The Way of Chuang Tzu - Thomas Merton

8/9/2019 The Way of Chuang Tzu - Thomas Merton

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HLHY

he ay of hg z

ms Mrtn

Working from existing translations, Father Merton hascomposed a series of persona versions from his favoriesamong he classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the mos siriua of he Chinese philosophers.

Chuang zu, who wroe in the fourth ad hird centriesBC, is the chief authentic historca spokesman for aoismand is ounder Lao zu (a legendary characer knownargey hrough Chuang zu's writings). Indeed i wsbecause of Chuang zu and the oher aoist sages tha Indian Buddhism was ransformed, in Chna, into he iquevehicle we nw ca by is Japanese nameZen

he Chinese sage abouns in w, aradox sare, ad shering insight into the true ground of being Father eronno stranger o Asian thought, brings a vivid, modern dioo he timeles wisdom of his re-creaion of a acient sage by a contemorary poe is resented wi aitroducton on he meaning of aoism for the Wes todyIllustrated with early Chinese drawings

"Written in a pleasing, readable and poetic style ..it is usefuland delightful. "-Choice

"A most admirable introdution to this less known but mostimportant soure-book of Taoism'

Alan Watts, New York Times Book Review

[Other Asian Paperbooks by homas Merton: Gandhi on Non

Violence, NDP197, $150; Original Child Bomb (on Hrosha)NDP228, $195 Zen and the Birds of Appetite (essays), NDP26,15]

A Nw Drcto Pprbook NDP26 $


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THE WAY OF

CHUANG TZU


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y hmas Mertn

BREAD IN THE WILDERNESS

CABLES TO THE ACE

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

EMBLEMS OF A SEASON OF FURY

GNDHI ON NON-VIOLN

NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION

ORIINAL CHILD BOMB

DS ON THE UNSPEAKABLE

SEECTED POEMS

THE STNE SLANDS

THE TOWER OF BABEL

THE WA OF CHUAN TZU

THE WISDOM OF THE DESERT

ZEN AND THE BRDS OF APPETTE

EDTOR: BREAKTHROUH TO PEACE

ublhed by

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THE WAY OF

CUANG ZU

BY THOMAS MERTON

W DRCTO


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Copyright © 19 65 by the Abbey of Gethsemani

Lirary o Congess catalog cad nume: 6-276

Puished simutaneousy in Canada yMcCeand & Stewart, Ltd.

The ilustrations in this ook ae om The Mustard SeedGaden Manual, published in The Tao of Paining by Mai-maiSze New Yor Pantheon Boos Boingen Series XLIX

First pubished as NO Papeboo 76 in 969 .

A ights reseved Except o ie passages quoted in a

newspaper magaine adio or teevision eview no pat o thisboo may be epoced in any om or y any meanseectronic o mechanica inlding photocopying and recordingor by any inormation stoae and reieva system withotpermission in writing om the bisher

Designed by Gertrude Huston

Manuactured in the United States o America

New Directions boos re published for James Laughinby New Directions Pulishing Corporaton Sith Avenue New or 0014.

Nihi obstatFr M Pau BourneFr M Chares ngish

Impi potest

F Igace GieAbbot generauly 24 9 6


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FOR JOHN C. H. WU

Wthout whos nouamnt

I would nvr hav dard ths


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CONTENTS

A Note to he Reader 9The Way of Chuang Tzu

A Sudy of Chuang Tzu 3

Readings from Chuang Tzu 33

The Useless Tree 35 A Hat Salesman and a Capabe Ruler 37The Breah of Nature 38Great Knowedge The Pot Three n e Mornng Cutng Up an Ox 5The Man W One Foo and e Marsh

Pheant 8

The Fastng o the Heart 5Three Frends 5Lao Tzu's Wake 56Conucus and he Madman 58The True Man 6oMetamorphoss 6Man Is Born n Tao 65 Two Kngs and No-Fo 66Crackng he Sae 67Leang Thngs Aone 7The Kngly Man 7How Deep s Tao 73The Lost Pearl 74 n My End Is My Bgnnng 75When Lfe Was Fu There Was No Hsto 76When a Hdeous Mn 77The Fe Enemes 78Acton and NonAcon oDuke Hwan and the Wheelrght 8Autumn Flds 8


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Get nd Smll 87e n of o 9e ute 93 Owl nd Poen 95

e Joy of ses 97Pefet Joy 99Sympony fo Se Bd 103Woleness 105e Need to Wn 07e Sl Swne 108e gtng ok 109e Woodre 10Wen te Soe ts 1 2

e Empty Bot 1 1 4e lgt of Ln Hu 6Wen Knowedge Went Not 8e Impotne of Beng ootless 1 2 1Wee Is o? 23Stgt nd NonBeng 125Keng Sng u 126Kengs Dsple 128e owe of te Spt 34

e Inne Lw 136Apologes 38Adsng te Pne 39Ate Lfe 41onkey ountn 143Good otune 144lgt om Beneolene 1 47 o 50e Uless 53

ens nd Ends 54lgt om te Sdow 155ung zus une 156

Glossay 157Bblioaphy 58

Noes 59


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A NOE O HE READER

The rather speia nature of this ook as for some expanation The texts from Chuang Tzu assemed here are theresut of ve years of reading study annotation and meditaton The notes have in time auired a shape of their ownand have eome as t were imitations of Chuang Tzu orrather free interpretatve readings of haraterist passageswhih appea espeay to me These readings of my owngrew out of a omparison of four of the est transations ofChuang Tzu nto weste anguages two Engsh one Frenhand one German In reading these transations found verynotae dierenes and soon reaied that a who have transated Chuang Tzu have had to do a eat dea of guessngTher guesses reet not ony their degree of Chinese shoar-shp ut aso ther own grasp of the mysterious way desried y a Master witing in Asia neary twentyve hundred

years ago. Sine I know ony a few Chinese haraters oviousy am not a transator. These readings are then notattempts at faithfu reprodution ut ventures in persona andsptua nterpretation Inevtay any rendering of ChuangTzu is ound to e vey persona. Though from the point ofvew of shoarshp am not even a dwarf sittng on theshouders of these giants and though not a my renderingsan even uaify as poetry I eieve that a ertain type of

reader w enjoy my intutive approah to a thnker who ssute funny provoative and not easy to get at I eievethi not on nd faith ut eause those who have seen themateria n manusipt have given evidene of iking it andhave enouraged me to make a ook out of t Thus though do not thnk that this k as for ame if someone wantsto e unpeasant aout it he an ame me and my friendsand espeay Dr. John Wu who s my hef aettor and a-ompie and has een of great hep in many ways. We arein ths together And I might as we add that I have enjoyed

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wg hs ook more han any oher I an rememer. SoI deare myse oduraey mpenen My deangs whChuang Tzu have een mos rewardng

John has a heory ha n "some ormer le I was aChnese monk I do no know aou ha and o ourse Ihasen o assure everyone ha I do no eeve n renarnaon (and neer does he) Bu I have een a Chrsan monkor neary wenyve years and nevay one omes n meo see le rom a vewpon ha has een ommon o soaresand reluses n al ages and n al uures One may dspuehe hess ha all monassm, Chrsan or nonChrsan sessenally one I eleve ha Chrsan monassm has o-vous haraerss o s own Neverheess here s a monas oulook whh s ommon o a hose who have eeed oueson he value o a le sumed enrely o arrayseular presupposons, daed y soa onvenon anddedaed o he pursu o empora sasaons whh areperhaps only a mrage. haever may e he vaue o e nhe world here have een, n al ulures, men who havelamed o nd somehng hey vasy preer n solude.

S Augusne one made a raher srong saemen (whhhe laer ualed), sayng Tha whh s aled he Chrsanrelgon exsed among he anens and never dd no exsrom he egnnng o he human rae unl Chrs ame n heesh (De Ve Relgine 10 I woud erany e an exaggeraon o all Chuang Tzu a Chrsan and s no mynenon o wase me n speulaon as o wha possle rudmens o heology mgh e dsovered n hs myserous sae

mens aou TaoThs ook s no nended o prove anyhng or o onvne anyone o anyhng ha he does no wan o hear aoun he rs pae. In oher words s no a new apoogesuley (or ndeed a work o jesua slegh o hand) nwhh Chrsan ras wl suddeny appear y mag ou oa Taos ha

I smpy ke Chuang Tzu eause he s wha he s and I

eel no need o jusy hs lkng o mysel or o anyone eseHe s ar oo grea o need any apooges rom me I S

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Augustine oud read Potinus i St Thomas oud readAristote and Averros (oth o them ertainy a ong way urther rom Christianity than Chuang Tzu ever was) and i

Teihard de Chardin oud make opious use of Ma andEnges in his synthesis, think I may e pardoned or onsort-ing with a Chinese reuse who shares the imate and peaeo my own kind o soitude, and who is my own kind o person

His phiosophia temper is I eieve, prooundy originaand sane It an o ourse e misunderstood But it is asiaysimpe and diret. t seeks, as does a the greatest phiosophia thought, to go immediatey to the heart o things

Chuang Tzu is not onerned with words and ormuasaout reaity ut with the diret existentia grasp of reaity initse Suh a grasp is neessariy osure and does not enditse to astrat anaysis. It an e presented in a parae, aae, or a unny story aout a onversation etween twophiosophers Not a the stories are neessariy y ChuangTzu himse. Indeed, some are aout him. The Chuang Tzuook is a ompiation in whih some hapters are amost ertainy y the Mater himse, t many others, espeiay theater ones, are y his dsipes. The whoe Chuang Tzu ookis an anthoogy o the thought, the humor, the gossip, and theirony that were urrent in Taoist ires in the est period,the 4th and 3rd enturies Bc But the whoe teahing, the"way ontained in these anedotes poems, and meditationsis harateristi o a ertain mentaity ound everywhere in theword, a ertain taste or simpiity, or humiity seeaement siene, and in genera a reusa to take seriousy the

agessivity the amition the push, and the seimportanewhih one must dispay in oder to get aong in soiety. Thisother is a way that preers not to get anywhere in the wordor even in he ed o some supposedy spiritua attainmentThe ook o the Bie whih mot oviousy resemes theTaoist assis is Eesiastes Bt at he same time there ismuh in the teahing o the Gospes on simpiity hidikeness and humiity, whih responds to the deepest aspirations

o the Chuang Tzu ook and the Tao Teh Ching. John Wuhas pointed this out in a remarkae essay on St. Therese o


