Over the past months, we have featured translations of several famous popular Chinese morality books on. The first such book was 關聖帝君覺世真經-- The Sage Therach Guan's true Scripture to Awaken the world: the second was 文昌帝君陰騭文 -- . Wenchang's Treatise on Secret Merit Now we finally the last of this trilogy, the Taishang Ganying pian-- The treatise of the Highest One on Ganying.
In the Carus and Suzuki translation of the text. it is stated that this was one of the most widely distributed books of all China. Whilst this is no longer true, the Taishang Ganying Pian is still republished now and then by Chinese religious presses; in fact it is one of the very few regularly distributed religious books that is not a buddhist sutra of some form. Still, it nonetheless is published by Buddhist presses, because the morality espoused in the book should be generally promoted.
The Taishang Ganying Pian- as are the Sage Thearch Guan and Wenchang Texts- is about Ganying. Generally the term refers to a kind of associateve resonance; a kind of relationship between two objects that are related to each other, and can interact from a distance. In the context of this text, the interactions are between good or bad deeds, and quality of life. If one does good things, good things would come to you; the converse if one does bad things. In a way it resembles popular notions of karma. However, some aspects of the doctrine may strike modern as strange. For one, the mechanism by which this is done, is by omnipresent spirits. These spirits report acts to the gods, who would correspondingly send good or bad luck to a person. For another, it is taken as a matter of course that retribution can devolve on people other than the sinner. The text explicitly states that Wives and children can die as a consequence of the man's sins; in turn, numerous other miracle tales attest to people's children suffering good (or bad) fortune owing to the deeds of their ancestors.
Whilst Wenchang's treatise on secret merit is positive-- a series of injunctions on what to do, Taishang Laojun's treatise is negative-- For the most part it is a long list of sins. There are some 137 in total.
The list of sins may strike the modern reader as strange. It struck some of the translators as strange as well. Extremely egregious sins (murder, rebellion) are condemned in the same terms as one that are relatively minor (killing snakes, pointing at stars). The reason why this is so may be seen from the wider context of Ganying. The consequence of evil deeds is worldy misfortune. If only significant evils were prohibited, every instance of misfortune occurring to a person would be seen as evidence of secret murder, adultery etc. However, by mixing in relatively minor transgressions like pointing at the luminaries, the unfortunate is given the benefit of the doubt. Indeed, this very treatise condemns the practise: "見他失便，便說他過； on seeing others have misadventures, Speaks of them as committing faults".
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There are three translations
1- T. Watters Esq. https://books.google.com/books?id=pK1RAAAAcAAJ&dq=%E5%A4%AA%E4%B8%8A%E6%84%9F%E6%87%89%E7%AF%87%20book%20of%20rewards&pg=PA247#v=onepage&q&f=false
A fairly OK translation. Legge heavily borrows from him. Has the advantage of having a Chinese text
2- Legge https://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/sbe40/sbe4018.htm
Legge's translation was formatted as continuious text; i have added line breaks to make them agree with the Chinese original
3- Carus and Suzuki https://archive.org/details/taishangkanying00compgoog/page/n27/mode/2up as well as https://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/ts/index.htm
Also bilingual, but in a rather eccentric format: The Chinese is displayed on one page, and on the facing page, there is a grid, in which each box is placed one word of the translation
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Although not included in the post, it is not amiss to mention two other translations of the text,
4- Brian Chung https://terebess.hu/english/The%20Treatise%20of%20the%20Illustrious%20Sage%20on%20Response%20and%20Retribution.pdf
5- Purple Cloud institute
This translation appears to have been translated from the Vernacular Chinese translation of the text rather than the original Classical Chinese
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Numerous editions can be found online, if one wishes to look. Here are a few of them
(1689, Illustrated) https://books.google.com/books?id=x_NVAAAAcAAJ&dq=%E5%A4%AA%E4%B8%8A%E6%84%9F%E6%87%89%E7%AF%87%E5%9C%96%E8%AA%AA&pg=PP2#v=onepage&q&f=false
(1739; tragically digitalised upside down! ) https://books.google.com/books?id=4y5bAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
(1849; with ilustrations of miracle tales) https://books.google.com/books?id=NNBRAAAAcAAJ&dq=%E6%84%9F%E6%87%89%E7%AF%87&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false
(1850: illustrated edn) https://books.google.com/books?id=nh5EAAAAYAAJ&dq=%E6%84%9F%E6%87%89%E7%AF%87&pg=PP555#v=thumbnail&q&f=false
(1901) https://books.google.com/books?id=HCZCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false
(annotated early 20thc edn; contained in the 治平寶鑑: "precious mirror of ordered peace" ) https://js1.amtb.cn/fabo/pdf/HZ15-039-02.pdf and https://archive.org/details/zhipingbaojian/page/n27/mode/1up
(Edition by Master JingKong, a celebrated Buddhist master. He breaks it up into sections, something not found in the other ends) https://archive.org/details/images_202205/page/n4/mode/2up
In this edition my Chinese text comes from Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%A4%AA%E4%B8%8A%E6%84%9F%E6%87%89%E7%AF%87%E7%9B%B4%E8%AC%9B
A note on formatting: Long segments of the text are written in verse-- lines of four characters. Four such lines typically constitute one semantic unit. I have thus formated the Chinese text into this fashion, and excerpted the English translatuon in the same manner
Legge's text was originally formatted in continuous text, but i have here inserted line breaks to reflect the chinese text. I have done the same for Carus.
