On the Existence of Ghosts, Part Three明鬼下
子墨子言曰：逮自昔三代聖王既沒，天下失義，諸侯力正，是以存夫爲人君臣上下者之不惠忠也，父子弟兄之不慈孝弟長貞良也，正長之不强於聽治，賤人之不强於從事也。民之爲淫暴寇亂盜賊，以兵刃毒藥水火，退無罪人乎道路率徑，奪人車馬衣裘以自利者，並作由此始，是以天下亂。此其故何以然也？則皆以疑惑鬼神之有與無之別，不明乎鬼神之能賞賢而罰暴也。今若使天下之人借若信鬼神之能賞賢而罰暴也，則夫天下豈亂哉！
Mozi said, "Since the sage kings of the three dynasties of old died, all under heaven has lost righteousness and the feudal lords have set things right by force. By this those who are rulers and ministers, superiors and inferiors, have become unkind and disloyal; fathers and sons, younger and elder brothers, have become unloving, unfilial, unrespectful, unworthy as elders, crooked and bad; those set over men do not strive to hear and govern, and the humble do not strive to follow their work.
The people fall to license and violence, to robbery, disorder and thieving; with weapons and blades, poison, water and fire they drive guiltless men off the roads and the byways and seize other men's carts and horses, clothes and furs to profit themselves. All of this arose together and began from this, and by this all under heaven is in disorder.
For what reason is this so? It is that all doubt and are confused about the difference between the spirits' being and not being, and are not clear that the spirits can reward the worthy and punish the violent. Now if the men of all under heaven could be made to believe that the spirits can reward the worthy and punish the violent, how would all under heaven be in disorder?"
今執無鬼者曰：「鬼神者，固無有。」旦暮以爲教誨乎天下，疑天下之衆，使天下之衆皆疑惑乎鬼神有無之別，是以天下亂。是故子墨子曰：今天下之王公大人士君子，實將欲求興天下之利，除天下之害，故當鬼神之有與無之別，以爲將不可不明察此者也。既以鬼神有無之別，以爲不可不察已，然則吾爲明察此，其說將柰何而可？子墨子曰：是與天下之所以察知有與無之道者，必以衆之耳目之實知有與亡爲儀者也。請惑聞之見之，則必以爲有；莫聞莫見，則必以爲無。若是何不嘗入一鄉一里而問之，自古以及今，生民以來者，亦有嘗見鬼神之物，聞鬼神之聲，則鬼神何謂無乎？若莫聞莫見，則鬼神可謂有乎？
Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, "Spirits from the first do not exist." Morning and evening they teach this to all under heaven and make the multitude of all under heaven doubt, and make the multitude of all under heaven all doubt and be confused about the difference between the spirits' being and not being, and by this all under heaven is in disorder.
Therefore Mozi said, "Now if the kings, dukes, and great men, the officers and gentlemen of all under heaven truly wish to seek to raise up the benefit of all under heaven and remove the harm of all under heaven, they cannot but look clearly into the difference between the spirits' being and not being.
Since it has been said that we cannot but look into the difference between the spirits' being and not being, then how should the argument go by which I may look clearly into this?"
Mozi said, "This is the way by which all under heaven looks into and knows being and not being. One must take what the ears and eyes of the multitude really know to be there or not to be there as the measure. If some have truly heard it and seen it, then one must hold that it is; if none has heard it and none has seen it, then one must hold that it is not.
If this is so, why not go into a district and a village and ask? If from of old down to now, since men were born, there have been those who saw the things of spirits and heard the voices of spirits, how can the spirits be called nothing? If none has heard and none has seen, can the spirits be called something?"
今執無鬼者言曰：夫天下之爲聞見鬼神之物者，不可勝計也。亦孰爲聞見鬼神有無之物哉？子墨子言曰：若以衆之所同見，與衆之所同聞，則若昔者杜伯是也。周宣王殺其臣杜伯而不辜，杜伯曰：「吾君殺我而不辜，若以死者爲無知，則止矣；若死而有知，不出三年，必使吾君知之。」其三年，周宣王合諸侯而田於圃田，車數百乘，從數千，人滿野。日中，杜伯乘白馬素車，朱衣冠，執朱弓，挾朱矢，追周宣王，射之車上，中心折脊，殪車中，伏弢而死。當是之時，周人從者莫不見，遠者莫不聞，著在周之《春秋》。爲君者以教其臣，爲父者以䜘其子，曰：「戒之慎之，凡殺不辜者，其得不祥，鬼神之誅，若此之憯遫也！」以若書之說觀之，則鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？
Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, "Those in all under heaven who have heard and seen the things of spirits are more than can be counted. But who has heard or seen a thing that shows whether spirits are or are not?"
