“A bright and lively translation that captures the essential insights of theLieh-Tzu.”

—LibraryJournal

ABOUTTHEBOOK

TheLieh-tzu isacollectionofstoriesandphilosophicalmusingsofasageof the same name who lived around the fourth century BCE. Lieh-tzu’steachings range from the origin and purpose of life, the Taoist view ofreality, and the nature of enlightenment to the training of the body andmind, communication, and the importance of personal freedom. Thisdistinctive translation presentsLieh-tzu as a friendly, intimate companionspeaking directly to the reader in a contemporary voice about mattersrelevanttooureverydaylives.

EVAWONGisanindependentscholarandapractitioneroftheTaoistartsof the Pre-CelestialWay andComplete Reality lineages. She haswrittenand translated many books on Taoism and related topics, including AMasterCourse inFeng-Shui;Talesof theTaoist Immortals; andTaoism:AnEssentialGuide.

SignuptolearnmoreaboutourbooksandreceivespecialoffersfromShambhalaPublications.

Orvisitusonlinetosignupatshambhala.com/eshambhala.

LIEH-TZU

ATAOISTGUIDETOPRACTICALLIVING

EvaWong

Shambhala/BOSTON&LONDON/2013

SHAMBHALAPUBLICATIONS,INC.HORTICULTURALHALL300MASSACHUSETTSAVENUEBOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS02115www.shambhala.com

©1995byEvaWong

Coverart:MingdynastycarvedlacquerdragonboatfromTheArtoftheDragon,reproducedbypermissionoftheCommercialPress(HongKong)Ltd.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

THELIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUESTHEPREVIOUSEDITIONOFTHISBOOKASFOLLOWS:

Lieh-tzu,4thcent.B.C.[Lieh-tzu,English]Lieh-tzu:aTaoistguidetopracticalliving/EvaWong.—1sted.p.cm.—(Shambhaladragoneditions)eISBN978-0-83482465-2ISBN978-1-57062-153-6(alk.paper)ISBN978-1-57062-899-3(pbk.)I.Wong,Eva,1951–.II.TitleBL1900.L482E5199595-16063181′.114—dc20CIP

Contents

INTRODUCTION:READINGLIEH-TZU

PartOne:TheGiftsofHeaven

Introduction

1.Thatwhichisnotborngivesbirthtoeverything2.Allthingsareconnectedandcomefromthesameorigin3.Heavenandearthhavetheirstrengthsandweaknesses4.Lifeanddeath5.Shadows,sounds,andghosts6.Thestagesoflife7.Lifeishardwork,deathisrest8.Thevalueofemptiness9.Arethingsgrowingordecaying?10.Worryingthattheskywillfall11.Lifethatisborrowed,wealththatisstolen

PartTwo:TheYellowEmperor

Introduction

12.TheYellowEmperorvisitstheimmortallands13.Ridingonthewind,floatingwiththeclouds14.Theartofstayingunderwaterandwalkingthroughfire15.Theartofarchery16.Featsofpower17.Theartoftamingtigers18.Theartofsteeringaboat

19.Theartofswimming20.Themanwhocouldwalkthroughfire21.Lieh-tzuandthesorcerer22.Lieh-tzu’sfear23.Lao-tzuteachesYang-chu24.Whatistheretoappearances?25.Softnessandhardness,yieldingandresisting

PartThree:KingMuofCh’ou

Introduction

26.KingMu’sdream27.Learningthearcanearts28.Dreams29.Thetruthabouthappinessandmisery30.Whatisrealandwhatisunreal?31.Themanwholosthismemory32.Whoisconfused?33.Themanwhogotupsetovernothing

PartFour:Confucius

Introduction

34.Truehappinessandcontentment35.Seeingwithearsandhearingwitheyes36.Whoisasage?37.Whatiswisdom?38.Themanwithawoodenface39.Theartoftravelingandsightseeing40.Lung-shu’sstrangeillness41.Respondingnaturally42.Therearesomethingsthatyoujustcan’tfight43.Whoissupportingwhom?

