Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1They were the two ablest debaters of their day, and fond of exposing what they deemed heresy. But it would only be CH. Iv. INTRODUCTION. 37 a matter of useless speculation to try to account for their never having come into argumentative collision. Khien says: ‘ Kwang had made himself well acquainted with all the literature of his time, but preferred the views of Lao-3ze, and ranked himself among his followers, so that of the more than ten myriads of characters contained in his published writings the greater part are occupied with metaphorical illustrations of L4o’s doctrines. He made “The Old Fisherman,” “The Robber Xih,” and “The Cutting open Satchels,” to satirize and expose the disciples of Confucius, and clearly exhibit the sentiments of Lao. Such names and characters as “ Wei-léi Hsii” and “ Khang-sang 3ze” are fictitious, and the pieces where they occur are not to be understood as narratives of real events }. ‘But Kwang was an admirable writer and skilful composer, and by his instances and truthful descriptions hit and exposed the Mohists and Literati. The ablest scholars of his day could not escape his satire nor reply to it, while he allowed and enjoyed himself with his sparkling, dashing style; and thus it was that the greatest men, even kings and princes, could not use him for their purposes. ‘King Wei of X“0, having heard of the ability of Kwang Kau, sent messengers with large gifts to bring him to his court, and promising also that he would make him his chief minister. A wang-3ze, however, only laughed and said to them, “ A thousand ounces of silver are a great gain to me, and to be a high noble and minister is a most honourable position. But have you not seen the victim-ox for the border sacrifice? It is carefully fed for several years, and robed with rich embroidery that it may be fit to enter the Grand Temple. When the time comes for it to do so, it would prefer to be a little pig, but it cannot get to be so. Go away quickly, and do not soil me with your presence. 1 Khang-sang 9ze is evidently the Kang-sang Ki of Xwang’s Book XXIII. Wei-léi Hsii is supposed by Sze-ma Kang of the Thang dynasty, who called himself the Lesser Sze-m4, to be the name of a Book; one, in that case, of the lost books of Awang. But as we find the ‘Hill of Wei-léi’ mentioned in Bk. XXIII as the scene of Kang-sang Ahi’s Taoistic labours and success; I suppose that Aien’s reference is to that. The names are quoted by him from memory, or might be insisted on as instances of different readings. 38 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CH. Vv. I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have determined never to take office, but prefer the enjoyment of my own free will.”’
238 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CH. Vv. I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have determined never to take office, but prefer the enjoyment of my own free will.”’ Khien concludes his account of Kwang-3ze with the above story, condensed by him, probably, from two of Kwang’s own narratives, in par. 11 of Bk. XVII, and 13 of XXXII, to the injury of them both. Paragraph 14 of XXXII brings before us one of the last scenes of K wang-3ze’s life, and we may doubt whether it should be received as from his own pencil. It is interesting in itself, however, and I introduce it here: ‘When A wang-jze was about to die, his disciples signified their wish to give him a grand burial. “TI shall have heaven and earth,” he said, “for my coffin and its shell; the sunand moon for my two round symbols of jade ; the stars and constellations for my pearls and jewels ;— will not the provisions for my interment be complete? What would you add to them?” The disciples replied, “We are afraid that the crows and kites will eat our master.” A wang-3ze rejoined, “Above, the crows and kites will eat me ; below, the mole-crickets and ants will eat me; to take from those and give to these would only show your partiality.”’ Such were among the last words of Kwang-3ze. His end was not so impressive as that of Confucius; but it was in keeping with the generat magniloquence and strong assertion of independence that marked all his course. CHAPTER V. ON THE TRACTATE OF ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 1. The contrast is great between the style of the TAo Teh King and the Books of Awang-3ze and that of the Peculi Kan Ying Phien, a translation of which is eculiar style . . . and nature of now submitted as a specimen of the Texts of the pep ing Taoism. The works of Lao and Kwang stand alone in the literature of the system. What CH. Vv. INTRODUCTION. 39