Mozi said, "If we go by what the multitude have seen together and what the multitude have heard together, then Du Bo (杜伯) of old is such a case.
King Xuan of Zhou killed his minister Du Bo, who was guiltless. Du Bo said, 'My ruler kills me, and I am guiltless. If the dead have no knowledge, then that is the end of it; but if the dead have knowledge, then before three years are out I will surely make my ruler know it.'
In the third year King Xuan of Zhou gathered the feudal lords and hunted at Putian (圃田). The carts were some hundreds and the followers some thousands, and men filled the field. At midday Du Bo rode a white horse and a white cart, in a red robe and cap, holding a red bow and carrying red arrows. He pursued King Xuan of Zhou and shot him upon his cart. It struck his heart and broke his spine, and he fell over in the cart and died lying on his bow case.
At that time there was not one of the men of Zhou who followed who did not see it, and not one of those far off who did not hear it, and it was written in the Chunqiu of Zhou. Those who were rulers taught their ministers by it, and those who were fathers warned their sons by it, saying, 'Be warned and be careful. Whoever kills the guiltless gets misfortune by it, and the cutting down by the spirits is as cruel and as swift as this.'
Looking at it by the words of this writing, how can the being of spirits be doubted?"
非惟若書之說爲然也，昔者鄭穆公當晝日中處乎廟，有神入門而左，鳥身，素服三絕，面狀正方。鄭穆公見之，乃恐懼，奔。神曰：「無奔，帝享女明德，使予錫女壽十年有九，使若國家蕃昌，子孫茂，毋失。」鄭穆公再拜稽首，曰：「敢問神名。」曰：「予爲句芒。」若以鄭穆公之所身見爲儀，則鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？
It is not only the words of this writing that are so. Of old Duke Mu of Zheng was in the ancestral hall at midday, and a spirit came in at the gate and went to the left. It had the body of a bird, it wore white robes with three folds, and its face was square and straight. Duke Mu of Zheng saw it, and in fear he fled.
The spirit said, "Do not flee. The Lord on High has enjoyed your bright virtue and has sent me to give you nineteen years of life, and to make your house and state grow and flourish and your sons and grandsons abundant, so that you do not lose it." Duke Mu of Zheng bowed twice and touched his head to the ground and said, "I dare to ask the spirit's name." It said, "I am Goumang (句芒)."
If we take what Duke Mu of Zheng saw with his own body as the measure, how can the being of spirits be doubted?
非惟若書之說爲然也，昔者燕簡公殺其臣莊子儀而不辜，莊子儀曰：「吾君王殺我而不辜，死人毋知亦已，死人有知，不出三年，必使吾君知之。」期年，燕將馳祖，燕之有祖，當齊之社稷，宋之有桑林，楚之有雲夢也，此男女之所屬而觀也。日中，燕簡公方將馳於祖塗，莊子儀荷朱杖而擊之，殪之車上。當是時，燕人從者莫不見，遠者莫不聞，著在燕之《春秋》。諸侯傳而語之曰：「凡殺不辜者，其得不祥，鬼神之誅，若此其憯遫也！」以若書之說觀之，則鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？
It is not only the words of this writing that are so. Of old Duke Jian of Yan killed his minister Zhuang Ziyi (莊子儀), who was guiltless. Zhuang Ziyi said, "My ruler and king kills me, and I am guiltless. If the dead have no knowledge, then that is the end of it; if the dead have knowledge, then before three years are out I will surely make my ruler know it."
When a year had passed, Yan was about to drive out at Zu. Yan's having Zu is like Qi's having the altars of soil and grain, Song's having Sanglin (桑林), and Chu's having Yunmeng (雲夢); it is where men and women gather and look on.