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Lseux and Taosm preseny to e repushed n a ooogeher wth hs sudy of Chuang Tzu Now Eesases s a of earh and the Gospe eth s an eh of reveaon

made on earh of a God Inarnae The Lte Way ofTherese of Lseux s an exp renunaon of a exatedand dsnarnate spruates that dvde man aganst hm-sef putng one haf n the ream of anges and the other nan earhy he For Chuang Tzu as for the Gospe to oseones fe s o save and to see o save for ones own saes o ose There s an armaton of he word hat s nothngu run and oss There s a renunaton of e word hat

nds and saves man n hs own home whh s Gods wordn any event, the way of Chuang Tzu s myserous eause s so smpe tha an get aong whout eng a way at aLeas of a s a way out. Chuang Tzu woud have agreedwh St ohn of he Cross that you enter upon hs nd ofway when you eave a ways and n some sense ge os

Abbey of Getsemani

Pentecot 65

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HE WAY OF CHUANG ZU

A Sudy of Chuang Tzu


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THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU

A Sud o Chuang Tzu

The s peod o Chnese phosoph oves aou heehunded eas om 550 o 50 Bc Chuang Tzu he geaes o he Taos wes whose hsoa exsene an eveed (we anno e sue o Lao Tzu oushed owd heend o hs peod and ndeed he as hape o he Chuang

Tzu ook (Chap 33 s a w and nomave hso oChnese phosoph up o hs mehe s doumen o sknd a eas n he Oen

The humo he sophsaon he ea genus, andphosopha nsgh o Chuang Tzu ae evden o anonewho sampes hs wok Bu eoe one an egin o undesandeven a e o hs sue, one mus sae hm n hs u-ua and hsoa onex Tha s o sa ha one mus seehm agans he akgound o he Conuansm whh hedd no hesae o due, aong wh a he ohe sedaeand aeped shoos o Chnese hough om ha o Mo To ha of Chuang's onempoa, end and onsan opponen, he ogan Hu Tzu One mus aso see hm n ea-on o wha oowed hm eause woud e a gea msakeo onuse he Taosm of Chuang Tzu wh he popua de-geneae amagam o supeson ahem mag, and heah-uue whh Taosm ae eame

The ue nheos o he hough and sp o ChuangTzu ae he Chnese Zen Buddhss o he ang peod (7ho 10h enues ..) Bu Chuang Tzu onnued o exe annuene on a uued Chnese hough sne he neveed o e eognzed as one o he gea wes and hnkes o he assa peod. The sue sophsaed, msaTaosm o Chuang Tzu and Lao Tzu has e a peanenmak on a Chnese uue and on he Chnese haae

se Thee have neve een akng auhoes ke DasezT Suzuk he Japanese Zen shoa who deae Chuan Tzu


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There s no muh danger of onfusing Chuang Tzu whConfuus or Menius ut here is rhaps more diuty ndistingushing him at rs sigh from he sophiss and hedon-is of his own time. For exampe Yang Chu resemes ChuangTzu n his praise of reusion and his onemp for poiisHe ases a phiosophy of evasion whh is franky egotstiaon the prinipe hat the igger and more vauae he tree ishe more ikey i is to fa vtim o the hurrane or to heumerman's axe

The avoidane of poitia responsiiity was thereforeessenta to Yangs idea of persona happiness and he arredthis to suh an exent ha Menius said of him Though he

mght have eneted the whoe word y puking ou a sngehair he woud not have done i. However even in YangChus hedonism we an nd eements whih rend us of ourown modern one wih the person: for instane the deahat the ife and integrity of the person remain of greatervaue han any ojet or any funon to whih he personmay e aed to devoe himsef a he risk o aienaton Bua personaism that has nothing o oer u evasion wi no

e a genune personism at a sine destroys he reatonships wihou whih the person annot ruy deveop. Afer ahe dea that one an seriousy utivae his own personafreedom merey y disarding inhiitons and oigations oive in sefentered spontaneiy resus n the ompee deayo he true sef and of is apaity for freedom

Personasm and ndivduaism mus no e onfusedPersonasm gves prority o the peron and no the indvidu

sef To gve poriy o the person means respetng theuniue and naienae vaue of he oter person as we asones own for a respet that is enered ony on ones ndvdua sef o the exusion of others proves itsef o e frau-duent.

The ass ]u phiosophy of Confuius and hs foowersan e aed a raditiona personaism ui on he asisoia reationships and oigations hat are essena o ahumane fe and tha when arried ou as they shoud e

deveop he human poeniaies of eah peron n hs rea


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ion o ohes In fullin he conds of nue s nifesed by dion which e essenilly conds of oven develops his own inne poeni fo ove undesndineveence nd wisdo He becoes Supeio Mn o "Noble Minded Mn, fully in hony wih heven ehhis soveein his pens nd chiden, nd his feow en, byhis obedience o ao

The chce of he "Supeio Mn o "Noble MindedMn ccodin o philosophy is consuced ound fousided nd o bsic viues The s o hese is copssione nd devoed ove ched wih deep ephy ndsinceiy h enbes one o idenify wih he oubles nd

oys of ohes s if hey wee one's own This copsion isclled en, nd is soeies nsled hun heedness.The second of he bsic viues is h sense of usice, e-sponsibiliy duy obliion o ohes which is ced Yi Ius be obseved h u phiosophy insiss h boh en ndYi e copleely disineesed The k of he NobeMinded Mn is h he does no do hins siply becusehey e plesin o pobe o hiself bu becuse hey

ow fo n uncondiion o ipeive. They e hinsh he sees o be ih nd ood in heselves Hence nyone who is uided by he po oive even houh i be fohe po of he sociey o which he belons, is no cpbe ofivin enuinely ol life Even when his cs do no con-ic wih he o w, hey ein o becuse hey eoived by he desie of po nd no he ove o he ood

The ohe wo bsic viues of u e necessy o copee his picue of wholeness nd huneness. Li is soehin oe hn exeio nd iu coecness i is he bil-iy o ke use of iu fos o ive fu ouwd expessiono he love nd biion by which one is bound o ohes.Li is he cin ou of veneion nd ove no only fopens fo ones soveein fo ones people bu lso foHevenndeh I is iuic conepion of heeliious nd ephysicl sucue of he peson he fiysociey nd he cosos iself The ncien Chinese liuiss

"de obsevions o ll he oveens unde he sky di


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recn her aenon o he nerpeneraons whch akepace n hem s wh a vew o pn no eec rhras 1 )

Ones ndvda sef shod be os n he "ra dspos-on n whch one emeres as a hher "rca sef anmaed by he compasson and respec whch have radonaynfomed he deepes responses o ones famy and peope ne presence of "Heaven en. One earns by Li o akeones pace aefy n he cosmos and n hsoy Fnayhere s "wsdom C ha embraces a he oher vresn a mare and reos ndersandn whch orens hemo her vn fmen. Ths perfec ndersandn of he"way of Heaven nay enabes a man of mary and onexperence o foow a he nmos desres of hs hear who dsobeyn Heaven. I s S. Asnes "ove and dowha yo w! B Confcs dd no cam o have reachedhs pon n he was seveny In any case he man who hasaaned Chh or wsdom has arned sponaneos nnerobedence o Heaven and s no oner overned merey byexerna sandards B a on and ardos dscpne by ex

erna sandards remans absoey necessayThese sond and hmane deas admrabe n hem

seves were socay mpemened by a srcre of desres and obseances ha wod seem o s exraordnarycompex and arca. And when we nd Chan Tzmakn fn of he Confcan pracce of L for exampe heres of mornn) we ms no nerpre hm n he h ofor own exremey casa mores empy o symboc feen

and nsensve o he persason o ceremony.e ms remember ha we orseves are vn n asocey whch s amos nmanaby deren from he Mdde Kndom n 300 Bc e mh perhaps nd anaoes foror own way of fe n Impera Rome f no CarhaeNneveh or Babyon Thoh he Chna of he forh cen-ry was no who s barbares was probaby morerened more compex and more hmane han hese ces

ha he Apocaypse of John porrayed as ypca of wordybray reed and power. The cmae of Chnese hoh


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ws ceiny eced by he fc h he u ide ws kenseiously nd ws edy o soe exen buil in by educ-ion nd iuy, o he sucue of Chinese sociey. (We us

no howeve ne, nchonisiclly, h in he ie ofChun Tzu he Chinese ovenin clss ws syseiclyeduced en sse ccodin o Confucin pinciples, s hppened le.)

If Chun Tzu eced ins he u docine i ws noin he ne of soehin lowehe ni sponneiy ofhe individu who does no wn o be boheed wih o oiesoe duiesbu in he ne of soein loehehihe This is he os ipon fc o eebe when wewesenes confon he seein ninoinis of ChunTzu o of he Zen Mses

Chun Tzu ws no dendin less hn en nd Yi,bu oe His chief coplin of u ws h i did no o fenouh. I poduced webehved nd viuous ocils indeed cuued en. Bu i neveheess iied nd ipisonedhe wihin xed exel nos nd consequenly de iipossibe fo he o c ely feey nd ceively in e

sponse o e eve new dends of unfoeseen siuionsu philosophy lso ppeed o To s did Chun Tzu.

In fc Chinese philosophy nd culue end o be "Toisin bod sense, since he ide o To is in one fom o ohe,cenl o diionl Chinese hinkin Confucius coudspek of "y To He coud dend h he discipe "sehis he on he To He coud dece h "If n heshe To in he oin nd dies in he evenin, his life hs

no been wsed And he coud dd h if n echeshe e of foy o fy wihou eve "hein he To, heeis "nohin wohy of espec in hi Ye Chun Tzu beieved h he To on which Coucus se his he ws nohe "e To h is invisible nd incopehensible I ws esse eecion of To s i nifess iself in hun life. ws e diion wisdo hnded down by he ncienshe uide o pcicl ife, he wy of viue

In he s chpe of he To Teh Chin o Tzu dis-inuished beween he Eenl To "h cn no be ned,which is he neless nd unknowble souce of l bein

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nd he To h cn be ned whch s he "Mohe of hns Confcs y hve hd ccess o he nfesspecs of he To h cn be ned b he bss of ll

Chn Tzs cqe of J phlosophy s h neve coesne o he To h cn no be ned nd ndeed kesno ccon of nl elvely e woks lke he Docneof he Men whh e nenced by Tos Confcs e-fsed o concen hself wh To hhe n h of npecsey becse ws nknowbe nd beyond he echof onl dscose. Chn Tz hed h only when ones n conc w he yseos To whch s beyond lexsen hns whch cnno be conveyed ehe by wods oby slence, nd whch s ppehended ony n se whch snehe speeh no slence xxv cold one ey nde-snd how o lve To lve eely ccodn o he To ofn ws o o sy The To of J phosophy s n hewods of Confcs hedn oehe no one he desesof e sef nd he deses of he ohe Ths cn heefoe beclled n ehc To o he To of n he nfeson n c of pncpe of love nd sce. I s denble

wh he Golden Rleen ohes s one wod wsh obe eed oneself B s no he "To of Heven n fcs Confcns deveoped conned o dvde nd sb-dvde he de of To n bece sply e ndc-n n bsc nves pncple n he e of ehcsThs we he of he "o of fhehood, he "o of sonshphe "o of wfeness nd he o of nseshp Neveheess when Confcn oh ws deepy nenced by

