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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1I have heard it said, “The Man of Tao does not become distinguished; the greatest virtue is unsuccessful; the Great Man has no thought of self;”—to so great a degree may the lot be restricted.’ 4. The earl of the Ho said, ‘Whether the subject be what is external in things, or what is internal, how do we come to make a distinction between them as noble and mean, and as great or small?’ Zo of the Northern Sea replied, ‘When we look at them in the light of the T4Ao, they are neither noble nor mean. Looking at them in themselves, each thinks itself noble, and despises others. Looking at them in the light of common opinion, their being noble or mean does not depend on themselves. Looking at them in their differences from one another, if we call those great which are greater than others, there is nothing that is not great, and in the same way there is nothing that is not small. We shall (thus) know that heaven and earth is but (as) a grain of the smallest rice, and that the point of a hair is (as) a mound or a mountain ;—such is the view given of them by their relative size. Look- 380 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. ing at them from the services they render, allowing to everything the service which it does, there is not one which is not serviceable; and, extending the consideration to what it does not do, there is not one which is not unserviceable. We know (for instance) that East and West are opposed to each other, and yet that the one cannot be without (suggesting the idea of) the other ;—(thus) their share of mutual service is determined. Looking at them with respect to their tendencies, if we approve of what they approve, then there is no one who may not be approved of; and, if we condemn what they condemn, there is no one who may not be condemned. There are the cases of YAo and Xieh, each of whom approved of his own course, and condemned the other;—such is the view arising from the consideration of tendency and aim, ‘Formerly Y4o and Shun resigned (their thrones), and yet each continued to be Ti; Aih-khwAi? resigned (his marquisate) which led to his ruin. Thang and Wa contended (for the sovereignty), and each became king; the duke of Pai? contended (for Khd), which led to his extinction. Looking at the subject from these examples of striving by force and of resigning, and from the conduct of Y4o (on the one hand) and of Xieh (on the other), we see that there is a time for noble acting, and a time for 1 See Mencius II, ii, ch. 8, and I, ii, chaps. 10, 11, with the notes. 3 is probably a mistake for -F-. 2 See the last narrative but one in the 30 X/wan, under the sixteenth year of duke Ai of Lt,—the year in which Confucius died. ‘ The duke of Pai’ was merely the chief of a district of A204; but rebelling against thé Ruler of the State, he was defeated, and strangled himself. PT. 1. SECT.X. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 381 mean;—these characteristics are subject to no regular rule.
2‘ The duke of Pai’ was merely the chief of a district of A204; but rebelling against thé Ruler of the State, he was defeated, and strangled himself. PT. 1. SECT.X. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 381 mean;—these characteristics are subject to no regular rule. 5. ‘A battering ram may be used against the wall of a city, but it cannot be employed to stop up a hole ;—the uses of implements are different. The (horses) AA%ih-Ai and Hwé-lid? could in one day gallop 1000 li, but for catching rats they were not equal to a wild dog or a weasel;—the gifts of creatures are different, The white horned owl collects its fleas in the night-time, and can discern the point of a hair, but in bright day it stares with its eyes and cannot see a mound or a hill ;—the natures of creatures are different. ‘Hence the sayings, “Shall we not follow and honour the right, and have nothing to do with the wrong? shall we not follow and honour those who secure good government, and have nothing to do with those who produce disorder ?” show a want of acquaintance with the principles of Heaven and Earth, and with the different qualities of things. It is like following and honouring Heaven and taking no account of Earth ; it is like following and honouring the Yin and taking no account of the Yang. It is clear that such a course cannot be pursued. Yet notwithstanding they go on talking so:—if they are not stupid, they are visionaries. The Ti sovereigns resigned their thrones to others in one way, and the rulers of the three dynasties transmitted their thrones to their successors in another. He who acts differently from the requirements of his time and contrary to its custom is called an usurper; he who complies with the time 1 Two of king Mu’s team of eight famous steeds. 382 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. and follows the common practice is said to be righteous. Hold your peace, O earl of the Ho. How should you know what constitutes being noble and being mean, or who are the small and who the great?’