*** *** ***
太上曰：「禍福無門，惟人自召；善惡之報，如影隨形。」
W: The Grand Supreme (i.e Lao tzŭ) says -- misfortune and prosperity have no door; they are evoked by men themselves. The rewards of virtue and vice are like the shadow following the substance
L: <The Thesis> 1. The Thâi-Shang (Tractate) says, 'There are no special doors for calamity and happiness (in men's lot); they come as men themselves call them. Their recompenses follow good and evil as the shadow follows the substance
Ca:<Introduction> The Exalted One says: Curses and blessings do not come through gates, but man himself invites their arrivals. The reward of good and evil is like the shadow accompanying a body, [...]
是以天地有司過之神，依人所犯輕重，以奪人算。算減則貧耗，多逢憂患；人皆惡之，刑禍隨之，吉慶避之，惡星災之；算盡則死。
W: Accordingly Heaven and Earth have spirits as ministers of transgressions, who cut off from men's lives periods commensurate with the slightness or gravity of their offences. When their term of life is curtailed men become poor and needy-- they encounter many sorrows and troubles-- all men hate them-- punishments and misfortunes attend them-- good luck and happiness keep away from them-- evil stars bring them plagues: when the curtailment of their life is completed they die
L: <Machinery to secure retribution> Accordingly, in heaven and earth, there are spirits that take account of men's transgressions, and, according to the lightness or gravity of their offences, take away from their term of life. When that term is curtailed, men become poor and reduced, and meet with many sorrows and afflictions. All (other) men hate them; punishments and calamities attend them; good luck and occasions for felicitation shun them; evil stars send down misfortunes on them.When their term of life is exhausted they die.
Ca: [...] and so it is apparent that heaven and earth are possessed of crime-recording spirits.
According to the lightness or gravity of his transgressions, the sinner's term of life is reduced. Not only is his term of life reduced, but poverty also strikes him. Often he meets with calamity and misery. His neighbour hate him. Punishments and curses pursue him. Good luck shuns him. Evil stars threaten him ; and when his term of life comes to an end, he perishes.
又有三台、北斗神君，在人頭上，錄人罪惡，奪其紀算。
W: There are also the San Tai (Three Eminent Ones) and ruler of the Northern Bushel (star) above men's heads who keep a record men's crimes and sins, and cut off periods of Twelve years or One Hundred years from lives.
L 'There also are the Spirit-rulers in the three pairs of the Thâi stars of the Northern Bushel over men's heads, which record their acts of guilt and wickedness, and take away (from their term of life) periods of twelve years or of a hundred days.
Ca: Further, there are the three councilor, spirit-lords of the northern constellation, residing above the heads of the people, recorders of men's crimes and sins, cutting off terms of from twelve years to a hundred days.
又有三尸神，在人身中，每到庚申日，輒上詣天曹，言人罪過。月晦之日，竈神亦然。
W" There are also the Spirits of the San shi within men's bodies, and on the arrival of each Kêng shên day they hasten aloft and proceed to the Heavenly courts to report the crimes and transgressions. On the last day of the moon the spirit of the Hearth also does this.
L:There also are the three Spirits of the recumbent body which reside within a man's person. As each kang-shän day comes round, they forthwith ascend to the court of Heaven, and report men's deeds of guilt and transgression. On the last day of the moon, the spirit of the Hearth does the same
Ca: Further, there are the three body-spirits that live within man's person. Whenever Kêng Shên day comes, they ascend to the heavenly master and inform him of men's crimes and trespasses. On the last day of the month the Hearth Spirit, too, does the same.
凡人有過，大則奪紀，小則奪算。其過大小，有數萬事，欲求長生者，先須避之。
W: In all the cases of man's transgressions when these are great twelve years are cut off from his life and when they are small one hundred days. The transgressions, great and small, consist of several hundreds of circumstances, and he who would seek for long life must first avoid them
L 'In the case of every man's transgressions, when they are great, twelve years are taken from his term of life; when they are small, a hundred days. Transgressions, great and small, are seen in several hundred things. He who wishes to seek for long life must first avoid these.