44.Whatisstrength?45.ThestrangeargumentsofKung-sunLung46.Knowingwhentowithdraw

PartFive:TheQuestionsofTang

Introduction

47.Wheredothingscomefrom?48.Themanwhotriedtomovemountains49.Themanwhotriedtochasedownthesun50.TheNorthCountry51.Strangecustomsinstrangecountries52.Thequestionsofachild53.Theartoffishing54.Exchangingheartsandminds55.MusicianWenlearnstoplaythelute56.WhenHan-erhsang57.Kindredspirits58.Artificialorreal?59.Learningtheartofarchery60.Tsao-fulearnstodrive61.Lai-tan’srevenge

PartSix:EffortandDestiny

Introduction

62.EffortargueswithDestiny63.Fortuneandworth64.ThefriendshipofKuan-chungandPaoShu-ya65.Arelifeanddeathamatterofeffortordestiny?66.Anaveragedoctor,agooddoctor,andaningeniousdoctor67.Yang-chutalksaboutdestiny68.Wecannotknowpeoplewhoaredifferentfromus

69.Successandfailure70.Thekingwhowasgreedyaboutlifeandafraidofdeath71.Deathisnotaloss

PartSeven:Yang-chu

Introduction

72.Anameisnothingandtitlesareempty73.Life—temporarilystayingintheworld;death—temporarilyleaving74.Inlifetheremaybedifferences;indeatheverythingisthesame75.Richescaninjureyou,butpovertycanalsohurtyou76.Takingcareofyourself77.Amadmanoranenlightenedman?78.Whatdamageshealthmore—unrestrictedpleasureorobsessivehard

work?79.Everyonemustdiesometime80.Wouldyousacrificeastrandofhairtobenefittheworld?81.Rulingacountryisliketendingaflockofsheep82.Thingsarenotaspermanentaswethinktheyare83.Longevity,fame,socialstatus,andwealth

PartEight:ExplainingCoincidences

Introduction

84.Actionandreaction85.WhydopeoplefollowthepathoftheTao?86.Lieh-tzulearnsarchery87.Choosingtherightpersonforthejob88.Canwecompetewithnature?89.Someone’swordscanmakeorbreakyou90.Beingattherightplaceattherighttime91.IfIcansteponsomeone,someoneelsecansteponme92.Tosolveaproblem,youneedtoremovethecause,notthesymptom

93.Trustandconfidence94.Thebestwaytokeepasecretisnottotalk95.Thosewhosucceedarenotexcitedaboutsuccess;thosewhoknowdo

notdisplaytheirknowledge96.Fortuneandmisfortune97.Amatterofluck98.Seeingbeyondappearances99.Managingyourlifeandgoverningacountry100.Rank,wealth,andabilitycangetyouintotrouble101.Youcannotapplyoneprincipletoallconditions102.Retributionbyaccident103.Confusingnameandreality104.Todieforsomeonewhovaluesyouisnatural105.Confusedbytoomanyalternatives106.Yang-puandthedog107.Knowledgeandaction108.Captureandrelease—anactofcompassionorcruelty?109.Whowascreatedforwhomtoeat?110.It’sallinyourmind111.Thosewhoareinvolvedaremuddled;thosewhowatchareclear

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Introduction

READINGLIEH-TZU

THIS INTRODUCTION is for those who would like to know more about thehistoricalandphilosphicalbackgroundoftheLieh-tzu.Italsooutlinesamethodofpresentingtheteachingsofaspiritualtext.Readerswhoareonlyinterestedinthe practical advice theLieh-tzu can offer us in our everyday lives should gostraighttothetextandreturntotheintroductionlater.WhenaskedtonamethreerepresentativetextsofTaoism,mostpeoplewould

listtheLao-tzu(theTao-teChing),theChuangtzu,andtheLieh-tzu.Ofthethree,the Lao-tzu is probably the best known and most widely read, and forWesterners, it ismost likely the book that introduced them to Taoism. Thosewhowant to continue to explore thephilosophyofTaosimmightventure intotheChuangtzu,andthemorecuriouswouldprobablywonderwhattheLieh-tzuisallabout.Bysomestrangecircumstances,myintroductiontothesethreefamoustextsof

