Qin and Han · Diviner and Scholar

Sima Jizhu 司馬季主

Attested BC 178 - BC 169

Passages: 8
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Sima Jizhu was a Diviner and Scholar.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 178 to BC 169 宋忠為中大夫，賈誼為博士
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 5, 7

Career and standing

diviner 卜者
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 6, 59
lowly station 居之卑
Lowly market diviner
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 17

Places and affiliations

Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 5
Polity Western Han 漢 · Relation Active in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 6-7
At Chu 楚
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 5, 112
At Chang'an 長安 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 6
At Chang'an 長安 · Relation Traveled to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112
At eastern market of Chang'an 長安東市 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 6

Learning and skills

traveled to study in Chang'an 游學長安
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112
Belief arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi 黃帝、老子 · Relation Adherent of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112
Skill Book of Changes 易經 · Level mastered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112
Skill arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi 黃帝、老子 · Level practiced
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112

Works and attributed material

Book of Changes 易經
Relation Studied
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 112
Speech · Speaker · Speaker Sima Jizhu (司馬季主)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 19-22, 31-89

Events and relationships

Discoursed on cosmos and divination
Discourse · Speaker · With Song Zhong (宋忠)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 12, 15, 19
Received at divination stall
Meeting · Host · With Jia Yi (賈誼)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 11, 14
Received at divination stall
Meeting · Host · With Song Zhong (宋忠)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 11, 14
Relation Interlocutor of · Person Jia Yi (賈誼)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 13, 16, 19
Relation Interlocutor of · Person Song Zhong (宋忠)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 13, 16, 19

Assessments and attributes

Assessment concealed among diviners as worthy who withdrew from world · Mode commentator-judgment Speaker Master Chu (褚先生)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 111-112
Assessment profound learning and eloquence unmatched · Mode named-person-report Speaker Song Zhong (宋忠)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 16
Assessment worthy grandee of Chu; not shallow learning · Mode commentator-judgment Speaker Master Chu (褚先生)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 112-113

Source notes

Attended by three or four disciples while discoursing 弟子三四人侍
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 12
Described as Chu worthy grandee who hid among diviners 楚賢大夫…隱居卜筮閒以全身
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passages 111-112

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 127Biographies of Soothsayers · 8 passages

司馬季主者，楚人也。 Sima Jizhu was a native of Chu.

天新雨，道少人，司馬季主閒坐，弟子三四人侍，方辯天地之道，日月之運，陰陽吉凶之本。 It had just rained, and the streets were nearly empty. Sima Jizhu sat at his ease, attended by three or four disciples, discoursing on the Way of Heaven and Earth, the movements of the sun and moon, and the origins of fortune and misfortune in the balance of yin and yang.

司馬季主視其狀貌，如類有知者，即禮之，使弟子延之坐。 Sima Jizhu studied their appearance and manner. Seeing that they seemed to be men of learning, he received them courteously and had his disciples invite them to sit.

坐定，司馬季主復理前語，分別天地之終始，日月星辰之紀，差次仁義之際，列吉凶之符，語數千言，莫不順理。 Once they were settled, Sima Jizhu returned to his earlier discourse. He expounded the beginning and the end of Heaven and Earth, the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, the gradations of benevolence and righteousness, and the tokens of fortune and misfortune. He spoke for several thousand words, and every one accorded with reason.

司馬季主捧腹大笑曰：「觀大夫類有道術者，今何言之陋也，何辭之野也！ Sima Jizhu threw back his head, holding his belly in a great laugh. "Looking at you, my lords, you appear to be men who understand the Way and its arts—yet how crude your words are, and how coarse your speech!

司馬季主曰：「公且安坐。 Sima Jizhu said, "Please, sirs, remain seated.

及至司馬季主，余志而著之。 But when I encountered the account of Sima Jizhu, I resolved to set it down in writing.

夫司馬季主者，楚賢大夫，游學長安，通易經，術黃帝、老子，博聞遠見。 Sima Jizhu was a worthy grandee of Chu who traveled to Chang'an to study. He mastered the Book of Changes, practiced the arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and was a man of wide learning and far-reaching insight.