Tos hese vos hn os cod nd dd becoenes ponn o he nvsble nd dvne To Ths s cefo nsnce n he ao of Painting: "Thoho he coseof Chnese pnn he coon ppose hs been o ehe don (hn tao nd o ns he des, pnc-pes nd ehs h hve been esed nd deveoped by heses of ech peod s he ens of expessn he honyof e ao (

Chn Tz dy obseved h he ps of he ehclTo bece llsoy f one soh fo ohes wh ws dfo oneself who elly known wh ws ood fo onesef


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He tkes p ths qeston of the ood n the edtton tht hve clled "Pefect Joy Fst of l he denes tht hppness cn be fond by hedons o ttns the "pot

otve of Mo T) The lfe of ches bton plee sn elty n ntolebe sevtde n whch one "lve fowht s lwys ot of ech thstn fo svv n thefte

nd "ncpbe of lvn n the pesent The J

phosophe wold hve no dcty n een tht theotve of pot o plese s nwothy of te n Btthen Chn T edtey tns nst J nd ctczesthe heoc nd selfsccn pblc sent the "Speo

Mn of vte foed n the schoo of Confcs. Hs nly-ss of the btes of sch fe y pehps see sbteto s vn s we do n sch deent ol cteChn Tzs concen wth the pobe tht the vey ood-ness of the ood nd the noblty of the et y contnthe hdden seed of n s nloos to the concen htSophocles o Aeschyls felt lttle ele n the west. ChnTz coes p w deent nswe n whch thee s ess ofelos ystey To pt t spy the heo of vte nddty lttely lnds hself n the se btes s thehedonst nd the tltn Why? Becse he s t chevn "the ood s obect. He enes n selfconscos nddebete cpn to do hs dty n the belef tht ths sht nd theefoe podctve of hppness He sees "hpp-ness nd the ood s "soethn to be ttned nd thshe plces the otsde hsef n the wold of obects. n sodon he becoes nvolved n dvson fo whch thee s

no escpe between the pesent n whch he s not yet n pos-sesson of wht he seeks nd the fte n whch he thnkshe wll hve wht he deses between the won nd the evlthe bsence of wht he seeks nd the ood ht he hopes toke pesent by hs eots to elnte the ev between hsown de of ht nd won nd the conty de of htnd won hed by soe ohe phlosophc school. And soon

Chn Tz does not llow hself to et ened n thsdvson by tkn sdes On e conty he feels tht thetoble s not eely wth the mean the J phlosophe

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chooses o aain his ends b wih he ends eeles Hebeliees ha e whole concep of "happiness and "nappi-ness is abios fro he sar since i is siaed in heworld of obecs This is no less re of ore rened concepslike re jsice and so on. n fac i is especialy re ofood and ei or "rih and wron. Fro he oen heyare reaed as "obecs o be ained ese ales ead odesion and alienaion. Thereore Chan Tz aees wihe paradox of Lao Tz When al he world reconizes ooas ood i becoes eil becase i becoes soein haone does no hae and which one s consanly be prsinni in eec i becoes naainabe

The ore one seeks "he ood oside oneself as soehin o be acqired he ore one is faced wih he necessiyof discssin sdyin ndersandin anayzin he nareof he ood. The ore herefore one becoes inoe inabsracions and in e confsion of dieren opinions. Theore "he ood is obeciely analyzed e ore i is reaedas soehin o be aained by specal iros echniqes heless real i becoes As i becoes less rea i recedes frher

ino e disance of absracion friy naainabiliy. Theore herefore one concenraes on he eans o be sed oaain i. And as e end becoes ore reoe and oredicl he eans becoe ore elaborae and copex ninaly he ere sdy o e eans becoes so deandinha all ones eor s be concenraed on his and he endis foroen Hence e nobiiy of he scholar becoes inrealiy a deoion o he syseaic seessness of pracicin

eans which lead nowhere. This is in fac noin b or-anized despair: "he ood ha is preached and exaced byhe orais hs naly becoes an eil and al he ore sosince he hopeess prsi of i disracs one fro e reaood which one already possesses and which one now despisesor inores

The way of Tao is o bein wih he siple ood wihwhich one is endowed by he e fac o exisence nsead ofsefconscios cliaion of his ood which anishes when

we look a i and becoes inanibe when we o rasp i)we ow qiely in e hiiy of a siple ordinary ife and


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his wy is noous les psycholoicly) o he Chris-in "life of fih I is ore er of believing he oodhn of seein i s he frui of ones eor

The secre of he wy proposed by Chun Tzu is here-fore no he ccuulion of virue nd eri uh by Jubu wu wei, he nondoin or noncion which is no inenupon resus nd is no concerned wih consciousy lid pnsor deiberely ornized endevors "My rees hppinessconsiss precisely in doin nohin whever h is cculedo obn hppiness . . Perfec oy is o be wihou oy . .if you sk wh ouh o be done nd wh ouh no o bedone' on erh o produce hppiness I nswer h hesequeions do no hve xed nd predeerined nswer osui every cse. If one is in hrony wi Toh cosicTo "Gre Tohe nswer wil ke iself cer when heie coes o c for hen one will c no ccordin o hehun nd selfconscious ode of deliberion bu ccord-in o he divine nd sponneous ode of wu wei which ishe ode of cion of To iself nd is herefore he source of ood

The oher wy he wy of conscious srivin even houhi y ci o be wy of virue is fundeny wy ofselfrndizeen nd i is consequeny bound o coeino conic wih To. Hence i is sefdesrucive for "whis ins To will cese o be. 3 This expins why heTo Teh Chin criicizin Ju philosophy sys h e hihes virue is nonviruous nd herefore i hs virue. Bu"ow virue never frees isef fro viruousness herefore i

hs no virue 4 Chun Tzu is no ins virue whyshoud he be?) bu he sees h ere viruousness is wiouenin nd wihou deep eec eiher in he ife of he individul or in sociey

Once his is cler we see h Chun Tzus ironic seens bou "riheousness nd "cereonies re de noin he ne of lwess hedonis nd ninoinis bu inhe ne of h enuine virue which is "beyond viruousness.

Once his is cler one cn resonbly see cerin nloybeween Chun Tzu nd S. Pul The noy us cerinly


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not be pushed too . Chun zu cks the pooundy heooc ystcs o St. Pu. But hs techn bout hesptu bety o wu we nd he eton o vue to the

ndwen o s noous to Pu's techn on th ndce, contsted wth the woks o he Od Lw he eton o the Chun zu book to the Anects o Conucus snot unke tht o he Epstes to he Gtns nd Ronso the oh

Fo Chun zu he tuy et n s theeoe not then who hs by ete o study nd pctce ccuuted et und o vue nd et but the n n who octs wthou pedent, the n o o Seve o the

exts n hs pesent book descbe the "n o o Othese us wht he s not. One o the ost nstuctve n hsespec s he on nd dehtu stoy o he nxetydden,peeconsc dscpe o Ken Sn Chu who s sent to Lozu to en he eeents He s tod th " you pesst ntyn to n wht s neve tned . n esonn boutwht cnnot be undestood, you w be destoyed. On theohe hnd he cn ony "know when o stop be conent to

w, sen nd ve up hs own useess stvns, "hs eshe ce hen he w ben o ow wthout wchn hseow, nd wthout ny ppete o sepoveent

Chun zu suounded by btous nd supposedy"pctc en, eected ht these opetos knew thevue o he "useu but not he ete vue o he "useess As John u hs pu :

To Chun zu the wod ust hve ooked ke

ebe edy wten by et coedn. He swschen potcns n nto pts they hd duo ohes He sw pedtoy ses swown wekesttes, ony to be swowed n he u by stoneones. Thus the uch vunted utty o he useutents poved not ony useess bu sedesuctve.

5he n o To w pe obscuty nd sotude. He

w not seek pubc oce, even houh he y econze hhe To whch nwdy os the se outwdy o e


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Kin In "The Tue, Chun Tzu deives cu nddenie efusl o hose who coe o ep hi wy fohis shin on he ive bnk in ode o ive hi job in he

cpil He hs n even oe bun esponse when his fiendHui Tzu suspec hi of ploin o suppln hi in hisocil ob cf "Owl nd Phoenix).

On he ohe hnd, Chun Tzu is no eey pofession ecuse The n of To does no ke he iskeof ivin up sefconscious viuousness in ode o iesehisef in n even oe sefconscious coneplive collecion. One cnno c Chun Tzu "coneplive in hesense of one who dops syseic po of spiiusefpuicion in ode o in o cein denie ineioexpeiences o even eely o "cuive he ineio lifeChun Tzu woud conden his us s oundy s he "cul-ivion of nyhin else on n ici bsis. A deibeesyseic, nd eexive "selfculivion whehe cive oconepive pesonisic o poiiclly coed cus oneo fo he yseious bu indispensible conc wih Tohe hidden "Mohe of l ife nd uh. On of he hins

h cuses he youn disciple of Ken Sn Chu o be souey fused is pecisely h he shus hief up in celnd ies o cuive quiies which he hinks desibe nde id of ohes which he dislikes.

A coneplive nd ineio ife which would sipyke he subec oe we of hiself nd pei i obecoe obsessed wih his own ineio poess would, foChun Tzu, be no ess n iusion hn he cive ife of he

"benevolen n who would y by his own eos o iposehis ide of he ood on hose who ih oppose his idend hus in his eyes becoe "eneies of he ood The uenquiliy souh by he "n of To is Ying ning nquiiy in he cion of noncion, in ohe wods nquiiy which nscends he division beween civiy ndconepion by enein ino union wih he neess ndinvisibe To

Chun zu insiss eveywhee h his ens bndonin he "need o win see "The Fihin Cock). In "MonkeyMounin he shows he peil of cleveness nd viuosiy,


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nd epe one of his fii hees h we ih size : No one is so won s he n who knows henswes. ike o Tz Mse Chn pehes n essenihiiy no he hiiy of iosness nd onsios sef

bseen whih in he end is nee eniey fee fo henosness of Ui Heep b he bsi one ih sy"onooi o "osi hiiy of he n who fyeizes his own nohinness nd beoes oy foef ofhisef "ike dy ee sp . . ike ded shes

One y his hiiy "osi no ony bese iis ooed in he e ne of hins b so bese i is fof ife n weness espondin wih bondess viiy nd

joy o iin beins nifess isef eveywhee by Fnisn sipiiy nd onniy wih ivin e-es Hf he "hes who e boh befoe s ospek he ind of Chn Tz e nisbids shesfos nd so on Chn Tzs Tois is nosi fo hepiodi ie of pdise in whih hee ws no dieeniion in whih n ws ey sipe nwe of hisefivin pee wih hisef wih To nd wih ohe

ees. B fo Chn his pdise s no soehin hhs been ievoby os by sin nd nno be eined exepby edepion is si os b we do no know i sinehe ee of ife in soiey is o opie nd onfse oexisene kin s foe who we ey e by sin so beoe obsesed wih wh we e no. is his sefweness whih we o inese nd pefe by sosof ehods nd pies h is ey foefness of oe oos in he nknown To nd o soidiy in he"nved bok in whih hee e s ye no disinions