Taoismwas the reverse. I read theLao-tzu after studying theChuangtzu, andbefore IhadevenheardofTaoism, thestoriesof theLieh-tzuwere familiar tomefrommychildhoodreaders.ThatIwasintroducedtotheChuangtzubeforetheLao-tzu canprobablybeattributed to some freakdecisionby theBoardofEducationinHongKong,thecouncilthatplannedthecurriculumwhenIwasinhighschool.ThatIwasintroducedtothestoriescontainedintheLieh-tzuwhenIwasachildcanbeattributed to the fact thatmanyof the ideasof theLieh-tzuhavebecomeapartoftheChineseculture.Althoughmyfamilywasbilingual,Igrew up in Chinese culture, and the Lieh-tzu gave me and my schoolmateskernelsofwisdompackedinfablesandproverbs.Evenatagesixorseven,weknewabouttheOldFoolwhotriedtomovethemountains,themanwhoworriedthattheskywouldfall,andthemanwhotriedtochasedownthesun.That thestories intheLieh-tzuarecommoninchildren’sreadersalsoshows

thatLieh-tzu’steachingsaresimpleforchildrentounderstandandyetprofoundfor adults to ponder. I have since looked at a lot of children’s storybooks in

Chinese,andIhaveneverfailedtofindsomeofLieh-tzu’sstoriesandteachingsinthem.However,IhaveyettofindstoriesorteachingsfromtheChuangtzuortheLao-tzuinchildren’sbooks.Notthatthesetwotextsdonotcontainwordsofwisdom, but I’ve always felt there is something very special about Lieh-tzu’steachingsthatcanreachachildandanadultatthesametime.It is this “something special” in the Lieh-tzu that attracted me to the text.

WhenIfirststartedstudyingtheLieh-tzu,IdiditinthetraditionalwayChineseclassics were studied: I memorized a section of the text, then studied thesection’scommentariesthatwerecollectedintheTaoistcanon.IcontinuedwiththisprocessuntilIhadgonethroughalleightsectionsoftheoriginaltext.Afterseveral years I had a nice catalogue of ideas inmy head, but I did not feel Ireallyunderstoodtheteachingsofthebook.SoIstoppedtheproject.A year later, I felt an urge to read theLieh-tzu again.This time, instead of

studying it, I simplyread it. Itwas in thissecondattemptatunderstanding theLieh-tzu thatthetextstarted“speaking”tomeandIbegantolisten.Atfirstitsvoicewashesitant,asifitweretryingtomakemyacquaintancebeforeconfidingitsintentionstome.Butafterawhile,itspokeoften.Initially,Iwassomeoneitcould talk to. Then I became someone it wanted to share its thoughts with.Finally,webecamekindredspirits. Itwalkedwithmeincitystreetsandhikedwithmethroughmountaintrails.ItspokeandIlistened;Ispokeanditlistened.Ibegan to feel that I had reached an understanding of its teachings. Even now,afterseveralyearsoflisteningtotheLieh-tzu,itisstillspeaking,andIfeelitwillcontinuetospeakasanadvisorandfriend.

Lieh-tzu:ThePersonandtheBook

Lieh-tzuwas a real personwho lived in theSpring andAutumnPeriodof theEasternCh’ou dynasty (770–476BCE).Most historians now agree that hewasbornaround400BCE,abouttwohundredyearsafterLao-tzuandConfucius.HewasacitizenofthefeudalkingdomofCheng,and,likemanypeopleofhistimewho were weary of the political struggles and intrigues, he never held agovernment post. Hewas reputed to have studied underWen-tzu, whowas astudentofLao-tzu,andwithvariousshadowyandlegendarycharacterssuchasHu-tzuandOldShangtheImmortal.Oftherestofhislife,notmuchisknown.Lieh-tzuwasnotlistedinthebiographiesofphilosophersinSsu-maCh’ien’s

HistoricalRecords(theShi-chi),andforalongtime,scholarswhoreliedonthiswork as a source of information on the history of the Ch’ou dynasty haddismissed Lieh-tzu as an imaginary character. However, his existence is

documentedinothersources(suchastheLü-shihCh’un-ch’iu,TheSpringandAutumnAnnalsofLü),anditisnowagreedthatLieh-tzuwasarealperson.The bookLieh-tzu containsmaterials thatwerewritten over a period of six

