Sima Shangde
A gentleman said: The rites that are close to human nature are not the most extreme. The blood of the suburbs, the fishy offerings of the big feast, three offerings of fire, one offering of the fire. Therefore, a gentleman, in terms of rites, does not create but express his feelings, but has a beginning. Therefore, seven escorts are required to meet each other. Otherwise, it is already sincere. Three refusal and three concessions are required to arrive. Otherwise, it is already frustrated. Therefore, when the people of Lu are going to have an event with the God of Heaven, they must first have an event with the Palace of the God of Heaven; when the people of Jin are going to have an event with the River, they must first have an event with the Pond of E; when the people of Qi are going to have an event with Mount Tai, they must first have an event with the Forest of ... If you want to observe things without following the rites, you will not be able to do so. Therefore, if you do things without following the rites, you will not be respectful. If you speak without following the rites, you will not be trusted. Therefore, it is said: "Rites are the result of things." Therefore, when the ancient kings established rites, they followed the meaning of things according to their wealth. Therefore, when doing great things, you must follow the time of heaven. For morning and evening, you must follow the sun and moon. For high places, you must follow hills. For low places, you must follow rivers and lakes. Therefore, when the weather is right and rain is right, the gentleman will be able to do it. Therefore, the ancient kings valued virtue, respected the way, and appointed the capable; they promoted the virtuous and appointed them, and gathered the people to swear an oath. Therefore, they served the heaven according to the heaven and served the earth according to the earth. They ascended to the middle of the sky according to the famous mountains and worshiped the emperor in the suburbs according to the auspicious land. When they ascended to the middle of the sky, the phoenix descended and the tortoise and dragon came; when they worshiped the emperor in the suburbs, the wind and rain were in season, and the cold and heat were in season. Therefore, the sage stood facing south, and the world was in great order.
