Zuotang of Jiangdu, jinshi degree,
started public service as a Court Classifier Officer
an associate advisor to the Governor
of the Province of Sizhuan,
composed this inscription.
Gaofang of Huinan, jinshi degree,
started public service with a degree
of chengshilang as a Census Officer with the
Ministry of Revenue and formerly a Hanlin Bachelor,
wrote the inscription in vermilion.
Xuang of Weiyang, jinshi degree,
started public service with a degree of
chengshilang, formerly Historiographer
with the Ministry of Revenue,
recorded the seal characters at the top.
It was often said
The Scriptures were full with Dao.
But how about those (who followed) Dao?
They used it everyday.
People in antiquity and today
Gathered together
To follow its principle (li).
Therefore, the big (principles) contained
the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues.
The small (principles) contained
affairs and things in minute details.
Without things, there is nothing.
Without time, nothing happens.
That is what Dao contains.
Though Dao without the Scriptures
Cannot exist,
The Scriptures without Dao
Cannot be implemented,
Makes it non-Scripture.
Then the Dao is without fulfilment.
People will be reckless,
Will not know what to do,
They will suddenly talk nonsense
And will walk in seclusion.
Therefore the way of the sages
Handed down the six scriptures
With a proclamation for posterity
That reached today and
myriads of future generations.
As for the religion of Israel,
The first ancestor was Adam.
(The religion) originally came from Tianzhu, the Western Regions.
Searching for it in the Zhou Dynasty
There was a Scripture that was transmitted.
The Daojing contained four sections
And 53 chapters.
Its principles were subtle
Its Dao was mysterious
(It was) worshipped as it were Heaven.
Those who established the religion,
Only Abraham was the ancestor of the religion,
And Moses was the transmitter of the Scriptures,
(he) was the teacher of the Law.
He later originated the religion.
Since the time of the Han
(ancestors) entered and settled in China.
(Then) under the Song Emperor Xiao
in the first year of Emperor Longxing
in the year of gui wei
an ancestral temple was built in Bian.
In the 16th year of the Emperor Zhiyuan
Of the Mongol Dynasty, in the year of ji-mao
It was rebuilt.
It was their (ancestors’) old monastery.
(It was) a place to respect and worship the Scriptures.
The thing was that the religious ones
Did not stop at Bian.
(They) were all over Under Heaven (China).
The thing was that the religious ones
Everybody respected the Scriptures
And worshipped the Dao.
Although the written characters of the Scriptures
differed from the written characters
of the Confucian books
Yes, in principles, they were in constant harmony with Dao
With which it had similarities.
Therefore:
when the Dao is in harmony with father and son,
the father is kind and the son is filial.
When the Dao is in harmony with the Prince and Minister
The Price is benevolent and the Minister is respectful.
When the Dao is in harmony with elder and younger brother
The elder is friendly and the younger is submissive.
When the Dao is in harmony with husband and wife
The husband is peaceful and the wife obedient.
When the Dao is in harmony with friends
The friendship is both beneficial and trustful.
Nothing was greater in Dao than benevolence and righteousness.
To be in harmony with them,
One had the “feeling of natural sympathies,
shame and dislike.”
Nothing was greater in Dao than rites and wisdom.
To be in harmony with them,
One had the “feeling of respect and honor,
Approval and disapproval.”
When the Dao is in harmony with fasting,
One must be series and respectful.
When the Dao is in harmony with ancestral sacrifices,
One must be filial and sincere.
When the Dao is in harmony with prayers:
“Praise and bless the High Heaven (shangtian)
Creator of all Things.
The relationship between countenance and cordiality
was at the root of what was called
Sincerity and respect.
When it came to the widower, the widow,
The orphan and childless,
The aged and the prone to sickness,
And those who were disabled,
Nothing was greater than to give
generously to charity,
and not to cause others to lose their shelter.
If a poor (wanted) to marry
But could not take a wife
And one (wanted) to perform a funeral
But could not bury
Nothing was greater than to assist with the
utmost effort.