At midday Duke Jian of Yan was just about to drive on the road to Zu when Zhuang Ziyi came shouldering a red staff and struck him and felled him upon his cart. At that time there was not one of the men of Yan who followed who did not see it, and not one of those far off who did not hear it, and it was written in the Chunqiu of Yan.
The feudal lords passed it on and said, "Whoever kills the guiltless gets misfortune by it, and the cutting down by the spirits is as cruel and as swift as this." Looking at it by the words of this writing, how can the being of spirits be doubted?
非惟若書之說爲然也，昔者宋文君鮑之時，有臣曰𥙐觀辜固嘗從事於厲，祩子杖楫出，與言曰：「觀辜，是何珪璧之不滿度量，酒醴粢盛之不淨潔也，犧牲之不全肥，春秋冬夏選失時，豈女爲之與？意鮑爲之與？」觀辜曰：「鮑幼弱，在荷繈之中，鮑何與識焉？官臣觀辜特爲之。」祩子舉楫而槀之，殪之壇上。當是時，宋人從者莫不見，遠者莫不聞，著在宋之《春秋》。諸侯傳而語之曰：「諸不敬慎祭祀者，鬼神之誅，至若此其憯遫也！」以若書之說觀之，鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？
It is not only the words of this writing that are so. Of old, in the time of Lord Wen of Song, Bao (鮑), there was a minister called Guan Gu (觀辜) who had from the first been in charge of the sacrifices. Zhu Zi (祩子) came out leaning on a staff and spoke with him and said, "Guan Gu, how is it that the jade tablets do not come up to measure, that the wine and the grain offerings are not clean and pure, that the victims are not whole and fat, and that the choosing for spring and autumn, winter and summer has lost its season? Did you do this, or did Bao do it?"
Guan Gu said, "Bao is young and weak and lies in swaddling clothes. What would Bao know of it? Your servant in office, Guan Gu, alone did it." Zhu Zi raised the staff and struck him and felled him upon the altar.
At that time there was not one of the men of Song who followed who did not see it, and not one of those far off who did not hear it, and it was written in the Chunqiu of Song. The feudal lords passed it on and said, "Upon all who are not reverent and careful in sacrifice the cutting down by the spirits comes as cruel and as swift as this." Looking at it by the words of this writing, how can the being of spirits be doubted?
Interlinear notes 1
祩子杖楫出
The 楫 of the source text is a boat oar, but at a sacrifice in a shrine it is read here as a staff. ― Translator
非惟若書之說爲然也，昔者齊莊君之臣有所謂王里國、中里徼者。此二子者，訟三年而獄不斷。齊君由謙殺之，恐不辜；猶謙釋之，恐失有罪。乃使二人共一羊，盟齊之神社。二子許諾。於是泏洫，𢵣羊而漉其血，讀王里國之辭既已終矣，讀中里徼之辭未半也，羊起而觸之，折其腳，祧神之而槀之，殪之盟所。當是時，齊人從者莫不見，遠者莫不聞，著在齊之《春秋》。諸侯傳而語之曰：「諸盟矢不以其請者，鬼神之誅，至若此其憯遫也！」以若書之說觀之，鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？是故子墨子言曰：雖有深谿、博林、幽澗毋人之所，施行不可以不董，見有鬼神視之。
It is not only the words of this writing that are so. Of old among the ministers of Lord Zhuang (莊君) of Qi there were those called Wang Liguo (王里國) and Zhong Liyao (中里徼). These two contended for three years, and the case could not be cut through.
The ruler of Qi feared that if he killed them they might be guiltless, and feared that if he let them go he would lose the guilty one. So he had the two of them share one sheep and swear an oath at the spirit altar (神社) of Qi, and the two agreed.
Then they dug a trench and cut the sheep open and let its blood run. The reading of Wang Liguo's words was already finished, and the reading of Zhong Liyao's words was not half done, when the sheep rose and butted him and broke his leg; and the spirit came forward and struck him and felled him at the place of the oath.
At that time there was not one of the men of Qi who followed who did not see it, and not one of those far off who did not hear it, and it was written in the Chunqiu of Qi. The feudal lords passed it on and said, "Upon all who swear and pledge and do not do it in truth the cutting down by the spirits comes as cruel and as swift as this." Looking at it by the words of this writing, how can the being of spirits be doubted?
