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地者，萬物之本原，諸生之根菀也。美惡賢不肖愚俊之所生也。水者，地之血氣，如筋脈之通流者也。故曰水具材也。 |
| | The earth is the original source of all things, the root and foundation of all living beings. It is from this that beauty and ugliness, virtue and vice, wisdom and stupidity, and talent and mediocrity arise. Water is the blood and qi of the earth, like the meridians through which it circulates. Therefore, it is said that water possesses all materials.
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何以知其然也？曰：夫水淖弱以清，而好灑人之惡，仁也。視之黑而白，精也。量之不可使概，至滿而止，正也。唯無不流，至平而止，義也。人皆赴高，己獨赴下，卑也。卑也者，道之室，王者之器也。而水以為都居。 |
| | How do we know this to be the case? It is said: Water is soft and clear, and it likes to wash away people's evils; this is benevolence. Looking at it, black yet white, this is clarity of essence. Measuring it, one cannot make it uniform; it stops when full, this is uprightness. Only by flowing without exception does it stop at perfect levelness—this is righteousness. All people rush toward the high, yet water alone flows to the low; this is humility. 藟 Humility is the dwelling of the Dao, and the vessel of a king. And water takes it as its abode.
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準也者，五量之宗也。素也者，五色之質也。淡也者，五味之中也。是以水者萬物之準也。諸生之淡也，違非得失之質也。是以無不滿無不居也，集於天地，而藏於萬物。產於金石，集於諸生，故曰水神。集於草木，根得其度，華得其數，實得其量，鳥獸得之，形體肥大，羽毛豐茂，文理明著，萬物莫不盡其幾，反其常者。水之內度適也。 |
| | The level (zhun) is the origin of the five measurements. Plainness (su) is the essence of the five colors. Mildness (dan) is the balance among the five flavors. Therefore, water is the standard for all things. The mildness of all living beings is the nature that avoids error and attains correctness. Therefore, nothing is left unfilled or unoccupied; it gathers in heaven and earth, and is hidden within all things. It originates from metal and stone, and converges among living beings, hence it is called the spirit of water. It converges in grass and trees; roots obtain their measure, flowers attain their number, fruits achieve their quantity. Birds and beasts receive it, gaining plump bodies, abundant feathers and fur, clear patterns and distinct features—nothing among all things fails to reach its potential or return to its natural state. This is the proper internal measure of water.
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夫玉之所貴者，九德出焉，夫玉溫潤以澤，仁也。鄰以理者，知也。堅而不蹙，義也。廉而不劌，行也。鮮而不垢，潔也。折而不撓，勇也。瑕適皆見，精也。茂華光澤，並通而不相陵，容也。叩之，其音清搏徹遠，純而不殺，辭也。是以人主貴之，藏以為寶，剖以為符瑞，九德出焉。 |
| | The reason jade is valued is because it embodies nine virtues: Jade is warm, moist, and lustrous—this is benevolence. Its adjacent patterns are orderly—this is wisdom. It is firm yet not rigid—this is righteousness. It has sharp edges but does not cut—this is conduct. It is bright yet unstained—this is purity. It bends but does not break—this is courage. Flaws and virtues are both evident—this is clarity of essence. Its brilliance and luster, though abundant, coexist harmoniously without overpowering one another—this is tolerance. When struck, its sound is clear, full, and resonates far; it remains pure yet not harsh—this is eloquence. Therefore, rulers value jade, keeping it as a treasure and carving it into symbols of auspiciousness; from this emerge the nine virtues.
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人，水也。男女精氣合，而水流形。三月如咀，咀者何？曰五味。五味者何，曰五藏。酸主脾，鹹主肺，辛主腎，苦主肝，甘主心。五藏已具，而後生肉。脾生隔，肺生骨，腎生腦，肝生革，心生肉。五肉已具，而後發為九竅：脾發為鼻，肝發為目，腎發為耳，肺發為竅，五月而成，十月而生；生而目視耳聽心慮；目之所以視，非特山陵之見也，察於荒忽。耳之所聽，非特雷鼓之聞也，察於淑湫。心之所慮，非特知於麤麤也，察於微眇。故修要之精。 |
| | Human beings are like water. When the essence and qi of men and women unite, the form of water flows forth. After three months it is like chewing—what does "chewing" mean? It means the five flavors. What are the five flavors? They correspond to the five viscera. Sour corresponds to the spleen, salty to the lungs, pungent to the kidneys, bitter to the liver, and sweet to the heart. Once the five viscera are fully formed, then flesh is generated. The spleen generates the diaphragm, the lungs generate bones, the kidneys generate the brain, the liver generates skin, and the heart generates flesh. Once the five types of flesh are fully formed, they then manifest as the nine orifices: The spleen manifests as the nose, the liver as the eyes, the kidneys as the ears, and the lungs as the orifices. By the fifth month it is complete; by the tenth month, birth occurs. At birth, the eyes see, the ears hear, and the heart deliberates. The reason the eyes can see is not merely to perceive mountains and hills; they discern even what is vague or fleeting. The ears' ability to hear is not only for thunder and drums, but also perceive subtle sounds. What the heart deliberates upon is not merely knowledge of the coarse and obvious; it discerns even what is minute and subtle. Therefore, one must refine the essence of essentials.
