Autumn Floods
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Iime of autumn floods, a hureams poured into the river. It swelled in its turbid course, so that it was impossible to tell a cow from a horse on the opposite banks or on the islets. Then the Spirit of the River laughed for joy that all the beauty of the earth was gathered to himself. Dowream he journeyed east, until he reached the North Sea. There, lookiwards and seeing no limit to its wide expanse, his tenance began to ge. And as he gazed over the o, he sighed and said to North-Sea Jo, "A vulgar proverb says that he who has heard a great many truths thinks no one equal to himself. And such a one am I. Formerly when I heard people detrag from the learning of fucius or uing the heroism of Po Yi, I did not believe it. But now that I have looked upon your inexhaustibility -- alas for me ! had I not reached your abode, I should have been for ever a laughing stock to those of great enlighte!"To this North-Sea Jo (the Spirit of the O) replied, "You ot speak of o to a well-frog, which is limited by his abode. You ot speak of ice to a summer i, which is limited by his short life. You ot speak of Tao to a pedagogue, who is limited in his knowledge. But now that you have emerged from your narrow sphere and have seen the great o, you know your own insignifice, and I speak to you of great principles.
"There is no body of water beh the opy of heaven which is greater than the o. All streams pour into it without cease, yet it does not overflow. It is being tinually drained off at the Tail-Gate {65} yet it is never empty. Spring and autumn bring no ge; floods and droughts are equally unknown. And thus it is immeasurably superior to mere rivers and streams. Yet I have never veo boast on this at. For I t myself, among the things that take shape from the universe and receive life from the yin and yang, but as a pebble or a small tree on a vast mountain. Only too scious of my own insignifice, how I presume to boast of my greatness?
"Are not the Four Seas to the universe but like ant-holes in a marsh? Is not the Middle Kingdom to the surrounding o like a tare-seed in a granary? Of all the myriad created things, man is but one. And of all those who inhabit the Nine tis, live on the fruit of the earth, and move about in cart and boat, an individual man is but one. Is not he, as pared with all creation, but as the tip of a hair upon a horses body?
"The succession of the Five Rulers {66}, the tentions of the Three Kings, the s of the kied, the labors of the administrators, are but this and nothing more. Po Yi refused the throne for fame. gni (fucius) discoursed to get a reputation for learning. This over-estimation of self on their part -- was it not very much like your own previous self-estimation in refereo water?"
"Very well," replied the Spirit of the River, "am I then tard the universe as great and the tip of a hair as small?"
"Not at all," said the Spirit of the O. "Dimensions are limitless; time is endless. ditions are not stant; terms are not final. Thus, the wise man looks into space, and does nard the small as too little, nor the great as too much; for he knows that there is no limit to dimensions. He looks bato the past, and does not grieve over what is far off, nor rejoice over what is near; for he knows that time is without end. He iigates fullness and decay, and therefore does not rejoice if he succeeds, nor lament if he fails; for he knows that ditions are not stant. He who clearly apprehends the scheme of existence does not rejoice over life, nor repi death; for he knows that terms are not final.
"What man knows is not to be pared with what he does not know. The span of his existence is not to be pared with the span of his eo strive to exhaust the infinite by means of the infinitesimal necessarily lands him in fusion and unhappiness. How then should one be able to say that the tip of a hair is the ne plus ultra of smallness, or that the universe is the ne plus ultra of greatness?"
"Dialectis of the day," replied the Spirit of the River, "all say that the infinitesimal has no form, and that the infinite is <samp></samp>beyond all measurement. Is that true?"
"If we look at the great from the standpoint of the small," said the Spirit of the O, "we ot reach its limit; and if we look at the small from the standpoint of the great, it eludes ht. The infinitesimal is a subdivision of the small; the colossal is aension of the great. In this sehe two fall into different categories. This lies iure of circumstances. Now smallness and greatness presuppose form. That which is without form ot be divided by numbers, and that which is above measurement ot be measured. The greatness of anything may be a topic of discussion, and the smallness of anything may be mentally imagined. But that which be her a topic of discussion nor imagined mentally ot be said to have greatness or smallness.