Therefore Mozi said, "Even in a deep stream, a broad forest, or a dark valley where there are no men, one cannot but look to what one does. The spirits are watching."
今執無鬼者曰：夫衆人耳目之請，豈足以斷疑哉？柰何其欲爲高士君子於天下，而有復信衆之耳目之請哉？子墨子曰：若以衆之耳目之請，以爲不足信也，不以斷疑。不識若昔者三代聖王堯舜禹湯文武者，足以爲法乎？故於此乎自中人以上皆曰：「若昔者三代聖王，足以爲法矣。」若苟昔者三代聖王足以爲法，然則姑嘗上觀聖王之事。昔者武王之攻殷誅紂也，使諸侯分其祭，曰：「使親者受內祀，疏者受外祀。」故武王必以鬼神爲有，是故攻殷誅紂，使諸侯分其祭。若鬼神無有，則武王何祭分哉？非惟武王之事爲然也，故聖王，其賞也必於祖，其僇也必於社。賞於祖者何也？告分之均也；僇於社者何也？告聽之中也。
Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, "How can what the ears and eyes of the multitude feel be enough to cut through doubt? How is it that men who wish to be lofty officers and gentlemen in all under heaven still trust what the ears and eyes of the multitude feel?"
Mozi said, "If you hold that what the ears and eyes of the multitude feel is not enough to be trusted, and will not cut through doubt by it, then I do not know: are the sage kings of the three dynasties of old, Yao and Shun and Yu and Tang and Wen and Wu, enough to be taken as a model?"
Therefore on this point all men from the middling sort upward say, "The sage kings of the three dynasties of old are enough to be taken as a model."
If indeed the sage kings of the three dynasties of old are enough to be taken as a model, then let us for a moment look up at the deeds of the sage kings.
Of old, when King Wu attacked Yin and cut down Zhou, he had the feudal lords divide the sacrifices and said, "Let the near of kin receive the inner sacrifices and the distant of kin receive the outer sacrifices." So King Wu must have held that spirits exist, and therefore he attacked Yin and cut down Zhou and had the feudal lords divide the sacrifices. If spirits did not exist, what sacrifices would King Wu have divided?
It is not only King Wu's deed that is so. The sage kings always gave their rewards in the ancestral temple and did their killing at the altar of soil and grain. Why reward in the ancestral temple? To announce that the dividing is even. Why kill at the altar of soil and grain? To announce that the hearing is right.
非惟若書之說爲然也，且惟昔者虞夏商周三代之聖王，其始建國營都，曰必擇國之正壇，置以爲宗廟；必擇木之脩茂者，立以爲菆位；必擇國之父兄慈孝貞良者，以爲祝宗；必擇六畜之腯肥倅毛，以爲犧牲；珪璧琮璜，稱財爲度；必擇五穀之芳黃，以爲酒醴粢盛，故酒醴粢盛，與歲上下也。故古聖王治天下也，故必先鬼神而後人者，此也。故曰：官府選効必先，祭器祭服畢藏於府，祝宗有司畢立於朝，犧牲不與昔聚羣。故古者聖王之爲政若此。
It is not only the words of this writing that are so. Moreover, when the sage kings of the three dynasties of old, of Yu and Xia and Shang and Zhou, first founded their states and laid out their capitals, they always chose the upright ground of the state and set the ancestral temple there; they always chose trees that were tall and flourishing and set them up as the seat of the spirits; they always chose men among the fathers and elder brothers of the state who were loving and filial and upright and good and made them invocators and temple officers; they always chose among the six kinds of livestock those that were fat and of fine coat and made them the victims; they took jade tablets and jade rings in measure fitting to their wealth; and they always chose among the five grains those that were fragrant and yellow and made them the wine and the grain offerings. So the wine and the grain offerings rose and fell with the year.
Therefore when the sage kings of old governed all under heaven, they always put the spirits first and men after, and this is why. So it is said that in the offices the choosing and the striving come first, that the sacrificial vessels and robes are all stored in the treasury, that the invocators and temple officers and those in charge all stand at court, and that the victims are not mixed with the herds of former days. Such was the governing of the sage kings of old.
