1
In taking precautions against thieves who cut open satchels,
search bags, and break open boxes, people are sure to cord and
fasten them well, and to employ strong bonds and clasps; and in
this they are ordinarily said to show their wisdom. When a great
thief comes, however, he shoulders the box, lifts up the satchel,
carries off the bag, and runs away with them, afraid only that
the cords, bonds, and clasps may not be secure; and in this case
what was called the wisdom (of the owners) proves to be nothing
but a collecting of the things for the great thief. Let me try
and set this matter forth. Do not those who are vulgarly called
wise prove to be collectors for the great thieves? And do not
those who are called sages prove to be but guardians in the
interest of the great thieves?
How do I know that the case is so? Formerly, in the state of Khî,
the neighbouring towns could see one another; their cocks and
dogs never ceased to answer the crowing and barking of other
cocks and dogs (between them). The nets were set (in the water
and on the land); and the ploughs and hoes were employed over
more than a space of two thousand lî square. All within its four
boundaries, the establishment of the ancestral temples and of
the altars of the land and grain, and the ordering of the
hamlets and houses, and of every corner in the districts, large,
medium, and small, were in all particulars according to the
rules of the sages. So it was; but yet one morning, Thien Khäng-dze
killed the ruler of Khî, and stole his state. And was it only
the state that he stole? Along with it he stole also the
regulations of the sages and wise men (observed in it). And so,
though he got the name of being a thief and a robber, yet he
himself continued to live as securely as Yâo and Shun had done.
Small states did not dare to find fault with him; great states
did not dare to take him off; for twelve generations (his
descendants) have possessed the state of Khî. Thus do we not
have a case in which not only did (the party) steal the state of
Khî, but at the same time the regulations of its sages and wise
men, which thereby served to guard the person of him, thief and
robber as he was?
2
Let me try to set forth this subject (still further). Have not
there been among those vulgarly styled the wisest, such as have
collected (their wealth) for the great chief? and among those
styled the most sage such as have guarded it for him? How do I
know that it has been so? Formerly, Lung-fäng was beheaded; Pî-kan
had his heart torn out; Khang Hung was ripped open; and Dze-hsü
was reduced to pulp (in the Kiang). Worthy as those four men
were, they did not escape such dreadful deaths. The followers of
the robber Kih asked him, saying, 'Has the robber also any
method or principle (in his proceedings)?' He replied, 'What
profession is there which has not its principles? That the
robber in his recklessness comes to the conclusion that there
are valuable deposits in an apartment shows his sageness; that
he is the first to enter it shows his bravery; that he is the
last to quit it shows his righteousness; that he knows whether (the
robbery) may be attempted or not shows his wisdom; and that he
makes an equal division of the plunder shows his benevolence.
Without all these five qualities no one in the world has ever
attained to become a great robber.' Looking at the subject in
this way, we see that good men do not arise without having the
principles of the sages, and that Kih could not have pursued his
course without the same principles. But the good men in the
world are few, and those who are not good are many;--it follows
that the sages benefit the world in a few instances and injure
it in many. Hence it is that we have the sayings, 'When the lips
are gone the teeth are cold;' 'The poor wine of Lû gave occasion
to the siege of Han-tan;' 'When sages are born great robbers
arise.' When the stream is dried, the valley is empty; when the
mound is levelled, the deep pool (beside it) is filled up. When
the sages have died, the great robbers will not arise; the world
would be at peace, and there would be no more troubles. While
the sagely men have not died, great robbers will not cease to
appear. The more right that is attached to (the views of) the
sagely men for the government of the world, the more advantage
will accrue to (such men as) the robber Kih. If we make for men
pecks and bushels to measure (their wares), even by means of
those pecks and bushels should we be teaching them to steal; if
we make for them weights and steelyards to weigh (their wares),
even by means of those weights and steelyards shall we be
teaching them to steal. If we make for them tallies and seals to
secure their good faith, even by means of those tallies and
seals shall we be teaching them to steal. If we make for them
benevolence and righteousness to make their doings correct, even
by means of benevolence and righteousness shall we be teaching
them to steal. How do I know that it is so? Here is one who
steals a hook (for his girdle);--he is put to death for it: here
is another who steals a state;--he becomes its prince. But it is
at the gates of the princes that we find benevolence and
righteousness (most strongly) professed;--is not this stealing
benevolence and righteousness, sageness and wisdom? Thus they
hasten to become great robbers, carry off princedoms, and steal
benevolence and righteousness, with all the gains springing from
the use of pecks and bushels, weights and steelyards, tallies
and seals:--even the rewards of carriages and coronets have no
power to influence (to a different course), and the terrors of
the axe have no power to restrain in such cases. The giving of
so great gain to robbers (like) Kih, and making it impossible to
restrain them;--this is the error committed by the sages.