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是以水集於玉，而九德出焉。凝蹇而為人，而九竅五慮出焉。此乃其精也。精麤瘺蹇，能存而不能亡者也。伏闇能存而能亡者，蓍龜與龍是也。龜生於水，發之於火，於是為萬物先，為禍福正。龍生於水，被五色而游，故神。欲小則化如蠶蠋，欲大則藏於天下，欲上則凌於雲氣，欲下則入於深泉，變化無日，上下無時，謂之神龜與龍，伏闇能存而能亡者也。 |
| | Thus, water converges in jade, and from it emerge the nine virtues. It condenses into human form, and thus arise the nine orifices and five faculties of thought. This is its essence. The refined and the coarse, the subtle and the clumsy—these are things that can be preserved but not lost. Those capable of both preservation and disappearance in obscurity are the yarrow stalks, tortoises, and dragons. Tortoises originate from water but emerge through fire; thus they become the pioneers of all things, and the standard for calamity or fortune. Dragons are born from water, cloaked in five colors as they swim—thus they are divine. When they wish to be small, they transform like silkworms and larvae; when they wish to grow large, they hide beneath the heavens. When they desire to ascend, they ride above clouds and mist; when they seek to descend, they enter deep springs. Their transformations have no fixed day, their movements upward or downward no set time—these are called divine tortoises and dragons, beings capable of both preservation and disappearance while in obscurity.
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或世見，或世不見者，生蟡與慶忌。故涸澤數百歲，谷之不徙，水之不絕者生慶忌。慶忌者，其狀若人，其長四寸，衣黃衣，冠黃冠，載黃蓋，乘小馬，好疾馳，以其名呼之，可使千里外一日反報，此涸澤之精也。涸川之精者，生於蟡，蟡者一頭而兩身，其形若虵，其長八尺，以其名呼之，可以取魚鱉，此涸川水之精也。是以水之精麤瘺蹇，能存而不能亡者，生人與玉；伏闇能存而能亡者，蓍龜與龍，或世見，或不見者，蟡與慶忌，故人皆服之，而管子則之，人皆有之，而管子以之。 |
| | Some appear once per generation; others do not—these are the shengzhi and Qingji. Therefore, in a dry marsh that has lasted hundreds of years, where valleys remain unchanged and water never ceases to flow, the Qingji is born. The Qingji resembles a human, standing four cun tall. It wears yellow robes and a yellow cap, carries a yellow canopy, rides a small horse, and enjoys swift galloping. If one calls it by its name, it can be sent to return with news from a thousand li away within a single day—this is the essence of the dry marsh. The essence of a dry river is the shengzhi. The shengzhi has one head and two bodies, its form resembling a snake, measuring eight chi in length. If called by name, it can catch fish and turtles—this is the spirit of the dried-up river water. Therefore, among the refined, coarse, subtle, and clumsy essences of water, those that can be preserved but not destroyed give rise to humans and jade; those that can both preserve and disappear in obscurity are yarrow stalks, tortoises and dragons; those seen once per generation or not at all are the shengzhi and qingji. Therefore, people all obey them, and Guan Zi follows their example. Everyone possesses these things, yet it is through Guan Zi that they are applied.
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是故具者何也，水是也，萬物莫不以生。唯知其託者能為之正，具者，水是也。故曰：水者何也？萬物之本原也，諸生之宗室也，美、惡、賢、不肖、愚、俊之所產也。何以知其然也？夫齊之水，道躁而復，故其民貪麤而好勇。楚之水，淖弱而清，故其民輕果而賊，越之水，瘺重而洎，故其民愚疾而垢。秦之水泔最而稽，𡌧滯而雜，故其民貪戾，罔而好事。齊晉之水，枯旱而鉉，𡌧滯而雜，故其民諂諛而葆軸，巧佞而好利。燕之水，萃下而弱，沈滯而雜，故其民愚戇而好貞，輕疾而易死。宋之水，輕勁而清，故其民閒易而好正。是以聖人之化世也，其解在水。故水一則人心正，水清則民心易，一則欲不污，民心易則行無邪。是以聖人之治於世也。不人告也，不戶說也，其樞在水。 |
| | Therefore, what is the "completeness" (ju) spoken of? It is water; nothing among all things exists without it. Only those who understand its reliance can establish correctness—completeness, indeed, refers to water. Therefore it is said: What is water? It is the original source of all beings, the ancestral hall of all life; it is from water that beauty and ugliness, virtue, vice, stupidity, and talent arise. How do we know this? The waters of Qi are swift and return quickly, so its people are greedy, coarse, and fond of bravery. The waters of Chu are soft and clear, so its people act lightly and recklessly. The waters of Yue are subtle, heavy, and slow-moving; thus their people are foolish, hasty, and unclean. The waters of Qin are murky and sluggish, stagnant and mixed; thus its people are greedy and violent, lawless yet fond of disturbances. The waters of Qi and Jin are dry, arid, and stagnant; thus their people flatter and cling to old ways, being cunning, sycophantic, and greedy for profit. The waters of Yan are concentrated downward and weak, stagnant and mixed; therefore its people are foolish and stubborn, valuing simplicity yet reckless and prone to death. The waters of Song are light, vigorous, and clear; thus its people live leisurely and upright lives. Therefore, when a sage transforms the world, his understanding lies in water. Thus, when water is unified, human hearts become upright; when water is clear, the people's minds are easily guided. When unified, desires do not corrupt; when the people's minds are easy to guide, their conduct remains free of wickedness. Therefore, this is how a sage governs the world. He does not need to admonish individuals or persuade households—his key lies in water.
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