| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年七月二十三日 | 也似父○是以嘆也○ | 從容一若龍○一若虎○其諫我也似子○其道我 | 知人心○昔之見我者○進退一成規○一成矩○ | 曰○吾固告子矣○中國之民○明乎禮義而陋乎 | 仆曰○每見之客也○必入而嘆○何耶○ | 出而見客○入而嘆○明日見客○又入而嘆○其 | 我也○ | 曰○往也蘄見我○今也又蘄見我○是必有以振 | 至於齊○反舍於魯○是人也又請見○温伯雪子 | 而陋於知人心○吾不欲見也○ | 伯雪子曰○不可○吾聞中國之君子○明乎禮義 | 温伯雪子适齊○舍於魯○魯人有請見之者○温 | 夫魏真為我累耳○ | 欲動○口鉗而不欲言○吾所學者○直土埂耳○ | 仁義之行為至矣○吾聞子方之師○吾形解而不 | 之曰○遠矣○全德之君子○始吾以聖知之言○ | 子方出○文侯儻然○終日不言○召前立臣而語 | 也消○無擇何足以稱之○ | ○清而容物○物無道○正容以悟之○使人之意 | 子方曰○其為人也真○人貌而天虛○緣而葆真 | 文侯曰○然則夫子何故未嘗稱之○ | 子方曰○東郭順子○ | 曰○子之師誰邪○ | 子方曰○有○ | 文侯曰○然則無師邪○ | 稱擇之○ | 子方曰○非也○無之里人也○稱道數當故無擇 | 工○子之師邪○ | 田子方侍坐於魏文侯○數稱谿工○文侯曰○谿 | 莊子南華經第二十一章田子方 |
| 孔子曰○何謂邪○ | 老聃曰○吾游心於物之初○ | 物離人而立於獨也○ | 與○其信然與○向者先生形體掘若槁木○似遺 | 似非人○孔子便而待之○少焉見○曰○丘也眩 | 孔子見老聃○老聃新沐○方將被發而乾○蟄然 | ○ | 然○女奚患焉○雖忘乎故吾○吾有不忘者存○ | 肆也○吾服○女也甚忘○女服○吾也甚忘○雖 | 也○彼已盡矣○而女求之以為有○是求馬於唐 | 交一臂而失之○可不哀與○女殆著乎吾所以著 | 知命不能規乎其前○丘以是日徂○吾終身與汝 | 動○日夜無隙○而不知其所終○薰然其成形○ | 而生○吾一受其成形○而不化以待盡○效物而 | ○是入則亡○萬物亦然○有待也而死○有待也 | 比方○有目有趾者○待是而后成功○是出則存 | 人死亦次之○日出東方而入於西极○萬物莫不 | 仲尼曰○惡○可不察與○夫哀莫大於心死○而 | ○而不知所以然而已矣○ | ○夫子不言而信○不比而周○無器而民滔乎前 | 道○回亦言道也○及奔逸絶塵而回瞠若乎后者 | 趨也○夫子辯亦辯也○夫子馳亦馳也○夫子言 | 曰○夫子步亦步也○夫子言亦言也○夫子趨亦 | 夫子曰○回○何謂邪○ | ○ | 夫子馳亦馳○夫子奔逸絶塵○而回瞠若乎后矣 | 顏渊問於仲尼曰○夫子步亦步○夫子趨亦趨○ | 容聲矣○ | 仲尼曰○若夫人者○目擊而道存矣○亦不可以 | 久矣○見之而不言○何邪○ | 仲尼見之而不言○子路曰○吾子欲見温伯雪子 |
| 莊子曰○魯少儒○ | 方者○ | 莊子見魯哀公○哀公曰○魯多儒士○少為先生 | ○ | 與○微夫子之發吾覆也○吾不知天地之大全也 | 孔子出○以告顏回曰○丘之於道也○其猶醯鷄 | ○ | 之自高○地之自厚○日月之自明○夫何修焉○ | 矣○至人之於德也○不修而物不能離焉○若天 | 老聃曰○不然○夫水之於汋也○無為而才自然 | 古之君子○孰能脫焉○ | 孔子曰○夫子德配天地○而猶假至言以修心○ | 患心○已為道者解乎此○ | 而不失於變○且萬化而未始有极也○夫孰足以 | ○棄隶者若棄泥涂○知身貴於隶也○貴在於我 | 為昼夜○而莫之能滑○而况得喪禍福之所介乎 | 而同焉○則四支百體將為塵垢○而死生終始將 | 胸次○夫天下也者○萬物之所一也○得其所一 | 水○行小變而不失其大常也○喜怒哀樂不入於 | 曰○草食之獸○不疾易藪○水生之虫○不疾易 | 孔子曰○愿聞其方○ | 樂○謂之至人○ | 老聃曰○夫得是至美至樂也○得至美而游乎至 | 孔子曰○請問游是○ | ○非是也○且孰為之宗○ | 死有所乎歸○始終相反乎無○而莫知乎其所窮 | 改月化○日有所為而莫見其功○生有所乎萌○ | 為之紀而莫見其形○消息滿虛○一晦一明○日 | 天○赫赫發乎地○兩者交通成和而物生焉○或 | 汝議乎其將○至陰肅肅○至陽赫赫○肅肅出乎 | 曰○心困焉而不能知○口辟焉而不能言○嘗為 |
