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1
Horses can with their hoofs tread on the hoarfrost and snow, and
with their hair withstand the wind and cold; they feed on the
grass and drink water; they prance with their legs and leap:--this
is the true nature of horses. Though there were made for them
grand towers and large dormitories, they would prefer not to use
them. But when Po-lâo (arose and) said, 'I know well how to
manage horses,' (men proceeded) to singe and mark them, to clip
their hair, to pare their hoofs, to halter their heads, to
bridle them and hobble them, and to confine them in stables and
corrals. (When subjected to this treatment), two or three in
every ten of them died. (Men proceeded further) to subject them
to hunger and thirst, to gallop them and race them,and to make
them go together in regular order. In front were the evils of
the bit and ornamented breast-bands, and behind were the terrors
of the whip and switch. (When so treated), more than half of
them died.
The (first) potter said, 'I know well how to deal with clay;'
and (men proceeded) to mould it into circles as exact as if made
by the compass, and into squares as exact as if formed by the
measuring square. The (first) carpenter said, 'I know well how
to deal with wood;' and (men proceeded) to make it bent as if by
the application of the hook, and straight as if by the
application of the plumb-line. But is it the nature of clay and
wood to require the application of the compass and square, of
the hook and line? And yet age after age men have praised Po-lâo,
saying, 'He knew well how to manage horses,' and also the (first)
potter and carpenter, saying, 'They knew well how to deal with
clay and wood.' This is just the error committed by the
governors of the world.
2
According to my idea, those who knew well to govern mankind
would not act so. The people had their regular and constant
nature:--they wove and made themselves clothes; they tilled the
ground and got food. This was their common faculty. They were
all one in this, and did not form themselves into separate
classes; so were they constituted and left to their natural
tendencies. Therefore in the age of perfect virtue men walked
along with slow and grave step, and with their looks steadily
directed forwards. At that time, on the hills there were no foot-paths,
nor excavated passages; on the lakes there were no boats nor
dams; all creatures lived in companies; and the places of their
settlement were made close to one another. Birds and beasts
multiplied to flocks and herds; the grass and trees grew
luxuriant and long. In this condition the birds and beasts might
be led about without feeling the constraint; the nest of the
magpie might be climbed to, and peeped into. Yes, in the age of
perfect virtue, men lived in common with birds and beasts, and
were on terms of equality with all creatures, as forming one
family;--how could they know among themselves the distinctions
of superior men and small men? Equally without knowledge, they
did not leave (the path of) their natural virtue; equally free
from desires, they were in the state of pure simplicity. In that
state of pure simplicity, the nature of the people was what it
ought to be. But when the sagely men appeared, limping and
wheeling about in (the exercise of) benevolence, pressing along
and standing on tiptoe in the doing of righteousness, then men
universally began to be perplexed. (Those sages also) went to
excess in their performances of music, and in their
gesticulations in the practice of ceremonies, and then men began
to be separated from one another. If the raw materials had not
been cut and hacked, who could have made a sacrificial vase from
them? If the natural jade had not been broken and injured, who
could have made the handles for the libation-cups from it? If
the attributes of the Tâo had not been disallowed, how should
they have preferred benevolence and righteousness? If the
instincts of the nature had not been departed from, how should
ceremonies and music have come into use? If the five colours had
not been confused, how should the ornamental figures have been
formed? If the five notes had not been confused, how should they
have supplemented them by the musical accords? The cutting and
hacking of the raw materials to form vessels was the crime of
the skilful workman; the injury done to the characteristics of
the Tâo in order to the practice of benevolence and
righteousness was the error of the sagely men.
3
Horses, when living in the open country, eat the grass, and
drink water; when pleased, they intertwine their necks and rub
one another; when enraged, they turn back to back and kick one
another;--this is all that they know to do. But if we put the
yoke on their necks, with the moonlike frontlet displayed on all
their foreheads, then they know to look slily askance, to curve
their necks, to rush viciously, trying to get the bit out of
their mouths, and to filch the reins (from their driver);--this
knowledge of the horse and its ability thus to act the part of a
thief is the crime of Po-lâo. In the time of (the Tî) Ho-hsü,
the people occupied their dwellings without knowing what they
were doing, and walked out without knowing where they were going.
They filled their mouths with food and were glad; they slapped
their stomachs to express their satisfaction. This was all the
ability which they possessed. But when the sagely men appeared,
with their bendings and stoppings in ceremonies and music to
adjust the persons of all, and hanging up their benevolence and
righteousness to excite the endeavours of all to reach them, in
order to comfort their minds, then the people began to stump and
limp about in their love of knowledge, and strove with one
another in their pursuit of gain, so that there was no stopping
them:--this was the error of those sagely men. |