hundredyears,fromtheearlyHantotheChindynasties(between200BCEand400 CE). There were twenty sections in the original collection; these werecondensedintotheeightsectionswehavetoday.Duringthehundredyearsorsoafteritwascompiled,theLieh-tzudidnotreceivethekindofattentionthatwasgiventotheLao-tzuandtheChuangtzu.MostscholarsbelievedthatitsteachingsweresimilartothoseoftheChuangtzu,andthatonecouldgetanunderstandingofTaoismduringtheWarringStates(475–221BCE)andHan(206BCE–219CE)periods by studying theChuangtzu.Moreover, because theLieh-tzu containedmore stories than formal philosophical discussion, the book was furtherdismissedasaminorwork.EveninthefifthcenturyCE,aftermanyTaoistbookshad been written, the Lieh-tzu remained obscure. If not for the efforts of ascholarof theEasternChin(317–420CE)whoeditedandwroteacommentaryonit,theLieh-tzuwouldhaveprobablydisappearedintooblivion.When Taoism reached the height of its development in the T’ang dynasty

(betweentheseventhandtenthcenturies),theLieh-tzu,Lao-tzu,andChuangtzuwereacknowledgedasthethreeclassicsofTaoism.Fromthenon,theLieh-tzu’splaceintheTaoistclassicswasfirmlyestablished.TheLieh-tzuisacollectionofstoriesandphilosophicalmusings.Althoughthe

stories were set in the Spring and Autumn Period and the early years of theWarringStates,itsteachingsreflectedthekindofTaoismthatwasprevalentinthe later years of theWarring States, the Ch’in (221–207 BCE), theHan (206BCE–219CE),andeventheWei(220–265CE)andChindynasties(265–420CE).Duringthosetimes,Chinawasinastateofpoliticalandsocialchaos.Asearly

as600BCEintheEasternCh’ou,rulersofthefeudalstatesviedforpower,firstbydiplomaticandcovertmeans in theSpringandAutumnPeriod,andlater inopen warfare during the Warring States Period. The strong survived and theweak perished. It was the era of the “mercenary statesmen,” the political andmilitary advisors who offered their skills to the highest bidder. Politics weredirty. Familymembers spied on each other and assassinations were common.Treacheryandintriguewerewidespreadamonggovernmentofficials.Onecouldcertainly lose one’s life by playing the dangerous game of politics, but beingvirtuous and loyal did not guarantee safety. Under these circumstances, whatcouldpeopledo?Manychosetoplaythepoliticalgameandacceptedtherisks,butsome,likeLieh-tzu,preferredtostayout.There had been hermits in China even before theWarring States, but they

were individualswith theirownreasonsforabandoningsociety. Itwasonly in

theLieh-tzuthatbeingahermitorreclusewaspresentedasanalternativewayoflife.Thosewho removed themselves from thesocialandpoliticalworldmightbeabletosurviveandyetpreservetheirpersonalintegrity.Asifthingswerenotbadenough,theWarringStatesendedinthetyrannical

ruleof theCh’indynasty(221–207BCE). Inanattempt tocrushoppositon, theCh’inemperorhadscholarsexecutedandbooksburned.TheearlyyearsoftheWesternHandynasty(206BCE–8CE)providedabriefrespitefromthereignofterror, but after a hundred years of peace, court intrigues appeared again, andeventually Wang Meng, a powerful minister, removed the weak emperor,dissolvedtheWesternHan,andfoundedhisowndynasty(9–24CE).DuringtheWesternHandynasty,Confucianismwasfavoredbytheemperors,

whohadhopedaphilosophythatpromotedpropriety,virtue,andresponsibilitywouldcreateastablesocialstructure.ThataministershoulddeposeamonarchnotonlybroughtablowtothepoliticalcontinuityoftheHandynasty,butalsoquestioned the effectiveness of Confucianism in maintaining the establishedsocial structure. Disillusioned with Confucianism, many of the intelligentsiaabandoned it for Taoism, which at that time advocated noninvolvement inpoliticsandfocusedonindividualcultivation.Although theHan dynastywas revived afterWangMengwas defeated and

killed,peacewas short-lived. In less than fortyyears, court intrigues appearedagain,thistimemoreviciousthanever,aseunuchsbecamepowerfulplayersincourtpolitics.Factionswithinthehigherlevelsofgovernmentfoughteachotherfor control of young, weak emperors, and assassinations and treachery onceagainbecamethewaytodealwithrivals.In an attempt to wipe out the eunuchs, one of the generals, Yüan-shao,

