"Biography of Liu Zong Yuanzi" by Kang Lixi, written in the second year of Zhishun (1331), paper 27.8X281cm
Collection of Princeton University Library
Appendix: "The Biography of Zi Ren" by Liu Zongyuan
The Biography of Zi Ren Liu Zihou
Pei Fengshu's rank is in Guangde. There is a person from Zi who wants to help his family, and he wants his servants to stay in the room. His duties include finding, guiding, rules, rules, ropes, and ink. The family does not use the tools of 绻斫. Asked about his ability, he said: "I am good at measuring materials. Depending on the structure of the building, whether it is high, deep, round, square, short or long, I will direct the workers to work together. Without me, no one can fit into one building. Therefore, I live in the government, and I If you receive three times the salary, if you work for a private family, I should take more than half of it."
The next day, when he entered his room, he found that his bed was cramped and he couldn't take care of it. He said, "I will ask him to do some work." I laughed at him and said that he was incompetent and greedy for money and goods.
Afterwards, General Jing Zhaoyin decorated the official office, and I passed by. They gathered materials and workers, some holding axes or knives and saws, and they all stood facing it. Zi Ren holds a guide on his left hand and a stick on his right hand, which is in the middle. He measured the task of building a building, looked at the wood's ability to lift, waved his stick, and said, "Axe!" The person holding the ax ran to the right; he pointed at it and said, "Saw!" The person holding the saw turned to the left. Er, those who cut with jins and cut with knives all depend on their color. No one dares to cut himself off until he speaks. Those who are incompetent will retreat in anger, and no one dares to be upset. When painting a palace, it is blocked, and the ruler bends to its fullest extent, and the edifice is constructed based on the smallest detail. There is no progress or retreat. After it was completed, a letter was written on the building saying: "A certain building was built on a certain day in a certain year and a certain month." Then his surname is also given. Any work performed is not included. Yu Wan looked at it with great horror, and then realized that his skill was great.
Then he sighed and said: He will give up his craft and focus on his mind, and he will be able to understand the essentials of the body! I heard that those who work hard serve others, and those who work hard serve others. Thank you for your hard work! Those who are able use it and those who are wise plan it, and those who are wise will love it! This is enough to serve the emperor and follow the laws of the world. Nothing comes close to this. [Note: Xia Que - He who is the world is based on human beings. Those who serve are Tu Li, rural teachers, and assistants; those above them are corporals; those above them are sergeants, and those above them are superior officers; and those above them are officials, ministers, and dukes. If you leave, you will be assigned to six positions; if you are sentenced, you will be assigned to one hundred services. Outside the world, there are Fangbo and Lianli. There are guards in the counties and governors in the towns, and they all have assistants in the administration; there are subordinate officials under them, and there are stingy men and ban Yin under them to serve, just like all the workers have their own jobs to support themselves.
He assists the emperor to look after the world. He raises and expands, points and makes things happen, establishes the principles and disciplines and expands and contracts them, and aligns the legal system and rectifies it. Just like the people of Zi, who have rules, regulations, ropes, and ink to customize. Select the people from the world and make them competent in their duties; choose the people who live in the world and make them secure their careers. Look at the capital to know the fields, look at the country to know the country, look at the country to know the world, its far and near, small and large, can be studied according to the map with your hands, just like the Ziren who painted the palace to block it and achieved success. If those who are able can continue to do so, they will have no virtue; if those who are unable to do so have to retreat, don't dare to be upset. He does not show off his abilities, is not shy about his reputation, does not care for small workers, does not invade officials, and discusses his great scriptures with the world's talents every day, just like the people who are good at carrying out all work without cutting off their skills. Then the husband will gain the Tao and all nations will be able to understand it.
Now that the Tao of Xiang has been obtained, and the principles of all nations have been established, the world will look up and say: "What a contribution to my Xiang!" Later people will follow the traces and admire him and say, "That is the talent of Xiang!" Scholars may talk about the principles of Yin and Zhou, and say: "Yi, Fu, Zhou, Zhao." The hundreds of deacons are diligent and undisciplined, just like the people of Zi who claim their merits, but those who use them are not listed. How great! Those who understand the Tao are just the so-called appearances. Those who do not know the important things are like this; they regard hard work as public service, regard bookkeeping as respect, show off their ability and keep their reputation, kiss small laborers, invade all officials, steal six positions and hundreds of services, listen to the affairs of the court, and leave them behind The great one is far away, and the so-called unreasonable one is the Tao. It is not the same as the people of Zi who do not know the straightness of the rope, the regular squares and circles, and the short and long lengths of the guide. They take away the axes, weights, knives, and saws from all the workers to support their skills, and they are unable to prepare their work, so that they fail and use them to achieve nothing. This is not the case. Ridiculous!
] Or say: "The master of the house may use his selfish wisdom to control the worries of the people and take away his guardianship, but Taoism is useful. Although it cannot succeed, how can it be a crime? It is just letting him go!"
Yu said: "No! The ropes are laid out sincerely, and the rules are established sincerely. The high ones cannot be suppressed and go down, and the narrow ones cannot be opened wide. If it is done by me, it will be solid, and if it is not done by me, it will be ruined. If you take away the joy and solidify it, then it will be ruined." Roll up his skills, silently follow his wisdom, and go away leisurely. If you don't bend my way, you are a sincere and good person! He may be addicted to the profit, endure it and can't give it up, lose his control, bend and can't keep it, and build a radial house. If it's bad, then he says: "'It's not my fault'! Is it true? Is it true?"
I said that Ziren's Tao is similar to Xiang, so he wrote it down and hid it. Ziren, who was the first to judge curves and shapes in ancient times, is now called "the craftsman of all materials". The rest of the people I met were named Yang, but their names are hidden.
It was the twenty-eighth day of the winter lunar month in the second year of Shun Dynasty when Kang Lixi wrote for the Minister of Xinqing.
