Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Lao-ze replied, ‘It is fortunate that you have ~ not met with a ruler fitted to rule the age. Those six writings are a description of the vestiges left by the former kings, but do not tell how they made such vestiges; and what you, Sir, speak about are still only the vestiges. But vestiges are the prints left by the shoes ;—are they the shoes that produced them? A pair of white herons look at each other with pupils that do not move, and impregnation takes place; the male insect emits its buzzing sound in the air above, and the female responds from the air below, and impregnation takes place; the creatures called 1éi are both male and female, and each individual breeds of itself! The nature cannot be altered; the conferred constitution cannot be changed; the march of the seasons cannot be arrested ; the T4o cannot be stopped. If you get the T4o, there is no effect that cannot be produced ; if you miss it, there is no effect that can.’ Confucius (after this) did not go out, till at the end of three months he went again to see Lao Tan, and said,‘I have got it. Ravens produce their young by hatching ; fishes by the communication of their milt; the small-waisted wasp by transforma- ' Where had Léo-jze or his author learned his zoology? 362 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK. XIV. tion!; when a younger brother comes, the elder weeps *. Long is it that I have not played my part in harmony with these processes of transformation. But as I did not play my part in harmony with such transformation, how could I transform men ?’ LAo-3ze said, ‘You will do. Aid, you have found the TAo.’ 1 See the Shih King, II, v, Ode II, 3, about the sphex. ? Because, as we say, ‘his nose is put out.’ But the sentiment, though it is ascribed to Confucius, is rarely according to the fact of the case. PT. II. SECT.VII, THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 363 BOOK XV. Part II. Section VIII. Kho f, or ‘ Ingrained Ideas 1,’ 1. Ingrained ideas and a high estimate of their own conduct; leaving the world, and pursuing uncommon ways; talking loftily and in resentful disparagement of others;—all this is simply symptomatic of arrogance. This is what scholars who betake themselves to the hills and valleys, who are always blaming the world, and who stand aloof like withered trees, or throw themselves into deep pools’, are fond of. Discoursing of benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and good faith ; being humble and frugal, self-forgetful and courteous ;—all this is simply symptomatic of (self-)cultivation. This is what scholars who wish to tranquillise the world, teachers and instructors, men who pursue their studies at home and abroad, are fond of. Discoursing of their great merit and making a great name for themselves; insisting on the ceremonies between ruler and minister; and rectifying the relations between high and low ;—all this shows their one object to be the promotion of government. This is what officers of the court, men who honour their lord and would strengthen the state and who
2This is what officers of the court, men who honour their lord and would strengthen the state and who 1 See pp. 146, 147. ? As did Shan-thi Ti. See in Book VI, par. 3. — +e em nena -aam - 364 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XV. would do their utmost to incorporate other states with their own, are fond of. Resorting to marshes and lakes; dwelling in solitary places; occupying themselves with angling and living at ease ;—all this shows their one object to be to donothing. This is what gentlemen of the rivers and seas, men who avoid the society of the world and desire to live at leisure, are fond of. Blowing and breathing with open mouth ; inhaling and exhaling the breath; expelling the old breath and taking in new; passing their time like the (dormant) bear?, and stretching and twisting (the neck) like a bird? ;—all this simply shows the desire for longevity. This is what the scholars who manipulate their breath, and the men who nourish the body and wish to live as long as Pang 3f, are fond of. As to those who have a lofty character without any ingrained ideas; who pursue the path of selfcultivation without benevolence and righteousness ; who succeed in government without great services or fame; who enjoy their ease without resorting to the rivers and seas; who attain to longevity without the management (of the breath); who forget all things and yet possess all things; whose placidity is unlimited, while all things to be valued attend them :— such men pursue the way of heaven and earth, and display the characteristics of the sages. Hence it is said’, ‘ Placidity, indifference, silence, quietude, * This is probably the meaning. The text is simply :—‘ Bearpassing, bird-stretching.’ 2 «Tt is said:’—where? and by whom? These questions we cannot answer. We have met indeed already with the same characteristics of the Tao; but Awang-zze is not likely to be quoting PT. II, SECT. VIII. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-3ZE. 365 absolute vacancy, and non-action:—these are the qualities which maintain the level of heaven and earth and are the substance of the Tao and its characteristics.’ 2. In accordance with this it is said, ‘The sage is entirely restful, and so (his mind) is evenly balanced and at ease. This even balance and ease appears in his placidity and indifference. In this state of even balance and ease, of placidity and indifference, anxieties and evils do not find access to him, no depraving influence can take him by surprise ; his virtue is complete, and his spirit continues unimpaired.’
