I was not born with knowledge but, being fond of antiquity, I am quick to seek it.
Men of antiquity studied to improve themselves; men today study to impress others.
The gentleman understands what is moral. The small man understands what is profitable.
If one learns from others but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand,one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in peril.
The gentlemen hates not leaving behind a name when he is gone.
--Confucius--
Rulers have been especially ruthless during troubled times in order to make and keep the peace. Victories are applauded by victors and condemned by victims, and outstanding rulers continue to serve as heroes and villains many centuries after their demise. The leading heroes might become villains and villains heroes as history is revised to conform to current craving. Of course tyranny is universally despised by the oppressed despite the occasional benevolent acts of the tyrant. Today, even the term milder than 'tyrant', namely, 'ruler', is distasteful to the man who will on command kill for his country without question and with a clean conscience provided he can vote for or against a severely limited set of political candidates. In any case, virtue never appears without its infernal vices closely attending, thus we find in the progress of civilization from evil to good a long litany of crimes against humanity.
Now the imposition of the Great Peace on the Warring States by the tyrant Shih Huang Ti, First Sovereign Emperor of China, was more than uncomfortable to many people: millions suffered and died as a consequence of war, mass dislocation, and forced labor on gigantic public projects. Yet he is most infamous for his monopolistic approach to education: for centuries, every Chinese student was taught, "He burned the books and buried the scholars." His terrible reputation was reinforced by lowly scholars employed by the Han Dynasty succeeding his short-lived Ch'in Dynasty. Of course the scholars were extremely interested in restoring the old books and the dignity of scholars along with them.
Much of what we know about the Ch'in Dynasty and its major figures was written down by the Grand Historian and Great Astrologer of the Han court, Ssu-ma Ch'ien, who lived from 145 to about 90 B.C. His history is called the Shih Chi (Historical Record). Ssu-ma provides us with a fairly straightforward history based on the annals he managed to cull. However, he leaves no doubt as to his biased philosophy of history when he arrives at his conclusions and comes down hard on such major personages such as the First Sovereign Emperor; his Grand Councillor Li Ssu; his General Meng T'ien, infamous for building the Great Wall with conscripted labor; the Emperor's favorite son Hu-hai, who wrongfully succeeded him; and Hu-hai's collaborator, Chao Kao, the prototypical evil eunuch.
No doubt Ssu-ma would have lost his head if he had praised any of the foregoing characters. In fact, Ssu-ma was not as Grand or Great in status as we might presume from his formal titles. He had been castrated for praising the exploits of Li Ling, a general of his own day who had fallen into disfavor at the court because he had finally suffered a noble but utter defeat against overwhelming odds: Li Ling's five thousand soldiers to the barbarian khan's million. Ssu-ma was asked for his opinion at court, he dutifully complied with the request, and the judges condemned him to the most ignoble corporal punishment of all, for "attempting to mislead the emperor". Nobody came to his defense or offered to pay the fine in lieu of castration. After all, he was just a lowly scribbler, a historian whose work was necessarily related to astrology - astrologers, with their professional interest in time and events, were the first historians.
"My father never earned tally and patent of nobility," Ssu-ma wrote in a letter. "As annalist and astrologer I was not far removed from the diviners and invokers, truly the plaything of the (Han) emperor, kept like any singing girl or jester, and despised by the world."
He might have chosen death over castration: "Had I chosen to submit to the law and let myself be put to death, it would be no more important than the loss of a single hair from nine oxen, no different from the crushing of an ant. No one would have credited me with dying for a principle; rather they would have thought that I simply died because I was at my wit's end and my offence allowed no other way out. And why? They would think so because of the occupation in which I had established myself."
As far as Ssu-ma was concerned, castration is the worst of all corporal punishments. Of course we know of men who castrated themselves and their sons to obtain employment with the court, but Ssu-ma is a Confucian unmotivated by profit; nor would a true Confucian grovel for his life. Ssu-ma avers suicide to be the dignified course to follow, preferable by far to corporal punishment or to death and dismemberment. After all, according to the traditional assessment, the body is integral not only to this world but to the next as well. Ssu-ma notes that the First Sovereign Emperor's Grand Councillor, Li Ssu, did not commit suicide but was cut in half in the market place - the final strike against him in the annals. Thus Li Ssu, after all he had done for China's first empire, had gone to pieces. By the way, eunuchs preserved their "treasure" in a casket not only as valid ID but to be buried with them for eventual restoration in the realm beyond.
That being said, Why did Ssu-ma not do himself the traditional favor of doing himself in?
Because of his work-in-progress, the important project which he left behind for us, rendering him immortal in this world: his Historical Record, the Shih Chi. In his 'Letter to Jen An', he admits his conduct would seem cowardly to vulgar people, but those who are more sensitive would understand the need to suffer disgrace for superlative goals. He gave King Wen, who wrote from prison, as a good example. Furthermore, Confucius wrote when in bad straits; Ch'u Yuan wrote while banished; Tso Ch'iu wrote after being blinded; Sun Tzu wrote his doctrine on war after having his feet cut off; the poems in the 'Book of Songs' was written by oppressed sages who wrote with the future in mind. Therefore, following suit, Ssu-ma said he had gathered the ancient fragments of history together and arranged them in good order.
"Further it was my hope, by a thorough comprehension of the workings of affairs divine and human, and a knowledge of the historical process, to create a philosophy of my own. Before my draft was complete this disaster overtook me. It was my concern over my unfinished work that made me submit to the worst of all punishments without showing the rage I felt. When I shall have finished my book, I shall store it away in the archives to await the man who will understand it. When it finally becomes known in the world, I shall have paid the debt of my shame; nor will I regret a thousand deaths."
Many authors who have never heard of Ssu-ma would understand him very well; and when they do hear of him, they will be further encouraged to lift the pen against the sword although the sword is immediately more mighty.
Ssu-ma Ch'ien kept his peace, his dignity diminished, just like a formerly fierce, caged tiger now wagging his tail and begging for food - Ssu-ma's analogy. But he was not silent. Today, two thousand years later, his voice rings loudly and clearly to all those truly interested in success.
The Grand Historian said, "I have ventured not to look for more recent models, but with what little literary ability I possess I have brought together the scattered fragments of ancient lore..." The fragments and Ssu-ma's divinings thereupon are much more ancient today, and, in my opinion, they are even more precious. What more can any author ask for than to discover a good old success story, if not for his own success, then for the success of his posterity?
And neither have I ventured to look for recent models. Disatisfaction with the present inspires one author to inquire into the distant past. Another might prefer science fiction. Yet others like the news. Sometimes none of them see the intimate present relation between fact and fantasy. Now, by "chance", I have encountered the fantastic fact of the First Sovereign Emperor, and I am moved to tell the ancient story of his success again, in my own way. I feel my chance to do so is no accident, therefore I continue along my little path, hopefully within the Way. In any case, my story depends on the Grand Historian upon whom all historians since have relied upon for their true fictions.
Therefore, I deeply bow to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, the truly Grand Historian and Great Astrologer.
--To Be Continued Next Chapter--
Source of Quotations:
Confucius, The Analects, Transl. D.C. Lau, New York: Penguin, 1987
Ssu-ma Ch'ien, 'Letter to Jen An', Translated by J.R. Hightower, Anthology of Chinese Literature, New York: Grove Press, 1965