3382 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. and follows the common practice is said to be righteous. Hold your peace, O earl of the Ho. How should you know what constitutes being noble and being mean, or who are the small and who the great?’ 6. The earl of the Ho said, ‘Very well. But what am I to do? and what am I not todo? How am I to be guided after all in regard to what I accept or reject, and what I pursue or put away from me?’ Zo of the Northern Sea replied, ‘From the standpoint of the T do, what is noble? and what is mean? These expressions are but the different extremes of the average level. Do not keep pertinaciously to your own ideas, which put you in such opposition to the Tao. What are few? and what are many? These are denominations which we employ in thanking (donors) and dispensing gifts. Do not study to be uniform in doing so ;-— it only shows how different you are from the T4o. Be severe and strict, like the ruler of a state who does not selfishly bestow his favours. Be scrupulous, yet gentle, like the tutelary spirit of the land, when sacrifice is offered to him who does not bestow his blessing selfishly. Be large-minded like space, whose four terminating points are illimitable, and form no particular enclosures. Hold all things in your love, favouring and supporting none specially. This is called being without any local or partial regard; all things are equally regarded ; there is no long or short among them. ‘ There is no end or beginning to the Tao. Things indeed die and are born, not reaching a perfect state which can be relied on. Now there is emptiness, and now fulness;—they do not continue in one form. The years cannot be reproduced; time PT. Il. SECT,X, THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 383 cannot be arrested. Decay and growth, fulness and emptiness, when they end, begin again. It is thus that we describe the method of great righteousness, and discourse about the principle pervading all things. The life of things is like the hurrying and galloping along of a horse. With every movement there is a change; with every moment there is an alteration. What should you be doing? what should you not be doing? You have only to be allowing this course of natural transformation to be going on.’
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.
1I have heard it said, “The Man of Tao does not become distinguished; the greatest virtue is unsuccessful; the Great Man has no thought of self;”—to so great a degree may the lot be restricted.’ 4. The earl of the Ho said, ‘Whether the subject be what is external in things, or what is internal, how do we come to make a distinction between them as noble and mean, and as great or small?’ Zo of the Northern Sea replied, ‘When we look at them in the light of the T4Ao, they are neither noble nor mean. Looking at them in themselves, each thinks itself noble, and despises others. Looking at them in the light of common opinion, their being noble or mean does not depend on themselves. Looking at them in their differences from one another, if we call those great which are greater than others, there is nothing that is not great, and in the same way there is nothing that is not small. We shall (thus) know that heaven and earth is but (as) a grain of the smallest rice, and that the point of a hair is (as) a mound or a mountain ;—such is the view given of them by their relative size. Look- 380 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. ing at them from the services they render, allowing to everything the service which it does, there is not one which is not serviceable; and, extending the consideration to what it does not do, there is not one which is not unserviceable. We know (for instance) that East and West are opposed to each other, and yet that the one cannot be without (suggesting the idea of) the other ;—(thus) their share of mutual service is determined. Looking at them with respect to their tendencies, if we approve of what they approve, then there is no one who may not be approved of; and, if we condemn what they condemn, there is no one who may not be condemned. There are the cases of YAo and Xieh, each of whom approved of his own course, and condemned the other;—such is the view arising from the consideration of tendency and aim, ‘Formerly Y4o and Shun resigned (their thrones), and yet each continued to be Ti; Aih-khwAi? resigned (his marquisate) which led to his ruin. Thang and Wa contended (for the sovereignty), and each became king; the duke of Pai? contended (for Khd), which led to his extinction. Looking at the subject from these examples of striving by force and of resigning, and from the conduct of Y4o (on the one hand) and of Xieh (on the other), we see that there is a time for noble acting, and a time for 1 See Mencius II, ii, ch. 8, and I, ii, chaps. 10, 11, with the notes. 3 is probably a mistake for -F-. 2 See the last narrative but one in the 30 X/wan, under the sixteenth year of duke Ai of Lt,—the year in which Confucius died. ‘ The duke of Pai’ was merely the chief of a district of A204; but rebelling against thé Ruler of the State, he was defeated, and strangled himself. PT. 1. SECT.X. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 381 mean;—these characteristics are subject to no regular rule.