| 不成德○螤斛不敢入於四竟○列士壞植散群○ | 三年○文王觀於國○則列士壞植散群○長官者 | 遂迎臧丈人而授之政○典法無更○偏令無出○ | ○ | 諸大夫曰○先君之命○王其無它○又何卜焉○ | 文王曰○然則卜之○ | 諸大夫蹴然曰○先君王也○ | 丈人○庶幾乎民有瘳乎○ | 色而髯○乘駁馬而偏朱蹄○號曰○寓而政於臧 | 於是旦而属之大夫曰○昔者寡人梦見良人○黑 | 百姓之無天也○ | 而恐大臣父兄之弗安也○欲終而釋之○而不忍 | 其釣有釣者也○常釣也○文王欲舉而授之政○ | 文王觀於臧○見一丈夫釣○而其釣莫釣○非持 | 君曰○可矣○是真画者也○ | ○則解衣般礡裸○ | 儃儃然不趨○受揖不立○因之舍○公使人視之 | 而立○舐笔和墨○在外者半○有一史后至者○ | 故足以動人○宋元君將画圖○衆史皆至○受揖 | 公忘其賤○與之政也○有虞氏死生不入於心○ | 百里奚爵禄不入於心○故飯牛而牛肥○使秦穆 | 莊子曰○以魯國而儒者一人耳○可謂多乎○ | ○千轉萬變而不窮○ | 一丈夫○儒服而立乎公門○公即召而問以國事 | 於是哀公號之五日○而魯國無敢儒服者○獨有 | 為此服者○其罪死○ | ○公固以為不然○何不號於國中曰○無此道而 | 者○未必為其服也○為其服者○未必知其道也 | 履者知地形○緩佩玦者事至而斷○君子有其道 | 莊子曰○周聞之○儒者冠圜冠者知天時○履句 | 哀公曰○舉魯國而儒服○何謂少乎○ |
| 家○上○下○二○ ○二年七月二十三日 | 有錯字請通知我 | 錯字礡左石右薄 | 之○則凡未始亡而楚未始存也○ | 不足以喪吾存○則楚之存不足以存存○由是觀 | 凡君曰○凡之亡也○不足以喪吾存○夫凡之亡 | 三○ | 楚王與凡君坐○少焉○楚王左右曰○凡亡○者 | 而不憊○充滿天地○既以與人己愈有○ | 神經乎大山而無介○入乎淵泉而不濡○處卑細 | 亦大矣○而無變乎己○况爵禄乎○若然者○其 | 得濫○盗人不得劫○伏戲○黄帝不得友○死生 | 仲尼聞之曰○古之真人○知者不得說○美人不 | ○ | ○方將躊躇○方將四顧○何暇至乎人貴人賤哉 | ○其在我乎○其在彼邪亡乎我○在我邪亡乎彼 | 憂色而已矣○我何以過人哉○且不知其在彼乎 | ○其去不可止也○吾以為得失之非我也○而無 | 孫叔敖曰○吾何以過人哉○吾以其來不可却也 | 栩然○子之用心獨奈何○ | 去之而無憂色○吾始也疑子○今視子之鼻間栩 | 肩吾問於孫叔敖曰○子三為令尹而不荣華○三 | 怵然有恂目之志○爾於中也殆矣夫○ | 青天○下潜黄泉○揮斥八极○神氣不變○今汝 | 地○汗流至踵○伯昏無人曰○夫至人者○上窺 | 逡巡○足二分垂在外○揖御寇而進之○御寇伏 | 於是無人遂登高山○履危石○臨百仞之淵○背 | 能射乎○ | 也○嘗與汝登高山○履危石○臨百仞之淵○若 | 象人也○伯昏無人曰○是射之射○非不射之射 | 上○發之○适矢复沓○方矢复寓○當是時○猶 | 列御寇為伯昏無人射○引之盈貫○措盃水其肘 | 論剌焉○彼直以循斯須也○ | 仲尼曰○默○汝無言○夫文王盡之也○而又何 | 又何以梦為乎○ | 終身無聞○顏渊問於仲尼曰○文王其猶未邪○ | 臧丈人昧然而不應○泛然而辭○朝令而夜循○ | 為大師○北面而問曰○政可以及天下乎○ | 敢入於四竟○則諸侯無二心也○文王於是焉以 | 則尚同也○長官者不成德○則同務也○螤斛不 |
T'ien Tzu Fang was in attendance upon Prince Wen of Wei. He kept on praising Ch'i Kung, until at length Prince Wen said, "Is Ch'i Kung your tutor?"