enlistedthehelpofabarbarianchieftain,buttheplanwasuncoveredandYüan-shaohimselfwaskilled.Whenthebarbarianarmiesarrivedat thecapital, theywipedouttheeunuchs,lootedandburnedthecountryside,andrefusedtoleave.Out of this chaos came Ts’ao-ts’ao, an ambitious minister who ousted thebarbarians, made himself regent, and took control of the emperor. This wasfollowed by some fifty years of civil warwhen the ThreeKingdoms ofWei,Shu,andWufoughtforcontrolofthecountry.Ts’ao-ts’aowas victorious in the end. His son established theWei dynasty

(220–265 CE), but a generation later, the Ssu-ma clan rose to power, killedeveryonewhostoodintheirway,andcreatedtheChindynasty(265–420CE).During these times, life was precarious at best. In theWarring States, one

could survive by staying out of politics. In the later Han andWei dynasties,stayingoutwasnotanoption.To theSsu-maclan,stayingoutmeant thatyoudidnotsupportthem.Notsupportingthemmeantyouopposedthem,andifyou

opposedthem,youhadtoberemoved.It was a time when being virtuous and loyal could not save you, being

schemingandunscrupulouscouldcostyouyourlife,andwantingtodisengageyourself from the situation could kill you. Under these circumstances, whatcould you do? If your life was in danger every minute, why make plans fortomorrow?Whynotacknowledgethatlifeisshort,thatyouhavenocontroloverdestiny,andthatwealth,renown,andsocialreputationarenotworthsacrificingasinglestrandofyourhairfor?ItwasthesesocialandpoliticalconditionsthatgaverisetothephilosophydiscussedintheYangchuchapteroftheLieh-tzu.Perhaps the lives of a group of people known as the Seven Sages of the

BambooGrovebestillustratethisoutlookonlife.Thesesevenfriendsmetoftenin a bamboo forest and spent their time singing, playing music, improvisingpoetry,anddrinking.Theirpoetryandsongspokeofthetransientnatureoflifeand the emptinessofwealth and renown.To them, the social conventions andrules of propriety set up by Confucianism were far worse than politicalimprisonment.Thesesocialrulesstifledfreedomofthought,action,andfeeling.ThelifeofLiuNing,oneofthesevenfriends,wasitselfarebellionagainstallthe social conventions of his day. He stayed away from politics and shunnedsocial life. He was unkempt, went around barefooted, and spent his timedrinking and writing poetry. In one of his poems he wrote, “If I die by theroadside,justdigaholeandburymethere.”Inanotherofhisdrinkingsongshequippedthatitwasbetterandsafertospendlifeinadrunkenstuporthantobeawareofwhatwashappeningintheworld.Althoughthealternativewayoflifethat the Lieh-tzu advocates does not go to these extremes, it has the samecouragetolaughatemptypeoplewhopursueemptygoalsinlife.

PhilosophyoftheLieh-tzu

Whatisthepurposeoflife?Tosome,thegoaloflivingistobeausefulcitizenand serve society andcountry,makeaname foroneself, andcontribute to theartsandsciences.However,whentimesareoppressiveandsocialandpoliticalpressuresthreatentodictatepeople’sthoughtsandactions,thewisewillrealizethatmanythingsinlifearebeyondtheircontrol.Theydonotwanttotradetheirfreedomandpeaceofmindforthelifeofanxietythataccompanieswealthandrenown.ItisthisviewoflifethatpromptedthegreatChinesepoetTuFutosay,“Nomatter how famous you are, youmust die someday” and the philosopherYangchutosay,“Inlifewemaybedifferent,butindeathweareallthesame.”ThisvoiceisechoedthroughouttheLieh-tzu,asitadvisesusthatname,title,and

socialreputationarenotworthsacrificingourphysicalhealthandmentalwell-beingfor.MostpeoplethinkallTaoistsarehermitswhowithdrawfromworldlymatters.