3. . and nature of now submitted as a specimen of the Texts of the pep ing Taoism. The works of Lao and Kwang stand alone in the literature of the system. What CH. Vv. INTRODUCTION. 39 it was before Lao cannot be ascertained, and in his chapters it comes before us not as a religion, but as a subject of philosophical speculation, together with some practical applications of it insisted on by Lao himself. The brilliant pages of Kwang-3ze contain little more than his ingenious defence of his master’s speculations, and an aggregate of illustrative narratives sparkling with the charms of his composition, but in themselves for the most part unbelievable, often grotesque and absurd. This treatise, on the other hand, is more of what we understand by a sermon or popular tract. It eschews all difficult discussion, and sets forth a variety of traits of character and actions which are good, and a still greater variety of others which are bad, exhorting to the cultivation and performance of the former, and warning against the latter. It describes at the outset the machinery to secure the record of men’s doings, and the infliction of the certain retribution, and concludes with insisting on the wisdom of repentance and reformation. At the same time it does not carry its idea of retribution beyond death, but declares that if the reward or punishment is not completed in the present life, the remainder will be received by the posterity of the good-doer and of the offender. A place is given to the treatise among the Texts of Taoism in ‘The Sacred Books of the East,’ because of its popularity in China. ‘The various editions of it, as observed by Mr. Wylie, ‘are innumerable; it has appeared from time to time in almost every conceivable size, shape, and style of execution. Many commentaries have been written upon it, and it is frequently published with a collection of several hundred anecdotes, along with pictorial illustrations, to illustrate every paragraph seriatim. It is deemed a great act of merit to aid by voluntary contribution towards the gratuitous distribution of this work!’ 2. The author of the treatise is not known, but, as Mr. Wylie also observes, it appears to have been written during The origin of the Sung dynasty. The earliest mention of the treatise. it which I have met with is in the continua- 1 Notes on Chinese Literature, p. 179. 40 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CHV.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1They were the two ablest debaters of their day, and fond of exposing what they deemed heresy. But it would only be CH. Iv. INTRODUCTION. 37 a matter of useless speculation to try to account for their never having come into argumentative collision. Khien says: ‘ Kwang had made himself well acquainted with all the literature of his time, but preferred the views of Lao-3ze, and ranked himself among his followers, so that of the more than ten myriads of characters contained in his published writings the greater part are occupied with metaphorical illustrations of L4o’s doctrines. He made “The Old Fisherman,” “The Robber Xih,” and “The Cutting open Satchels,” to satirize and expose the disciples of Confucius, and clearly exhibit the sentiments of Lao. Such names and characters as “ Wei-léi Hsii” and “ Khang-sang 3ze” are fictitious, and the pieces where they occur are not to be understood as narratives of real events }. ‘But Kwang was an admirable writer and skilful composer, and by his instances and truthful descriptions hit and exposed the Mohists and Literati. The ablest scholars of his day could not escape his satire nor reply to it, while he allowed and enjoyed himself with his sparkling, dashing style; and thus it was that the greatest men, even kings and princes, could not use him for their purposes. ‘King Wei of X“0, having heard of the ability of Kwang Kau, sent messengers with large gifts to bring him to his court, and promising also that he would make him his chief minister. A wang-3ze, however, only laughed and said to them, “ A thousand ounces of silver are a great gain to me, and to be a high noble and minister is a most honourable position. But have you not seen the victim-ox for the border sacrifice? It is carefully fed for several years, and robed with rich embroidery that it may be fit to enter the Grand Temple. When the time comes for it to do so, it would prefer to be a little pig, but it cannot get to be so. Go away quickly, and do not soil me with your presence. 1 Khang-sang 9ze is evidently the Kang-sang Ki of Xwang’s Book XXIII. Wei-léi Hsii is supposed by Sze-ma Kang of the Thang dynasty, who called himself the Lesser Sze-m4, to be the name of a Book; one, in that case, of the lost books of Awang. But as we find the ‘Hill of Wei-léi’ mentioned in Bk. XXIII as the scene of Kang-sang Ahi’s Taoistic labours and success; I suppose that Aien’s reference is to that. The names are quoted by him from memory, or might be insisted on as instances of different readings. 38 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CH. Vv. I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have determined never to take office, but prefer the enjoyment of my own free will.”’