Ca: Of all the offences which men commit, the greater ones cause a loss of twelve years, the smaller ones of a hundred days. These their offences, great as well as small, constitute some hundred affairs, and those who are anxious for life everlasting, should above all avoid them.[18] (119-147)
E: All the translations are not literal in saying 'hundreds'. the chinese is "there are myriads of circumstances'
是道則進，非道則退。不履邪徑，不欺暗室；積德累功，慈心於物；
W: If it is the right way, advance; if it is the wrong way, retire.
Do not tread devious by-ways
Be not deceitful in your secret abode.
Amass virtue and heap up merit.
Be compassionate to the brute creation.
L: <3: the way of a good man>
Is his way right, he should go forward in it;
is it wrong, he should withdraw from it.
He will not tread in devious by-ways;
he will not impose on himself in any secret apartment.
He will amass virtue and accumulate deeds of merit.
He will feel kindly towards (all) creatures.
Ca: <Moral injunctions>
The right way leads forward; the wrong way backward.
Do not proceed on an evil path.
Do not sin in secret.
Accumulate virtue, increase merit.
With a compassionate heart turn toward all creatures.
忠孝友悌，正己化人；矜孤恤寡，敬老懷幼；昆蟲草木，猶不可傷。
W: Be loyal, filial, loving, to your younger and respectful to your elder brothers.
Make yourself right and you convert other men
Be kind to orphans and compassionate to widows
Respect the aged and be tender hearted to the young
The insect tribes, the herbs and trees
you may not injure
L: He will be loyal, filial, loving to his younger brothers, and submissive to his elder.
He will make himself correct and (so) transform others.
He will pity orphans, and compassionate widows;
he will respect the old and cherish the young.
Even the insect tribes, grass,
and trees he should not hurt.
Ca: Be faithful, filial, friendly, and brotherly
First rectify thyself and then convert others.
Take pity on orphans, assist widows; respect the old, be kind to children.
Even the multifarious insects, herbs, and trees should not be injured.
宜憫人之凶，樂人之善；濟人之急，救人之危。
W: It behooves you to have compassion for the misfortunes of others
Delight in the excellence of others
Assist men in their extremities,
Bring relief to men when in danger
L: 'He ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others;
to rejoice over their excellences;
to help them in their straits;
to rescue them from their perils;
Ca: Be grieved at the misfortune of others
and rejoice at their good luck.
Assist those in need,
and rescue those in danger.
見人之得，如己之得；見人之失，如己之失。
W; Regard the gains of men as if they were your own gains,
and the losses of men as if they were your own losses/
L: to regard their gains as if they were his own,
and their losses in the same way;
Ca:Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain,
and regard your neighbor's loss as your own loss.
不彰人短，不炫己長；遏惡揚善，推多取少。 [W has 街 for 炫. Error?]
W: Do not publish men's shortcomings.
Do not puff up your own points of superiority
Stop what is bad-- encourage what is good
Yeild much-- extract little.
L: not to publish their shortcomings; not to vaunt his own superiorities;
to put a stop to what is evil, and exalt and display what is good;
to yield much, and take little for himself;
Ca: Do not call attention to the faults of others,
nor boast of your own excellence.
Stay evil and promote goodness.
Renounce much, accept little.
受辱不怨，受寵若驚。施恩不求報，與人不追悔。
W: Recieve insults without resentment
Recieve honor with fear, as it were.
Dispense bounty and seek not reward.
Give to others and do not afterwards regret.
L: to receive insult without resenting it,
and honour with an appearance of apprehension;
to bestow favours without seeking for a return,
and give to others without any subsequent regret [...]
Ca: Show endurance in humiliation and bear no grudge.
Receive favors as if surprised.
Extend your help without seeking reward.
Give to others and do not regret or begrudge your liberality.
所謂善人，人皆敬之，天道佑之，福祿隨之，眾邪遠之，神靈衛之；所作必成，
W: Such is called a good man. All men respect him-- Providence protects him-- Blessings and glory follow him--All evil things keep away from him-- the mysterious subtle powers encompass him-- whatever he attempts is sure to succeed.
L:--this is what is called a good man. All other men respect him; Heaven in its course protects him; happiness and emolument follow him; all evil things keep far from him; the spiritual Intelligences defend him; what he does is sure to succeed.
Ca: <Blessings of the Good.>
Those who are thus, are good: people honor them; Heaven's Reason gives them grace; blessings and abundance follow them; all ill luck keeps away; angel spirits guard them. What ever they undertake will surely succeed, and even to spiritual saintliness they may aspire.
