On China (zhongguo)中國論 

By Shi Jie 石介

Translated by Devin Fitzgerald and Maura Dykstra

 

夫天处乎上，地处乎下。居天地之中者曰中国，居天地之偏者曰四夷。四夷外也，中国内也。天地为之平内外，所以限也。夫中国者君臣所自立也，礼乐所自作也，衣冠所自出也，冠昏祭祀所自用也，縗麻丧泣所自制也，果瓜菜茹所自殖也，稻麻黍稷所自有也。

Heaven presides above and the earth presides below. That which  is situated in the center of the two is known as “the middle kingdom (zhongguo). Those who dwell on the edges of heaven and earth are known as “the four outlanders.” The four outlanders are on the outside. The “central kingdom (zhongguo)” is on the inside. The boundary between inner and outer was created to strike a balance in heaven and earth.

As for the central kingdom (zhongguo), its creation was a result of the lords and their ministers establishing themselves. It is made through its own ritual and music. It emerges from its own robes and caps. It is created by its own use of the practices of capping ceremonies, weddings, and sacrifices. It makes itself through the regulations of rough hemp mourning garments and tears of sorrow. It flourishes from its own nuts and fruits and vegetables and mushrooms. It possesses its own rice and hemp and millet and grains.

 

东方曰夷，被发文身，有不火食者矣。南方曰蛮，雕题交趾，有不火食者。西方曰日戎，被发衣皮，有粒食者。北方曰狄，毛衣穴居，有不粒食者。其俗皆自安也，相易则乱。仰观于天则二十八舍在焉，俯察于地则九州分野在焉，中观于人则君臣、父子、夫妇、兄弟、宾客、朋友之位在焉。

 

In the east there are those called the ‘Yi.’ They cut their hair and tattoo their bodies. Some eat without cooking the food they consume. In the south there are those called the ‘Man.’ In the plateaus of the southern lands they scar their bodies. Some eat without cooking the food they consume. In the west there are those called the ‘Rong.’ They cut their hair and wear hides. Some eat grain. In the north there are those called Di. They wear pelts and live in caves. They do not eat grains. If they all follow their own customs, they are at peace. When they change them, then there is chaos.

 

Look up to heaven. Observe the twenty-eight constellations within. Look below to the earth. Observe we can see the divisions of the nine domains.** Look within: observe how humans are cast into the positions of ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brother, guest and host, and friends.

 

** Here referring to Yu the Great’s dredging of the rivers (as narrated in the Book of Documents), which is said to have created the great geographical divisions of the empire.

 

非二十八舍、九州分野之内，非君臣、父子、夫妇、兄弟、宾客、朋友之位皆外裔也。二十八舍之外干乎，二十八舍之内是乱天常也。九州分野之外，入乎九州分野之内，是易地理也。非君臣、父子、夫妇、兄弟、宾客、朋友之位，是悖人道也。苟天常乱于上，地理易于下，人道悖于中国，不为中国矣。

Those who do not reside beneath the twenty-eight constellations, nor within the nine domains, nor in the positions of ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brother, guest and host, and friends: they are beyond the frontiers. Those things beyond the houses of the twenty-eight constellations would, if performed within them, amount to a chaos which threatens the constants of Heaven. Those things outside of the nine domains would, if they enter, alter the very landscape. Those that do not have the positions of ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brother, guest and host, or friend are none other than rebels against the way of mankind. If the constants of Heaven, above, are thrown into disorder, and the Earth, below, is itself transformed, and there is rebellion against the way of mankind within the central kingdom (zhongguo), then it is no longer the central kingdom (zhongguo)!

 

闻乃有巨人名曰佛，自西来入我中国；有庞眉曰聃，自胡来，入我中国。各以其人易中国之人，以其道易中国之道，以其俗易中国之俗，以其书易中国之书，以其教易中国之教，以其居庐易中国之居庐，以其礼乐易中国之礼乐，以其文章易中国之文章，以其衣服易中国之衣服，以其饮食易中国之饮食，以其祭祀易中国之祭祀。

I have heard that there was a great man by the name of ‘Buddha.’ He came from the west to entered our central kingdom (zhongguo). Pang Mei has claimed that Laozi came from the outlander tribes and entered our central kingdom (zhongguo). Each of them changed the people of the central kingdom (zhongguo) with their people. [Furthermore,] they each used their Way to change the Way of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their customs to change the customs of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their writings to change the writings of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their teachings to change the teachings of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their architecture to change the architecture of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their ritual and music to change the ritual and music of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their writing styles to change the writing styles of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their clothing to change the clothing of the central kingdom (zhongguo). They used their diets to change the diets of the central kingdom (zhongguo). [Finally,] they used their ritual sacrifices to change the ritual sacrifices of the central kingdom (zhongguo).