238 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CH. Vv. I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have determined never to take office, but prefer the enjoyment of my own free will.”’ Khien concludes his account of Kwang-3ze with the above story, condensed by him, probably, from two of Kwang’s own narratives, in par. 11 of Bk. XVII, and 13 of XXXII, to the injury of them both. Paragraph 14 of XXXII brings before us one of the last scenes of K wang-3ze’s life, and we may doubt whether it should be received as from his own pencil. It is interesting in itself, however, and I introduce it here: ‘When A wang-jze was about to die, his disciples signified their wish to give him a grand burial. “TI shall have heaven and earth,” he said, “for my coffin and its shell; the sunand moon for my two round symbols of jade ; the stars and constellations for my pearls and jewels ;— will not the provisions for my interment be complete? What would you add to them?” The disciples replied, “We are afraid that the crows and kites will eat our master.” A wang-3ze rejoined, “Above, the crows and kites will eat me ; below, the mole-crickets and ants will eat me; to take from those and give to these would only show your partiality.”’ Such were among the last words of Kwang-3ze. His end was not so impressive as that of Confucius; but it was in keeping with the generat magniloquence and strong assertion of independence that marked all his course. CHAPTER V. ON THE TRACTATE OF ACTIONS AND THEIR RETRIBUTIONS. 1. The contrast is great between the style of the TAo Teh King and the Books of Awang-3ze and that of the Peculi Kan Ying Phien, a translation of which is eculiar style . . . and nature of now submitted as a specimen of the Texts of the pep ing Taoism. The works of Lao and Kwang stand alone in the literature of the system. What CH. Vv. INTRODUCTION. 39
3. . and nature of now submitted as a specimen of the Texts of the pep ing Taoism. The works of Lao and Kwang stand alone in the literature of the system. What CH. Vv. INTRODUCTION. 39 it was before Lao cannot be ascertained, and in his chapters it comes before us not as a religion, but as a subject of philosophical speculation, together with some practical applications of it insisted on by Lao himself. The brilliant pages of Kwang-3ze contain little more than his ingenious defence of his master’s speculations, and an aggregate of illustrative narratives sparkling with the charms of his composition, but in themselves for the most part unbelievable, often grotesque and absurd. This treatise, on the other hand, is more of what we understand by a sermon or popular tract. It eschews all difficult discussion, and sets forth a variety of traits of character and actions which are good, and a still greater variety of others which are bad, exhorting to the cultivation and performance of the former, and warning against the latter. It describes at the outset the machinery to secure the record of men’s doings, and the infliction of the certain retribution, and concludes with insisting on the wisdom of repentance and reformation. At the same time it does not carry its idea of retribution beyond death, but declares that if the reward or punishment is not completed in the present life, the remainder will be received by the posterity of the good-doer and of the offender. A place is given to the treatise among the Texts of Taoism in ‘The Sacred Books of the East,’ because of its popularity in China. ‘The various editions of it, as observed by Mr. Wylie, ‘are innumerable; it has appeared from time to time in almost every conceivable size, shape, and style of execution. Many commentaries have been written upon it, and it is frequently published with a collection of several hundred anecdotes, along with pictorial illustrations, to illustrate every paragraph seriatim. It is deemed a great act of merit to aid by voluntary contribution towards the gratuitous distribution of this work!’ 2. The author of the treatise is not known, but, as Mr. Wylie also observes, it appears to have been written during The origin of the Sung dynasty. The earliest mention of the treatise. it which I have met with is in the continua- 1 Notes on Chinese Literature, p. 179. 40 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. CHV.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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