Fetching
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Fetching
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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Those are said to be the sole possessors of the power (par. 6). The teaching of the Great man, however, is not of this nature. He responds to others according to their qualities, without any selfish purpose. Although he is the sole possessor of the power, that power comes to be nothing in his view. Between having and not having there is to him no difference in the use. Doing nothing, and yet sometimes obliged to act, he forthwith does so; when he acts, yet no one sees that he has acted, and it is the same as if he did not act. So it is according to the T4o; but therein there are both the Heavenly and the Human elements. In accordance with this there are (in actual government) the Lord and the Minister (par. 7). When one discerns this, and knows which element is to be preferred, convinced that it is doing nothing which is valuable, what difficulty has he in governing the world ? 288 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP, V, The thread of connexion running through this Book is ‘Doing Nothing.’ Whether it speaks of the promptings of the nature or of the minds of men, it shows how in regard to both there must be this ‘doing nothing.’ In the end, with much repetition it distinguishes and discusses, showing that what doing there may be in doing nothing need not trouble us, and is not the same as the ‘ Extinction’ of the Buddhists. There is not much difference between the teaching of this Book, and what we read in the Confucian Analects, ‘He did nothing and yet governed efficiently (Bk. XV, ch. iv).’ This is an instance of the light thrown by our ‘old Kwang’ on the Xing, and shows how an understanding may take place between him and our Literati. In the style there are so many changes and transformations, so many pauses and rests as in music, conflicting discussions, and subtle disquisitions, the pencil’s point now hidden in smoke and now among the clouds, the author’s mind teeming with his creations, that no one who has not made himself familiar with a myriad volumes should presume to look and pronounce on this Book. Book XX. The afflictions of men in the world are great, because their attainments in the T4o and Its Attributes are shallow. The T4o with Its Attributes is the Author of all things. To follow It in Its transformings according to the time is not like occupying one’s self with the qualities of things, and with the practice and teaching of the human relations, which only serve to bring on disaster and blame. He who seeks his enjoyment in It, however, must begin by emptying himself. Hence we have, ‘Rip your skin from your body, cleanse your heart, and put away your desires (par. 2);’ then afterwards ‘you can enjoy yourself in the land of Great Vacuity.’ In this way one attains to the status represented by coming across ‘an empty vessel’ and escapes ‘the evils which the close-furred fox and the elegantly-spotted leopard’ are preparing for themselves. These are the ideas in the paragraph about f-lido of BK, Xx. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE, 289
2These are the ideas in the paragraph about f-lido of BK, Xx. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE, 289 Shih-nan which may help to illustrate, and receive illustration from, what Kwang-jze says (par. 1) that ‘he would prefer to be in a position between being fit to be useful and wanting that fitness.’ In the case of Pei-kung Shé collecting taxes for the making of a peal of bells, we have only the exercise of a small art (par. 3). He could, however, put away all thought of self, and act as the time required. He was ‘as a child who has no knowledge,’ so slow was he and hesitating in this respect; there escorting those who went, here welcoming those who came. But from all this we may know how far he had advanced (in the knowledge of the Tao). But on consideration I think it was only Confucius of whom this could be spoken. Did not he receive a great share of the world’s afflictions (par. 4)? When Théi-kung Zan spoke to him of ‘ putting away the ideas of merit and fame, and placing himself on the level of the masses of men,’ he forthwith put away the idea of himself and complied with the requirements of the time. This was the art by which he enjoyed himself in the T4o and Its attributes, and escaped the troubles of the world. He could put away the idea of self in responding to the world, but he could not do so in determining his associations. In consequence of this, more distant acquaintances did not come to lay further afflictions on him, and his nearer friends perliaps came to cast him off because of those afflictions. What was he to do in these circumstances? If one be able to comply with the requirements of the time in his relations with men, but cannot do so in his relations to Heaven, then in the world he will indeed do nothing to others contrary to what is right, but he will himself receive treatment contrary to it; and what is to be done in such a case? 3ze-sang H4 saw the difficulty here and provided for it. What he said about ‘a union of Heaven’s appointment,’ and about ‘the intercourse of superior men being tasteless as water, shows how well he knew the old lessons about a connexion growing out [40] U 290 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP. V. of external circumstances and one founded in inward feeling. When one has divested himself of the idea of self, there will not again ‘be such an experience as that of Confucius, when his intimate associates were removed from him more and more, and his followers and friends were more and more dispersed.