神仙可冀。欲求天仙者，當立一千三百善；欲求地仙者，當立三百善。
w: And he may hope to become a spirit or genius.*He who would seek to become a Heavenly Genius must give rise to virtuous 1,300 actions: he who would become an Earthly Genius must give rise to 300 virtuous actions
(*The french has il Perut espirer ae devenir immortel)
苟或非義而動，背理而行。
W: If one mediates unrighhteousness and acts against right reason
L: <4: the way of a bad man>
'But if the movements (of a man's heart) are contrary to righteousness, and the (actions of his) conduct are in opposition to reason;
以惡為能，忍作殘害；陰賊良善，暗侮君親；
W; Regards wickedness as cleverness
Can bear to inflict misery and death
Secretly harms the good and excellent
Treats with clandestine slight ruler and parents
L: if he regard his wickedness as a proof of his ability,
and can bear to do what is cruel and injurious;
if he secretly harms the honest and good;
if he treats with clandestine slight his ruler or parents;
慢其先生，叛其所事；誑諸無識，謗諸同學；
W: is disrespectful to teachers
Is contumacious to those whom he serves
Gulls those who are without knowledge
Slanders those who are fellow learners
L: if he is disrespectful to his elders and teachers ;
if he disregards the authority of those whom he should serve;
if he deceives the simple;
if he calumniates his fellow-learners;
and rebel against those whom they serve.
虛誣詐偽，攻訐宗親；剛強不仁，狠戾自用；
W: Acts and speaks falsely, practises trickery and deciet
attacks and exposes his senior relatives
Is stiff, violent and inhuman
With ruthless perverseness takes his own way
L: if he vent baseless slanders, practise deception and hypocrisy,
and attack and expose his kindred by consanguinity and affinity;
if he is hard, violent, and without humanity;
if he is ruthlessly cruel in taking his own way;
Ca: Liars they are, bearing false witness, deceivers, and hypocrites;
malevolent exposers of kith and kin
mischievous and malignant;
not humane; cruel and irrational; self-willed.
是非不當，向背乖宜；虐下取功，諂上希旨；
W: Does not assign to right and wrong their proper places
Reverse what is right in his attachments and aversions
Oppresses his inferiors to obtain merit
Toadies to superiors seeking their favor
L if his judgments of right and wrong are incorrect;
and his likings and aversions are in despite of what is proper;
if he oppresses inferiors, and claims merit (for doing so)
; courts superiors by gratifying their (evil) desires;
Ca: Right and wrong they confound.
Their avowals and disavowals are not as they ought to be
They oppress their subordinates and appropriate their merit.
They cringe to superiors to curry favor.
受恩不感，念怨不休；輕蔑天民，擾亂國政；
W; receives kindness and does not feel grateful
Broods over resentments incessantly
Makes little of Heaven's people
Introduces anarchy into the public administration.
L receives favours without feeling grateful for them;
broods over resentments without ceasing;
if he slights and makes no account of Heaven's people
if he trouble and throw into disorder the government of the state;
Ca: Insentient to favors received,
they remember their hatred and are never satisfied.
They hold in contempt the lives of Heaven's people.
They agitate and disturb the public order. (403-406)
賞及非義，刑及無辜；殺人取財，傾人取位；
W: Extends rewards to the unrighteous
And punishments to the innocent
Murders men to seize on their riches
Overthrows men to seize their official positions.
L bestows rewards on the unrighteous
and inflicts punishments on the guiltless;
kills men in order to get their wealth,
and overthrows men to get their offices;
Ca:They patronize the unscrupulous
and do harm to the inoffensive.
They murder men to take their property,
or have them ousted to take their places.
誅降戮服，貶正排賢；凌孤逼寡，棄法受賂
W: Kills those who surrender, and massacres those who return to heir allegiance
Depresses the upright, and thrusts away the excellent
Ill-treats orphans and oppresses widows
Casts aside the laws and receives bribes ；
L slays those who have surrendered, and massacres those who have made their submission;
throws censure on the upright, and overthrows the worthy;
maltreats the orphan and oppresses the widow;
if he casts the laws aside and receives bribes;
Ca: They slay the yielding and slaughter those who have surrendered.
They malign the righteous and dispossess the wise.
They molest orphans and wrong widows. (431-434)
Disregarders of law they are, and bribe takers.
以直為曲，以曲為直；入輕為重，見殺加怒；
W: Treats the right as wrong,
And the wrong as right.
Enters light offences as serious
Increases his anger while witnessing an execution.
L holds the right to be wrong
and the wrong to be right;
enters light offences as heavy;
and the sight of an execution makes him more enraged (with the criminal);
Ca: They call crooked what is straight,
straight what is crooked,
and what is light they make heavy.
When witnessing an execution, they aggravate it by harshness.
知過不改，知善不為；自罪引他，壅塞方術；
W: knows his faults and does not reform
knows what is good and does it not
Implicates others in his own crimes
Puts obstacles and checks to professions and arts
L: if he knows his faults and does not change them,
or knows what is good and does not do it;
throws the guilt of his crimes on others;
if he tries to hinder the exercise of an art (for a living)
Ca:Though they know their mistakes they do not correct them;
though they know the good they do not do it.
In their own guilt they implicate others.
They impede and obstruct the professions and crafts.
