chapter iv
. as tutor to the son of Duke Ling of Wei, which would involve an anachronism.
Backwards and forwards he drove in lines which might have been ruled, sweeping round at each end in curves which might have been described by compasses.
The Duke, however, said that this was nothing more than weaving; and bidding him drive round and round a hundred times, returned home.
Yen Ho came upon him, and then went in and said to the Duke, "Chi's horses are on the point of breaking down."
The Duke remained silent, making no reply; and in a short time it was announced that the horses had actually broken down, and that Chi had gone away.
"How could you tell this?" said the Duke to Yen Ho.
"Because," replied the latter, "Chi was trying to make his horses perform a task to which they were unequal. Therefore I said they would break down."
Illustrating the strain which mortality daily puts upon the bodies and minds of all men.
* * * * *
Ch'ui the artisan could draw circles with his hand better than with compasses. His fingers seemed to accommodate themselves so naturally to the thing he was working at, that it was unnecessary to fix his attention. His mental faculties thus remained ONE, and suffered no hindrance.
To be unconscious of one's feet implies that the shoes are easy. To be unconscious of a waist implies that the girdle is easy. The intelligence being unconscious of positive and negative implies that the heart is at ease. No modifications within, no yielding to influences without,
But always following a natural course.
--this is ease under all conditions. And he who beginning with ease, is never not at ease, is unconscious of the ease of ease.
Such is the condition of oblivion necessary to the due development of our natural spontaneity.
* * * * *
A certain Sun Hsiu went to the house of Pien Ch'ing Tzŭ
Both unknown to fame.
and complained, saying, "In peace I am not considered wanting in propriety. In times of trouble I am not considered wanting in courage. Yet my crops fail; and officially I am not a success. From my village an outcast, I am an outlaw from my State. How have I offended against God that he should visit me with such a fate?"
"Have you not heard," replied Pien Tzŭ, "how the perfect man conducts himself? He is oblivious of his physical organisation. He is beyond the reach of sight and hearing. He moves outside the limits of this dusty world, rambling transcendentally in the domain of no-affairs. This is called acting but not from self-confidence, influencing but not from authority.
That is, acting not in consequence of self-confidence, but without reference to it; _sc._ naturally. Influencing, not because of authority, but gaining authority because of natural influence.
This quotation appears, though Chuang Tzŭ or whoever may be responsible for this episode does not say so, in chs. x. and li. of the _Tao-Tê-Ching_.
"But you, you make a show of your knowledge in order to startle fools. You cultivate yourself in contrast to the degradation of others. And you blaze along as though the sun and moon were under your arms.
These last three sentences will be found verbatim in ch. xx.
Whereas, that you have a whole body in a whole skin, and have not perished in mid career, dumb, blind, or halt, but actually hold a place among men,--this ought to be enough for you. Why rail at God? Begone!"
Sun Hsiu went away, and Pien Tzŭ went in and sat down. Shortly afterwards, he looked up to heaven and sighed; whereupon a disciple asked him what was the matter.
"When Hsiu was here just now," answered Pien Tzŭ, "I spoke to him of the virtue of the perfect man. I fear lest he be startled and so driven on to doubt."
"No, Sir," answered the disciple. "If he was right and you were wrong, wrong will never drive right into doubt. If, on the other hand, he was wrong and you were right, he brought his doubt with him, and you are not responsible."
"Not so," said Pien Tzŭ. "Of old, when a bird alighted outside the capital of Lu, the prince was delighted, and killed an ox to feed it and had the _Chiu Shao_ played to entertain it. The bird, however, was timid and dazed and dared not to eat or drink. This was treating the bird like oneself. But to treat a bird as a bird would treat a bird, you must put it to roost in a deep forest, let it swim in river or lake, and feed at its ease on the plain. Now Sun Hsiu is a man of small understanding; and for me to speak to him of the perfect man is like setting a mouse to ride in a coach or a band of music to play to a quail. How should he not be startled?"
The above episode has already appeared in ch. xviii., _ad fin._
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