Sikong Yimeng
The gentleman said: Rituals and music cannot be separated from the body for a moment. Use music to regulate the mind, and the heart of Yi Zhi Zi Liang will arise naturally. The heart of Yi Zhi Zi Liang arises, then happiness, happiness, peace, longevity, longevity, heaven, heaven, God. Heaven is trustworthy without words, and God is majestic without anger. It is the way to regulate the heart with music. To regulate the body with propriety is to be solemn and respectful, and solemn and respectful is to be stern and majestic. If the heart is not harmonious and happy for a moment, then the heart of contempt and deceit will enter it. If the appearance is not solemn and respectful for a moment, then the heart of arrogance will enter it. Therefore, music is what moves the heart; propriety is what moves the outside. When music is extremely harmonious and propriety is extremely smooth, when the inside is harmonious and the outside is smooth, then the people will look at their faces and not argue with them; when they look at their appearance, the people will not be arrogance. Therefore, when virtue moves inwardly, the people will all listen to it; when reason is expressed in the outside, the people will all obey it. Therefore, it is said: To promote the way of propriety and music, to raise and arrange them, there will be no difficulty in the world. Music is what moves the heart; propriety is what moves the outside. Therefore, propriety is the main thing to reduce, and music is the main thing to increase. When propriety is reduced, it will advance, and it will be cultured by advancing; when music is full, it will return, and it will be cultured by returning. If rituals are reduced but not improved, they will be lost; if music is full but not restored, it will be lost; therefore, rituals have rewards and music has replies. If rituals are rewarded, then there will be joy; if music is restored, then there will be peace; the rewards of rituals and the replies of music are the same. Music is joy, which is something that human nature cannot avoid. Music must be expressed in sound and manifested in movement and stillness. This is the way of man. Sound, movement and stillness, the changes of nature and skills, are all here. Therefore, people cannot stand without music, and music cannot stand without form. If it is manifested but not in the way, it cannot stand without chaos. The ancient kings were ashamed of chaos, so they created the sounds of Ya and Song to guide them, so that their sounds were enough to make people happy but not flowing, their texts were enough to discuss but not stop, and their rhythms were enough to move people's good hearts. Not to let the mind be disturbed and evil spirits come in contact, this is the way the ancient kings established music. Therefore, in the ancestral temple, when the ruler and his subjects listen to music together, everyone will be harmonious and respectful; in the clan leaders and the village, when the elders and the young listen to music together, everyone will be harmonious and obedient; in the inner chambers, when fathers and sons and brothers listen to music together, everyone will be harmonious and close. Therefore, music is to determine harmony by examining one thing, to embellish rhythm by comparing things; to form a text by combining rhythm. This is how the fathers and sons, rulers and subjects are united, and the people are close. This is the way the ancient kings established music. Therefore, listening to the sounds of Ya and Song, one's mind will be broadened; holding the halberd and the shield, practicing the bending and stretching, one's appearance will be dignified; performing the omens and grasping the rhythm, the ranks will be straight, and the advance and retreat will be orderly. Therefore, music is the will of heaven and earth, the discipline of harmony, and human nature cannot avoid it. Music is how the ancient kings embellished their joy, and the military halberds were how the ancient kings embellished their anger. Therefore, the joy and anger of the ancient kings were all in harmony. When they were happy, the world was in harmony, and when they were angry, violent and rebellious people were afraid. The way of the ancient kings was full of rituals and music.