3When one has divested himself of the idea of self, there will not again ‘be such an experience as that of Confucius, when his intimate associates were removed from him more and more, and his followers and friends were more and more dispersed. And Confucius himself spoke of such a case. What he said about its being ‘easy not to receive (as evils) the inflictions of Heaven,’ and ‘difficult not to receive as benefits the favours of men (par. 7),’ shows how truly he perceived the connexion between the Heavenly and the Human (in man’s constitution), and between ‘the beginning and end’ of experiences. When one acts entirely according to the requirements of the time, the more he enlarges himself the greater he becomes, and the more he loves himself the more sorrow he incurs. If he do not do so, then we have the case of him who in the prospect of gain forgets the true instinct of his preservation, as shown in the strange bird of the park of Tido-ling (par. 8), and the case of the Beauty of the lodging-house, who by her attempts to show off her superiority made herself contemned. How could such parties so represented occupy themselves with the Tao and Its attributes so as to escape the calamities of life ? This Book sets forth the principles which contribute to the preservation of the body, and keeping harm far off, and may supplement what still needed to be said on this subject in Book IV. The T4o and Its attributes occupy the principal place in it; the emptying of Self, and conforming to the time, are things required by them. The exquisite reasonings and deep meaning of the Book supply excellent rules for getting through the world. Only the sixth paragraph is despicable and unworthy of its place. It is evidently a forgery, and I cannot but blame Kwo 3ze-hsiian for allowing it to remain as the production of Kwang-3ze. Book XXII. The T4o made Its appearance before Heaven and Earth. It made things what they are and was Itself no THING, BK. XXII. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE. 291 being what is called their Root and Origin (par. 2). If we consider It something existing, It was not such; if we consider It as something non-existing, that does not fully express the idea of it. The ‘I knowit (of Hwang-Ti)’ is an addition of ‘Knowledge’ to the idea of it, and (his) ‘I will tell you’ is the addition of a description of it (par. 1). Therefore he who would embody the T4o can only employ the names of ‘Do Nothing’ and ‘ Returning to the Root, and then go forward to the region of the Unknown and the Indescribable.
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.
1Those are said to be the sole possessors of the power (par. 6). The teaching of the Great man, however, is not of this nature. He responds to others according to their qualities, without any selfish purpose. Although he is the sole possessor of the power, that power comes to be nothing in his view. Between having and not having there is to him no difference in the use. Doing nothing, and yet sometimes obliged to act, he forthwith does so; when he acts, yet no one sees that he has acted, and it is the same as if he did not act. So it is according to the T4o; but therein there are both the Heavenly and the Human elements. In accordance with this there are (in actual government) the Lord and the Minister (par. 7). When one discerns this, and knows which element is to be preferred, convinced that it is doing nothing which is valuable, what difficulty has he in governing the world ? 288 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP, V, The thread of connexion running through this Book is ‘Doing Nothing.’ Whether it speaks of the promptings of the nature or of the minds of men, it shows how in regard to both there must be this ‘doing nothing.’ In the end, with much repetition it distinguishes and discusses, showing that what doing there may be in doing nothing need not trouble us, and is not the same as the ‘ Extinction’ of the Buddhists. There is not much difference between the teaching of this Book, and what we read in the Confucian Analects, ‘He did nothing and yet governed efficiently (Bk. XV, ch. iv).’ This is an instance of the light thrown by our ‘old Kwang’ on the Xing, and shows how an understanding may take place between him and our Literati. In the style there are so many changes and transformations, so many pauses and rests as in music, conflicting discussions, and subtle disquisitions, the pencil’s point now hidden in smoke and now among the clouds, the author’s mind teeming with his creations, that no one who has not made himself familiar with a myriad volumes should presume to look and pronounce on this Book. Book XX. The afflictions of men in the world are great, because their attainments in the T4o and Its Attributes are shallow. The T4o with Its Attributes is the Author of all things. To follow It in Its transformings according to the time is not like occupying one’s self with the qualities of things, and with the practice and teaching of the human relations, which only serve to bring on disaster and blame. He who seeks his enjoyment in It, however, must begin by emptying himself. Hence we have, ‘Rip your skin from your body, cleanse your heart, and put away your desires (par. 2);’ then afterwards ‘you can enjoy yourself in the land of Great Vacuity.’ In this way one attains to the status represented by coming across ‘an empty vessel’ and escapes ‘the evils which the close-furred fox and the elegantly-spotted leopard’ are preparing for themselves. These are the ideas in the paragraph about f-lido of BK, Xx. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE, 289
