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1
Those who would correct their nature by means of the vulgar
learning, seeking to restore it to its original condition, and
those who would regulate their desires, by the vulgar ways of
thinking, seeking thereby to carry their intelligence to
perfection, must be pronounced to be deluded and ignorant people.
The ancients who regulated the Tâo nourished their faculty of
knowledge by their placidity, and all through life abstained
from employing that faculty in action;--they must be pronounced
to have (thus also) nourished their placidity by their knowledge.
When the faculty of knowledge and the placidity (thus) blend
together, and they nourish each other, then from the nature
there come forth harmony and orderly method. The attributes (of
the Tâo) constitute the harmony; the Tâo (itself) secures the
orderly method. When the attributes appear in a universal
practice of forbearance, we have Benevolence; when the path is
all marked by orderly method, we have Righteousness; when the
righteousness is clearly manifested, and (all) things are
regarded with affection, we have Leal-heartedness; when the (heart's)
core is thus (pure) and real, and carried back to its (proper)
qualities, we have Music; when this sincerity appears in all the
range of the capacity, and its demonstrations are in accordance
with what is elegant, we have Ceremony. If Ceremonies and Music
are carried out in an imperfect and one-sided manner, the world
is thrown into confusion. When men would rectify others, and
their own virtue is beclouded, it is not sufficient to extend
itself to them. If an attempt be made so to extend it, they also
will lose their (proper) nature.
2
The men of old, while the chaotic condition was yet undeveloped,
shared the placid tranquillity which belonged to the whole world.
At that time the Yin and Yang were harmonious and still; their
resting and movement proceeded without any disturbance; the four
seasons had their definite times; not a single thing received
any injury, and no living being came to a premature end. Men
might be possessed of (the faculty of) knowledge, but they had
no occasion for its use. This was what is called the state of
Perfect Unity. At this time, there was no action on the part of
any one, but a constant manifestation of spontaneity.
This condition (of excellence) deteriorated and decayed, till
Sui-zän and Fû-hsî arose and commenced their administration of
the world; on which came a compliance (with their methods), but
the state of unity was lost. The condition going on to
deteriorate and decay, Shän Näng and Hwang-Tî arose, and took
the administration of the world, on which (the people) rested (in
their methods), but did not themselves comply with them. Still
the deterioration and decay continued till the lords of Thang
and Yü began to administer the world. These introduced the
method of governing by transformation, resorting to the stream (instead
of to the spring), thus vitiating the purity and destroying the
simplicity (of the nature). They left the Tâo, and substituted
the Good for it, and pursued the course of Haphazard Virtue.
After this they forsook their nature and followed (the
promptings of) their minds. One mind and another associated
their knowledge, but were unable to give rest to the world. Then
they added to this knowledge (external and) elegant forms, and
went on to make these more and more numerous. The forms
extinguished the (primal) simplicity, till the mind was drowned
by their multiplicity. After this the people began to be
perplexed and disordered, and had no way by which they might
return to their true nature, and bring back their original
condition.
3
Looking at the subject from this point of view, we see how the
world lost the (proper) course, and how the course (which it
took) only led it further astray. The world and the Way, when
they came together, being (thus) lost to each other, how could
the men of the Way make themselves conspicuous in the world? and
how could the world rise to an appreciation of the Way? Since
the Way had no means to make itself conspicuous in the world,
and the world had no means of rising to an appreciation of the
Way, though sagely men might not keep among the hills and
forests, their virtue was hidden;--hidden, but not because they
themselves sought to hide it.
Those whom the ancients called 'Retired Scholars' did not
conceal their persons, and not allow themselves to be seen; they
did not shut up their words, and refuse to give utterance to
them; they did not hide away their knowledge, and refuse to
bring it forth. The conditions laid on them by the times were
very much awry. If the conditions of the times had allowed them
to act in the world on a great scale, they would have brought
back the state of unity without any trace being perceived (of
how they did so), When those conditions shut them up entirely
from such action, they struck their roots deeper (in themselves),
were perfectly still and waited. It was thus that they preserved
(the Way in) their own persons.
4
The ancients who preserved (the Way in) their own persons did
not try by sophistical reasonings to gloss over their knowledge;
they did not seek to embrace (everything in) the world in their
knowledge, nor to comprehend all the virtues in it. Solitary and
trembling they remained where they were, and sought the
restoration of their nature. What had they to do with any
further action? The Way indeed is not to be pursued, nor (all)
its characteristics to be known on a small scale. A little
knowledge is injurious to those characteristics; small doings
are injurious to the Way;--hence it is said, 'They simply
rectified themselves.' Complete enjoyment is what is meant by 'the
Attainment of the Aim.'
What was anciently called 'the Attainment of the Aim' did not
mean the getting of carriages and coronets; it simply meant that
nothing more was needed for their enjoyment. Now-a-days what is
called 'the Attainment of the Aim' means the getting of
carriages and coronets. But carriages and coronets belong to the
body; they do not affect the nature as it is constituted. When
such things happen to come, it is but for a time; being but for
a time, their coming cannot be obstructed and their going cannot
be stopped . Therefore we should not because of carriages and
coronets indulge our aims, nor because of distress and
straitness resort to the vulgar (learning and thinking); the one
of these conditions and the other may equally conduce to our
enjoyment, which is simply to be free from anxiety. If now the
departure of what is transient takes away one's enjoyment, this
view shows that what enjoyment it had given was worthless. Hence
it is said, 'They who lose themselves in their pursuit of things,
and lose their nature in their study of what is vulgar, must be
pronounced people who turn things upside down.' |