Chn Tz's pdoxi ehin h "yo neve ndhppiness ni yo sop ookin fo i s no heefoebe neivey inepeed He is no pehin ee fo f ive hn exisene ino inei nd qieis Heis in f syin h hppiness n be fond b ony bynonseekin nd nonion n be fond b no s hees of po o of syse. A po o syse hs

his disdvne i ends o sie hppiness in one kindof ion ony nd o seek i ony hee B he hppiness nd


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feedo whch Cl •n T sw n To s o be fond evewhere snce To s eveywhee) nd nl one cn e oc wh sch feedo fo ce h con s pefecjoy becse wo joy one cnno ey be hppy n ny-hn Fn Y Ln ss p n hs Spirit of ChinesePhilosophy p 77 he se wll ccopny eveyhn ndwelcoe eveyn eveyhn ben n he cose of benconsced nd n he cose o ben desoyed. Hence hecnno b obn joy n feedo nd hs joy s ncondon

The e chce o w we s no ee ncvy b perfect action- s c wo cvy n ohe

wods s con no ced o ndependenly of Hevennd eh nd n conc wh he dyns of e whoeb n pfec hony wh he whole I s no ee pssvyb s con h sees boh eoess nd sponneosbecse peoed hly n pefec ccodnce wh one nd wh o plce n he schee of hns s copleey fee becse hee s n no foce nd no volenceI s no condoned o led by o ow ndvd

needs nd deses, o even by o own heoes nd desI s pecsely hs unconditional chce of w we hdeenes Chn T fo ohe e phloophes whoconsced syses by whch he cvy ws necesslycondoned The bsc heoy of nves ove pechedby Mo T ws shewdly seen by Chn T o be flse pecsey becse of e nhny of s conseqences. In eoyMo T held h ll en shod be loved wh n eq ove he ndvd shold nd hs own ees ood n ovnhe coon ood of ll h nvesl love ws ewded byhe nqy pece nd ood ode of l nd e hpp-ness of he ndvdl B hs nves love wl be fondpon exnon lke os ohe opn pojecs) o kesch sevee dends pon hn ne h cnno beeled nd ndeed even f cold be eled wod nfc cp nd dso n, eveny nn boh h ndhs socey No becse ove s no ood nd n o n,

b becse syse consced on eoec nd b


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stct pncple of love noes cetn fundentl and mysterous reltes of whch we cnnot be fully conscous andthe prce we py for ths nttenton s tht our "love n ctbecoes hte

Hence, the socety of "unvers ove plnned by Mo Tws drb, oyless nd r snce all spontnety ws rerdedwth suspcon The hune nd ordered stsfctons of theConfucn lfe of frendshp, rtu usc nd so on weel bnned by Mo T. I s potnt to reember tht nths cse, Chun Tzu defends usc nd "rtes thouhn other plces he uhs t exaeted ove o them. "MoT he sd "woud have no snn n e no ournn n

deth . Notwthstndn en wll sn, he condens snn Men wll moun nd stll he condens ournn enwl expess oy, nd st he condens ts ths tuy n c-cord wth mans ntue? In fe tol n deth stnnes hswy s one of hrd hetedness! 6)

Fro such pssae s ths we cn see tht Chun Tzusown ony bout elborte funeals s to be seen n the htht The usn nd of course entrey cttous dcrp

ton of o Tzus ae ves Chun n oppotunty tocrtcze not ournn s such, or even pety towd onesste, but the rtc ttchents fored by cut of theaster s Mster. The to o dscpleshp s for Chun Tzu ent of the nton, nd t cn n no wy substtutefo the "Geat To, n whch reltonshps nd theproper order nd expresson

Tht Chun Tzu shoud be ble to te one sde of queston n one pce, and the other sde n another contextwns us tht n elty he s beyond ere patsn dspute.Thouh he s soc ctc hs crtcs s never btte orhsh. ony nd pbe are hs che nstruents, nd thewhoe cte of hs wor s one of toent partty whchvods prechn nd reconzes the uselessness o domtznbout obscure des that even the phlosophers wee not pepred to understnd Thouh he dd not follow other en nthe folles, he dd not ude the severeyhe new tht

he hd oles o hs own, and hd the ood sense to ccept


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he c nd enoy i In c he sw h one bsic chrcerisic o he se is h he reconizes hisel o be as ohemen ae. He does no se hisel pr ro ohers nd bovehe And ye here is dierence he diers "in his hea

ro oher en, since he is cenered on To nd no on hisel. B "he does no kno in wh wy he is dieren Heis lso wre o his reledness o ohers his nion wih he,b he does no "ndersnd his eiher. He erey lives i

7The key o Chn Tzs oh is he copeenriy

o opposies nd his cn be seen only when one rsps hecenrl "pivo o To which psses sqrely hroh boh

"Yes nd "No "I nd "No Lie is conin developen A beins re in se o x Chn Tz wodhve reed wih Herkleios. Wh is ipossible ody sddenly becoe possible oorrow Wh is ood nd ples-n ody y, oorrow becoe evil nd odios Wh seesrih ro one poin o view y, when seen ro dierenspec nies ise s copleely wron

Wh, hen, shod he wise n do? Shod he siply

rein indieren nd re rih nd wron ood nd bds i hey were ll he se? Chn Tz wod be he rso deny h hey were he se B in so doin he woldrese o sp one or he oher nd cin o i s o nbsole. When liied nd condiioned view o "ood isereced o he eve o n bsole, i iediey becoes nevil becse i excdes cerin copleenry eleens whichre reqired i i is o be ly ood. To clin o one prilview, one liied nd condiioned opinion, nd o re hiss he ie nswer o l qesions is sipy o "obscrehe To nd ke onesel obdre in error

He who rsps he cenr pivo o To, is ble o wch"Yes nd "No prse heir ernin corse rond hecircerence He reins his perspecive nd clriy o den, so h he knows h "Yes is "Yes in he lih o he"No which snds oer ins i. He ndersnds h hppi-ness when pshed o n exree, becoes cy Th

bey, when overdone, becoes liness. Cods becoe rin


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d vpo sceds i o becoe clouds To isis h hecoud shoud eve u o i is o esis he dyis ofTo

These ides e ppied by Chu Tzu o he wok of heis d cfs s wel s o he eche of philosophy I"The oodce we see h he ccopished cfsdoe o siply poceed ccodi o cei xed ules dexe sdds. To do so is of couse pefecy ihfo he edioce is Bu he supeio wok of poceedsfo hidde d spiiul picipe which i fsi dech-e foefuless of esus d bdoe of hopeof po discoves pecisey he ee h is wii o hvehis picul wok cved fo i. I such cse he iswoks s houh pssively d i is To h woks i dhouh hi. This is fvoie hee of Chu Tzu dwe d i ofe epee�. The ih wy of ki hisis beyod selfcoscious eecio fo "whe he shoe s hefoo is fooe.

I he echi of phiosophy Chu Tzu is o ifvo of pui o ih shoes h ke he disciple iesey

coscious of he fc h he hs feebecuse hey oehi! Fo h vey eso Chu is ciic o oly of Cofucis who e oo ched o ehod d syse bu lsoof Toiss who y o ip kowlede of he uebleTo whe i co be iped d whe he hee is oeve edy o eceive he s elees of isucio boui. "Syphoy fo Se Bid is o be ed i his ih. Idoes o ppy eey o he dedei of spoeiy by

icil isisece o Ju philosophy bu so o wo-heded d bdy ied ze i he couicio of ToI fc To co be couiced. Ye i couicesisef i is ow wy. he he ih oe ives eveoe who sees icpbe of y isucio wheve wi becoe yseiousy we of To. (8)

Mewhile houh he cosisely diseed wih hisfied he dilecici Hui Tzu d houh his discipes

who wee o wihou "he eed o wi lwys epeseedChu s bei Hui i debe Chu Tzu culy used


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any of Hui Tzus eaphyscal ideas He eazed ha byhe pincie of copeenaiy his own houh was nocoplee eey in iself wihou he "opposiion of Hui Tzu

One of he os faous of all Chuan Tzus "pinciplesis ha called "hee n he on fo he soy of heonkeys whose keepe panned o ive he hee easuesof chesnus in he on and fou n he evenin buwhen hey copained chaned his plan and ave he fouin he oin and hee n he evenn. ha does hissoy ean? Sply ha he onkeys wee fooish and hahe keepe cynicaly ousaed he? Que he conay.The pon is ahe ha he keepe had enouh sense o econize ha he onkeys had iaional easons of he ownfo wanin fou easues of chesnus n he oin anddd no subbonly insis on his oina aaneen Hewas no oaly ndeen, and ye he saw ha an accidenadeence did no aec he subsance

of his aaneen. No

dd he wase e deandin ha he onkeys y o be"oe easonabe abou when onkeys ae no expecedo be easonabe in he s pace is when we nss os

ly on eveyone else ben easonable ha we becoeouseves uneasonabe. Chuan Tzu, ly ceneed onTao, coud see hese hns n pespecive Hs eachn fo-lows he pncipe of "hee in he onn and i is a hoeon wo eves: ha of he divine and invsbe Tao ha hasno nae and ha of odnay spe eveyday exsence


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HE AY OF CHUAG ZU

Reans from Chan Tz


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THE USELESS TREE

Hi Tz si o Chn:I hve bi ree,The kin hey c sinkree.The rnk i s so isoreSo f of knosNo one cn e srih pnk

O of i The brnches re so crookeYo cnno c he pIn ny wy h kes sense.

There i sns besie he roNo crpener wi even ook i

Sch is yor echin

B n seess

Chn Tz repieHve yo ever wche e wic

Crochin, wchin his prey

This wy i eps, n h wyHih n ow, n sLns in he rp

B hve yo seen he yk?Gre s hnerco

He sns in his ih

5


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ant ath m

o fo yo . No shn nt t n th wstland

n mtnss.al dly aondst nd ts shadowo a o ll as s nd.No on wll t t down

slss Yo shold woy!

-l


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A HAT SALESMAN AND A CLE RULER

A n of Sun did businessIn silk cereoni hs

He rveed wih od of hsTo he wild en of he Souh

The wild en hd shved heds

Ted bodies

h did hey wih sikCereonil hs?

Yo hd wisey overnedAl ChinHe hd brouh he enire world

To se of resAfer h he wen o visiThe four Perfec OnesIn he dsn ounnsOf Ku Shih

hen he ce bckAcross he border

Ino his own ciyHis los zeSw no hrone

6


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TH BRATH OF NATUR

When e Nue shs, we he he wnds

Whch noseless n heseves

Awken voces fo ohe bens

Blown on heFo evey opennoud voces sound Hve you no hed

Ths ush of ones?