2‘ The duke of Pai’ was merely the chief of a district of A204; but rebelling against thé Ruler of the State, he was defeated, and strangled himself. PT. 1. SECT.X. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 381 mean;—these characteristics are subject to no regular rule. 5. ‘A battering ram may be used against the wall of a city, but it cannot be employed to stop up a hole ;—the uses of implements are different. The (horses) AA%ih-Ai and Hwé-lid? could in one day gallop 1000 li, but for catching rats they were not equal to a wild dog or a weasel;—the gifts of creatures are different, The white horned owl collects its fleas in the night-time, and can discern the point of a hair, but in bright day it stares with its eyes and cannot see a mound or a hill ;—the natures of creatures are different. ‘Hence the sayings, “Shall we not follow and honour the right, and have nothing to do with the wrong? shall we not follow and honour those who secure good government, and have nothing to do with those who produce disorder ?” show a want of acquaintance with the principles of Heaven and Earth, and with the different qualities of things. It is like following and honouring Heaven and taking no account of Earth ; it is like following and honouring the Yin and taking no account of the Yang. It is clear that such a course cannot be pursued. Yet notwithstanding they go on talking so:—if they are not stupid, they are visionaries. The Ti sovereigns resigned their thrones to others in one way, and the rulers of the three dynasties transmitted their thrones to their successors in another. He who acts differently from the requirements of his time and contrary to its custom is called an usurper; he who complies with the time 1 Two of king Mu’s team of eight famous steeds. 382 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. and follows the common practice is said to be righteous. Hold your peace, O earl of the Ho. How should you know what constitutes being noble and being mean, or who are the small and who the great?’
3382 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. BK, XVII. and follows the common practice is said to be righteous. Hold your peace, O earl of the Ho. How should you know what constitutes being noble and being mean, or who are the small and who the great?’ 6. The earl of the Ho said, ‘Very well. But what am I to do? and what am I not todo? How am I to be guided after all in regard to what I accept or reject, and what I pursue or put away from me?’ Zo of the Northern Sea replied, ‘From the standpoint of the T do, what is noble? and what is mean? These expressions are but the different extremes of the average level. Do not keep pertinaciously to your own ideas, which put you in such opposition to the Tao. What are few? and what are many? These are denominations which we employ in thanking (donors) and dispensing gifts. Do not study to be uniform in doing so ;-— it only shows how different you are from the T4o. Be severe and strict, like the ruler of a state who does not selfishly bestow his favours. Be scrupulous, yet gentle, like the tutelary spirit of the land, when sacrifice is offered to him who does not bestow his blessing selfishly. Be large-minded like space, whose four terminating points are illimitable, and form no particular enclosures. Hold all things in your love, favouring and supporting none specially. This is called being without any local or partial regard; all things are equally regarded ; there is no long or short among them. ‘ There is no end or beginning to the Tao. Things indeed die and are born, not reaching a perfect state which can be relied on. Now there is emptiness, and now fulness;—they do not continue in one form. The years cannot be reproduced; time PT. Il. SECT,X, THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-8ZE. 383 cannot be arrested. Decay and growth, fulness and emptiness, when they end, begin again. It is thus that we describe the method of great righteousness, and discourse about the principle pervading all things. The life of things is like the hurrying and galloping along of a horse. With every movement there is a change; with every moment there is an alteration. What should you be doing? what should you not be doing? You have only to be allowing this course of natural transformation to be going on.’
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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