All marriage funds and funeral utensils
Were all contributed.
When it comes to mourning
Avoided meat and wine.
When it came to preparing for a corpse for burial
Did not have prolonged writings
Followed the rules of the rites
And did not believe in sorcery.
Next, when it came to
Weights and calculations, pecks and bushels
Light and heavy, long and short
Dared not cheat other people.
Look at today.
If those who initiated subjects to study
And “brought glory to one’s parents
And became celebrated”
They had made it.
If those who arranged order among China and foreigners
and were loyal to the Prince and benefited the people,
They had made it.
Or, those who subdued the enemy and resisted aggression
And were “boundlessly loyal to the country”
They had made it.
Or, those who were virtuous and cultivated themselves
to make good (deeds) to the village
They also made it
Alas, when farmers filled the fields
And contributed to public revenues;
When artisans were skillful in their craft
And did it for public use without being weary;
When merchants were diligent in far away (places)
And prominent on the rivers and lakes;
When local traders were diligent in the prefect
And benefited from communicating in other dialects
They also made it.
Alas, it meant that (they)
Were afraid of the Heaven’s commands
Submitted to the laws of the King
Emphasized the Five Relationships
Honored the Five Constant Virtues.
Respected the ancestors customs
were filial to father and mother
Submitted to the superior
were in harmony with the village
Cordial with teachers and friends
Taught the sons and grandsons
Engaged in basic occupations
Accumulated virtues in secret
Tolerated small resentments
Instructed encouragement
All were contained in this
Alas, this was the Scripture.
Those who followed the
Dao daily and consistently
They were like this.
Therefore,
Heavens commanded the natural disposition
Following it, there were wholeness.
Cultivating the religion of Dao,
Following it, there was progress.
Virtue, Benevolence, Righteous and Wisdom
Following them, there was existence.
Now if those who molded idols in clay
Painted them in colors
(They were) vain things with empty content
Dazzled the ears and eyes
But they were heresy.
They were definitely not sufficient to be esteemed.
But those who honored the Scriptures
Their knowledge was at the root of it.
The Scriptures were transmitted in succession
since its beginning, since the creation.
Adam transmitted it to Noah
Noah transmitted it to Abraham
Bahan (Abraham) transmitted it to Isaac
Isaac transmitted it to Jacob
Jacob transmitted it to the Twelve Tribes
The Tribes transmitted to Moses
Moses transmitted it to Aaron
Aaron transmitted to Joshua
Joshua transmitted it to Ezra.
Thereupon the religion of the ancestors
was brilliant and renewed with brightness.
Therefore they all engaged in teaching
(They) only instructed good (deeds)
and warned against evil.
Mornings and evenings
They warned
To sincerely devote to cultivate themselves
To observe fasting holidays
To drink and eat what was permitted and (not to eat and drink) what was not.
As to the Scriptures
“If recited with respect,
With honor and with esteem,
Then blessing from Heaven
Will be brought forth in abundance.
(His) principles and grace will be
without transgressions.
Everybody will be virtuous
And good (deeds) will be praised.
Every family will proceed with kindness
Nourishing it with joy.
When this will be (attained),
Then many (will accord) with
the meaning of the patriarchs of the religion.
Nothing will be discarded
And in honor of the rituals
Nothing will be made in excess.”
Engraved in stone at the synagogue
To set an example forever
That people may know the origin
And our offspring read its truth.
In the seventh year of Zhengde of the Great Ming,
in ren-shen year
in the first month of autumn (meng-qiu)
on the jia-zi day, the temple was rebuilt.
An, Li, Gao, and Qinpo of Weiyang
Requested a scroll of the scriptures,
Ereacted a second gate.
Qinjun of Ningxia
Erected the stela and the tablet pavilion.
Qinzhong revised the composition
Of the stela and the tablet pavilion.
Engravers of the characters: Zhangluan and Zhangxi.
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