訕謗聖賢，侵凌道德。射飛逐走，發蟄驚棲；
W: Reviles and slanders the excellent and holy.
insults and oppresses [those who have attained to the practise of] truth and virtue
Shoots birds and hunts beasts
Pokes out burrowing insects and frightens roosting birds
L: reviles and slanders the sage and worthy;
and assails and oppresses (the principles of) reason and virtue [...]
if he shoots birds and hunts beasts,
unearths the burrowing insects and frightens roosting birds
Ca: They vilify and disparage the holy and the Wise.
They ridicule and scorn reason and virtue.[36] (475-478)
They shoot the flying, chase the running,
expose the hiding, surprise nestlings,
填穴覆巢，傷胎破卵；願人有失，毀人成功；
W: blocks up the dens of wild animals and knocks down the nests of birds
Mortally injures pregnant wombs and breaks eggs
Wishes people to have misadventures
Ruins the merit achieved by others
L: blocks up the dens of animals and overturns nests,
hurts the pregnant womb and breaks eggs;
if he wishes others to have misfortunes and losses;
and defames the merit achieved by others
Ca: close up entrance holes, upset nests,
injure the pregnant, and break the egg.
They wish others to incur loss.
They disparage others that achieve merit.
危人自安，減人自益；以惡易好，以私廢公，
W: Imperils others while keeping himself secure
takes form others to add to himself
Gives bad things in exchange for good
Ruins the public interests by private feelings
L if he imperils others to secure his own safety;
diminishes the property of others to increase his own;
exchanges bad things for good
and sacrifices the public weal to his private advantage;
Ca: They endanger others to save themselves.
They impoverish others for their own gain.
For worthless things they exchange what is valuabe
For private ends they neglect public duties.
竊人之能，蔽人之善；形人之醜，訐人之私；
W: makes a stolen use of the abilities of other men
Suppresses the excellencies of other men
Makes the failings of men conspicuous
Publishes people's privacies
L if he takes credit to himself for the ability of others;
conceals the excellences of others;
publishes the things discreditable to others;
and searches out the private affairs of others;
Ca: They appropriate the accomplishments of their neighbor
and conceal his good qualities.
They make known his foibles
and expose his secrets.
W: Undermines the material prosperity of people
Parts the dearest relatives (lit. bone and flesh)
Appropriates what others like
Assists others in doing evil
L leads others to waste their property and wealth;
and causes the separation of near relatives;
encroaches on what others love;
and assists others in doing wrong;
and cause divisions in his family.
They attack that which is dear to others.
逞志作威，辱人求勝；敗人苗稼，破人婚姻；
W; Sets up his own will to create awe
Brings shame on others seeking to advance himself
Spoils the sprouting and mature crops of others
Breaks up others' marriages
L gives the reins to his will and puts on airs of majesty;
puts others to shame in seeking victory for himself;
injures or destroys the growing crops of others;
and breaks up projected marriages;
and through the degradation of others they seek success.
苟富而驕，苟免無恥；認恩推過，嫁禍賣惡；
W: Becomes rich by ill means and is then overbearing
Escapes [from punishment] by ill means and feels no shame
Claims merits and rejects faults
Marries away his misfortunes and sells his crimes.
L; if becoming rich by improper means makes him proud;
and by a peradventure escaping the consequences of his misconduct, he yet feels no shame;
if he owns to favours (which he did not confer),and puts off his errors (on others);
marries away (his own) calamity to another, and sells (for gain) his own wickedness;
沽買虛譽，包貯險心；挫人所長，護己所短；
W: traffics in vain fame
Treasures secretly a deceitful mind
Suppresses the distinguishing excellencies of people
Screens his own imperfections
L; purchases for himself empty praise;
and keeps hidden dangerous purposes in his heart;
detracts from the excellences of others,
and screens his own shortcomings
W; relies on his dignity to practise violent intimidations
In wanton fierceness kills and wounds
Clips and cuts (cloth) without any reason
Cooks and kills (animals) when not rites require
L if he takes advantage of his dignity to practise intimidation,
and indulges his cruelty to kill and wound;
if without cause he (wastes cloth) in clipping and shaping it;
cooks animals for food, when no rites require it;
散棄五縠，勞擾眾生；破人之家，取其財寶
W: wastes and throws away the five grains
Affects and distresses all living things
Ruins others families
and seizes their riches and valuables；
L scatters and throws away the five grains;
and burdens and vexes all living creatures;
if he ruins the families of others,
and gets possession of their money and valuables;
決水放火，以害民居；紊亂規模，以敗人功；
W: Lets in water and lets loose fire
in order to damage people's dwelling places
Confounds and confuses rules and plans
in order to destroy men's merit
L: admits the water or raises fire
in order to injure their dwellings;
if he throws into confusion the established rules
in order to defeat the services of others;
to destroy the people's homes.
so as to prevent their success.
