Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Now the skilful governors of the world simply caused the people to fulfil the conditions of their regular nature (par.2). It was their gifts which they possessed in common, and their Heaven-inspired instincts, which constituted the (Early) age of Perfect Virtue. When the sages fashioned their benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, and the people then began to lose their perfect virtue, it was not that they had themselves become different. For benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, are not endowments forming a part of their regular nature ;—they are practised only after men have laid aside the Tao and its characteristics, and abandoned the guidance of their nature and its feelings. This is what we say that the mechanic does when he hacks and cuts the raw materials to form his vessels. Why should we doubt that it was by Po-ldo’s dealing with horses that they became wise enough to play the part of thieves (par. 3); and that it was by the sages’ government of the people that their ability came to be devoted to the pursuit of gain? The error of the sages in this cannot be denied. From beginning to end this Book is occupied with one idea. The great point in it grew out of the statement in paragraph 3 of the previous Book, that ‘all men are furnished with certain regular principles, and it is the easiest to construe of all Awang-3ze’s compositions ; but BK. XI. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-3ZE. 285 the general style and illustrations are full of sparkling vigour. Some have thought that, where the ideas are so few, there is a waste of words about them, and they doubt therefore that the Book was written by some one imitating Kwang-jze; but I apprehend no other hand could have shown such a mastery of his style. Book XI. That the world is not well governed is because there are those who try to govern it. When they try to govern it, they cannot but be ‘doing’ (to that end). Unable to keep from this‘ doing, they cause the world to be happy or to be miserable, both of which things the instincts of man’s nature refuse to accept. Although the arts of governing are many, they only cause and increase disorder. Why so? Because they interfere with men’s minds.
2Unable to keep from this‘ doing, they cause the world to be happy or to be miserable, both of which things the instincts of man’s nature refuse to accept. Although the arts of governing are many, they only cause and increase disorder. Why so? Because they interfere with men’s minds. Now when men are made to be miserable or happy, they come to have great joy or great dissatisfaction. The condition ministers to the expansive or the opposite element (in nature), and the four seasons, the cold and the heat, all lose their regularity. This causes men everywhere in a contentious spirit to indulge their nature to excess, bringing about a change of its attributes, and originating the practice of good and evil. All unite in bringing this state about ; and in the end all receive its consequences. Hence such men as Kih the robber, 34ng Shan, and Shih 3hdi ought not to be found in a well-governed age. But those who governed the world went on to distinguish between the good and the bad, and occupied themselves with rewarding and punishing. When.they wished men to rest in the requirements of their nature, was it not difficult for them to realise the wish ? And how much more was it so when they went on in addition to insist on acute hearing and clear vision, on benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, music, sageness, and knowledge (par. 2)! They did not know that these eight things were certainly of no use to the world, but injurious to it. Led astray by them, and not perceiving 286 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP. V. this, they continued to practise them, and to do this every day more and more. This is what we see indeed in the ordinary men of the world, but not what we should have expected from superior men. The Superior man does nothing, and rests in the instincts of his nature. He values and loves his own person, which fits him to be entrusted with the charge of the world, and thereupon we see things becoming transformed of themselves. Yes, we see indeed that men’s minds are not to be interfered with (par. 3). Let me try to attest this from (the example of) the ancient Tis and Kings. These in their interference with the minds of men, began with their inculcation of benevolence and righteousness, proceeded to their distinctions of what was right and wrong, and ended with their punishments and penalties. Their government of the world ended with the disordering of it. And the result can be seen, the Literati and the Mohists still thinking how they can remedy them.
3Their government of the world ended with the disordering of it. And the result can be seen, the Literati and the Mohists still thinking how they can remedy them. But let us ask who it really was that brought things to this pass. The answer is supplied to us in the words of Lao Tan (see T. T. X., ch. 19), ‘ Abolish sageness and cast away wisdom, and the world will be brought to a state of good order.’ But the issue does not commence with the state of the world. When Kwang Kang-jze replied to Hwang-Ti’s questions, he said (par. 4), ‘Watch over your body, and increase the vigour of things. Maintain the unity, and dwell in the harmony.’ What he said,. about the rain descending before the clouds collected, about the trees shedding their leaves before they were yellow, about the light (of the sun and moon) hastening to extinction, about Hwang-Ti’s mind being that of a flatterer of which he would make no account, and about how he should do nothing but rest in the instincts of his nature, and not interfere with the minds of men :—all these are expressions bearing on the value and love which should be given to the body. And the lesson in his words does not end with the watching over the body. There are the words addressed by Hung Mung to Yiin BK, XI. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE. 287 Kiang, ‘Nourish in your mind a great agreement (with the primal ether). (Things) return to their root, and do not know (that they are doing so). As to what you say, that “the mysterious operations of Heaven are not accomplished, that the birds all sing at night, that vegetation withers under calamity, and that insects are all overtaken by disaster :—about all these things there is no occasion for anxiety.” While you do nothing, rest in the promptings of your human nature, and do not interfere with the minds of men ;—such is the genial influence that attracts and gathers all things round itself (par. 2).’ But the Superior man’s letting the world have its own course in this generous way ;—this is what the ordinary men of the world cannot fathom. When such men speak about governing, they examine carefully between others and themselves, and are very earnest to distinguish between differing and agreeing. Their only quest is to find how they may overcome others, and the end is that they are always overcome by others, They do not know that in order to reduce others to the level of things, there must be those who cannot be reduced by others to that level. Those are said to be the sole possessors of the power (par. 6).
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.
