魄, the seven pò-souls suggest their harmful function, and one early list significantly begins with a corpse: 屍狗 corpse-dog, hidden dung, sparrow-sex, greedy-guts, flying venom, filth-for-removal, and rot-lung.
Daoists were fascinated with correlations between the human body and the cosmos. Henri Maspero in Taoism and Chinese Religion, translated by Frank A. Kierman Jr., University of Massachusetts Press (1981), wrote "Man and world, for the Chinese, are absolutely identical, not only as a whole but also in every detail." For example, the human head is round like heaven, the feet are square like the earth; the Five Viscera correspond to the Five Phases, the 24 vertebrae to 二十四節 the 24 solar terms, the 365 穴 acupoints to the 365 days of the year; and the veins and arteries compared to rivers and streams.
Later texts like《內經圖》 the nèijīng tú and 《修真圖》xiūzhēn tú depict the "inner landscape" of the human body as a microcosm of the universe, which helps 內丹 neidan mediators visualize their personal internal spirits. While body gods travel in and out of the body, their prolonged exit may result in sickness or death. Hence, detailed visualizations of the corpse-worms within the meditator's body is a powerful means of keeping them in place and thus promoting health and longevity.
道德經
《道德經》第六十二章
道者萬物之奧。
善人之寶，不善人之所保。
美言可以市，尊行可以加人。
人之不善，何棄之有？
故立天子，置三公，雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐進此道。
古之所以貴此道者何？
不曰：以求得，有罪以免耶？
故為天下貴。
Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-two — C. Ganson
62
道 is at the source of everything:
a treasure for the good, refuge for the bad.
Fine words can be sold;
fine deeds can be just a show.
Why then reject the bad?
Therefore, at the crowning of the emperor
or at the appointment of the three ministers,
rather than present gifts of jade and horses,
present the gift of 道.
Why did the ancients value 道 so?
Did they not say the seeker shall find it,
the sinner shall find it and be forgiven?
So it is the treasure of the world.
Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-two — James Legge
62 (Practising the Dao)
道 has of all things the most honoured place.
No treasures give good men so rich a grace;
Bad men, it guards and doth their ill efface.
(Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it.
Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince) was to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this 道, which one might present on his knees.
Why was it that the ancients prized this 道 so much?
Was it not because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape (from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.
Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-two — Arthur Waley
62
道 in the Universe is like the southwest corner in the house.
It is the treasure of the good man,
The support of the bad.
There is a traffic in speakers of fine words;
Persons of grave demeanour are accepted as gifts;
Even the bad let slip no opportunity to acquire them.
Therefore on the day of an Emperor's enthronement
Or at the installation of the three officers of State
Rather than send a team of four horses, preceded by a disc of jade,
Better were it, as can be done without moving from one's seat,
To send this 道.
For what did the ancients say of this 道,
How did they prize it?
Did they not say of those that have it
“Pursuing, they shall catch; pursued, they shall escape?”
They thought it, indeed, most precious of all things under heaven.
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