In Watson, trans. Hsun Tzu: Basic Writings. New York: Columbia University Press, 1962. Pp. 112-120.
Music is joy1, an emotion which man cannot help but feel at times. Since man cannot help feeling joy, his joy must find an outlet in voice and an expression in movement. The outcries and movements, and the inner emotional changes which occasion them, must be given full expression in accordance with the way of man. Man must have his joy, and joy must have its expression, but if that expression is not guided by the principles of the Way, then it will inevitably become disordered. The former kings hated such disorder, and therefore they created the musical forms of the odes and hymns in order to guide it. In this way they made certain that the voice would fully express the feelings of joy without becoming wild and abandoned, that the form would be well ordered but not unduly restrictive, that the directness, complexity, intensity, and tempo of the musical performance would be of the proper degree to arouse the best in man's nature, and that evil and improper sentiments would find no opening to enter by. It was on this basis that the former kings created their music. And yet Mo Tzu criticizes it. Why?2
When music is performed in the ancestral temple of the ruler, and the ruler and his ministers, superiors and inferiors, listen to it together, there are none who are not filled with a spirit of harmonious reverence. When it is performed within the household, and father and sons, elder and younger brothers listen to it together, there are none who are not filled with a spirit of harmonious kinship. And when it is performed in the community, and old people and young together listen to it, there are none who are not filled with a spirit of harmonious obedience. Hence music brings about complete unity and induces harmony. It arranges its accouterments to comprise an adornment to moderation; it blends its performance to achieve the completion of form. It is sufficient to lead men in the single Way or to bring order to ten thousand changes. This is the manner in which the former kings created their music. And yet Mo Tzu criticizes it. Why?
When one listens to the singing of the odes and hymns, his mind and will are broadened; when he takes up the shield and battle-ax and learns the postures of the war dance, his bearing acquires vigor and majesty; when he learns to observe the proper positions and boundaries of the dance stage and to match his movements with the accompaniment, he can move correctly in rank and his advancings and retirings achieve order. Music teaches men how to march abroad to punish offenders and how to behave at home with courtesy and humility. Punishing offenders and behaving with courtesy and humility are based upon the same principle. If one marches abroad to punish offenders in accordance with the way learned through music, then there will be no one who will not obey and submit; if one behaves at home with courtesy and humility, then there will be no one who will not obey and be submissive. Hence music is the great arbiter of the world, the key to central harmony, and a necessary requirement of human emotion. This is the manner in which the former kings created their music. And yet Mo Tzu criticizes it. Why?
Moreover, music was used by the former kings to give expression to their delight, and armies and weapons were used to give expression to their anger. The former kings were careful to show delight or anger only upon the correct occasions. Therefore, when they showed delight, the world joined with them in harmony, and when they showed anger, the violent and unruly shook with fear. The way of the former kings was to encourage and perfect rites and music, and yet Mo Tzu criticizes such music. Therefore, I say that Mo Tzu's attempts to teach the Way may be compared to a blind man trying to distinguish black from white, a deaf man trying to tell a clear tone from a muddy one, or a traveler trying to get to the state of Ch'u by journeying northward.
Music enters deeply into men and transforms them rapidly. Therefore, the former kings were careful to give it the proper form. When music is moderate and tranquil, the people become harmonious and shun excess. When music is stern and majestic, the people become well behaved and shun disorder. When the people are harmonious and well behaved, then the troops will be keen in striking power and the cities well guarded, and enemy states will not dare to launch an attack. In such a case, the common people will dwell in safety, take delight in their communities, and look up to their superiors with complete satisfaction. Then the fame of the state will become known abroad, its glory will shine forth greatly, and all people within the four seas will long to become its subjects. Then at last a true king may be said to have arisen.
But if music is seductive and depraved, then the people will become abandoned and mean-mannered. Those who are abandoned will fall into disorder; those who are mean-mannered will fall to quarreling; and where there is disorder and quarreling, the troops will be weak, the cities will revolt, and the state will be menaced by foreign enemies. In such a case, the common people will find no safety in their dwellings and no delight in their communities, and they will feel only dissatisfaction toward their superiors. Hence, to turn away from the proper rites and music and to allow evil music to spread is the source of danger and disgrace. For this reason the former kings honored the proper rites and music and despised evil music. As I have said before, it is the duty of the chief director of music to enforce the ordinances and commands, to examine songs and writings, and to abolish licentious music, attending to all matters at the appropriate time, so that strange and barbaric music is not allowed to confuse the elegant classical modes3.
