The Grand Scribe's Records, Volume XI by Ssu-Ma Ch'Ien

Author:Ssu-Ma Ch'Ien [Ch'Ien, Ssu-Ma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: history, Ancient, General, Asia, China, Social Science, Ethnic Studies, Asian Studies
ISBN: 9780253048462
Google: bs6oDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2019-07-31T00:26:31.737551+00:00

Those Who Discern [Auspicious and Inauspicious] Days, Memoir 67

Translated by Jakob Pöllath

[127.3215] Since in antiquity they received the mandate to rule, has the rise of true kings ever not been decided by the heavenly mandate through the means of divination by tortoise shell and milfoil! This was especially pronounced under the Chou周. When it came to the Ch’in秦 this can [still] be seen. That the King of Tai 代 entered court [to become emperor] was entrusted to a diviner of tortoise shells.1 The raising up of [the office] of the Grand Augur was present from the rise of the Han 漢.2

Ssu-ma Chi-chu 司馬季主 was a man from Ch’u 楚.3 He practiced divination by tortoise shells at Ch’ang-an’s 長安 Eastern Market.4

Ssu-ma Chi-chu’s putative ancestry makes it seem likely that Ch’u designates the state of

Sung Chung 宋忠 was a Palace Grandee,5 while Chia Yi 賈誼 was an Erudite.6 Together they left on the same day for their bathing.7 Walking together they disputed and debated. They recited the Changes [on the topic of] the way and the art of the Former Kings and the Sages.8 They went to the bottom of human emotions. [Finally] they looked at each other and sighed. Chia Yi said: “We heard that when the Sages of antiquity did not have a position at court, they were invariably immersed in divining by tortoise shells and in medicine. Now we have already met the Three Excellencies, Nine Ministers [*3216*] and [the other] court dignitaries. [We] are able to know them all. [Let us] try and go to prognosticators and thereby see what they are made of.” The two men accordingly shared a carriage and went to the market. [There] they roamed amongst the stalls of the diviners by tortoise shells. It had just rained and there were few people on the street. Ssu-ma Chi-chu sat leisurely with three or four of his disciples attending.9 Just then he was explaining the way of heaven and earth, the movements of sun and moon, and the roots of yin and yang and of good and ill fortune. The two Grandees repeatedly bowed and paid their respects. Ssu-ma Chi-chu observed their features, [and they] appeared to belong to the type that had some knowledge. Once he had accordingly treated them with courtesy, he sent his disciples to invite them to sit. When they were seated, Ssu-ma Chi-chu explained again what [he] had said earlier. He differentiated the ins and outs of heaven and earth and the courses of sun, moon and the stars. He clarified the intersection of benevolence and righteousness, and listed the auspicious and inauspicious portents. [In all] he spoke several thousand words, not one of them not conforming to the [right] order [of things].

Sung Chung and Chia Yi suddenly comprehended with a start, straightened out the tassels [of their hats], fixed the fronts of their jackets and sat in attention.10 They said: “We behold your appearance, Venerable Master, listen, Venerable Master, to your words. [Like] small children stealing a glance on our age, we have never seen [anything like it].

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