3
In accordance with this it is said, 'Fish should not be taken
from (the protection of) the deep waters; the agencies for the
profit of a state should not be shown to men.' But those sages (and
their teachings) are the agencies for the profit of the world,
and should not be exhibited to it. Therefore if an end were put
to sageness and wisdom put away, the great robbers would cease
to arise. If jade were put away and pearls broken to bits, the
small thieves would not appear. If tallies were burned and seals
broken in pieces, the people would become simple and
unsophisticated. If pecks were destroyed and steelyards snapped
in two, the people would have no wrangling. If the rules of the
sages were entirely set aside in the world, a beginning might be
made of reasoning with the people. If the six musical accords
were reduced to a state of utter confusion, organs and lutes all
burned, and the ears of the (musicians like the) blind Khwang
stopped up, all men would begin to possess and employ their (natural)
power of hearing. If elegant ornaments were abolished, the five
embellishing colours disused, and the eyes of (men like) Lî Kû
glued up, all men would begin to possess and employ their (natural)
power of vision. If the hook and line were destroyed, the
compass and square thrown away, and the fingers of men (like)
the artful Khui smashed, all men would begin to possess and
employ their (natural) skill;--as it is said, 'The greatest art
is like stupidity.' If conduct such as that of Zäng (Shän) and
Shih (Khiû) were discarded, the mouths of Yang (Kû) and Mo (Tî)
gagged, and benevolence and righteousness seized and thrown
aside, the virtue of all men would begin to display its
mysterious excellence. When men possessed and employed their (natural)
power of vision, there would be no distortion in the world. When
they possessed and employed their (natural) power of hearing,
there would be no distractions in the world. When they possessed
and employed their (natural) faculty of knowledge, there would
be no delusions in the world. When they possessed and employed
their (natural) virtue, there would be no depravity in the world.
Men like Zäng (Shän), Shih (Khiû), Yang (Kû), Mo (Tî), Shih
Khwang (the musician), the artist Khui, and Lî Kû, all display
their qualities outwardly, and set the world in a blaze (of
admiration) and confound it;--a method which is of no use!
4
Are you, Sir, unacquainted with the age of perfect virtue?
Anciently there were Yung-khäng, Tâ-thing, Po-hwang, Kang-yang,
Lî-lû, Lî-khû, Hsien-yüan, Ho-hsü, Zun-lû, Kû-yung, Fû-hsî, and
Shän-näng. In their times the people made knots on cords in
carrying on their affairs. They thought their (simple) food
pleasant, and their (plain) clothing beautiful. They were happy
in their (simple) manners, and felt at rest in their (poor)
dwellings. (The people of) neighbouring states might be able to
descry one another; the voices of their cocks and dogs might be
heard (all the way) from one to the other; they might not die
till they were old; and yet all their life they would have no
communication together. In those times perfect good order
prevailed.
Now-a-days, however, such is the state of things that you shall
see the people stretching out their necks, and standing on
tiptoe, while they say, 'In such and such a place there is a
wise and able man.' Then they carry with them whatever dry
provisions they may have left, and hurry towards it, abandoning
their parents in their homes, and neglecting the service of
their rulers abroad. Their footsteps may be traced in lines from
one state to another, and the ruts of their chariot-wheels also
for more than a thousand lî. This is owing to the error of their
superiors in their (inordinate) fondness for knowledge. When
those superiors do really love knowledge, but do not follow the
(proper) course, the whole world is thrown into great confusion.
How do I know that the case is so? The knowledge shown in the (making
of) bows, cross-bows, hand-nets, stringed arrows, and
contrivances with springs is great, but the birds are troubled
by them above; the knowledge shown in the hooks, baits, various
kinds of nets, and bamboo traps is great, but the fishes are
disturbed by them in the waters; the knowledge shown in the
arrangements for setting nets, and the nets and snares
themselves, is great, but the animals are disturbed by them in
the marshy grounds. (So), the versatility shown in artful
deceptions becoming more and more pernicious, in ingenious
discussions as to what is hard and what is white, and in
attempts to disperse the dust and reconcile different views, is
great, but the common people are perplexed by all the sophistry.
Hence there is great disorder continually in the world, and the
guilt of it is due to that fondness for knowledge. Thus it is
that all men know to seek for the knowledge that they have not
attained to; and do not know to seek for that which they already
have (in themselves); and that they know to condemn what they do
not approve (in others), and do not know to condemn what they
have allowed in themselves;--it is this which occasions the
great confusion and disorder. It is just as if, above, the
brightness of the sun and moon were darkened; as if, beneath,
the productive vigour of the hills and streams were dried up;
and as if, between, the operation of the four seasons were
brought to an end:--in which case there would not be a single
weak and wriggling insect, nor any plant that grows up, which
would not lose its proper nature. Great indeed is the disorder
produced in the world by the love of knowledge. From the time of
the three dynasties downwards it has been so. The plain and
honest-minded people are neglected, and the plausible
representations of restless spirits received with pleasure; the
quiet and unexciting method of non-action is put away, and
pleasure taken in ideas garrulously expressed. It is this
garrulity of speech which puts the world in disorder. |