"Therefore, the truly great man does not ihers and does not credit himself with charity and mercy. He seeks not gain, but does not despise the servants who do. He struggles not for wealth, but does not lay great value on his modesty. He asks for help from no man, but is not proud of his self-relianeither does he despise the greedy. He acts differently from the vulgar crowd, but does not place high value on being different or etrior because he acts with the majority does he despise those that flatter a few. The ranks and emoluments of the world are to him no cause for joy; its punishments and shame no cause for disgrace. He knows that right and wrong ot be distinguished, that great and small ot be defined.
"I have heard say, The man of Tao has no (c<big>藏书网</big>eration; the truly virtuous has no ( for) possessions; the truly great man ignores self. This is the height of self-discipline."
"But how then," asked the Spirit of the River, "arise the distins of high and low, of great and small ierial and immaterial aspects of things?"
"From the point of view of Tao," replied the Spirit of the O, "there are no such distins of high and low. From the point of view of individuals, each holds himself high and holds others low. From the vulgar point of view, high and low (honors and dishonor) are some thing ferred by others. "In regard to distins, if we say that a thing is great or small by its own standard of great or small, then there is nothing in all creation which is not great, nothing which is not small. To know that the universe is but as a tare-seed, and the tip of a hair is (as big as) a mountain, -- this is the expression of relativity {67}
"In regard to fun, if we say that somethis or does , by its own standard of existence or noehen there is nothing which does , nothing which does not perish from existence. If we know that east a are vertible a necessary terms iion to each other, then such (relative) funay be determined.
"In regard to mans desires or is, if we say that anything is good or bad because it is either good or bad acc to our individual (subjective) standards, then there is nothing which is not good, nothing -- which is not bad. If we know that Yao and Chieh each regarded himself as good and the other as bad, then the (dire of) their is bees apparent.
"Of old Yao and Shun abdicated (in favor of worthy successors) and the rule was maintained, while Kuei (Prince of Yen) abdicated (in favor of Tsechih) and the latter failed. Tang and Wu got the empire by fighting, while by fighting, Po Kung lost it. From this it may be seen that the value of abdig hting, of ag like Yao or like Chieh, varies acc to time, and may not be regarded as a stant principle. "A battering-ram knock down a wall, but it ot repair a breach. Different things are differently applied. Chichi and Hualiu (famous horses) could travel 1,000 li in one day, but for catg rats they were not equal to a wild cat. Different animals possess different aptitudes. An owl catch fleas at night, ahe tip of a hair, but if it es out in the daytime it open wide its eyes a fail to see a mountain. Different creatures are differently stituted.
"Thus, those who say that they would have right without its correlate, wrong; ood gover without its correlate, misrule, do not apprehend the great principles of the universe, nor the nature of all creation. One might as well talk of the existence of Heaven without that of Earth, or of the ive principle without the positive, which is clearly impossible. Yet people keep on discussing it without stop; such people must be either fools or knaves.
"Rulers abdicated under different ditions, and the Three Dynasties succeeded each other under different ditions. Those who came at the wrong time a against the tide are called usurpers. Those who came at the right time and fitted in with their age are called defenders ht. Hold your peace, Uncle River. How you know the distins of high and low and of the houses of the great and small?
"In this case," replied the Spirit of the River, "what am I to do about deing and accepting, following and abandoning (courses of a)?"
"From the point of view of Tao," said the Spirit of the O.
"How we call this high and that low? For there is (the process of) reverse evolution (uniting opposites). To follow one absolute course would involve great departure from Tao. What is much? What is little? Be thankful for the gift. To follow a one-sided opinion is to diverge from Tao. Be exalted, as the ruler of a State whose administration is impartial. Be at ease, as the Deity of the Earth, whose dispensation is impartial. Be expansive, like the points of the pass, boundless without a limit. Embrace all creation, and none shall be more sheltered or helped than ahis is to be without bias. And all things being equal, how one say which is long and which is short? Tao is without beginning, without end. The material things are born and die, and no credit is taken for their developmeiness and fullness alternate, and their relations are not fixed. Past years ot be recalled; time ot be arrested. The succession of growth and decay, of increase and diminution, goes in a cycle, ead being a new beginning. In this sense only may we discuss the ways of truth and the principles of the universe. The life of things passes by like a rushing, galloping horse, ging at every turn, at every hour. What should one do, or what should o do? Let the (cycle of) ges go on by themselves!"