Thee snds he ovehnn woodOn he seep ounn:

Old ees wh holes nd ccks

ke snous, ws, nd eske besockes, lke obes,

Gooves n he wood holows ful of we:You he oon nd on whsn,Shous of cond, ublnsDeep dones, sd ues.One cl wkens nohe n dloue.Genle wnds sn dy,Son ones bs on whou esn.

Then he wnd des down The opennsEpy ou he s soundHve you no obseved how l hen ebles nd subsdes?

Yu eped: I undesnd:The usc of eh sns houh housnd hoes.

The usc of n s de on ues nd nsuensWh kes he usc of heven?


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Mase K said

Somehin is blowin on a hosand dieen holesSome powe sands behind all his and makes he sonds die

downha is his powe?

ii

9


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GREAT KNOWLEDGE

Grea knowlede sees all in oneSa knowlede breaks down ino he any

hen he body seeps, he soul is enolded in Onehen he body wakes he openns bein o uncion

They resound wih every encounerih al he varied business o ie, he srivins o e hearMen are blocked, perplexed los in doub.

Lile ears ea away eir peace o hearGrea ears swallow he wholeArrows sho a a are hi and iss rih and wronTha is wha en ca juden decision

Their pronounceens are as naAs reaies beween eperors0, hey ake eir poinYe eir aruens a aser and eeblerThan dead leaves in auun and winerTheir aks ows ou ike piss,

Never o be recovered

They sand a as blocked bound, and aedChoked up ike od drain pipesThe ind ails I sha no see lih aain

Pleasure and raeSadness and oyHopes and reres

Chane and sabiiyeakness and decsion


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pence nd soh:

A re sonds fro he se eAl shroos fro he se we old.

Dy nd nh olow one noher nd coe pon sho or seen how hey spro

Enoh Enoh

Ery nd e we ee he "hFro whch hese row

f here were no hThere wold be no hs.If here were no "hsThere wod be nohn for ll hese wn o ly onSo fr cn we o

B how shll we ndersnd

h brns bo?

One y we sppose he Tre GovernorTo be behnd ll. Th sch Power worksI cn beeve I cnno see hs for.

He cs b hs no for.

[ . .]


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THE PVOT

To s obscred when en ndersnd only one of prof opposes, or concenre only on pr spec of ben.Then cler epresson so becoes dded by ere wordpy rn hs one spec nd denyn ll he res.

Hence he wrnln of Confcns nd Mohss echdenes wh he oher rs nd rs h he oher

denes h se s hs sre o se p "No ns "Yesnd "Yes ns "No? Beer o bndon s hopeess ef-

for nd seek re hThere s nohn h cnno be seen fro he sndpon

of he "oI And here s non wh cnno be seen

fro e sndpon of e "I. If I ben by lookn nyhn fro he vewpon of he "NoI en I do no relly

ee , snce s "no h sees . If I ben fro where I nd see s I see , hen y so becoe possble fore o see s noher sees . Hence e heory of revers 9)h opposes prodce ech oher deped on ech oher, ndcopleen ech oher

However hs y be, fe s followed by deh deh s

foowed by fe The possbe becoes possbe he

possbe becoes possbe Rh s no on nd wronno rhhe ow o lfe ers crcsnces nd hs hnsheseves re lered n er rn B dspns conneo nd o deny e se ns hey hve wysred nd dened, norin he new specs of reypresened by he chne n condons

The wse n herefore, nsed of ryn o prove hs

or h pon by oc dspon sees ll hns n heh of drec non He s no prsoned by he l

42


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ions o he " o he viewin o diec iniion is

o boh I nd "No Hence he sees h on boh sides

o evey en hee is bo ih nd on He lso

sees h in he end they e edcible o he se hinonce hey e eled o he pivo o To

•

hen he wise n sps his pivo he is in he cene o

he cicle nd hee he snds while "es nd "No pseech ohe ond he ciceence

The pivo o To psses thoh he cene whee llions nd denils convee He who sps he pivo

is he sillpoin o which ll oveens nd opposiionscn be seen in hei ih elionship Hence he sees heliiless possibiliies o boh es nd No Abndonin ll

hoh o iposin lii o kin sides, he ess in dieciniion Theeoe I sid: "Bee o bndon dispion

nd seek he e lih!

[ . .]

4


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THREE N THE MORNNG

When we wea out ou mnd, tubbonl clnn to oneatal vew o thn eun to ee a deee aeementbetween th and t comlement oote we have what

caed "thee n the monnWhat th thee n he monnA onke tane went to h monke and tod them

A ead ou chetnut ou ae on to have theemeaue n the monn and ou n the atenoon

At th the all became an. So he ad "A ht nthat cae wll ve ou ou n the monn and thee n theatenoon Th tme the wee ated

The two aanement wee the ame n that the numbeo chetnut dd not chane But n one cae the anma

wee deaed, and n the othe the wee ated Thekeee had been wln to chane h eona aanementn ode to eet objectve condton He ot nothn b t

The tul we man conden boh de o the que

ton wout atalt ee them both n the lht o TaoTh called oown two coue at once. (0)

i .]

44


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CUTTING UP OX

Prnce Wen Hu' cookWa cun up an ox.Ou wen a hand

Down wen a houlderHe planed a ooHe preed wh a knee

The ox ell aparWh a whper

The brh cleaver murmuredLke a enle wnd.hm! Tmn!Lke a acred dance

Lke The ulberr Grove,

Lke ancen harmone!

Good work he Prnce exclamed,

"Your mehod aulle"ehod? ad he cookLan ade h cleaver"Wha I ollow TaoBeond all mehod!

"When I r beanTo cu up oxenI would ee beore meThe whole ox

All n one ma.

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Ate three yearI no loner aw h ma. aw the dtnction

Bu now, I ee nohinWth he eye. y whole benArehend.y ene are ide The iritFree o work wthout lanFollow i own ninctGuded by natural lineBy the ecret oenin he hidden acey ceaver nd i own way cu throuh no joint cho no bone

"A ood cook need a new choe

Once a yeahe cuA oor cook need a new oneEvey monhhe hack!

I have ued thi ame cleaverNineeen yeaI ha cut up

A houand oxenIt ede i a keenA i newly haened

There are ce n the jontThe blade hin and keen

When h thinneFind tha ace


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hee is a the oom you nee

t oes ike a beeze!

Hence I hae this ceae nineteen yeas

s newy shapene!

"ue, thee ae sometimesouh joints ee them comin, sow own, I watch coseyHo back, baey moe he bae,n whump! the pa as away

Lanin ike a co o ea

"hen I wthaw the baeI stan sin e the oy o he wokSnk n

I cean the bae

n put t away

Pince Wan Hu sa"hs is t ! My cook has shown meHow I ouht to eMy own e

]

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THE MAN WTH ONE FOOTAND THE MARSH PHEASANT

Kun Wen Hsien saw a maime ociaWhose let oot ha been cut o

A penalty in the poitical ame!

"What kin o man he cie is this oneoote oity?

How i he et that way? Shall we sayMan i this o heaen?

Heaen, he sai this comes om

Heaen, not om manWhen heaen ae this man ie it wieHe shou stan out om othes

An sent him into politicso et himsel istinuishe.

See! One oot! his man is dieret

he little mash pheasantMust hop ten timeso et a bite o ain

She must un a hune stepsBeoe she takes a sip o wateYet she oes not asko be kept in a hen un


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hgh h gt ha a h didSt f h.

Sh l ah nAnd k h n ltl ngngd

[ J

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THE FASTING OF THE HEART

Yen Hui, he aorie isciple o Conucius, came o akeleae o his Maser

Where are you oin? aske Conucius.I am on o Wei.

"n wha or?I hae hear ha he Prnce o Wei is a usy ul

blooe eow an is enirey selwille. He akes no careo his people an reuses o see any aul in himsel e paysno aenion o he ac a his subjecs are yin rh an

e Corpses lie a oer he counry lke hay n a el hepeople are esperae Bu hae hear you Maser say haone shoul leae he sae ha s wel oerne an o ha which is in isorer. he oor o he physician hereae pleny o sick people. I wan o ake his opporuniy o

pu ino pracice wha I hae eae rom you an see i Ican brin abou some improemen n coniions here

"las sai Conucius "you o no realize wha you areon You will brn isaser upon yourse ao has n

nee o your eaerness an you will only wase your eneryn your msuie eors Wasin your enery you will be-come conuse an hen anxious. Once anxious you will noner be abe o hep yoursel. he saes o ol rs souhao in hemseles hen ooke o see i here was anyhn

in ohers ha correspone wih ao as hey knew . Bu iyou o no hae ao yoursel wha business hae you spenin your ime in ain eors o brin corrup poliicans nhe rih pah? Howeer I suppose you mus hae somebasis or your hope o success. How o you propose o o

abou ?

5


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Yen Hi elied " intend to esent mysel as a mble, disinterested man seekin only to do wat is it and

notin else a comletely simle and onest aoac Will

tis win is condence?"Certainly not, Concis elied "is man is con

vinced tat e alone is it. He may retend otwadly totake an inteest in an objective standard o jstice, bt donot be deceived by is exesson. He is not accstomed tobein oosed by anyone. His way is to easse imsel tate is it by tamlin on ote eole e does is wit

mediocre men e will all te moe certainly do it to onewo esents a teat by claimin to be a man o i ali-ties He will clin stbbonly to is own way He may e-tend to be interested in yor talk abot wat is objectivelyit bt inteoly e will not ea yo and tere will beno cane wateve Yo will et nowere wit tis.

Yen Hi ten said "Vey well. nstead o diectly o-

osin im, will maintain my own standards interioly btotwadly will aear to yield. will aeal to te aorityo tadition and to te examles o te ast He wo s in

terioly ncomromisin is a son o eaven jst mcas any rler. will not ely on any teacin o my own and

will conseently ave no concen abot weter am a-oved o not will eventally be reconied as eectly

disinterested and sincee ey will all come to aeciate mycandor an hs will be an instment o eaven in tei

midst."n tis way, yieldin in obedience to te Pince as

oter men do, bowin kneelin rostatin mysel as a seantsold sall be acceted wiot blame en oters willave condence in me, and radally tey will make se o

me seein tat desie only to make mysel sel and towork or te ood o all. s will be an instrment o men


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Meanwe a ave to say w be exessed n tems

o ancent tadton wl be wokn wt te saced tadton o te ancent saes o wat say may be objec-

tvey a condemnaton o te Pnces condct t wll not be wo say t bt tadton tse. n ts way wll be eectly onest, and yet not ve oense s w be annstment o tadton Do yo tnk ave te t aoac?