"No," replied Tzu Fang; "he is merely a neighbor. He discourses admirably upon Tao. That is why I praise him."
"Have you then no tutor?" enquired the Prince.
"I have," replied Tzu Fang.
"And who may he be?" said Prince Wen.
"Tung Kuo Shun Tzu," answered Tzu Fang.
"Then how is it you do not praise him?" asked the Prince.
"He is perfect," replied Tzu Fang. "In appearance, a man; in reality, God. Unconditioned himself, he falls in with the conditioned to his own greater glory. Pure himself, he can still tolerate others. If men are without Tao, by a mere look he calls them to a sense of error, and causes their intentions to melt away. How could I praise him?"
Thereupon Tzu Fang took his leave, and the Prince remained for the rest of the day absorbed in silence. At length he called an officer in waiting and said, "How far beyond us is the man of perfect virtue? Hitherto I have regarded the discussion of holiness and wisdom, and the practice of charity and duty to one's neighbor, as the utmost point attainable. But now that I have heard of Tzu Fang's tutor, my body is relaxed and desires not movement, my mouth is closed and desires not speech. All I have learnt, verily it is mere undergrowth. And the kingdom of Wei is my bane."
When Wen Poh Hsueh Tzu was on his way to Ch'i, he broke his journey in Lu. A certain man of Lu begged for an interview, but Wen Poh Hsueh Tzu said, "No. I have heard that the gentlemen of the Middle Kingdom are experts in ceremonies and obligations, but wanting in knowledge of the human heart. I do not wish to see him."
So he went on to Ch'i; but once more at Lu, on his way home, the same man again begged to have an interview.
"When I was last here," cried Wen Poh Hueh Tzu, "he asked to see me, and now again he asks to see me. Surely he must have something to communicate."
Whereupon he went and received the stranger, and on returning gave vent to sighs. Next day he received him again, and again after the interview gave vent to sighs. Then his servant asked him, saying, "How is it that whenever you receive this stranger, you always sigh afterwards?"
"I have already told you," replied Wen Poh Hueh Tzu, "that the people of the Middle Kingdom are experts in ceremonies and obligations but wanting in knowledge of the human heart. The man who visited me, came in and went out as per compasses and square. His demeanor was now that of the dragon, now that of the tiger. He criticized me as though he had been my son. He admonished me as though he had been my father. Therefore I gave vent to sighs."
When Confucius saw Wen Poh Hueh Tzu, the former did not utter a word. Whereupon Tzu Lu said, "Master, you have long wished to see Wen Poh Hueh Tzu. How is it that when you do see him you do not speak?"
"With such men as these," replied Confucius, "you have only to look, and Tao abides. There is no room for speech."
Yen Yuan asked Confucius, saying, "Master, when you go at a walk, I go at a walk. When you trot, I trot. When you gallop, I gallop. But when you dash beyond the bounds of mortality, I can only stand staring behind. How is this?"
"Explain yourself?" said Confucius.
"I mean," continued Yen Yuan, "that as you speak, I speak. As you argue, I argue. As you preach Tao, so I preach Tao. And by 'when you dash beyond the bounds of mortality I can only stand staring behind,' I mean that without speaking you make people believe you, without striving you make people love you, without factitious attractions you gather people around you. I cannot understand how this is so."
"What is there to prevent you from finding out?" replied Confucius. "There is no sorrow to be compared with the death of the mind. The death of the body is of but secondary importance. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. There is no place which he does not illuminate; and those who have eyes and feet depend upon him to use them with success. When he comes forth, that is existence; when he disappears, that is non-existence. And every human being has that upon which he depends for death or for life. But if I, receiving this mind-informed body, pass without due modification to the end, day and night subject to ceaseless wear and tear like a mere thing, unknowing what the end will be, and in spite of this mind-informed body conscious only that fate cannot save me from the inevitable grave-yard,--then I am consuming life until at death it is as though you and I had but once linked arms to be finally parted for ever! Is not that indeed a cause for sorrow?