Mo Tzu claims that the sage kings rejected music and that the Confucians are wrong to encourage it. But a gentleman will understand that this is not so. Music is something which the sage kings found joy in, for it has the power to make good the hearts of the people, to influence men deeply, and to reform their ways and customs with facility. Therefore, the former kings guided the people with rites and music, and the people became harmonious. If the people have emotions of love and hatred, but no ways in which to express their joy or anger, then they will become disordered. Because the former kings hated such disorder, they reformed the actions of the people and created proper music for them, and as a result the world became obedient. The fasting and mourning garments and the sound of lamenting and weeping cause the heart to be sad. The buckling on of armor and helmet, the songs sung as men march in rank cause the heart to be stirred4 to valor. Seductive looks and the songs of Cheng and Wei5 cause the heart to grow licentious, while the donning of court robes, sashes, and formal caps, the Shao dance, and the Wu song, cause the heart to feel brave and majestic. Therefore the gentleman does not allow his ears to listen to licentious sounds, his eyes to look at seductive beauty, or his mouth to speak evil words. These three things the gentleman is careful about. When depraved sounds move a man, they cause a spirit of rebellion to rise in him, and when such a spirit has taken shape, then disorder results. But when correct sounds move a man, they cause a spirit of obedience to rise, and when such a spirit has arisen, good order results. As singers blend their voices with that of the leader, so good or evil arise in response to the force that calls them forth. Therefore, the gentleman is careful to choose his environment.
The gentleman utilizes bells and drums to guide his will, and lutes and zithers to gladden his heart. In the movements of the war dance he uses shields and battle-axes; as decorations in the peace dance he uses feather ornaments and yak tails; and he sets the rhythm with sounding stones and wood-winds. Therefore, the purity of his music is modeled after Heaven, its breadth is modeled after the earth, and its posturing, and turnings imitate the four seasons. Hence, through the performance of music the will is made pure, and through the practice of rites the conduct is brought to perfection, the eyes and ears become keen, the temper becomes harmonious and calm, and customs and manners are easily reformed. All the world becomes peaceful and joins together in the joy of beauty and goodness. Therefore I say that music is joy. The gentleman takes joy in carrying out the Way; the petty man takes joy in gratifying his desires. He who curbs his desires in accordance with the Way will be joyful and free from disorder, but be who forgets the Way in the pursuit of desire will fall into delusion and joylessness. Therefore, music is the means of guiding joy, and the metal, stone, stringed, and bamboo instruments are the means of guiding virtue. When music is performed, the people will set their faces toward the true direction. Hence music is the most effective means to govern men. And yet Mo Tzu criticizes it!
Music embodies an unchanging harmony, while rites represent unalterable reason. Music unites that which is the same; rites distinguish that which is different; and through the combination of rites and music the human heart is governed. To seek out the beginning and exhaust all change, this is the emotional nature of music; to illuminate the truth and do away with what is false, this is the essence of ritual. Because he criticized music, one would expect Mo Tzu to have met with some punishment. And yet in his time the enlightened kings had all passed away and there was no one to correct his errors, so that stupid men continue to study his doctrines and bring jeopardy to themselves. The gentleman makes clear the nature of music, this is his virtue. But an age of disorder hates goodness and will not listen to the teachings of the gentleman, and alas, alas, they are left unfulfilled. Study the matter well, my students, and do not let yourselves be deluded!
This is the symbolism of music: the drum represents a vast pervasiveness; the bells represent fullness; the sounding stones represent restrained order; the mouth organs represent austere harmony; the flutes represent a spirited outburst; the ocarina and bamboo whistle represent breadth of tone; the zither represents gentleness; the lute represents grace; the songs represent purity and fulfillment; and the spirit of the dance joins with the Way of Heaven. The drum is surely the lord of music, is it not? Hence, it resembles Heaven, while the bells resemble earth, the sounding stones resemble water, the mouth organs and lutes resemble the sun, and the scrapers resemble the myriad beings of creation. How can one understand the spirit of the dance? The eyes cannot see it; the ears cannot hear it. And yet, when all the posturings and movements, all the steps and changes of pace are ordered and none are lacking in the proper restraint, when all the power of muscle and bone are brought into play, when all is matched exactly to the rhythm of the drums and bells and there is not the slightest awkwardness or discord, there is the spirit of the dance in all its manifold fullness and intensity!