"If this is the case," said the Spirit of the River, "what is the value of Tao?"
"Those who uand Tao," answered the Spirit of the O ..{68} "must necessarily apprehend the eternal principles and those rehend the eternal principles must uand their application. Those who uand their application do not suffer material things to ihem. "The man of perfect virtue ot be burnt by fire, nor drowned by water, nor hurt by the cold of winter or the heat of summer, nor torn by bird or beast. Not that he makes light of these; but that he discriminates between safety and danger, is happy under prosperous and adverse circumstances alike, and cautious in his choice of a, so that none harm him.
"Therefore it has been said that Heaven (the natural) abides within man (the artificial) without. Virtue abides iural. Knowledge of the a of the natural and of the artificial has its basis iural its destination in virtue. Thus, whether moving forward or backwards whether yielding or asserting, there is always a reversion to the essential and to the ultimate."
"What do you mean," enquired the Spirit of the River, "by the natural and the artificial?"
"Horses and oxen," answered the Spirit of the O, "have four feet. That is the natural. Put a halter on a horses head, a string through a bulloose. That is the artificial.
"Therefore it has been said, do not let the artificial obliterate the natural; do not let will obliterate destiny; do not let virtue be sacrificed to fame. Diligently observe these precepts without fail, and thus you will revert to the True."
The walrus {69} ehe tipede; the tipede ehe she snake ehe wind; the wind ehe eye; and the eye ehe mind. The walrus said to the tipede, "I hop about on one leg but not very successfully. How do you manage all those legs you have?"
"I dont mahem," replied the tipede. "Have you never seen saliva? When it is ejected, the big drops are the size of pearls, the small ones like mist. At random they fall, in tless numbers. So, too, does my natural meism move, without my knowing how I do it."
The tipede said to the snake, "With all my legs I do not move as fast as you with none. How is that?"
"Ones natural meism," replied the snake, "is not a thing to be ged. What need have I fs?"
The snake said to the wind, "I wriggle about by moving my spine, as if I had legs. Now you seem to be without form, a you e blustering down from the North Sea to bluster away to the South Sea How do you do it?"
"Tis true," replied the wind, "that I bluster as you say. But anyone who sticks his finger or his foot into me, excels me. Oher hand, I tear away huge trees aroy large buildings. This power is given only to me. Out of many minor defeats I win the big victory {70}. And to win a big victory is given only to the Sages."
When fucius visited Kuang, the men of Sung surrounded him by several cordons. Yet he went on singing to his guitar without stop. "How is it, Master," enquired Tselu, "that you are so cheerful?"
"e here," replied fucius, "and I will tell you. For a long time I have not been willing to admit failure, but in vain. Fate is against me. For a long time I have been seeking success, but in vain. The hour has not e. In the days of Yao and Shun, no man throughout the empire was a failure, though this was not due to their cleverness. In the days of Chieh and Chou, no man throughout the empire was a success, though this was not due to their stupidity. The circumstances happehat way.
"To travel by water without fear of sea-serpents and dragons, -- this is the ce of the fisherman. To travel by land without fear of the wild buffaloes and tigers, -- this is the ce of hunters. When bright blades cross, to look oh as on life, -- this is the ce of the warrior. To know that failure is fate and that success is opportunity, and to remain fearless in times of great danger, -- this is the ce of the Sage. Stop bustling, Yu! My destiny is trolled (by someone).
Shortly afterwards, the captain of the troops came in and apologized, saying, "We thought you were Yang Hu; that e surrounded you. We find we have made a mistake." Whereupon he apologized aired.
Kungsun Lung {71} said to Mou of Wei, "When young I studied the teags of the elders. When I grew up, I uood the morals of charity and duty. I learo level together similarities and differeo found arguments on "hardness" and "whiteness", to affirm what others deny, and justify what others dispute. I vanquished the wisdom of all the philosophers, and overcame the arguments of all people. I thought that I had indeed uood everything. But now that I have heard gtse, I am lost in astonishment. I know not whether it is in arguing or in knowledge that I am not equal to him. I o longer open my mouth. May I ask you to impart to me the secret?"