"Now you fix your attention upon something in me which, while you look has already passed away. Yet you seek for it as though it must be still there-- like one who seeks for a horse in a market place. What I admire in you is transitory. Nevertheless, why should you grieve? Although my old self is constantly passing away, there remains that which does not pass away."
Confucius went to see Lao Tzu. The latter had just washed his head, and his hair was hanging down his back to dry. He looked like a lifeless body; so Confucius waited awhile, but of length approached and said, "Do my eyes deceive me, or is this really so? Your frame, Sir, seems like dry wood, as if it had been left without that which informs it with the life of man."
"I was wandering," replied Lao Tzu, "in the unborn." [meditation]
"What does that mean?" asked Confucius.
"My mind is trammeled," replied Lao Tzu, "and I cannot know. My mouth is closed and I cannot speak. But I will try to tell you what is probably the truth. The perfect Negative principle is majestically passive. The perfect Positive principle is powerfully active. Passivity emanates from heaven above; activity proceeds from earth beneath. The interaction of the two results in that harmony by which all things are produced. There may be a First Cause, but we never see his form. His report fills space. There is darkness and light. Days come and months go. Work is being constantly performed, yet we never witness the performance. Life must bring us from somewhere, and death must carry us back. Beginning and end follow ceaselessly one upon the other, and we cannot say when the series will be exhausted. If this is not the work of a First Cause, what is it?"
"Kindly explain," said Confucius, "what is to be got by wandering as you said."
"The result," answered Lao Tzu, "is perfect goodness and perfect happiness. And he who has these is a perfect man."
"And by what means," enquired Confucius, "can this be attained?"
"Animals," said Lao Tzu, "that eat grass do not mind a change of pasture. Creatures that live in water do not mind a change of pond. A slight change may be effected so long as the essential is untouched. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, find no place in that man's breast; for to him all creation is ONE. And all things being thus united in ONE, his body and limbs are but dust of the earth, and life and death, beginning and end, are but as night and day, and cannot destroy his peace. How much less such trifles as gain or loss, misfortune or good fortune?
"He rejects rank as so much mud. For he knows that if a man is of honorable rank, the honor is in himself, and cannot be lost by change of condition, nor exhausted by countless modifications of existence. Who then can grieve his heart? Those who practice Tao understand the secret of this."
"Master," said Confucius, "your virtue equals that of Heaven and Earth; yet you still employ perfect precepts in the cultivation of your heart. Who among the sages of old could have uttered such words?"
"Not so," answered Lao Tzu. "The fluidity of water is not the result of any effort on the part of the water, but is its natural property. And the virtue of the perfect man is such that even without cultivation there is nothing which can withdraw from his sway. Heaven is naturally high, the earth is naturally solid, the sun and moon are naturally bright. Do they cultivate these attributes?"
Confucius went forth and said to Yen Hui, "In point of Tao, I am but as an animalcule in vinegar. Had not the Master opened my eyes, I should not have perceived the vastness of the universe."
When Chuang Tzu was at an interview with Duke Ai of Lu, the latter said, "We have many scholars, Sir, in Lu, but few of your school."
"In Lu," replied Chuang Tzu, "there are but few scholars."
"Look at the number who wear scholars' robes," said the Duke. "How can you say they are few?"
"Scholars who wear round hats," answered Chuang Tzu, "know the seasons of Heaven. Scholars who wear square shoes know the shape of Earth. And scholars who loosely gird themselves are ready to decide whatever questions may arise. But scholars who have Tao do not necessarily wear robes; neither does the wearing of robes necessarily mean that a scholar has Tao. If your Highness does not think so, why not issue an order through the Middle Kingdom, making death the punishment for all who wear the robes without having the Tao?"
Thereupon Duke Ai circulated this mandate for five days, the result being that not a single man in Lu dared to don scholars' robes,--with the exception of one old man who, thus arrayed, took his stand at the Duke's gate.
The Duke summoned him to the presence, and asked him many questions on politics, trying to entangle him, but in vain. Then Chuang Tzu said, "If there is only one scholar in Lu, surely that is not many."
Rank and power had no charms for Poh Li Ch'i. So he took to feeding cattle. His cattle were always fat, which caused Duke Mu of Ch'in to ignore his low condition and entrust him with the administration.
Shun cared nothing for life or death. He was therefore able to influence men's hearts.
Prince Yuan of Sung desiring to have a picture painted, the officials of that department presented themselves, and after making obeisance stood waiting for the order, more than half of them already licking their brushes and mixing their ink.