2These are the ideas in the paragraph about f-lido of BK, Xx. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE, 289 Shih-nan which may help to illustrate, and receive illustration from, what Kwang-jze says (par. 1) that ‘he would prefer to be in a position between being fit to be useful and wanting that fitness.’ In the case of Pei-kung Shé collecting taxes for the making of a peal of bells, we have only the exercise of a small art (par. 3). He could, however, put away all thought of self, and act as the time required. He was ‘as a child who has no knowledge,’ so slow was he and hesitating in this respect; there escorting those who went, here welcoming those who came. But from all this we may know how far he had advanced (in the knowledge of the Tao). But on consideration I think it was only Confucius of whom this could be spoken. Did not he receive a great share of the world’s afflictions (par. 4)? When Théi-kung Zan spoke to him of ‘ putting away the ideas of merit and fame, and placing himself on the level of the masses of men,’ he forthwith put away the idea of himself and complied with the requirements of the time. This was the art by which he enjoyed himself in the T4o and Its attributes, and escaped the troubles of the world. He could put away the idea of self in responding to the world, but he could not do so in determining his associations. In consequence of this, more distant acquaintances did not come to lay further afflictions on him, and his nearer friends perliaps came to cast him off because of those afflictions. What was he to do in these circumstances? If one be able to comply with the requirements of the time in his relations with men, but cannot do so in his relations to Heaven, then in the world he will indeed do nothing to others contrary to what is right, but he will himself receive treatment contrary to it; and what is to be done in such a case? 3ze-sang H4 saw the difficulty here and provided for it. What he said about ‘a union of Heaven’s appointment,’ and about ‘the intercourse of superior men being tasteless as water, shows how well he knew the old lessons about a connexion growing out [40] U 290 THE TEXTS OF TAOISM. APP. V. of external circumstances and one founded in inward feeling. When one has divested himself of the idea of self, there will not again ‘be such an experience as that of Confucius, when his intimate associates were removed from him more and more, and his followers and friends were more and more dispersed.
3When one has divested himself of the idea of self, there will not again ‘be such an experience as that of Confucius, when his intimate associates were removed from him more and more, and his followers and friends were more and more dispersed. And Confucius himself spoke of such a case. What he said about its being ‘easy not to receive (as evils) the inflictions of Heaven,’ and ‘difficult not to receive as benefits the favours of men (par. 7),’ shows how truly he perceived the connexion between the Heavenly and the Human (in man’s constitution), and between ‘the beginning and end’ of experiences. When one acts entirely according to the requirements of the time, the more he enlarges himself the greater he becomes, and the more he loves himself the more sorrow he incurs. If he do not do so, then we have the case of him who in the prospect of gain forgets the true instinct of his preservation, as shown in the strange bird of the park of Tido-ling (par. 8), and the case of the Beauty of the lodging-house, who by her attempts to show off her superiority made herself contemned. How could such parties so represented occupy themselves with the Tao and Its attributes so as to escape the calamities of life ? This Book sets forth the principles which contribute to the preservation of the body, and keeping harm far off, and may supplement what still needed to be said on this subject in Book IV. The T4o and Its attributes occupy the principal place in it; the emptying of Self, and conforming to the time, are things required by them. The exquisite reasonings and deep meaning of the Book supply excellent rules for getting through the world. Only the sixth paragraph is despicable and unworthy of its place. It is evidently a forgery, and I cannot but blame Kwo 3ze-hsiian for allowing it to remain as the production of Kwang-3ze. Book XXII. The T4o made Its appearance before Heaven and Earth. It made things what they are and was Itself no THING, BK. XXII. ANALYSES OF BOOKS OF KWANG-8ZE. 291 being what is called their Root and Origin (par. 2). If we consider It something existing, It was not such; if we consider It as something non-existing, that does not fully express the idea of it. The ‘I knowit (of Hwang-Ti)’ is an addition of ‘Knowledge’ to the idea of it, and (his) ‘I will tell you’ is the addition of a description of it (par. 1). Therefore he who would embody the T4o can only employ the names of ‘Do Nothing’ and ‘ Returning to the Root, and then go forward to the region of the Unknown and the Indescribable.
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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