3In this state of even balance and ease, of placidity and indifference, anxieties and evils do not find access to him, no depraving influence can take him by surprise ; his virtue is complete, and his spirit continues unimpaired.’ Therefore it is (also) said, ‘The life of the sage is (like) the action of Heaven; and his death is the transformation common to (all) things. In his stillness his virtue is the same as that of the Yin, and in movement his diffusiveness is like that of the Yang. He does not take the initiative in producing either happiness or calamity. He responds to the influence acting on him, and moves as he feels the pressure. He rises to act only when he is obliged to do so. He discards wisdom and the memories of the past; he follows the lines of his Heaven (-given nature); and therefore he suffers no calamity from Heaven, no involvement from things, no blame from men, and no reproof from the spirits of the dead?. His life seems to float along; his death seems to be a resting. He does not indulge any himself. On the ‘It is said,’ and the five recurrences of the phrase below, Lfi Shfi-4ih says that Kwang-3ze is quoting from sentences current among the adherents of T4oism,—the sentence-makers often drawn on by Lao-3ze; compare the Tao Teh Xing, ch. xli. 1 See Book XIII, par. 2. 366 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XV. anxious doubts; he does not lay plans beforehand. His light is without display; his good faith is without previous arrangement. His sleep is untroubled by dreams; his waking is followed by no sorrows. His spirit is guileless and pure; his soul is not subject to weariness. Vacant and without self-assertion, placid and indifferent, he agrees with the virtue of Heaven.’ Therefore it is said (further), ‘Sadness and pleasure show a depraving element in the virtue (of those who feel them); joy and anger show some error in their course ; love and hatred show a failure of their virtue. Hence for the mind to be free from sorrow and pleasure is the perfection of virtue; to be of one mind that does not change is the perfection of quietude ; to be conscious of no opposition is the perfection of vacancy; to have no intercourse with (external) things is the perfection of indifference ; and to have no rebellious dissatisfactions is the perfection of purity.’
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.
1Lao-ze replied, ‘It is fortunate that you have ~ not met with a ruler fitted to rule the age. Those six writings are a description of the vestiges left by the former kings, but do not tell how they made such vestiges; and what you, Sir, speak about are still only the vestiges. But vestiges are the prints left by the shoes ;—are they the shoes that produced them? A pair of white herons look at each other with pupils that do not move, and impregnation takes place; the male insect emits its buzzing sound in the air above, and the female responds from the air below, and impregnation takes place; the creatures called 1éi are both male and female, and each individual breeds of itself! The nature cannot be altered; the conferred constitution cannot be changed; the march of the seasons cannot be arrested ; the T4o cannot be stopped. If you get the T4o, there is no effect that cannot be produced ; if you miss it, there is no effect that can.’ Confucius (after this) did not go out, till at the end of three months he went again to see Lao Tan, and said,‘I have got it. Ravens produce their young by hatching ; fishes by the communication of their milt; the small-waisted wasp by transforma- ' Where had Léo-jze or his author learned his zoology? 362 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK. XIV. tion!; when a younger brother comes, the elder weeps *. Long is it that I have not played my part in harmony with these processes of transformation. But as I did not play my part in harmony with such transformation, how could I transform men ?’ LAo-3ze said, ‘You will do. Aid, you have found the TAo.’ 1 See the Shih King, II, v, Ode II, 3, about the sphex. ? Because, as we say, ‘his nose is put out.’ But the sentiment, though it is ascribed to Confucius, is rarely according to the fact of the case. PT. II. SECT.VII, THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 363 BOOK XV. Part II. Section VIII. Kho f, or ‘ Ingrained Ideas 1,’ 1. Ingrained ideas and a high estimate of their own conduct; leaving the world, and pursuing uncommon ways; talking loftily and in resentful disparagement of others;—all this is simply symptomatic of arrogance. This is what scholars who betake themselves to the hills and valleys, who are always blaming the world, and who stand aloof like withered trees, or throw themselves into deep pools’, are fond of. Discoursing of benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and good faith ; being humble and frugal, self-forgetful and courteous ;—all this is simply symptomatic of (self-)cultivation. This is what scholars who wish to tranquillise the world, teachers and instructors, men who pursue their studies at home and abroad, are fond of. Discoursing of their great merit and making a great name for themselves; insisting on the ceremonies between ruler and minister; and rectifying the relations between high and low ;—all this shows their one object to be the promotion of government. This is what officers of the court, men who honour their lord and would strengthen the state and who