損人器物，以窮人用。見他榮貴，願他流貶；
W; Spoils the implements of people
in order to put an end to their using them
On seeing others in glory and honour
Wishes that they may be banished and degraded
L and injures the implements of others
to deprive them of the things they require to use;
if, seeing others in glory and honour,
he wishes them to be banished or degraded;
to hamper his efficiency.
they wish them to run down and fail.
見他富有，願他破散；見他色美，起心私之；
W: on seeing others in wealth and prosperity
Wishes them ruined and scattered
On seeing others with beauty and grace
Stirs up his heart illicitly towards them
L or seeing them wealthy and prosperous,
he wishes them to be broken and scattered;
if he sees a beautiful woman
and forms the thought of illicit intercourse with her;
they wish them bankrupt and ruined.
cherishing in their hearts thoughts of seduction.
W: Retains the borrowed goods or money of others
And wishes that these persons would die
When his requests and prayers are not answered
Begets feelings of imprecation and resentment
L; is indebted to men for goods or money,
and wishes them to die; if,
when his requests and applications are not complied with,
his anger vents itself in imprecations;
they wish their creditors to die.
When their requests are not granted
they begin to curse and wax hateful.
見他失便，便說他過；
W: on seeing others have misadventures,
Speaks of them as committing faults
L if he sees others meeting with misfortune,
and begins to speak of their misdeeds;
they gossip of his failure.
見他體相不具而笑之，見他才能可稱而抑之。
W: Sees the bodily imperfections of others and makes fun of them
Sees the natural and acquired abilities of others deserving commendation and suppresses them
L; or seeing them with bodily imperfections he laughs at them;
or when their abilities are worthy of praise, he endeavours to keep them back;
埋蠱厭人，用藥殺樹；恚怒師傅，抵觸父兄；
W: Burns effigies to have power over men (troubles people's sleep)
Uses poison to kill trees
Is spiteful and angry to his instructors
Thwarts and offends his father and elder brother
L; If he buries the image of another to obtain an injurious power over him;
or employs poison to kill trees;
if he is indignant and angry with his instructors;
or opposes and thwarts his father and elder brother;
強取強求，好侵好奪；擄掠致富，巧詐求遷；
W: violently seizes and violently requests
Is fond of pilfering and robbing
Attains riches though rapine
By artifice and deceit seeks preferment
L: if he takes things by violence or vehemently demands them;
if he loves secretly to pilfer, and openly to snatch;
makes himself rich by plunder and rapine;
or by artifice and deceit seeks for promotion;
they make raids and commit depredations to get rich.
賞罰不平，逸樂過節；苛虐其下，恐嚇於他；
W: If he is unjust in administering rewards and punishments
Indulges to excess in pleasure
Is captious and tyrannical to inferiors
Creates fear and dread in others
L if he rewards and punishes unfairly;
if he indulges in idleness and pleasure to excess;
is exacting and oppressive to his inferiors;
and tries to frighten other men;
They terrify and threaten to overawe others.
怨天尤人，呵風罵雨；鬪合爭訟，妄逐朋黨；
W: Repines at heaven and reviles against men
Reproaches the wind and abuses the rain
Provokes people into quarrels and lawsuits
Promiscuously joins friendly societies
if he murmurs against Heaven and finds fault with men;
reproaches the wind and reviles the rain;
if he fights and joins in quarrels;
strives and raises litigations;
recklessly hurries to join associate fraternities;
用妻妾語，違父母訓；得新忘故，口是心非；
W: makes account of the talk of wives and concubines
Disobeys the commands of father and mother
Makes new acquisitions and forgets the old
Is right with the mouth but wrong at heart
L is led by the words of his wife or concubine
to disobey the instructions of his parents;
if, on getting what is new, he forgets the old;
and agrees with his mouth, while he dissents in his heart;
貪冒於財，欺罔其上；造作惡語，讒毀平人；
W: is recklessly covetous of riches
and simulates and dissembles to his superiors
Invents wicked speeches
to calumniate the good
L if he is covetous and greedy after wealth,
and deceives and befools his superiors (to get it);
if he invents wicked speeches
to calumniate and overthrow the innocent;
traducing and slandering innocent men.