Cetanly not sad Concs. "Yo ave to manydeent ans o acton, wen yo ave not even ot to know

te Pnce and obseved s caacte! At best yo t etaway wt t and save yo skn bt yo w not canenytn wateve He mt eas secay conoto yo wods, bt tee w be no ea cane o eat

Yen H ten sad We, tat s te best ave to oeWll yo, Maste te me wat yo sest?

Yo mst fast! sad Concs Do yo know wat

mean by astn? t s not easy Bt easy ways do not comeom G

O sad Yen H, am sed to astn At ome wewee oo. We went o monts wtot wne o meat ats astn s t not?

Wel yo can ca t obsevn a ast yo lke, sadConcs, bt t s not te astn o te eat.

el me, sad Yen H wat s astn o te eat?Concs eed e oa o astn s nne nty

s eans ean, bt not wt te ea ean, bt notwt te ndestandn ean wt te st wt yowoe ben e ean tat s only n te eas s one tne ean o te ndestandn s anote Bt te eano te st s not mted to any one acty to te ea o

to te mnd Hence t demands te emtness o al te ac-tes. And wen te actes ae emty ten te woe ben


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sens ere is ten a drec rasp o wat s rit ere

beore yo at can never be eard wit te ear or nderstoodw e mind. Fasin o te ear empes te acties

rees yo rom limtaion and rom preoccpation. Fastin ote eart bees niy and reedom

I see said Yen H. Wat was sandin in my way

was my own selawareness. I I can ben is astin o teeart selawareness wil vanis en I wl be ree rommitation and preoccpation! Is tat wat yo mean?

Yes sad Concis tats i I yo can do ts yo

wi be abe o o amon men in teir word wto psetinem Yo w not ener nto conic wi eir ideal imaeo temseves. I ey wil listen sn em a son I not

keep slent. Don't try to break down teir door Dont ry onew medicines on tem. Js be tere amon em, becase

tere s noin ese or yo o be b one o tem en

yo may ave sccess

I s easy to stand s and leave no race b t is ardto walk wo ocin e ond I yo oow man

meods yo can e away wit decepon In e way o ao

no decepon s possibleYo know at one can y wit wins yo ave no yet

leaed abo yn wito wins. Yo are amliar w tewisdom o ose wo know b yo ave no ye earned e

wsdom o tose wo know noLook at is wndow i s non b a oe in te

wal b becase o e wole room is o it. So wente aclies are empy e eart is o it. Bein llo li it becomes an inence by wic oters are secretytransormed

5


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en ne iend died

CncisSent a discle t el te te tw

Cant is bseies

e discile nd tat ne iendHad cmsed a snWile te te layed a lte

ey san

"Hey Sn HWee'd y ?Hey Sn H

Weed y ?Y ave neWee y eally weeAnd we ae eeDamn it! We ae ee

en te discile Cncis bst in n tem andExclaimed "May I inie wee y nd tis in theRbics bseies

is ivls callin in te esence te deated?

e tw iends lked at eac te and aed"P elw tey said "e desnt knw te new ity

[

55


58/161

LAO TZUS W

Lao an ay deadCn S attended te wakeHe let ot tee yesAnd went ome

One of te dsces sadWee yo not e Mastes fend?

"Cetanly e eed

"Is t ten scent fo yo

o mon no bette tan yo ae jst done?

"In te bennn sad Cn S "I tot

He was te eaest of menNo lone Wen I came o monI ond old men amenn m as te sonYon men sobbn as o fo te moteHow dd e bnd tem o msel so t f notBy wods e sold nee ae sadAnd teas e sold nee ae wet?

"He weakened s te benHe ad on oad onLoad of emoton nceasede enomos eckonnHe foo te ft G ad entsted to ms e ancents caled nsmen

Fo nelectn te e Sel


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"The Maste ame at hs iht tme

Into the wod When hs time was pHe left it aan.

He who awats hs tme, who sbtsWhen his wok s done,In hs lfe thee s no oomFo soow o fo ejoinHee s how the anient sad all thisIn fo wods

God ts the thead.'

We have seen a e of stiksB ot. The e nowBs n some othe lae WheeWho knows? These bandsAe bnt ot

[ ]

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CONFUCIUS D THE MM

Wen Concis was isiin e sae o CAon came Kie YTe madman o CAnd san oside e Mase's doo

"0 Poenx PoenixWee's yo ie one?I canno eac e e

O bin e pas aainWen e wold makes senseTe wse ae wok o do.Tey can ony ideWen e wod's askewToday i yo can say aeLcky ae yo

Ty o sie

"Joy is eae

B wo can cay i?Soow as ike a andsideWo can pay i?

Nee neeTeac ie moe.Yo wak in daneBewae! Bewae!Een ens can c yo eeWen I walk cay wak i

B am a manTo imiae?

sB


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Th t n h mnain hight is its wn nmy.

h gas that fds th lit ds itslf.

h innan t is dil s it is t dwn

h la t is pal thy maim ity man knws hw sfl i t is t sfl.

N n sms t knw

Hw sfl it is t slss

[iv

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THE TRUE M

Wat s meant by a tre man?e re men o od were no aradWen tey stood aone n ter vewsNo reat exos No ansI tey aed, no sorrowNo seconrataton n sccess

ey scaed cs, never dyPned n water never wetWaked ro re and were not brnt.s er knowede reaced a te wayo ao

e tre men o od

Set wtot dreamsWoke wot worres

er ood was an

ey breaed deere men breate rom er eesOters breate wt ter etsHastraned n dste

ey eave armentsLke vomt.

Were e ontans o assonLe deee eaveny srnsAre soon dry

6o


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The te men of old

Knew no lt o lifeNo dead of death.

Thei entane wa withot gladneThei exit yondeWithot eitaneay ome eay goThey did not foget whee fomNo a whee toNo die gmly fowad

Fighting thei way thogh lifeThey too ife a it ame gladly;Too death a it ame withot ae;And went away yondeYonde!

They had no mind to ght Tao.

They did not ty by thei own ontiingTo help Tao alongThee ae the one we all te men.

Mind fee thoght goneBow lea fae eene.Wee they ool? Only ool a atmn.Wee they hot No hotte than png.Al that ame ot of themCame qet ie te fo eaon.

.

6 !


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METAMHSIS

Fou n got in a diuion. ah on aid

Who know howTo ha th Void fo hi hadTo ha if a hi bakbonAnd Dah fo hi tail?H ha b y find

At thi thy all lookd at on anoth

Saw thy agdBut out laughingAnd ba find

Thn on of th f ilAnd anoth wnt to hiGat i th Mak, aid th ik on

Who ha ad a a!

I a o doubld upMy gut a o y had;pon y naI t y hkMy hould tand outByond y nk;My own i an ulSuying th ky;My body i hao

But y ind i in od


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He dragged he t the wel

Saw h reetn and delared"What a e

He ha ade f e

H frend aedAre yu duraged?

Nt at al Why huld I bef He tae e apar

And ae a rerO y let huderI hall annune he dawn.

If He ae a rbwOf y rght huderI hal prure rat du.If y butt tu nt whee

And f y pr a hre wl hth yelf up and rde arund

In y wn wagn

There a te fr puttng tgeher

And anther e fr ang apartHe wh undertand

Th ure f eenTae eah new tateIn prper teWth nether rrw nr y.The anen ad The hanged an

Cannt ut helf dwn.But n due te Naure trnger


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han all h pe and bndIt wa alway .Whee thee a ean be daged?

i ]


67/161

MAN IS BRN IN TA

Fihe ae bon n wateMan bon in ao he bon in wateSee the deep hadowO pond and poo

All thei needAe ated. man bon aoSin into the deep hadowO nonatono oget aggeion and one

He a nothing

Hi lie eue

Moal A the h needI to get lot n wateAl man need to get lotIn ao

. .]


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TW KINGS D NFRM

The Souh Sea Kng wa AconYouHunchThe Noh Sea King wa AcinaFlah

The Kng o he pace beween hem waNoFom

Now Souh Sea Kng

And Noh Sea King

Ued o go ogehe ofenTo he and o NoFoHe eaed hem we

So hey conued ogeheThey hough up a good un,A pleaan upe o NoFom

In oken o appecaon.

Men hey aid, hae een openingFo eeng heaing eang beahng,And o on. Bu NoFonHa no opening. Le make hm

A ew hole

So ae haThey pu hole n NoFoOne a day, o een daynd when hey nhed he eenh openng,Thei end lay dead.

ao Tan ad To ogane o deoy.

7


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CCKING T SE

For seurity agains robbers who snath purses rie luggage

and ra safesOne mus fasen all property with ropes, lo it up with los

bolt it with bolts.This (or property owners is elementary good senseBut when a strong hie omes along he pis up the whole

loPu it on his ba and goes on his way wih only one fearThat ropes, los and bolts may gie way.Thus what he world alls good business is only a wayTo gaher up the loo, pa it, mae it seureIn one onenient load for the more enterprising thieesWho is here among those alled smar,

Who does not spend his time amassing lootFor a bigger robber han himsel

In he land of hi, from illage to illage,You ould hear os rowing dogs baring.Fishermen as heir nes

Ploughmen ploughed the wide eldserything was neatly mared ouBy boundary lines. For e hundred suare milesThere were temples for anestors, altars

For eldgo and ornspiritsery anton ounty, and distritWas run aording to the laws and statutes

Unil one morning the Attorney General Tien hang Tzu,Did away with the ing and too oer the whole state


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But when the creek dres up

Nothng ows n the valley

When the mound s leveed

The hollow ne o t s lledAnd when the satesmen and awyers

And preachers of duty dsappear

There are no more robberes ethe

And the world s at peace.

Moral: the more you ple up ehcal prncples

And dutes and oblgaonsTo brng everyone n lne

The more you gather loot

For a hef lke Khang

By ehcal argumen

And moral prncpe

The eatest crmes are evenualy shown

To have been necessary and, n fact,A sgnal benet

To manind

[x 2 ]

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EAVIG HIGS AE

I knw at ltting th wrld aln n intfing. I dnt knw at nning thing. tting thing aln tha

mn will nt lw thi natr t f hap Nt inrfing that mn will nt hangd in mthing thy a nt!Whn mn d nt gt twitd and maimd ynd gni-tin, whn thy a allwd t ih pp f grn-

mnt i ahid. mh par? ang ha t mh inn.

mh ing? Yin ha t mh inn Whn n fth twigh th thr it i a if th an am a thwng tim. h alan f ld and hat i dtyd; th

dy f man r mh happin t mh nhappin f d

ti, mn a hwn alan What will thy d nxt?hght n wild N ntl. hy tat rything nihnthing. H mptitin gin, h h ida f xllni n and appa in th wrd.

Nw th whl wld i nt ngh wad f h "gdn ngh pnihmnt f th wikd. Sin nw hwld itlf i nt ig ngh fr ward pnihmnt. Fm

th tim f th h Dynati mn ha n nning in alldtin Hw an thy nd tim t hman?