 

虽然中国人犹未肯乐焉而从之也，其佛者乃说曰：天有堂，地有狱，从我游则升天堂矣，否则挤地狱。其老亦说曰：我长生之道，不死之乐（药），从我游则长生矣，否则夭死。且又有为耒耜以使人农也，为诗书以使人士也，为器材以使人工也，为货币以使人商也。臣拜乎君，弟事乎兄，幼顺乎长冠，以束乎发带，以绳乎腰履，以羁乎足妻子，以侍养宾师，以须乎奉縗麻丧泣之制，使人为哀禋祭享之位，使人为孝尔之劳也。如是，我皆无是之苦。

When the people of the central kingdom were not yet willing to take joy [in these foreign paths] and follow them, the Buddha then said, “There is a Heaven above and Hell below. Follow me and ascend to Heaven, otherwise, you will be cast into hell.” Laozi also said, “My way of eternal life brings the joy of deathlessness. Follow me and live forever, otherwise you will die young.” He also claimed “We have none of the suffering brought by the plow which makes men into farmers; the poetry and books which make them scholars; the tools and materials which make them craftsmen; the goods and money which make them merchants. We also have no ministers bowing to lords; younger brothers serving older brothers; or juniors following seniors. We are not restrained by hair ties, nor tied by girdles at our waists. Our wives’ feet are unbound; we serve neither guest nor master; we do not follow rules of wearing hemp for mourning, nor do we offer austere sacrifices. We do not make people ‘filial’ and so cause them to labor.”

 

于是人或惧之，或悦之。始有从之者，既从之也，人则曰莫尊乎君。与之抗礼，无兄以事也，无长以从也，无妻子以养也，无宾师以奉也，无发以束也，无带以绳也，无縗麻丧泣以为哀也，无禋祀祭享以为孝也。中国所为士与农工与商者，我皆坐而衣食之。我贵也如此。故其人欢然而去之也，靡然而趋之也。噫。今不离此而去彼。

Following this, there were people who became fearful. Others were overjoyed. Some began to follower. Yet others followed those. Thereupon it was said of the people “None renders respect unto the ruler!” There was contention against the rites. Refusal to serve elder brothers. Unwillingness to be obedient to seniors. A lack of nourishment for wives and children. No honoring of guests or teachers. There was nothing to restrain them. There was nothing to bind them. There was no hemp or tears with which to mourn. There were no rites or sacrifices to perform filial piety.  The middle kingdom (zhongguo), a conglomeration of officials and agriculturalists and craftsmen and merchants, feeds, supports, and clothes them all. Our honor and our worth is just like this. But formerly there were those who gleefully cast everything aside. With no sense of what was lost, they ran away from everything! Oh, humanity! You would refuse to forsake that which is here at the same time that you move toward what is there.

 

背中国而趋佛老者几人。或曰如此，将为之奈何？曰各人其人，各俗其俗，各教其教，各礼其礼，各衣服其衣服，各居庐其居庐。四夷处四夷，中国处中国，各不相乱，如斯而已矣，则中国中国也，四夷四夷也

The number that have truly turned their backs on the central kingdom (zhongguo) and followed the Buddha are but a few. Some say: what can be done about this? I say: each person to his own personhood. Each custom to its own customs. Each teaching to its own teachings. Each ritual to its own rites. Each fashion to its own fashions. Each abode to its own houses. The four outlanders among the four outlanders. The central kingdom (zhongguo) in the central kingdom (zhongguo). For each to not disturb the other. And that is all! For the central kingdom (zhongguo) to be the central kingdom (zhongguo). For the four outlanders to be the four outlanders.