毀人稱直，罵神稱正；棄順效逆，背親向疏；
W: Exposes men and calls himself frank
Abuses the spirits and calls himself perfect
Abandons what is right and initiates what revolts against it
Turns from new relatives to go to the distant
L: defames others and calls it being straightforward;
reviles the Spirits and styles himself correct;
if he casts aside what is according to right, and imitates what is against it;
turns his back on his near relatives, and his face to those who are distant;
spurning what is near, longing for the distant
指天地以證鄙懷，引神明而鑒猥事。
W; points to heaven and earth to testify to his baseness
Calls the spirits to behold his bestial acts
L: if he appeals to Heaven and Earth to witness to the mean thoughts of his mind;
or calls in the spiritual Intelligences to mark the filthy affairs of his life;
施與後悔，假借不還；分外營求，力上施設；
W: Repents of alms and gifts
Incurs obligations and does not repay them
Plots and seeks for what is beyond his lot
Exerts all his powers to accomplish his projects
L if he gives and afterwards repents that he has done so;
or borrows and does not return;
if he plans and seeks for what is beyond his lot;
or lays tasks (on people) beyond their strength;
W: goes to excess in the indulgence of the sexual appetite
Is malevolent in heart and benignant in face
Gives tainted victuals to men for food
Deludes the multitude by false teachings
L: if he indulges his lustful desires without measure;
if there be poison in his heart and mildness in his face;
if he gives others filthy food to eat;
or by corrupt doctrines deludes the multitude;
短尺狹度，輕秤小升；以偽雜真，採取姦利；
W: Has a small foot and contracted yeard
Light scales and small measures
Mixes the spurious with the genuine
amasses ilicit gain
L if he uses a short cubit, a narrow measure,
light weights, and a small pint;
mixes spurious articles with the genuine;
and (thus) amasses illicit gain;
they lighten the scales, they reduce the peck.
壓良為賤，謾驀愚人；貪婪無厭，咒詛求直。
W; Reduces respectable children to a servile condition
Cheats and beguiles stupid persons
Is insatiably avaricious and rapacious
Seeks [to establish] his rectitude by oaths and imprecations to the gods
L if he degrades (children or others of) decent condition to mean positions;
or deceives and ensnares simple people;
if he is insatiably covetous and greedy;
tries by oaths and imprecations to prove himself correct;
They are greedy and covetous without satiety.
They curse and swear to seek vindication.
嗜酒悖亂，骨肉忿爭；男不忠良，女不柔順；
W: through love of wine becomes abandoned and dissolute
Strives angrily with those who are to him as bone is to flesh
As a man is not sincere and upright
As a woman is not gentle and obedient
L and in his liking for drink is rude and disorderly;
if he quarrels angrily with his nearest relatives;
and as a man he is not loyal and honourable;
if a woman is not gentle and obedient;
不和其室，不敬其夫；每好矜誇，常行妒忌；
W: does not live harmoniously with his wife
Does not respect her husband
Is always fond of boasting and bragging
Is constantly practising jealousy and envy
L if (the husband) is not harmonious with his wife;
if the wife does not reverence her husband;
if he is always fond of boasting and bragging;
if she is constantly jealous and envious;
as wives they are not respectful to their husbands.
無行於妻子，失禮於舅姑；輕慢先靈，違逆上命；
W: does not behave properly to wife and children
Fails in duties to father-in-law and mother-in law
treats the spirits of ancestors with slight and disrespect
Disobeys and resists the orders of superiors
L if he is guilty of improper conduct to his wife or sons;
if she fails to behave properly to her parents-in-law;
if he treats with slight and disrespect the spirits of his ancestors;
if he opposes and rebels against the charge of his sovereign;
作為無益，懷挾外心；自咒咒他，偏憎偏愛；
W: does and performs things of no service (lives a useless life)
Hides in his breast a second mind
Utters imprecations on himself and others
Is one-sided in disliking and liking
L if he occupies himself in doing what is of no use;
and cherishes and keeps concealed a purpose other than what appears;
if he utter imprecations against himself and against others (in the assertion of his innocence)
or is partial in his likes and dislikes;
越井越竈，跳食跳人；損子墮胎，行多隱僻；
W: Strides across a well or hearth
Hops over food or human beings
Kills babes already born and destroys those still in the womb
Performs many secret and out-landish actions
L if he strides over the well or the hearth;
leaps over the food, or over a man;
kills newly-born children or brings about abortions;
if he does many actions of secret depravity;
They jump over the food and jump over a person.
晦臘歌舞，朔旦號怒；
W Sings and dances on the last day of the month or year
Cries and gets angry on the first day of the moon or in the early morning
L if he sings and dances on the last day of the moon or of the year;
bawls out or gets angry on the first day of the moon or in the early dawn;
The first day of the month, the first day of the year, they start roaring and scolding.
對北涕唾及溺，對竈吟詠及哭；又以竈火燒香，穢柴作食；
W: weeps spits or urinates facing the north
Sighs, sings or cries facing the hearth
and uses the hearth-fire for burning incense
prepares food with filthy firewood
L weeps, spits, or urinates, when fronting the north,
sighs, sings, or wails, when fronting the fire-place,
and moreover, if he takes fire from the hearth to burn incense;
or uses dirty firewood to cook with;
facing the hearth, they sing, hum and weep.
and with filthy fagots they cook their food.