1Now the skilful governors of the world simply caused the people to fulfil the conditions of their regular nature (par.2). It was their gifts which they possessed in common, and their Heaven-inspired instincts, which constituted the (Early) age of Perfect Virtue. When the sages fashioned their benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, and the people then began to lose their perfect virtue, it was not that they had themselves become different. For benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, and music, are not endowments forming a part of their regular nature ;—they are practised only after men have laid aside the Tao and its characteristics, and abandoned the guidance of their nature and its feelings. This is what we say that the mechanic does when he hacks and cuts the raw materials to form his vessels. Why should we doubt that it was by Po-ldo’s dealing with horses that they became wise enough to play the part of thieves (par. 3); and that it was by the sages’ government of the people that their ability came to be devoted to the pursuit of gain? The error of the sages in this cannot be denied. From beginning to end this Book is occupied with one idea. The great point in it grew out of the statement in paragraph 3 of the previous Book, that ‘all men are furnished with certain regular principles, and it is the easiest to construe of all Awang-3ze’s compositions ; but BK. XI. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-3ZE. 285 the general style and illustrations are full of sparkling vigour. Some have thought that, where the ideas are so few, there is a waste of words about them, and they doubt therefore that the Book was written by some one imitating Kwang-jze; but I apprehend no other hand could have shown such a mastery of his style. Book XI. That the world is not well governed is because there are those who try to govern it. When they try to govern it, they cannot but be ‘doing’ (to that end). Unable to keep from this‘ doing, they cause the world to be happy or to be miserable, both of which things the instincts of man’s nature refuse to accept. Although the arts of governing are many, they only cause and increase disorder. Why so? Because they interfere with men’s minds.
2Unable to keep from this‘ doing, they cause the world to be happy or to be miserable, both of which things the instincts of man’s nature refuse to accept. Although the arts of governing are many, they only cause and increase disorder. Why so? Because they interfere with men’s minds. Now when men are made to be miserable or happy, they come to have great joy or great dissatisfaction. The condition ministers to the expansive or the opposite element (in nature), and the four seasons, the cold and the heat, all lose their regularity. This causes men everywhere in a contentious spirit to indulge their nature to excess, bringing about a change of its attributes, and originating the practice of good and evil. All unite in bringing this state about ; and in the end all receive its consequences. Hence such men as Kih the robber, 34ng Shan, and Shih 3hdi ought not to be found in a well-governed age. But those who governed the world went on to distinguish between the good and the bad, and occupied themselves with rewarding and punishing. When.they wished men to rest in the requirements of their nature, was it not difficult for them to realise the wish ? And how much more was it so when they went on in addition to insist on acute hearing and clear vision, on benevolence, righteousness, ceremonies, music, sageness, and knowledge (par. 2)! They did not know that these eight things were certainly of no use to the world, but injurious to it. Led astray by them, and not perceiving 286 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP. V. this, they continued to practise them, and to do this every day more and more. This is what we see indeed in the ordinary men of the world, but not what we should have expected from superior men. The Superior man does nothing, and rests in the instincts of his nature. He values and loves his own person, which fits him to be entrusted with the charge of the world, and thereupon we see things becoming transformed of themselves. Yes, we see indeed that men’s minds are not to be interfered with (par. 3). Let me try to attest this from (the example of) the ancient Tis and Kings. These in their interference with the minds of men, began with their inculcation of benevolence and righteousness, proceeded to their distinctions of what was right and wrong, and ended with their punishments and penalties. Their government of the world ended with the disordering of it. And the result can be seen, the Literati and the Mohists still thinking how they can remedy them.
3Their government of the world ended with the disordering of it. And the result can be seen, the Literati and the Mohists still thinking how they can remedy them. But let us ask who it really was that brought things to this pass. The answer is supplied to us in the words of Lao Tan (see T. T. X., ch. 19), ‘ Abolish sageness and cast away wisdom, and the world will be brought to a state of good order.’ But the issue does not commence with the state of the world. When Kwang Kang-jze replied to Hwang-Ti’s questions, he said (par. 4), ‘Watch over your body, and increase the vigour of things. Maintain the unity, and dwell in the harmony.’ What he said,. about the rain descending before the clouds collected, about the trees shedding their leaves before they were yellow, about the light (of the sun and moon) hastening to extinction, about Hwang-Ti’s mind being that of a flatterer of which he would make no account, and about how he should do nothing but rest in the instincts of his nature, and not interfere with the minds of men :—all these are expressions bearing on the value and love which should be given to the body. And the lesson in his words does not end with the watching over the body. There are the words addressed by Hung Mung to Yiin BK, XI. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE. 287 Kiang, ‘Nourish in your mind a great agreement (with the primal ether). (Things) return to their root, and do not know (that they are doing so). As to what you say, that “the mysterious operations of Heaven are not accomplished, that the birds all sing at night, that vegetation withers under calamity, and that insects are all overtaken by disaster :—about all these things there is no occasion for anxiety.” While you do nothing, rest in the promptings of your human nature, and do not interfere with the minds of men ;—such is the genial influence that attracts and gathers all things round itself (par. 2).’ But the Superior man’s letting the world have its own course in this generous way ;—this is what the ordinary men of the world cannot fathom. When such men speak about governing, they examine carefully between others and themselves, and are very earnest to distinguish between differing and agreeing. Their only quest is to find how they may overcome others, and the end is that they are always overcome by others, They do not know that in order to reduce others to the level of things, there must be those who cannot be reduced by others to that level. Those are said to be the sole possessors of the power (par. 6).
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.