Y tain y y and y iin aftr l Ytain y a, and y lng fr dlighf nd Y dlight in ding gd, and y natra kindn i wn f hap. Y dlight in ightn and y might ynd all an Y d lirg and y


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u ino hm aor. Oerdo your loe of mui and you

py o. oe of widom lead o wie onriing oe of

knowledge lead o fulnding f men woud y heyrey are king or leing hee eigh deligh would mkeno dierene. Bu if hey wil no re in heir righ e heeigh delgh deeop like mignn umor. he word fllino onfuion. Sine men honor hee deligh and u ferhem he world h gone onebind

When he deigh i oer hey il will no e go of i:hey urround i memory wih riul worhp hey fall onher knee o alk abou i play mui and ng, fa anddipline hemee in honor o he eigh deligh When hedeigh beome reigion how n you onrol hem?

he wie mn hen when he mu goe, know howo do nohng eng hing aone he re in hi original

nure. He who will goern wi repe he goerned nomore hn he repe himelf. he loe h own peronenough o le re n i original ruh he will goe oherwhou huring hem e him keep he deep ie in hiown gu from gong ino on e hm keep ill no king no hearing. e him i ike a orpe wh he dragon

power aie a around him. n omplee ene, h oie

will be like hunder. Hi moemen wil be inible likehoe of piri bu he power of heaen wi go wih hem.Unoneed, doing nohing he will ee ll hing grow rperound him Where wi he nd me o goern?

]

'


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THE KINGY MAN

y at aidhat whh a all ad ddl i i ha .

h Kigly iz th, hid it i h hat,Gw bdl widdd, daw all t hil

Ad h t th gld li hidd i h taia th pl lyig i th dp.

Gd ad p a gai i hi yH ay wlth ad h

g li i gd y, ly dth w.S i t hi t b pd , al i ha

Had h all h wd pw h wd t hd t a hi w

h d ythg h wld t tak it t hilH gly i i wig that al thg tgth i OAd i ad dath a al

[


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HW DEEP IS TA!

My Mate aid a, hw deep hw till it hiding plaea hw pue Withut thi tillne meta wud nt ingtne when tu wuld gie n anwe. he pwe undi in the metal and a in all thing When they ah, theying with a, and ae ilent again Wh i thee nw t telall thing thei pae he ing lie ge hi way ee, ina

tie, unnwn. He wuld buh t be in buine. He ephi deep t dwn in the igin, dwn in the pring Hi

nwedge i enlded in Spiit and he grw great, eatpen a geat heat, a wld euge. Withut ethugh

he me ut, in maety Withut plan he ge hi way andall thing lw him. hi i the ngly man, wh ide abelie

hi ne ee in the da hea whee thee i n undIn the deep da he alne ee light. In undlene he

alne peeie mui. He an g dwn int the wet lwplae and nd peple He an and in the highet highplae and ee meaning He i in ntat with al being hatwhih i nt, ge hi way hat whih me i what hetand n Geat i mall him, lng i ht him nd

al hi ditane ae nea.. .]


76/161

THE ST PE

he Yeow Emperor wet waderig

o the orth of the Red Watero he Kwa u moutai He looked aroud

Oer the edge of the word O the way homeHe ot hi ightcolored pearl.He et ou Sciece to eek h pear ad got ohig

He et Aayi to look for hi pear ad got othigHe et ou ogc to eek hi pearl ad got othghe he aked Nothge ad Nohige had i!

he Yellow Emperor adStrage ideed NothigeWho wa ot et

Who did o work to d itHad he ightcolored pear!

[ ·

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N MY END S MY BEGNNNG

In the Beginning of Beginning wa Void f Vid, te Name

eAnd in the Namele wa e One, without body, without form.

Thi Onethi Being in whom all nd power to ext the iingFrom the iing, ome e Formle, the Undiided

From the at of thi Fole, ome the Exitent, eah aording

To it inner priniple Thi i Frm. Here bdy embrae and

herihe piritThe two work together a one blending and manifeting their

Charater. And ti i Nature

But he who obey Nature retu through Form and Formeto te iing,

And in the iingJoin the unbegun Beginning

The oining i Samene. The amene i Void. The Void iinnite

The bird pen it beak and ing it note

And then the beak ome together again in Silene.So Nature and te iing meet together in Voidike te loing f te bird beaAfter it ongHeaen and earth ome togeher in the Unbegun,And al i fooihne, a i unknown, a i likeThe ight of an idit a i without mind

T bey i t loe the beak and fal int Unbeginning.

x

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WHEN IFE WAS FUTHERE WAS N HISTRY

In e age wen ife on ear wa fu no one paid any peciaaenion o wory men nor did e inge ou e man ofabiiy. Ruer were impy e ige brance on e reeand e peope were ie deer in e wood Tey were one

and rigeou wiou reaizing ta ey were doing eir

duy Tey oed eac oer and did no now a i waoe of neigbor Tey deceied no one ye ey did nonow a ey were men o be rued Tey were reiabeand did no now a i wa good fai Tey ied freeyogeer giing and aing, and did no now a ey weregenerou For i reaon eir deed ae no been narraedTey made no iory

. .


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N A HEUS MAN . . .

When a hideou man become a fatherAnd a on i born o him

In he midde of he nightHe trembe and ligh a ampAnd run to ook in anguihOn ha chid ace

To ee whom he reemble

[xii . q]

77


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HE FIVE ENEMIES

th d rm a hndredyearld tree

hey make sacrcal esselsCered th green and yell desgnshe d that as ct aayes nsed n the dtch.

I e cmpare the sacrcal essels th the d n the dth

e n them der n appearanceOne s re eatfl than the therYet they are eal n ths h hae lst ther rgnal natreS f y cmpare the rer and the respecale ctzen

Y nd that ne s, ndeed, mre respectale than the therYet they agree n ths they hae th lsthe rgnal smplcty f man


81/161

How did hy o t? Hr ar th way:

Lo of coor bwdr th yAnd t fa to righLo of harmon bwt th ar

And i lo ru haring.Lo of prfumFil h had wth dzznLo of aorRuin h tatDir untt th hartUnil h origna naur run amo

Th ar nm of ru lif.

Yt th ar wha "mn of dirnmnt laim to for.Thy ar no what i for:

f thi i if thn pgon n a agHa found happin!

]

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ACTIN AND NNACTIN

he nnatin f the wie man i nt inatinIt i nt tdied. It i nt haken by anything.he age i qiet beae he i nt medNt beae he wills t be qiet

Still wate i like glaY an lk in it and ee the bitle n y hnIt a pefet leel;

A apente ld e tIf wate i lea leelHw mh me the piit f manhe heat the wie man i tanqil.It i the mi f heaen and eath

he gla f eeythingmptine tillne tanqillity tatelene

Silene nnatin thi i the ee f heaen and eathhi i pefet a Wie men nd heehei eting plaeReting they e empty

Fm emptine me the nnditined.

Fm thi the nditined the indiidal thingS fm the age emptine tilne aieFm tillne atin. Fm atin attainmentFm thei tillne me hei nnatin whih i a atinAnd i theee thei attainment.F tine i y. Jy i fee fm aeFitfl in lng yea.


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Joy do all thng wthout concn

Fo mptin, tlln, tanqullty tatln

Slnc, and nonaon t oot o all thng.

.]

'


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D AND THE WHEELWGHT

The wod aue oo and hin ha in o doing i i

aluing Tao Bu oo conain word only And ye here iomehing ele which gie alue o he oo. No he wod

only, nor he hough in he wod u omehing ee wihinhe hough winging i in a cerain direcion ha wod

canno apprehend Bu i i he wod hemee ha hewod aue when i commi hem o oo: and hough he

wold alue hem hee word ae wohe a ong a hawhich gie hem alue i no held in honor

Tha which man appehend y oeraion i ony ouward orm and colo, name and noie and he hin ha hiwil pu him in poeion of Tao Fom and coor, name andound, do no each o ealiy Tha i why: "He who nowdoe no ay he who ay, doe no now (u)

How hen i he wod going o now Tao hrough word?

Due Hwan of KhiFi in hi dynaySa unde hi canopyReading hi phioophy;

And Phien he wheelwrigh\a ou in he yadMaing a wheel.Phien laid aideHamme and chieClimed he epAnd aid o Due Hwan:

May I a you LordWha i hi you areReading?


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xiii ro]

The Duke ad:

"The exper. The auhrie.And Phen aked

Ae r dead"Dead a ng me"Then ad he wheelwrigh,"Yu are reading nyThe dir hey ef behind.Then he Duke repled"Wha d yu knw abu

Yu are ny a wheelwrigh.Yu had beer gie me a gd expanainOr ele yu mu deThe wheewrigh ad:"Le u lk a he aarFrm my pin f iewWhen I make whee

If I g eay, hey fal aparIf I am rugh hey d n

If I am neiher eay nr ilenThey me u righ The wrk i whaI wan beYu ann pu h in wrdYu ju hae knw hw i i.

I ann een ell my wn n exay hw i i dneAnd my wn n ann learn i frm meS here I am eeny year ld

Sl makng wheel!The men f dTk al hey really knewWih hem he grae.

And , Lrd wha yu are reading hereI ly he dir hey ef behind hem.


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AUTUMN FLDS

he autumn ood had ome. houand o wid oentpoured uriouly into the Yelow Rier I urged and oodedit bank unl, looking aro, you ould no tell an ox ro

a hore on the oher ide hen the Rier God aughed de-

ghed o think that a the beauy n the world had aeninto h keepng So downream he wung until he ame ohe Oean here he ooked out oer the wae toward he

empty horon in the ea and h ae e. Gazing ou at hear horion he ame to h ene and mumured o he OeanGod: "Well, the proerb rght He who ha got hel ahundred idea think he know more han anybody ele Suha one am I Only now do I ee what they mean by XPNS!

he Oean God repiedCan you talk about he eao a rog in a wel?Can you talk abou ieo dragone?Can you talk about he way o Lfeo a door of philoophy?

O all the waer n the worldhe Oean i geatet.All the rier pour into tDay and night

It i neer led.

I gie bak i waterDay and nigh


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It i neer emptied

In dry eanI i nt lwered.

In dtimeIt de nt rie.Greaer han all ther waer!here i n meaure t tellHw muh greaterBu am I pud f i?Wha am I under heaen?

What am I wihut Yang and Yin?Cmpared with the kyI am a litle rkA rub akOn the muntain ideShall I aA if I were mething?

Of all the being that exit and there are millin mani nly ne Amng all the milin f men that lie n earh

he iilized peple that lie by farming are nly a mall pr-prtin Smaller till the number f the wh haing er frune rael by arriage r by bat. And f all hee

ne man in hi arriage i nthing mre han he ip f ahair n a hre' ank. Why, then all the fu abut greatmen and great e? Why all the diputatin f hlar?

