Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1We must give our judgment for the teaching of Confucianism in preference to that of Taoism, if our author can be regarded as a fair expositor of the latter. He is ingenious in his statements and illustrations, but he was, like his master L4o-3ze, only a dreamer. 140 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK. IX, Book IX. MA Tuf. ‘Horses’ and ‘ Hoofs’ are the first two characters of the Text, standing there in the relation of regent and regimen. The account of the teaching of the Book given by Lin Hsikung is so concise that I will avail myself of it. He says :— ‘Governing men is like governing horses. They may be governed in such a way as shall be injurious to them, just as Po-lao governed the horse ;—contrary to its true nature. His method was not different from that of the (first) potter and carpenter in dealing with clay and wood ;—contrary to the nature of those substances. Notwithstanding this, one age after another has celebrated the skill of those parties;—not knowing what it is that constitutes the good and skilful government of men. Such government simply requires that men be made to fulfil their regular constant: nature,—the qualities which they all possess in common, with which they are constituted by Heaven, and then be left to themselves. It was this which constituted the age of perfect virtue ; but when the sages insisted on the practice of benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, then the people began to be without that perfect virtue. Not that they were in themselves different from what they had been, but those practices do not really belong to their regular nature ; they arose from their neglecting the characteristics of the T4o, and abandoning their natural constitution ;— it was the case of the skilful artisan cutting and hacking his raw materials in order to form vessels from them. There is no ground for doubting that Po-l4o’s management of horses gave them that knowledge with which they went on to play the part of thieves, or that it was the sages’ government of the people which made them devote themselves to the pursuit of gain ;—it is impossible to deny the error of those sages. ‘There is but one idea in the Book from the beginning to the end ;—it is an amplification of the expression in the preceding Book that “all men have their regular and con- BK. X. BRIEF NOTICES OF THE DIFFERENT BOOKS. I4I stant constitution,” and is the most easily construed of all Kwang-3ze’s compositions. In consequence, however, of the wonderful touches of his pencil in describing the sympathy between men and other creatures in their primal state, some have imagined that there is a waste and embellishment of language, and doubted whether the Book is really his own, but thought it was written by some one in imitation of his style. I apprehend that no other hand would easily have attained to such a mastery of that style.’
2I apprehend that no other hand would easily have attained to such a mastery of that style.’ There is no possibility of adjudicating definitely on the suspicion of the genuineness of the Book thus expressed in Hsi-fung’s concluding remarks. The same suspicion arose in my own mind in the process of translation. My surprise continues that our author did not perceive the absurdity of his notions of the primal state of men, and of his condemnation of the sages. Book X. KAU KAIEH. It is observed by the commentator Kwei Kan-#hiian that one idea runs through this Book :—that the most sage and wise men have ministered to theft and robbery, and that, if there were an end of sageness and wisdom, the world would be at rest. Between it and the previous Book there is a general agreement in argument and object, but in this the author expresses himself with greater vehemence, and almost goes to excess in his denunciation of the institutions of the sages. The reader will agree with these accounts of the Book. Kwang-jze at times becomes weak in his attempts to establish his points. To my mind the most interesting portions of this Book and the last one are the full statements which we have in them of the happy state of men when the Tao maintained its undisputed sway in the world, and the names of many of the early Tdoistic sovereigns. How can we suppose that anything would be gained by a return to the condition of primitive innocence and simplicity? The antagonism between Téoism and Confucianism comes out in this Book very decidedly. 142 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XI. The title of the Book is taken from two characters in the first clause of the first paragraph. Book XI. 3Ar Yt. The two characters of the title are taken from the first sentence of the Text, but they express the subject of the Book more fully than the other titles in this Part do, and almost entitle it to a place in Part I. It is not easy to translate them, and Mr. Balfour renders them by ‘ Leniency towards Faults, probably construing 34i as equivalent to our preposition ‘in, which it often is. But Awang-jze uses both 34i and Yd as verbs, or blends them together, the chief force of the binomial compound being derived from the significance of the 34i. 34i is defined by 3hun ({¥), which gives the idea of ‘preserving’ or ‘keeping intact,’ and Ya by Khwan (8), ‘being indulgent’ or ‘ forbearing.’ The two characters are afterwards exchanged for other two, wo wei (ffE Fs), ‘doing nothing,’ ‘inaction, a grand characteristic of the Tao.