古者聖王必以鬼神爲其務，其務鬼神厚矣。又恐後世子孫不能知也，故書之竹帛，傳遺後世子孫。咸恐其腐蠹絕滅，後世子孫不得而記，故琢之盤盂、鏤之金石以重之。有恐後世子孫不能敬莙以取羊，故先王之書，聖人，一尺之帛，一篇之書，語數鬼神之有也，重有重之。此其故何？則聖王務之。今執無鬼者曰：「鬼神者，固無有。」則此反聖王之務。反聖王之務，則非所以爲君子之道也。
The sage kings of old always made the spirits their business, and their business with the spirits was weighty. And they feared that the sons and grandsons of later ages would not be able to know it, and so they wrote it on bamboo and silk and handed it down to the sons and grandsons of later ages.
They all feared that these would rot and be worm-eaten and be cut off and perish, so that the sons and grandsons of later ages could not get them and remember, and so they cut it into basins and bowls and engraved it on metal and stone to say it again. And they feared that the sons and grandsons of later ages would not be able to be reverent and careful and so take the good, and therefore in the books of the kings before us and of the sages, in a foot of silk and in a single chapter, the being of spirits is spoken of many times, again and yet again.
For what reason is this? It is that the sage kings strove at it. Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, "Spirits from the first do not exist," and this goes against what the sage kings strove at. To go against what the sage kings strove at is not the way to make the path of a gentleman.
今執無鬼者之言曰：先王之書，慎無一尺之帛，一篇之書，語數鬼神之有，重有重之，亦何書有之哉？子墨子曰：《周書‧大雅》有之。《大雅》曰：「文王在上，於昭於天。周雖舊邦，其命維新。有周不顯，帝命不時。文王陟降，在帝左右。穆穆文王，令聞不已。」若鬼神無有，則文王既死，彼豈能在帝之左右哉？此吾所以知《周書》之鬼也。
Now the words of those who hold that there are no spirits say, "You say that in the books of the kings before us, in a foot of silk and in a single chapter, the being of spirits is spoken of many times, again and yet again. In what book, then, is it?"
Mozi said, "It is in the Daya of the Book of Zhou. The Daya says, 'King Wen is on high; ah, he shines in Heaven. Though Zhou is an old state, its mandate is new. Is Zhou not made manifest? Is the Lord's mandate not timely? King Wen ascends and descends; he is at the left and the right of the Lord. Solemn is King Wen, and his good fame does not cease.'
If spirits did not exist, then King Wen being already dead, how could he be at the left and right of the Lord? This is how I know the spirits of the Book of Zhou."
且《周書》獨鬼，而《商書》不鬼，則未足以爲法也。然則姑嘗上觀乎《商書》，曰：「嗚呼！古者有夏，方未有禍之時，百獸貞蟲，允及飛鳥，莫不比方。矧隹人面，胡敢異心？山川鬼神，亦莫敢不寧。若能共允，隹天下之合，下土之葆。」察山川鬼神之所以莫敢不寧者，以佐謀禹也。此吾所以知《商書》之鬼也。
And if the Book of Zhou alone spoke of spirits and the Book of Shang did not speak of spirits, that would not be enough to be taken as a model. Then let us for a moment look up at the Book of Shang.
It says, "Ah, of old, in the time when Xia had not yet met with calamity, among all the beasts and the crawling things, down to the flying birds, there was none that did not fall into line. How much more those with the faces of men: how would they dare to differ in heart? The spirits of the hills and streams, too, none of them dared to be unquiet. If they can be faithful together, then all under heaven will be joined and the land below will be kept."
If we look into why the spirits of the hills and streams dared not be unquiet, it was that they helped King Yu in his plans. This is how I know the spirits of the Book of Shang.
且《商書》獨鬼，而《夏書》不鬼，則未足以爲法也。然則姑嘗上觀乎《夏書》，《禹誓》曰：「大戰於甘，王乃命左右六人，下聽誓于中軍，曰：有扈氏威侮五行，怠棄三正，天用𠞰絕其命。有曰：日中，今予與有扈氏爭一日之命，且爾卿大夫庶人，予非爾田野葆士之欲也，予共行天之罰也。左不共於左，右不共於右，若不共命。御非爾馬之政，若不共命。是以賞于祖，而僇于社。」賞於祖者何也？言分命之均也；僇於社者何也？言聽獄之事也。故古聖王必以鬼神爲賞賢而罰暴，是故賞必於祖，而僇必於社。此吾所以知《夏書》之鬼也。故尚書《夏書》，其次商周之書，語數鬼神之有也，重有重之。此其故何也？則聖王務之。以若書之說觀之，則鬼神之有，豈可疑哉？於古曰：吉日丁卯，周代祝社方，歲于社考，以延年壽。若無鬼神，彼豈有所延年壽哉？
And if the Book of Shang alone spoke of spirits and the Book of Xia did not speak of spirits, that would not be enough to be taken as a model. Then let us for a moment look up at the Book of Xia.
