Lüshi Chunqiu The c. 239 BCE Lüshi Chunqiu (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals) is an encyclopedic text compiled under the patronage of the Qin dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. This book and the Zhuangzi have almost identical descriptions of using the marquis of Sui's pearl as a crossbow pellet in order illustrate foolishly losing much and gaining little. As a general principle, whenever a sage is about to initiate anything, he is certain to consider carefully how his means relate to what he hopes to achieve. Now if a man were to use the pearl of the Marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] as a pellet to shoot at a sparrow a thousand yards up in the air, the world would surely ridicule him. Why is that? Because what he used as shot was so valuable, while what he wanted was so trifling. And, surely, life is much more valuable than the pearl of the Marquis of Sui! (tr. Knoblock and Riegel 2000: 82) "A Mountain of Persuasions" chapter mentions marquis Sui's legendary pearl twice with Mr. He's jade-disk. The former explains the essence of Chinese jade. When a piece of jade is moistened, it looks bright. [When struck], its sound is slow and harmonious. How expansive are its aspects! With no interior or exterior, it does not conceal its flaws or imperfections. Close up, it looks glossy; from a distance, it shines brightly. It reflects like a mirror revealing the pupil of your eye. Subtly it picks up the tip of an autumn hair. It brightly illuminates the dark and obscure. Thus the jade disk of Mr. He [和氏之璧] and the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] emerged from the essence of a mountain and a spring. When the Superior Man wears them, he complies with their purity and secures his repose. When lords and kings treasure them, they rectify the world. (  16 , tr. Major et al. 2010: 631 ) The latter says understanding is more important than wealth, "Acquiring an army of ten thousand men does not compare to hearing one word that is apposite; / Acquiring the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] does not compare to understanding from whence events arise. / Acquiring the jade disk of Mr. Gua [咼氏之璧] does not compare to understanding where events will lead . " (  16 , tr .Major et al.  2010 : 652). Two other chapters figuratively use the legendary gems. One as a simile for someone who has attained the Tiandao (天道, Way of Heaven), "It is like the pearl of Marquis Sui [隨侯之珠] / or the jade disk of Mr. He [和氏之璧] / Those who achieved it became rich / those who lost it became poor . " (  6 , tr .Major et al.  2010 : 218). The other advises, "With a rhinoceros and a tiger behind you and the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] in front of you, do not try to grab [the pearl]. First avoid the calamity, and then go for the profit . " (  17 , tr .Major et al.  2010 : 706) Shiji The Han dynasty historiographer Sima Qian's c. 94 BCE Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) records the Marquis of Sui in the House of Chu genealogy, an episode which is not mentioned in the Zuo zhuan above. "In the fifty-first year (690 B.C.), Chou summoned the Marquis of Sui, reproving him for causing Ch'u to be established as a kingdom. The King of Ch'u was angry and, thinking that Sui has turned its back on him, launched a punitive expedition against Sui. King Wu expired in the midst of his army and the troops were dismissed." (40, tr. Neinhauser 2006: 388). The Shiji biography of the Han political advisor Zou Yang (鄒陽; c. 206-129 BCE) refers to the Suihouzhizhu and Yeguangzhibi (夜光之璧, "night-glowing jade ring") as valuable gems that could be overlooked unless they were examined. A twisted tree with gnarled roots, bent and bulging with not one straight twig may become the vessel of a ten-thousand chariot state. Why is this? Because it was first polished by [the ruler's] attendants. Thus when something arrives without notice, even though one might be giving away the Marquis of Sui's pearl [隨侯之珠] or a glowing jade ring [夜光之璧], one will acquire resentment and be accorded no gratitude. When men speak of one beforehand, one can establish such a merit with a wilted tree and a shrived stump that none will forget it. (83, tr. Neinhauser 2008: 291). Forke, Alfred, tr. (1907), Lun-hêng, Part 1, Philosophical Essays of Wang Ch'ung, Harrassowitz. Fung Yu-Lan (1952), A History of Chinese Philosophy': Vol. I, The Period of the Philosophers, tr. by Derk Bodde, E. J. Brill. Knoblock, John and Jeffrey Riegel, trs. (2000), The Annals of Lü Buwei: A Complete Translation and Study, Stanford University Press. Major, John S., Sarah Queen, Andrew Meyer, and Harold D. Roth (2010), The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China, Columbia University Press. Needham, Joseph and Wang Ling (1962), Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4 Physics and Physical Technology Part 1: Physics, Cambridge University Press.  Nienhauser, William H., tr. (2006), The Grand Scribe's Records; Volume 5.1, The Hereditary Houses of Pre-Han China, Part 1, Indiana University Press.  Nienhauser, William H., tr. (2008), The Grand Scribe's Records: Volume 7, The Memoirs of Han China, Part I, Indiana University Press. Watson, Burton, tr. (I961), Records of the Grand Historian of China, 3 vols., Columbia University Press.