334i is defined by 3hun ({¥), which gives the idea of ‘preserving’ or ‘keeping intact,’ and Ya by Khwan (8), ‘being indulgent’ or ‘ forbearing.’ The two characters are afterwards exchanged for other two, wo wei (ffE Fs), ‘doing nothing,’ ‘inaction, a grand characteristic of the Tao. The following summary of the Book is taken from Hsiian Ying’s explanations of our author:—‘ The two characters 3 4i Yd express the subject-matter of the Book, and “governing” points out the opposite error as the disease into which men are prone to fall. Let men be, and the tendencies of their nature will be at rest, and there will be no necessity for governing the world. Try to govern it, and the world will be full of trouble; and men will not be able to rest in the tendencies of their nature. These are the subjects of the first two paragraphs. ‘In the third paragraph we have the erroneous view of 3hui KAU that by government it was possible to make men’s minds good. He did not know that governing was a disturbing meddling with the minds of men; and how Lao-3ze set forth the evil of such government, going on till it be irretrievable. This long paragraph vigorously attacks the injury done by governing. ‘In the fourth paragraph, when Hwang-Ti questions BK. XI. BRIEF NOTICES OF THE DIFFERENT BOOKS. 143 Kwang Khang-jze, the latter sets aside his inquiry about the government of the world, and tells him about the government of himself; and in the fifth, when Yiin Kiang asks Hung Mung about governing men, the latter tells him about the nourishing of the heart. These two great paragraphs set forth clearly the subtlest points in the policy of Let-a-be. Truly it is not an empty name. ‘In the two last paragraphs, Awang in his own words and way sets forth, now by affirmation, and now by negation, the meaning of all that precedes.’ This summary of the Book will assist the reader in understanding it. For other remarks that will be helpful, I must refer him to the notes appended to the Text. The Book is not easy to understand or to translate; and a remark found in the Kia-khing edition of ‘the Ten Philosophers, by LQ Hsid-fa, who died in 1279, was welcome to me, ‘If you cannot understand one or two sentences of Kwang-jze, it does not matter.’ Book XII. THIEN Tf. The first two characters of the Book are adopted as its name ;—Thien Ti, ‘Heaven and Earth.’ These are employed, not so much as the two greatest material forms in the universe, but as the Great Powers whose influences extend to all below and upon them. Silently and effectively, with entire spontaneity, their influence goes forth, and a rule and pattern is thus given to those on whom the business of the government of the world devolves. The one character ‘Heaven’ is employed throughout the Book as the denomination of this purposeless spontaneity which yet is so powerful.
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.
1We must give our judgment for the teaching of Confucianism in preference to that of Taoism, if our author can be regarded as a fair expositor of the latter. He is ingenious in his statements and illustrations, but he was, like his master L4o-3ze, only a dreamer. 140 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK. IX, Book IX. MA Tuf. ‘Horses’ and ‘ Hoofs’ are the first two characters of the Text, standing there in the relation of regent and regimen. The account of the teaching of the Book given by Lin Hsikung is so concise that I will avail myself of it. He says :— ‘Governing men is like governing horses. They may be governed in such a way as shall be injurious to them, just as Po-lao governed the horse ;—contrary to its true nature. His method was not different from that of the (first) potter and carpenter in dealing with clay and wood ;—contrary to the nature of those substances. Notwithstanding this, one age after another has celebrated the skill of those parties;—not knowing what it is that constitutes the good and skilful government of men. Such government simply requires that men be made to fulfil their regular constant: nature,—the qualities which they all possess in common, with which they are constituted by Heaven, and then be left to themselves. It was this which constituted the age of perfect virtue ; but when the sages insisted on the practice of benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, then the people began to be without that perfect virtue. Not that they were in themselves different from what they had been, but those practices do not really belong to their regular nature ; they arose from their neglecting the characteristics of the T4o, and abandoning their natural constitution ;— it was the case of the skilful artisan cutting and hacking his raw materials in order to form vessels from them. There is no ground for doubting that Po-l4o’s management of horses gave them that knowledge with which they went on to play the part of thieves, or that it was the sages’ government of the people which made them devote themselves to the pursuit of gain ;—it is impossible to deny the error of those sages. ‘There is but one idea in the Book from the beginning to the end ;—it is an amplification of the expression in the preceding Book that “all men have their regular and con- BK. X. BRIEF NOTICES OF THE DIFFERENT BOOKS. I4I stant constitution,” and is the most easily construed of all Kwang-3ze’s compositions. In consequence, however, of the wonderful touches of his pencil in describing the sympathy between men and other creatures in their primal state, some have imagined that there is a waste and embellishment of language, and doubted whether the Book is really his own, but thought it was written by some one in imitation of his style. I apprehend that no other hand would easily have attained to such a mastery of that style.’