The Yu shi (禹誓) says, "At the great battle at Gan (甘) the king commanded six men on his left and right to come down from the central army and hear the oath, and said, 'The Youhu clan slights the five workings and idly casts aside the three rectitudes, and Heaven therefore has cut off their mandate.' And he said, 'It is midday. Now I contend with the Youhu clan for the mandate of a single day. And you, ministers and great officers and common men, it is not your fields and moors and precious soil that I desire; I carry out the punishment of Heaven together with you. If the left does not join on the left, you do not join in the mandate; if the right does not join on the right, you do not join in the mandate. If the driver does not govern your horses, you do not join in the mandate.' By this he rewarded in the ancestral temple and killed at the altar of soil and grain."
Why reward in the ancestral temple? It speaks of the evenness with which the mandate is divided. Why kill at the altar of soil and grain? It speaks of the business of hearing cases.
So the sage kings of old always took it that the spirits reward the worthy and punish the violent, and therefore they always gave reward in the ancestral temple and did their killing at the altar of soil and grain. This is how I know the spirits of the Book of Xia.
So the Book of Xia above, and after it the books of Shang and Zhou, speak of the being of spirits many times, again and yet again. For what reason is this? It is that the sage kings strove at it.
Looking at it by the words of these writings, how can the being of spirits be doubted? An old saying runs, "On the lucky day dingmao Zhou prayed at the altars of the four quarters and each year sought out the altar of soil and grain, and so lengthened its years and its life." If there were no spirits, how would they have had anywhere to lengthen their years and their life?
是故子墨子曰：嘗若鬼神之能賞賢如罰暴也，蓋本施之國家，施之萬民，實所以治國家、利萬民之道也。若以爲不然，是以吏治官府之不絜廉，男女之爲無別者，鬼神見之。民之爲淫暴寇亂盜賊，以兵刃毒藥水火退無罪人乎道路，奪人車馬衣裘以自利者，有鬼神見之。是以吏治官府不敢不絜廉，見善不敢不賞，見暴不敢不罪。民之爲淫暴寇亂盜賊，以兵刃毒藥水火退無罪人乎道路，奪人車馬衣裘以自利者，由此止，是以莫放。幽閒，擬乎鬼神之明；顯明，有一人畏上誅罰，是以天下治。
Therefore Mozi said, "If it is held that the spirits can reward the worthy and punish the violent, and this is set as the root in the state and spread among the ten thousand people, it is truly the way to govern the state and benefit the ten thousand people.
If anyone thinks it is not so, then let him know that the spirits see it when clerks governing the offices are not clean and upright, and when men and women keep no separation. The spirits see it when the people fall to license and violence, to robbery, disorder and thieving, when with weapons and blades, poison, water and fire they drive guiltless men off the roads and seize other men's carts and horses, clothes and furs to profit themselves.
By this the clerks governing the offices dare not be other than clean and upright; seeing good, they dare not fail to reward it; seeing violence, they dare not fail to punish it. And the people's falling to license and violence, to robbery, disorder and thieving, driving guiltless men off the roads with weapons and blades, poison, water and fire, and seizing other men's carts and horses, clothes and furs to profit themselves, stops from this, and none acts wantonly.
In dark and quiet places they measure themselves against the brightness of the spirits; in open and bright places every man fears the cutting down and the punishment of those above. And by this all under heaven is governed."