One of them arrived late. He sauntered in without hurrying himself; and when he had made obeisance, did not wait but went off home. The Prince sent a man to see what he did. He took off his clothes and squatted down bare-backed.
"He will do," cried the Prince. "He is a true artist."
When Wen Wang was on a tour of inspection in Tsang, he saw an old man fishing. But his fishing was not real fishing, for he did not fish to catch fish, but to amuse himself.
So Wen Wang wished to employ him in the administration of government, but feared lest his own ministers, uncles, and brothers, might object. On the other hand, if he let the old man go, he could not bear to think of the people being deprived of such an influence.
Accordingly, that very morning he informed his ministers, saying, "I once dreamt that a Sage of a black color and with a large beard, riding upon a parti-colored horse with red stockings on one side, appeared and instructed me to place the administration in the hands of the old gentleman of Tsang, promising that the people would benefit greatly thereby."
The ministers at once said, "It is a command from your Highness' father."
"I think so, " answered Wen Wang. "But let us try by divination."
"It is a command from your Highness' late father," said the ministers, "and may not be disobeyed. What need for divination?"
So the old man of Tsang was received and entrusted with the administration. He altered none of the existing statutes. He issued no unjust regulations. And when, after three years, Wen Wang made another inspection, he found all dangerous organizations broken up, the officials doing their duty as a matter of course, while the use of measures of grain was unknown within the four boundaries of the State. There was thus unanimity in the public voice, singleness of official purpose, and identity of interests to all.
So Wen Wang appointed the old man Grand Tutor; and then, standing with his face to the north, asked him, saying, "Can such government be extended over the empire?"
The old man of Tsang was silent and made no reply. He then abruptly took leave, and by the evening of that same day had disappeared, never to be heard of again.
Yen Yuan said to Confucius, "If Wen Wang was unable to do this of himself, how was he able to do it by a dream?"
"Silence!" cried Confucius; "It is not for you to criticize Wen Wang who succeeded in fulfilling his mission. The dream was merely to satisfy the vulgar mind."
Lieh Yu K'ou exhibited his skill in archery to Poh Hun Wu Jen. Drawing the bow to its full, he placed a cup of water on his elbow and began to let fly. Hardly was one arrow out of sight ere another was on the string, the archer standing all the time like a statue.
"But this is shooting under ordinary conditions." cried Poh Hun Wu Jen; "it is not shooting under extraordinary conditions. Now I will ascend a high mountain with you, and stand on the edge of a precipice a thousand feet in height, and see how you can shoot then."
Thereupon Wu Jen went with Lieh Tzu up a high mountain, and stood on the edge of a precipice a thousand feet in height, approaching it backwards until one-fifth of his feet overhung the chasm, when he beckoned to Lieh Tzu to come on. But the latter had fallen prostrate on the ground, with the sweat pouring down to his heels.
"The perfect man," said Wu Jen, "soars up to the blue sky, or dives down to the yellow springs, or flies to some extreme point of the compass, without change of countenance. But you are terrified, and your eyes are dazed. Your internal economy is defective."
Chien Wu said to Sun Shu Ao, "Sir, you have been three times called to office without showing any elation, and you have been three times dismissed without displaying any chagrin. At first, I doubted you; but now I notice that your breathing is perfectly regular. How do you manage thus to control your emotions?"
"I am no better than other people," replied Sun Shu Ao. "I regard office when it comes as something which may not be declined; when it goes, as something which cannot be kept. To me both the getting and losing are outside my own self; and therefore I feel no chagrin. How am I better than other people? Besides, I am not conscious of office being either in the hands of others or in my own. If it is in the hands of others, my own personality disappears; if in mine, theirs. And amidst the cares of deliberation and investigation, what leisure has one for troubling about rank?"
When Confucius heard this, he said, "The perfect Sages of old!--cunning men could not defeat them; beautiful women could not seduce them; robbers could not steal from them; Fu Hsi and the Yellow Emperor could not make friends of them. Life and death are great; yet these gave them no pang. How much less then rank and power! The souls of such men pierced through huge mountains as though they had been nothing; descended into the abyss without getting wet; occupied lowly stations without chagrin. They filled the whole universe; and the more they gave to others, the more they had themselves."
The Prince of Ch'u was sitting with the Prince of Fan. By and by, one of the officials of Ch'u said, "There were three indications of the destructions of the Fan State."
"The destruction of the Fan State," cried the Prince of Fan, "did not suffice to injure my existence. And while the destruction of the Fan State did not suffice to injure my existence, the preservation of the Ch'u State will not be enough to preserve yours. From this point of view it will be seen that while we Fans have not begun to be destroyed, you Ch'us have not begun to exist."
Edited on 9th June 2008