Lüshi Chunqiu The c. 239 BCE Lüshi Chunqiu (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals) is an encyclopedic text compiled under the patronage of the Qin dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. This book and the Zhuangzi have almost identical descriptions of using the marquis of Sui's pearl as a crossbow pellet in order illustrate foolishly losing much and gaining little. As a general principle, whenever a sage is about to initiate anything, he is certain to consider carefully how his means relate to what he hopes to achieve. Now if a man were to use the pearl of the Marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] as a pellet to shoot at a sparrow a thousand yards up in the air, the world would surely ridicule him. Why is that? Because what he used as shot was so valuable, while what he wanted was so trifling. And, surely, life is much more valuable than the pearl of the Marquis of Sui! "A Mountain of Persuasions" chapter mentions marquis Sui's legendary pearl twice with Mr. He's jade-disk. The former explains the essence of Chinese jade. When a piece of jade is moistened, it looks bright. [When struck], its sound is slow and harmonious. How expansive are its aspects! With no interior or exterior, it does not conceal its flaws or imperfections. Close up, it looks glossy; from a distance, it shines brightly. It reflects like a mirror revealing the pupil of your eye. Subtly it picks up the tip of an autumn hair. It brightly illuminates the dark and obscure. Thus the jade disk of Mr. He [和氏之璧] and the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] emerged from the essence of a mountain and a spring. When the Superior Man wears them, he complies with their purity and secures his repose. When lords and kings treasure them, they rectify the world. ( Chapter 16 ) The latter says understanding is more important than wealth, "Acquiring an army of ten thousand men does not compare to hearing one word that is apposite; / Acquiring the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] does not compare to understanding from whence events arise. / Acquiring the jade disk of Mr. Gua [咼氏之璧] does not compare to understanding where events will lead " ( Chapter 16 ) .Major et al. ( 2010 ), p. 652. Two other chapters figuratively use the legendary gems. One as a simile for someone who has attained the Tiandao (天道, Way of Heaven), "It is like the pearl of Marquis Sui [隨侯之珠] / or the jade disk of Mr. He [和氏之璧] / Those who achieved it became rich / those who lost it became poor " ( Chapter 6 ) .Major et al. ( 2010 ), p. 218. The other advises, "With a rhinoceros and a tiger behind you and the pearl of the marquis of Sui [隨侯之珠] in front of you, do not try to grab [the pearl]. First avoid the calamity, and then go for the profit " ( Chapter 17 ) .Major et al. ( 2010 ), p. 706. Shiji The Han dynasty historiographer Sima Qian's c. 94 BCE Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) records the Marquis of Sui in the House of Chu genealogy, an episode which is not mentioned in the Zuo zhuan above. "In the fifty-first year (690 B.C.), Chou summoned the Marquis of Sui, reproving him for causing Ch'u to be established as a kingdom. The King of Ch'u was angry and, thinking that Sui has turned its back on him, launched a punitive expedition against Sui. King Wu expired in the midst of his army and the troops were dismissed." (40, tr. Nienhauser 2006: 388). The Shiji biography of the Han political advisor Zou Yang (鄒陽; c. 206-129 BCE) refers to the Suihouzhizhu and Yeguangzhibi (夜光之璧, "night-glowing jade ring") as valuable gems that could be overlooked unless they were examined. A twisted tree with gnarled roots, bent and bulging with not one straight twig may become the vessel of a ten-thousand chariot state. Why is this? Because it was first polished by [the ruler's] attendants. Thus when something arrives without notice, even though one might be giving away the Marquis of Sui's pearl [隨侯之珠] or a glowing jade ring [夜光之璧], one will acquire resentment and be accorded no gratitude. When men speak of one beforehand, one can establish such a merit with a wilted tree and a shrived stump that none will forget it. (83, tr. Nienhauser 2008: 291). Forke, Alfred, tr. (1907), Lun-hêng, Part 1, Philosophical Essays of Wang Ch'ung, Harrassowitz. Fung Yu-Lan (1952), A History of Chinese Philosophy': Vol. I, The Period of the Philosophers, tr. by Derk Bodde, E. J. Brill. Needham, Joseph and Wang Ling (1962), Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4 Physics and Physical Technology Part 1: Physics, Cambridge University Press. Ssu-Ma Ch'ien author, Nienhauser, William H., tr. (2006), The Grand Scribe's Records; Volume 5.1, The Hereditary Houses of Pre-Han China, Part 1, Indiana University Press. Ssu-Ma Ch'ien author, Nienhauser, William H., tr. (2008), The Grand Scribe's Records: Volume 7, The Memoirs of Han China, Part I, Indiana University Press. Watson, Burton, tr. (I961), Records of the Grand Historian of China, 3 vols., Columbia University Press.
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Knoblock, John and Jeffrey Riegel, trs. (2000), The Annals of Lü Buwei: A Complete Translation and Study, Stanford University Press. Major, John S., Sarah Queen, Andrew Meyer, and Harold D. Roth (2010), The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China, Columbia University Press.
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Ssu-Ma Ch'ien author,
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Ssu-Ma Ch'ien author,