Why all he wangling f plitiian?

here are n xed limiime de nt tand till

Nthing endure,Nthing i nal.

s


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[

Y cannt ay hldO th nd th bginningH wh i wi na and a

A th amD nt dp th mallO a th gat

Wh all tandad dHw can y cmpa

With n gancH tak in pat and pnt

Witht w f th patO impatinc with th pntAl i in mmnt.H ha pincO lln and mptin.H d nt ic in ccO lamnt in ail

h gam i n Bith and dath a nh tm a nt nal


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GAT AND SM

Whn w k a thng n th gh f TaNthng bt nthng wrt.Eah thng n n t wn ghtStand n t wn way.

I an m t b btrThan what mpard wth t

On t wn trmBt n n tr f h wh

N n thng tand t a bttr.

If y mar drnWhat atr than mthng gratThrfr hr nthng that nt grat

Wha ar than hng ma

Thrfr hr nthng that nt maS th wh a gran f rAnd h tp f a harI a bg a a mnan

Suh h rat w.

Y an brak dwn wa wth battrng ram

B y annt tp h wh thmA thng ha drnt Fn hr an tra a hndrd m a dayBu thy annt ath k trrr r waA ratr ha gft f hr wnTh wh hrnd w an ath a a mdngh

And dtngh th tp f a har


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Bu in bigh day i a, hlplAnd ann n a munainAl hing ha aying apaii.

Cnunly: h wh wan ha igh wihu wngOd wihu didD n ndand h piniplO han and ahH d n knw hw

Thing hang gh

Can a man ing nly hanAnd knw nhing f ahThy a lai knw n

I knw h h

T u nI fu bhCan a man ling h pii

Wihu any ngaiIn na whih i i nT b pii?I h laim d H i a gu a madman.

Thn pam dynay dynayNw in hi way, nw in haH wh f hi way pwAgain h gainI ald yan and uupH wh m wih h am f nI ad a wi aman


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h nlgg gn

I l h nh np l h nh n l h nh n l h yh y l f h h npI ng y n lg h y

H n y ng hnh np plI n ng h


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They land a oer he plaeie drop o piThe enipede ad to he nae:"Wih a my feet anno moe a fatA you do wih no eet at all

How i h done?The nae reped:"I hae a natura glideThat an be hanged Wha do I needWih ee?The nae poe o the wind: ripple my babone and moe alongn a bodily way You wihout boneWithout mue wihout methodBlow from e Norh Sea o he Southern OeanHow do you get here

With nohng?

The win replied"True I rie up in the Norh SeaAnd ae myel wihout obtale o he Southe Oean.Bu eery eye tha remar me,ery wing hat ue meI uperior to me een hough

I an uproot the bigge tree, or oertu

Big buidingThe true onueror i heWho i not onueredBy the muitude of he ma.The mind i h onuerorBut ony he mndO the wie man

[ .

go


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THE M F TA

Th man n whom Tao

A wihou impdimnHam no oh bngBy hi aonY h do no know himlfTo b kind o b gnl

Th man n whom TaoA whou impdimnDo no boh wh hi own in

And do no dpOh who do.H do no uggl o mak monyAnd do no mak a iu of poyH go hi wayWihou lyng on ohAnd do no pd hmlf

On walking alon.Whil h do no follow h owdH won' omplain of ho who doRank and wadMak no appal o him;

Diga and hamDo no d hmH i no alway lookngFo igh and wongAlway diding Y o "NoTh ann ad hfo


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"The man of Tao

Remains unknown

Perfect virtue

Produces nothing'No-Self

Is TrueSelf.

And the greatest man

Is Nobody

[xvii. }·]

92


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T TURTLE

Chung Tzu with hi bmbo poleW hing in Pu ie

The Pince o ChuSent two icechncelloWi fol document

We heeby ppoint youPime Minite

Chung Tzu held hi bmboo pole

Sill wtching Pu ie

He id

I m told thee i ced totoie,Oeed nd cnonizedThee thound ye goVeneed by the pinceWpped in ilk

In peciou hneOn n l

n he Temple

Wht do you think: it bete o gie up one' ifeAnd lee ced hellA n obec of culIn cloud of inceneThee thound ye

93


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O ete o ie a plain tutleDraggng it tail n the mud?

"Fo the tule ad the ViceChancelor"Bette to ieAnd dag it tail in the mud!

Go home! aid Chuang Tu

eae me heeo dag my tail n he mud!

.]

9


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OWL AND PHOENIX

Hu u wa Prme Mne of Lang He had wha he

beleed o be nde nfomaon ha Chuang u coeedh po and wa nrgung o upplan hm n fac whnChuang u came o Lang the Pme Mner en ouhe polc o appehend hm. he polce ached for hmhree day and hree ngh, bu meanwhle Chuang preened

hmelf befoe Hu u of h o accord and ad

"Hae you heard abou he brdha le n the ouhh Phoenx tha nee grow old?

"h undyng PhoenxRe ou of h Souh Sea

And e o the Sea of he NorhNee aghngxcep on ceran acred eeHe wll ouch no food

Bu the mo exque

Rae fruDnk onlyFom cleare prng

Once an owlChewng a dead aAlready halfdecayed,

Saw he Phoenx y oerLooked up

95


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[

s t lmltg t t t ms smy

Wy y s ft

lgg t y msty sg t m smy


99/161

HE JOY OF FISHES

Chang and Hi W oing Hao iBy th dam

Chang aid:

S how fh h lap and dat

hat i thi happin.

Hi rplidSin yo a not a hHow do yo now

What ma h happy?

Chang adSin yo a not IHow an yo poiby nowhat do not nowWhat ma h happy?

H arg

"If not bng yoCannot now what yo nowIt folow that yoot bing a h

Cannot now what thy now

9


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Chuang sad"Wa a minutee us get ba

o the oignal questionhat you ased me was'How do you know

What maes shes happy?Fom the tems of you questionYou eidently now nowWhat maes shes happy.

" now the joy of shesIn he ehough my own oy, as go waing

Along the same e

xvii r;.

gB


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PEECT JOY

I thee t be fund n eath a fullne f jy i thee n

uh thing? I thee e way t ake ife fuly wth iing

i thi ipibe? If thee i uh a way hw d yu gabut nding it? What huld yu ty t d? What hudyu eek t aid? ht huld be the ga in whih yu

aiity e t et? Wha huld yu aept? What huldyu efue t aept? ha hud yu e? What huld yu

hate?What the wld aue i ney eputain lng life

ahieeent. What it unt a y i health and ft fbdy gd fd ne lthe beauifu thing t k at

pleaant ui t liten t

What i nden i lak f ney a w ia anka eputatin f being n gd and an eay death

Wha it nide iue i bdily dif andlab n hane t ge yu ll f gd fd nt hainggd lthe wea haing n way t aue deight the

eye n peaant ui t liten t. If peple nd that they aedeped f ee hing they g int a pani fall nt

depai They ae nened f thei life hat thei anxetyake fe unbeaabe een when they hae the thing theythink hey want. hei ey nen f enjyent makehe unhappy.

he ih ake ife intleable diing theele nde t get me and e ney whih they annt eallyue. In dng they ae alienated f theele and

exhaut heele in hei wn eie a thugh they weelae f the

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Te ambous un day and ng n pusu o onos

onsanly n angus abou e suess o te plans ead-ng e msalulaon a may wrek eeryng Tus ey

ae alenaed om emsees exausng e ea le msee o e sadow eaed by te nsaable ope

Te b o a man s e bt o s soowTe onge e es e moe supd e beomes beause

s anxey o aod unaodable dea beomes moe andmoe aue. Wa beness! He es o wa s always ouo ea Hs s o sual n e uue makes m

napable o lng n e pesenWa abou te selsang oals and solas? Tey

ae onoed by e wod beause ey ae good upg se

sang menYe e good aae does no pesee em om

unappness no een om un dsgae and deat.I wonde n a ase e goodness s eally so good

ae al s peaps a soue o unappness?Suppose you adm ey ae appy. Bu s a appy

tng o ae a aae and a aee a ead o one's owneenual desuon? On e ote and an you all em"unappy n sarng temseles ey sae e lesand ounes o oes?

Take e ase o e mnse wo onsenously and

upgly opposes an unus deson o s kng Some sayTell e u and te Kng w no lsen le m dowa e kes. You ae no ue obgaon.

On e oe and Tu Su onnued o ess e un-

us poly o s soeegn He was onseueny desoyed

Bu e ad no sood up o wa e beeed o be gs name woud no be eld n ono.

So ee s te ueson Sall e ouse e ook bealled good a e same me was aal o m?

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annot te i what the wod onider happine i

happine or not. A know i that when onider the waythey go about attainng it, ee them arried away headong,

im and obeed, in he genera onruh o the huan herd,unabe to top theee or to hange their diretion A thewhie they aim to be ut on the point o attaining hap

pine.For my part annot aep their tandard, whether o

happine or unhappine ak mye i ater a their on-ept o happine ha any eaning whateer

My opinion i that you neer nd happine unti youtop ooking or it. My greatet happine onit preiey

in doing nothing whateer hat i auated to obtain happine and thi, in the mind o mot peope i the wort po

ibe oure wi hod to the aying that Peret oy i to be without

oy. Peret praie i to be without praie.

you ak what ought to be done and what ought notto be done on earth in order to produe happine anwerthat thee quetion do not hae an anwer here i no way

o deteining uh hingYet at the ame time, i eae triing or happine the

right and the ong at one beoe apparent a bythemee.

Contentment and webeing at one beoe poibe themoment you eae to at with them in iew, and i you pratie nondoing (wu we) you wi hae both happine andwebeing

Here i how um it up

Heaen doe nothing it nondoing i it erenityEarth doe nothing it nondoing i it ret.

1 0 1


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[ ]

Fm the unin f these tw nndingsAl atins preed,A things ae made.

Hw t hw inisiblehis mingtbeAll things me fm nwheeHw ast, hw inisible

N way t expain itAll beings in thei peetinAe bn nnding.

Hene it is said:Heaen and eath d nthingYet there is nthing they d nt d.

Whee is the man wh an attain this nnding?

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YMPHONY FOR A EA BRD

You annot put a big load in a mall bag

Nor an you with a hort ropeDraw water from a deep wellYou annot talk to a power litiian

A if he were a wie manf he eek to undertand you

f he look inide himelfTo nd the truth you hae told him

He annot nd it thereNot nding he doubt.When a man doubHe will kill

Hae you not heard how a bird from the eaWa blown inhore and landedOutide the apital of u?

The Prine ordered a olemn reeption

Oered the ea bird wine in the ared preintCalled for muiianTo play the ompoition of ShunSlaughtered attle to nourih itDazed w

The Way of Chuang Tzu - Thomas Merton

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