2I apprehend that no other hand would easily have attained to such a mastery of that style.’ There is no possibility of adjudicating definitely on the suspicion of the genuineness of the Book thus expressed in Hsi-fung’s concluding remarks. The same suspicion arose in my own mind in the process of translation. My surprise continues that our author did not perceive the absurdity of his notions of the primal state of men, and of his condemnation of the sages. Book X. KAU KAIEH. It is observed by the commentator Kwei Kan-#hiian that one idea runs through this Book :—that the most sage and wise men have ministered to theft and robbery, and that, if there were an end of sageness and wisdom, the world would be at rest. Between it and the previous Book there is a general agreement in argument and object, but in this the author expresses himself with greater vehemence, and almost goes to excess in his denunciation of the institutions of the sages. The reader will agree with these accounts of the Book. Kwang-jze at times becomes weak in his attempts to establish his points. To my mind the most interesting portions of this Book and the last one are the full statements which we have in them of the happy state of men when the Tao maintained its undisputed sway in the world, and the names of many of the early Tdoistic sovereigns. How can we suppose that anything would be gained by a return to the condition of primitive innocence and simplicity? The antagonism between Téoism and Confucianism comes out in this Book very decidedly. 142 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XI. The title of the Book is taken from two characters in the first clause of the first paragraph. Book XI. 3Ar Yt. The two characters of the title are taken from the first sentence of the Text, but they express the subject of the Book more fully than the other titles in this Part do, and almost entitle it to a place in Part I. It is not easy to translate them, and Mr. Balfour renders them by ‘ Leniency towards Faults, probably construing 34i as equivalent to our preposition ‘in, which it often is. But Awang-jze uses both 34i and Yd as verbs, or blends them together, the chief force of the binomial compound being derived from the significance of the 34i. 34i is defined by 3hun ({¥), which gives the idea of ‘preserving’ or ‘keeping intact,’ and Ya by Khwan (8), ‘being indulgent’ or ‘ forbearing.’ The two characters are afterwards exchanged for other two, wo wei (ffE Fs), ‘doing nothing,’ ‘inaction, a grand characteristic of the Tao.
334i is defined by 3hun ({¥), which gives the idea of ‘preserving’ or ‘keeping intact,’ and Ya by Khwan (8), ‘being indulgent’ or ‘ forbearing.’ The two characters are afterwards exchanged for other two, wo wei (ffE Fs), ‘doing nothing,’ ‘inaction, a grand characteristic of the Tao. The following summary of the Book is taken from Hsiian Ying’s explanations of our author:—‘ The two characters 3 4i Yd express the subject-matter of the Book, and “governing” points out the opposite error as the disease into which men are prone to fall. Let men be, and the tendencies of their nature will be at rest, and there will be no necessity for governing the world. Try to govern it, and the world will be full of trouble; and men will not be able to rest in the tendencies of their nature. These are the subjects of the first two paragraphs. ‘In the third paragraph we have the erroneous view of 3hui KAU that by government it was possible to make men’s minds good. He did not know that governing was a disturbing meddling with the minds of men; and how Lao-3ze set forth the evil of such government, going on till it be irretrievable. This long paragraph vigorously attacks the injury done by governing. ‘In the fourth paragraph, when Hwang-Ti questions BK. XI. BRIEF NOTICES OF THE DIFFERENT BOOKS. 143 Kwang Khang-jze, the latter sets aside his inquiry about the government of the world, and tells him about the government of himself; and in the fifth, when Yiin Kiang asks Hung Mung about governing men, the latter tells him about the nourishing of the heart. These two great paragraphs set forth clearly the subtlest points in the policy of Let-a-be. Truly it is not an empty name. ‘In the two last paragraphs, Awang in his own words and way sets forth, now by affirmation, and now by negation, the meaning of all that precedes.’ This summary of the Book will assist the reader in understanding it. For other remarks that will be helpful, I must refer him to the notes appended to the Text. The Book is not easy to understand or to translate; and a remark found in the Kia-khing edition of ‘the Ten Philosophers, by LQ Hsid-fa, who died in 1279, was welcome to me, ‘If you cannot understand one or two sentences of Kwang-jze, it does not matter.’ Book XII. THIEN Tf. The first two characters of the Book are adopted as its name ;—Thien Ti, ‘Heaven and Earth.’ These are employed, not so much as the two greatest material forms in the universe, but as the Great Powers whose influences extend to all below and upon them. Silently and effectively, with entire spontaneity, their influence goes forth, and a rule and pattern is thus given to those on whom the business of the government of the world devolves. The one character ‘Heaven’ is employed throughout the Book as the denomination of this purposeless spontaneity which yet is so powerful.
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.
No commentary for this page.