2This is what officers of the court, men who honour their lord and would strengthen the state and who 1 See pp. 146, 147. ? As did Shan-thi Ti. See in Book VI, par. 3. — +e em nena -aam - 364 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XV. would do their utmost to incorporate other states with their own, are fond of. Resorting to marshes and lakes; dwelling in solitary places; occupying themselves with angling and living at ease ;—all this shows their one object to be to donothing. This is what gentlemen of the rivers and seas, men who avoid the society of the world and desire to live at leisure, are fond of. Blowing and breathing with open mouth ; inhaling and exhaling the breath; expelling the old breath and taking in new; passing their time like the (dormant) bear?, and stretching and twisting (the neck) like a bird? ;—all this simply shows the desire for longevity. This is what the scholars who manipulate their breath, and the men who nourish the body and wish to live as long as Pang 3f, are fond of. As to those who have a lofty character without any ingrained ideas; who pursue the path of selfcultivation without benevolence and righteousness ; who succeed in government without great services or fame; who enjoy their ease without resorting to the rivers and seas; who attain to longevity without the management (of the breath); who forget all things and yet possess all things; whose placidity is unlimited, while all things to be valued attend them :— such men pursue the way of heaven and earth, and display the characteristics of the sages. Hence it is said’, ‘ Placidity, indifference, silence, quietude, * This is probably the meaning. The text is simply :—‘ Bearpassing, bird-stretching.’ 2 «Tt is said:’—where? and by whom? These questions we cannot answer. We have met indeed already with the same characteristics of the Tao; but Awang-zze is not likely to be quoting PT. II, SECT. VIII. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-3ZE. 365 absolute vacancy, and non-action:—these are the qualities which maintain the level of heaven and earth and are the substance of the Tao and its characteristics.’ 2. In accordance with this it is said, ‘The sage is entirely restful, and so (his mind) is evenly balanced and at ease. This even balance and ease appears in his placidity and indifference. In this state of even balance and ease, of placidity and indifference, anxieties and evils do not find access to him, no depraving influence can take him by surprise ; his virtue is complete, and his spirit continues unimpaired.’
3In this state of even balance and ease, of placidity and indifference, anxieties and evils do not find access to him, no depraving influence can take him by surprise ; his virtue is complete, and his spirit continues unimpaired.’ Therefore it is (also) said, ‘The life of the sage is (like) the action of Heaven; and his death is the transformation common to (all) things. In his stillness his virtue is the same as that of the Yin, and in movement his diffusiveness is like that of the Yang. He does not take the initiative in producing either happiness or calamity. He responds to the influence acting on him, and moves as he feels the pressure. He rises to act only when he is obliged to do so. He discards wisdom and the memories of the past; he follows the lines of his Heaven (-given nature); and therefore he suffers no calamity from Heaven, no involvement from things, no blame from men, and no reproof from the spirits of the dead?. His life seems to float along; his death seems to be a resting. He does not indulge any himself. On the ‘It is said,’ and the five recurrences of the phrase below, Lfi Shfi-4ih says that Kwang-3ze is quoting from sentences current among the adherents of T4oism,—the sentence-makers often drawn on by Lao-3ze; compare the Tao Teh Xing, ch. xli. 1 See Book XIII, par. 2. 366 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XV. anxious doubts; he does not lay plans beforehand. His light is without display; his good faith is without previous arrangement. His sleep is untroubled by dreams; his waking is followed by no sorrows. His spirit is guileless and pure; his soul is not subject to weariness. Vacant and without self-assertion, placid and indifferent, he agrees with the virtue of Heaven.’ Therefore it is said (further), ‘Sadness and pleasure show a depraving element in the virtue (of those who feel them); joy and anger show some error in their course ; love and hatred show a failure of their virtue. Hence for the mind to be free from sorrow and pleasure is the perfection of virtue; to be of one mind that does not change is the perfection of quietude ; to be conscious of no opposition is the perfection of vacancy; to have no intercourse with (external) things is the perfection of indifference ; and to have no rebellious dissatisfactions is the perfection of purity.’
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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