故鬼神之明，不可爲幽閒、廣澤、山林、深谷，鬼神之明必知之。鬼神之罰，不可爲富貴衆強、勇力強武、堅甲利兵，鬼神之罰必勝之。若以爲不然，昔者夏王桀貴爲天子，富有天下，上詬天侮鬼，下殃傲天下之萬民，祥上帝伐元山帝行，故於此乎天乃使湯至明罰焉。湯以車九兩，鳥陣鴈行，湯乘大賛，犯遂下衆人之𧎸遂，王乎禽推哆、大戲。故昔夏王桀貴爲天子，富有天下，有勇力之人推哆、大戲，生列兕虎，指畫殺人。人民之衆兆億，侯盈厥澤陵。然不能以此圉鬼神之誅。此吾所謂鬼神之罰，不可爲富貴衆強、勇力強武、堅甲利兵者，此也。
So the brightness of the spirits can be done nothing about by dark and quiet places, broad marshes, hills and forests, or deep valleys: the brightness of the spirits will surely know it. The punishment of the spirits can be done nothing about by wealth and rank and numbers and strength, by daring and force and hardness and vigor, or by strong armor and sharp weapons: the punishment of the spirits will surely overcome it.
If anyone thinks it is not so, then of old King Jie of Xia was honored as the Son of Heaven and was rich in having all under heaven, and yet above he railed at Heaven and slighted the spirits, and below he brought calamity on the ten thousand people of all under heaven and was arrogant toward them. He called the Lord on High auspicious and struck at Yuanshan Dixing (元山帝行). Therefore at this Heaven had Tang bring bright punishment upon him.
Tang with nine carts drew up the bird array and the goose line, rode the great chariot, pressed on over the paths of the multitudes below, and the king took Tui Chi and Da Xi alive. So King Jie of Xia of old was honored as the Son of Heaven and was rich in having all under heaven, and he had the daring and strong men Tui Chi and Da Xi, who tore living rhinoceroses and tigers apart and killed men with a point of the finger; and his people were a myriad million and filled his marshes and his hills. Yet by all this he could not ward off the cutting down by the spirits.
This is what I mean by saying that the punishment of the spirits can be done nothing about by wealth and rank and numbers and strength, by daring and force and hardness and vigor, or by strong armor and sharp weapons.
Interlinear notes 1
祥上帝伐元山帝行
The source text is corrupt here and no sense can be firmly established. It is rendered literally rather than left out. ― Translator
且不惟此爲然。昔者殷王紂貴爲天子，富有天下，上詬天侮鬼，下殃傲天下之萬民，播棄黎老，誅賊孩子，楚毒無罪，刳剔孕婦，庶舊鰥寡，號咷無告也。故於此乎天乃使武王至明罰焉。武王以擇車百兩，虎賁之卒四百人，先庶國節窺戎，與殷人戰乎牧之野。王乎禽費中、惡來，衆畔百走。武王逐𢍃入宮，萬年梓株，折紂而繫之赤環，載之白旗，以爲天下諸侯僇。故昔者殷王紂貴爲天子，富有天下，有勇力之人費中、惡來，生捕兕虎，指寡殺人。人民之衆兆億，侯盈厥澤陵。然不能以此圉鬼神之誅。此吾所謂鬼神之罰，不可爲富貴衆强、勇力强武、堅甲利兵者，此也。且《禽艾》之道之曰：「得璣無小，滅宗無大。」則此言鬼神之所賞，無小必賞之；鬼神之所罰，無大必罰之。
And it is not only this that is so. Of old King Zhou of Yin was honored as the Son of Heaven and was rich in having all under heaven, and yet above he railed at Heaven and slighted the spirits, and below he brought calamity on the ten thousand people of all under heaven and was arrogant toward them. He scattered and cast out the aged, he killed and harmed little children, he was cruel and bitter to the guiltless and cut open women with child; and the old and the widowers and the widows cried aloud with nowhere to appeal.
Therefore at this Heaven had King Wu bring bright punishment upon him. King Wu, with a hundred chosen carts and four hundred tiger-brave soldiers, put the many states in front and spied out the enemy stage by stage, and fought the men of Yin in the field of Muye. The king took Fei Zhong and E Lai alive, and the host turned away and fled on every side.
King Wu pursued them into the palace, and at the catalpa stump of ten thousand years he cut off Zhou's head and tied it with a red ring and hung it on a white banner, showing the killing to the feudal lords of all under heaven.