Prince Mou leaned over the table and sighed. Then he looked up to heaven and laughed, saying, "Have you never heard of the frog in the shallow well? The frog said to the turtle of the Eastern Sea, What a great time I am having! I hop to the rail around the well, aire to rest in the hollow of some broken bricks. Swimming, I float on my armpits, resting my jaws just above the water. Plunging into the mud, I bury my feet up to the foot-arch, and not one of the cockles, crabs or tadpoles I see around me are my match. Besides, to occupy such a pool all alone and possess a shallow well is to be as happy as anyone be. Why do you not e and pay me a visit?
"Now before the turtle of the Eastern Sea had got its left leg down its right knee had already stuck fast, and it shrank bad begged to be excused. It then told the frog about the sea, saying, A thousand li would not measure its breadth, nor a thousand fathoms its depth. In the days of the Great Yu:, there were nine years of flood out of ten; but this did not add to its bulk. In the days of Tang, there were seven years ht out of eight; but this did not make its shores recede. Not to be affected by the passing of time, and not to be affected by increase or decrease of water, -- such is the great happiness of the Eastern Sea. At this the frog of the shallow well was siderably astonished a very small, like one lost.
"For one whose knowledge does not yet appreciate the ies of true and false to attempt to uand gtse, is like a mosquit to carry a mountain, or an irying to swim a river. Of course he will fail. Moreover, one whose knowledge does not reach to the subtlest teags, yet is satisfied with temporary success, -- is not he like the frog in the well?
"gtse is now climbing up from the realms below to reach high heaven. For him no north or south; lightly the four points are gone, engulfed in the unfathomable. For him or west - starting from the Mystiknowurns to the Great Unity. A you think yoing to find his truth by dogged inquiries and arguments! This is like looking at the sky through a tube, or pointing at the earth with an awl. Is not this beiy?
"Have you never heard how a youth of Shoulio study the walking gait at Hantan? {72} Before he could learn the Hantan gait, he had fotten his own way of walking, and crawled bae on all fours. If you do not go away now, you will fet what you have and lose your own professional knowledge." Kungsun Lungs jaw hung op<q>..</q>en, his tongue clave to his palate, and he slunk away.
gtse was fishing on the Pu River when the Prince of Chu sent two high officials to see him and said, "Our Prince desires to burden you with the administration of the Chu State." gtse went on fishing without turning his head and said, "I have heard that in Chu there is a sacred tortoise which died when it was three thousand (years) old. The prince keeps this tortoise carefully enclosed in a chest in his aral temple. Now would this tortoise rather be dead and have its remains veed, or would it rather be alive and wagging its tail in the mud?"
"It would rather be alive," replied the two officials, and wagging its tail in the mud."
"Begone!" cried gtse. "I too will wag my tail in the mud.
Hueitse rime Minister in the Liang State, and gtse was on his way to see him. Someone remarked, "gtse has e. He wants to be minister in your place." Thereupose was afraid, and searched all over the try for three days and three nights to find him.
Then gtse went to see him, and said, "In the south there is a bird. It is a kind of phoenix. Do you know it? When it starts from the South Sea to fly to the North Sea, it would not alight except on the wu-tung tree. It eats nothing but the fruit of the bamboo, drinks nothing but the purest spring water. An owl which had got the rotten carcass of a rat, looked up as the phoenix flew by, and screeched. Are you not screeg at me over your kingdom of Liang?"
gtse and Hueitse had strolled on to the bridge over the Hao, when the former observed, "See how the small fish are darting about! That is the happiness of the fish."
"You not being a fish yourself," said Hueitse, "how you know the happiness of the fish?"
"And you not being I," retorted gtse, "how you know that I do not know?"
"If I, not being you, ot know what you know," urged Hueitse, "it follows that you, not being a fish, ot know the happiness of the fish."
"Let us go back to your inal question," said gtse. "You asked me how I khe happiness of the fish. Your very question shows that you khat I knew. I k (from my own feelings) on this bridge."
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