夜起裸露，八節行刑；唾流星，指虹霓；
W: rises up at night naked and exposed
Inflicts punishments at the eight festivals
Spits at a shooting star,
points at a rainbow
L if he rises at night and shows his person naked;
if at the eight terms of the year he inflicts punishments;
if he spits at a shooting star;
points at a rainbow;
輒指三光，久視日月；春月燎獵，對北惡罵，無故殺龜打蛇…
W: points rudely at the Three Lights (sun, moon and stars)
Looks long at the sun and moon
IN spring months sets the woods on fire and then hunts
Utters angry resentments facing the north
Kills tortoises and smites snakes without any reason
L suddenly points to the three luminaries;
looks long at the sun and moon;
in the months of spring burns the thickets in hunting;
with his face to the north angrily reviles others;
and without reason kills tortoises and smites snakes 2:--
intently they gaze at the sun and at the moon.
Causelessly they kill tortoises and snakes.
如是等罪，司命隨其輕重，奪其紀算。
W: In crimes likes these,
the Minister of Life according as the offence is light or serious
cuts off periods of twelve years or one hundred days,
L 'In the case of crimes such as these,
(the Spirits) presiding over the Life, according to their lightness or gravity,
take away the culprit's periods of twelve years or of one hundred days.
the councilors of destiny deprive the guilty, according to the lightness or gravity of the offence,
of terms from twelve years to a hundred days,
算盡則死；死有餘責，乃殃及子孫。
W: and at the end of the curtailing death comes--
if at death there guilt,
the punishment extends to descendants
L When his term of life is exhausted, death ensues.
If at death there remains guilt unpunished,
judgment extends to his posterity
the evil luck will be transferred to children and grandchildren.
又諸橫取人財者，乃計其妻子、家口以當之，漸至死喪。
W: In cases in which one seizes violently another's property,
an account is taken of the wives and family of the offender,
and these are gradually brought to death as an equipoise
L: 5. <Conclusion of the whole matter>
'Moreover, when parties by wrong and violence take the money of others,
an account is taken, and set against its amount, of their wives and children,
and all the members of their families, when these gradually die.
with wives or children or other family members,
the expiation to be proportionate up to a punishment by death.
若不死喪，則有水火盜賊、遺亡器物、疾病口舌諸事，以當妄取之值。
W: and if they do not die then,
there are troubles from water, fire ,thieves,
loss of property and failure in affairs,
sickness and evil talk
in order to restore the equilibrium disturbed by the wicked appropriation
there are the disasters from water, fire, thieves, and robbers,
from losses of property,
illnesses, and (evil) tongues
to balance the value of their wicked appropriations
they will suffer by various evils, by water, by fire, by theft, or by robbery,
by loss of property, by disease and illness, and by ill repute,
to compensate for any unlawful violence of justice.
又枉殺人者，是易刀兵而相殺也。
W: Further, those who put others to death wrongly are like men who exchange arms and slay one another
L Further, those who wrongfully kill men
are (only) putting their weapons into the hands of others who will in their turn kill them
取非義之財者，譬如漏脯救飢，鴆酒止渴；非不暫飽，死亦及之。
W: To amass unrighteous riches is like relieving hunger by putrid food, or quenching thirst by poisonous wine; though there is always a momentary satiety death also ensues
L 'To take to one's self unrighteous wealth is like satisfying one's hunger with putrid food
or one's thirst with poisoned wine. It gives a temporary relief, indeed, but death also follows it.
夫心起於善，善雖未為，而吉神已隨之；或心起於惡，惡雖未為，而凶神已隨之。
W: If your mind is stirred to good, though the good be not performed the lucky spirits follow you; and if your mind is stirred to evils though the evil be not performed, yet the unlucky spirits follow you
L 'Now when the thought of doing good has arisen in a man's mind, though the good be not yet done, the good Spirits are in attendance on him. Or, if the thought of doing evil has arisen, though the evil be not yet done, the bad Spirits are in attendance on him.
W: If he who has already done what is wicked voluntarily repents, and does not do anything that is evil but respectfully practices all virtues, he will in the long run certainly have good luck and prosperity, and this is what is called changing calamity into blessing
L 'If one have, indeed, done deeds of wickedness, but afterwards alters his way and repents, resolved not to do anything wicked, but to practise reverently all that is good, he is sure in the long-run to obtain good fortune:--this is called changing calamity into blessing.
故吉人語善、視善、行善，一日有三善，三年天必降之福。
W: Accordingly the good man is virtuous in word ,look and action, and having these virtues daily at the end of three years, Heaven will certainly bless him.
Therefore the good man speaks what is good, contemplates what is good, and does what is good; every day he has these three virtues:--at the end of three years Heaven is sure to send down blessing on him,
凶人語惡、視惡、行惡，一日有三惡，三年天必降之禍。胡不勉而行之？
W: The wicked man is evil in word look and action and having these vices daily at the end of three years Heaven is sure to send him calamity. How is it, then, that men will not exert themselves to practise virtue ?
The bad man speaks what is wicked, contemplates what is wicked, and does what is wicked; every day he has these three vices:--at the end of three years, Heaven is sure to send down misery on him How is it that men will not exert themselves to do what is good?'
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