So King Zhou of Yin of old was honored as the Son of Heaven and was rich in having all under heaven, and he had the daring and strong men Fei Zhong and E Lai, who caught living rhinoceroses and tigers and killed men with a point of the finger; and his people were a myriad million and filled his marshes and his hills. Yet by all this he could not ward off the cutting down by the spirits.
This is what I mean by saying that the punishment of the spirits can be done nothing about by wealth and rank and numbers and strength, by daring and force and hardness and vigor, or by strong armor and sharp weapons.
And the way of the Qin ai (禽艾) says, "No reward is withheld for being small, and no clan is too great to be wiped out." This says that what the spirits reward, however small, they surely reward, and what the spirits punish, however great, they surely punish.
今執無鬼者曰：意不忠親之利，而害爲孝子乎？子墨子曰：古之今之爲鬼，非他也，有天鬼，亦有山水鬼神者，亦有人死而爲鬼者。今有子先其父死，弟先其兄死者矣。意雖使然，然而天下之陳物，曰先生者先死。若是，則先死者非父則母，非兄而姒也。今絜爲酒醴粢盛，以敬慎祭祀。若使鬼神請有，是得其父母姒兄而飲食之也，豈非厚利哉？若使鬼神請亡，是乃費其所爲酒醴粢盛之財耳。自夫費之，非特注之汙壑而棄之也，內者宗族，外者鄉里，皆得如具飲食之。雖使鬼神請亡，此猶可以合驩聚衆，取親於鄉里。今執無鬼者言曰：「鬼神者，固請無有，是以不共其酒醴粢盛犧牲之財。吾非乃今愛其酒醴粢盛犧牲之財乎，其所得者巨將何哉？」此上逆聖王之書，內逆民人孝子之行。而爲上士於天下，此非所以爲上士道。是故子墨子曰：今吾爲祭祀也，非直注之汙壑而棄之也，上以交鬼之福，下以合驩聚衆，取親乎鄉里。若神有，則是得吾父母姒兄而食之也，則此豈非天下利事也哉！
Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, "Is this not untrue to the benefit of one's parents and harmful to the filial son?"
Mozi said, "The spirits of old and of today are nothing else. There are spirits of Heaven, and there are also spirits of the hills and waters, and there are also those who were men and died and became spirits.
Now there are sons who die before their fathers and younger brothers who die before their elder brothers. Even if it is made so, yet among the things set out in all under heaven it is said that those born first die first. If this is so, then the one who dies first is the father, or if not the father the mother, and the elder brother, or if not the elder brother the elder sister-in-law.
Now men purely prepare wine and grain offerings and sacrifice with reverence and care. If the spirits truly exist, this is to get one's father and mother and elder sister-in-law and elder brother and give them food and drink. How is that not a weighty benefit? If the spirits truly do not exist, this is only to spend the goods that went into the wine and the grain offerings.
And this spending is not merely pouring it into a filthy ditch and throwing it away. Within, the kinsmen, and without, the people of the village, all get to eat and drink it together. Even if the spirits truly do not exist, this can still join men in gladness and gather the multitude and win closeness in the village.
Now those who hold that there are no spirits say, 'Spirits from the first truly do not exist, and by this we do not supply the goods for the wine and the grain offerings and the victims. Is it that we now begrudge the goods for the wine and the grain offerings and the victims? What great thing is there to be got by it?' This goes against the books of the sage kings above, and within it goes against the conduct of the people and of filial sons. And such men would be high officers in all under heaven; this is not the way to make the path of a high officer."
Therefore Mozi said, "Now my sacrificing is not merely pouring it into a filthy ditch and throwing it away. Above it makes friends with the blessing of the spirits, and below it joins men in gladness and gathers the multitude and wins closeness in the village. If the spirits exist, then this is to get my father and mother and elder sister-in-law and elder brother and give them food. How is this not a thing of benefit to all under heaven!"
是故子墨子曰：今天下之王公大人士君子，中實將欲求興天下之利，除天下之害，當若鬼神之有也，將不可不尊明也，聖王之道也。
Therefore Mozi said, "Now if the kings, dukes, and great men, the officers and gentlemen of all under heaven within themselves truly wish to seek to raise up the benefit of all under heaven and remove the harm of all under heaven, then they cannot but honor and make clear that the spirits exist. This is the way of the sage kings."