When I observe the community drinking ceremony, I understand how gentle and easy the way of the true king can be6. The host goes in person to fetch the guest of honor and his attendants, and the other guests come of their own accord. This serves to make clear the distinction between eminent and humble. With three exchanges of light bows, the host and guest of honor move to the foot of the steps; after the guest has declined three times, the host leads him up the steps and bows low as he takes his seat. Between the host and the guest of honor there are many ceremonial offerings of the wine cup and many declinings, but with the guest's attendants the ceremony is much abbreviated. As for the other guests, they ascend, receive the cup of wine, take their seats, make obeisance to it, stand, drink it, and then, without returning the cup to the host, descend from the hall. Thus the complexity or simplicity of the ritual is adjusted to the distinctions of rank. The music master enters, ascends the steps, and sings three songs, after which the host presents him with a cup of wine. The player of the mouth organ enters, and from below the steps plays three songs, after which the host presents him with a cup of wine. The music master and mouth organ player then perform three songs in which they alternate with each other, and three songs in unison, and then the music master announces that the music is completed and retires. The host then orders two men to present the large wine tankard to the guest of honor and at the same time appoints a master of ceremonies. This indicates that it is possible to enjoy harmonious pleasure without any abandoned behavior. The guest of honor then presents the tankard to the host, the host presents it to the attendants of the guest of honor, and the attendants present it to the ordinary guests, each one drinking in the order of his age, until all is completed and the tankard is rinsed out. This indicates that it is possible to observe the distinctions of age and yet leave no one out of the drinking. After this, all descend, remove their shoes, ascend once more and sit down, after which everyone may drink as many cups as he wishes. Yet there must be moderation in the length of the drinking period; it should begin only after all morning duties have been completed, and should end before the time for evening duties. When the guest of honor departs, the host bows low and escorts him to the gate, and thus all ceremonies and forms are brought to an end. This indicates that it is possible to drink and feast without disorder. When the distinction between eminent and humble is made clear, when the complexity or simplicity of the ritual is adjusted to distinctions of rank, when there is harmonious pleasure without abandoned behavior, drinking according to distinctions of age but with no one left out, and drinking and feasting without disorder, when these five types of conduct are achieved, they will be sufficient to insure moral training to the individual and peace to the state, and when the state is peaceful, the world will be peaceful. Therefore I say that when I observe the community drinking ceremony, I understand how gentle and easy the way of the true king can be.
These are the signs of a disordered age: men wear bright colored clothing, their manner is feminine, their customs are lascivious, their minds are set on profit, their conduct is erratic, their music is depraved, and their decorative arts are vile and garish. In satisfying the desires of the living they observe no limits, but in burying the dead they are mean and niggardly: They despise ritual principles and value daring and shows of strength. If they are poor, they steal, and if they are rich, they commit outrages. A well-ordered age is just the opposite of this.
1. Hsiin Tzu's argument here and throughout the section is based upon the fact that the words yueh (music) and lo (joy) are written with the same character, a coincidence often exploited by early writers on music. By music, Hsun Tzu means the entire musical performance, including singing, dancing, and musical accompaniment. Texts similar to this one on the nature of music, which agree closely with Hsun Tzu's wording and views, are found in Shih chi 24, "Treatise on Music," and Li chi, sec. 24, "Record of Music."
2. For Mo Tzu's views on music, which he considered a waste of time and money, see Mo Tzu, sec. 32, "Against Music."
3. See above, p. 48.
4. Reading tang instead of shang.
5. The songs of the regions of Cheng and Wei are famous in early literature for their licentious nature. See Analects XV, 10.
6. The following paragraph describes the traditional ritual observed at the hsiang or community drinking ceremony held at the village school. Hsun Tzu's description closely parallels that found in Li chi, sec. 45, where the opening remark is attributed to Confucius. A much more detailed description of the ceremony is found in the I Ii.