Seeking the Translation of "Heaven is Regular" (Heaven Theory) in Ancient Chinese

The operation and change of nature have certain rules, and it will not exist because Yao governs the world, nor will it die because Jie governs the world. If we conform to the laws of nature with correct governance measures, things will be done well; If we treat the laws of nature with the wrong measures, things will go wrong. Strengthen agricultural production and save money, then it is impossible to make people poor; If you have enough living materials and can adapt to the change of weather for production activities, then people can't get sick; If you follow the rules and don't make mistakes, it is impossible for the sky to bring disaster to people. Therefore, floods and droughts cannot make people hungry, changes in heat and cold cannot make people sick, and abnormal phenomena in nature cannot make people suffer. If we give up agricultural production and waste expenses, then it is impossible for God to make people rich. If the means of subsistence are insufficient and you are not diligent in production activities, it is impossible to make people healthy; If you go crazy against the laws of things, people can't get good results. Therefore, there will be famine before floods and droughts, epidemics before severe cold and heat, and disasters before natural anomalies. The weather is the same as that in Taiping period, but the disaster situation is very different from that in Taiping period. You can't blame the sky. This is the law of things. Therefore, if you clearly distinguish between the laws of nature and the actions that people should take, you can be called a saint. ……

Is social peace and turmoil determined by heaven? Answer: The movement and calendar phenomena of the sun, moon and stars are natural conditions shared by Yu Xia and Xia Jie. With such natural conditions, Yu Xia managed the country well, while Xia Jie made the country in a mess, so neither peace nor turmoil was decided by heaven. Is it determined by the change of seasons? A: Crops flourish in spring and summer, and are harvested and stored in autumn and winter. This is another natural condition shared by Yu Xia and Xia Jie. Yu Xia used it to govern the country well, but Xia Jie made it a mess, so the governance chaos is not determined by the change of seasons. Is it determined by geographical conditions? A: Crops grow when they get to the land, and die when they leave the land. This is another natural condition shared by Yu Xia and Xia Jie. Yu Xia relies on it to govern the country, but Xia Jie confuses the country, so governance is not determined by the land. ……

Meteors fell, trees burst, and people in the countryside were frightened. Q: What's the matter? Answer: Nothing. This is a change in nature, and things are rare. It's okay to be surprised, but it's wrong to be afraid. Eclipses occur, storms are out of season, and strange stars occasionally appear, which is unprecedented in any era. The monarch is wise and the political situation is stable, even if these phenomena happen at the same time, it is harmless. The monarch is fatuous and politically autocratic, even if these concepts do not appear, it will not work. Therefore, it is a phenomenon that meteors fall and trees rattle, which is a change in nature. Things are rare and precious. It is ok to think it is strange, but it is wrong to be afraid of it. ……

It began to rain when the rain prayer festival was held. Why? Answer: It's nothing, just like there is no rain-seeking sacrifice. When there is an eclipse of the sun and the moon, gongs and drums will be beaten to save it. When there is a drought, a rain festival will be held, and divination will be carried out before major events are decided. It is not used as a means to get what you pray for, but as a decoration for political affairs. Therefore, gentlemen regard it as a kind of decoration, while ordinary people regard it as a concrete manifestation of the existence of gods. It is good to think that decoration is a means, and it is harmful to think that there is a god.

Nothing in the sky is more obvious than the sun and the moon; Nothing on earth is more obvious than fire and water; Of all things, nothing is more obvious than Zhu Yu; Of all the things that human beings have, nothing is more obvious than politeness. Therefore, if the height of the sun and the moon in the sky is not high, its brilliance will not be significant; Fire and water do not accumulate, and its brilliance is not vast; If the brilliance of Zhuyu does not appear outside, princes and nobles will not regard it as a treasure; If etiquette, law, benevolence and righteousness are not used to govern the country, the achievements and reputation of the rulers will not be prominent. Therefore, people's lives are influenced by nature, and the lifeline of the country depends on the ritual system. Those who dominate others, respect the virtuous and respect the ceremony, can be called the king in the world; Attaching importance to the rule of law and caring for the people can dominate the princes. It is very dangerous to use fraudulent means for selfish gain; If we use political, subversive, insidious and other means, it will be completely extinct.

Instead of sighing and thinking, what could be better than raising it as a crop and controlling it? Instead of obeying and praising heaven, what better way to master the changing law of nature and make use of it? Instead of waiting for the weather, what could be better than adapting to it? Instead of following the natural reproduction of all things and seeking their increase, what better way to make them change according to people's needs than to give full play to people's talents? Instead of thinking everything well and making it for your own use, what could be better than managing everything without losing it? Instead of hoping that everything can grow naturally, what can be better than mastering the growth law of everything? Therefore, if we give up human efforts and only pin our hopes on the sky, we will not be able to understand the essence of everything and make use of it. ……