Thisisnotaccurate.InthehistoryofChina,notallTaoistswererecluses.Somewereactiveinpoliticalandsocialestablishments.Theyworkedcloselywiththegovernment and received imperial support. During the Yüan dynasty (1271–1368 CE), under the leadership of Ch’iu Ch’ang-ch’un, the Complete RealitySchool of Taoism supported the emperor and served the country as officialspiritualadvisors.There were also Taoists who were not satisfied with the status quo but

believed changes could bemade through reformswithin the existing politicalandsocialsystem.ThegreatTaoistscholarandsageoftheSungdynasty(907–1279CE),ChenHsi-yi,wassuchaperson.Hedidnotserveasspiritualadvisorin any official capacity, but his proposals for social and political reformwereadopted by the emperor. His most famous proposal to the Sung emperorinvolvedpreservingHua-shanasaTaoistsanctuary.ThentherewereTaoistswhodidnotacceptthestatusquobutdidnotbelieve

in reform. Instead, they sought to replace the established system throughrebellion or revolution. The Yellow Turban rebellion of the Eastern Handynasty,ledbythefollowersofChangTao-liang—themanwhowasreputedtohave turned Taoism from philosophy into religion—was an example. Amorerecent example was the Boxer Uprising at the turn of this century, whichinvolvedMaoshanTaoists(asectthatadvocatedmagicalpractices).Finally,therewereTaoistswhoneithersupportedthestatusquonorbelieved

reformandrevolutionwereviableoptions.Theydidnotwanttobeapartofanygroup,whetheritwasfororagainsttheestablishment.Thesewerethehermitsorrecluses,andtheirwayoflifeispresentedintheLieh-tzu.Even hermits have different reasons for choosing a life of noninvolvement.

There were those who became hermits as a protest against the establishedgovernment, like Po-yi and Shu-ch’i who would rather starve to death in thewildernessthanserveanenemylord.Therewerepeoplewhodecidedtobecomehermitsbecausetheywerewearyordisillusionedwiththeworld,liketheTaoistsLao-tzu and Lü Tung-pin. Then there were people like Lieh-tzu who becamehermitsnotbecauseofdisappointmentorasaprotestagainsttheestablishment.Rather,theywerereclusesbynaturalinclination.Lieh-tzu was a natural hermit. From the scanty information we have about

him,wearetoldthat,unlikeLao-tzu,heneverheldanoffice.UnlikeLüTung-pin,heneveraspiredtoholdanofficeorsucceedinpolitics.Itwashisnaturaldisposition to live a simple andquiet life away from themuddy affairs of the

world.What,then,wereLieh-tzu’steachings?Theyarepresentedinthebook’seight

chapters.Followingisasummaryofthemainideasofeachsection.

PARTONE.TheGiftsofHeaven:AbouttheNatureoftheTaoandtheOriginofThings

All things originate from the Tao, the undifferentiated primordial vapor thatgives life to all things.There are four stages to creation:ThePrimalOneness,when all things are undifferentiated from one another; the Primal Emerging,when thePrimordialVaporhas taken formandeverything lies in its embrace;thePrimalBeginning,whenyinandyangenergiesinteracttoproducetheformsand shapes of things; and the Primal Substance,when forms assume qualitiesanddefiningcharacteristics.Humanityisaproductoftheinteractionofyinandyangenergies,and,likeall

living things,wego through the cycleofbirth, growth, anddeath.Thus, birthanddeatharenaturaloccurrencesandshouldnotbefoughtagainst.BecauseweoweourexistencetotheTao,wedonotpossessourbodies,nordowehaveanycontroloverourdestiny.Allthingscomeandgonaturally.Whatmustcomewillcomewithoutourhelp,andwhatmustgowillleavenomatterhowhardwetrytopreventit.ThisistheWayoftheTao.Onlythosewhounderstandthiscanbefreefromtheanxietiesofbirth,growth,anddeath.

PARTTWO.TheYellowEmperor:AbouttheNatureofYieldingInPartTwo,Lieh-tzutalksabouttheartofyielding.Therigidbranchofatreewill snap in a strongwind, but the soft, bending limbwill survive the storm.Knowinghow to react to strengthwithyielding andhow to absorb forcewithsoftnessisthekeytosurvival.InLieh-tzu’s times, the small countries could only survive by not opposing

forcewithforce,andapersoncouldonlystayalivebynotbuttingagainststrongpowers.AsLao-tzuhadtaught,“Ofallthings,nothingissofterthanwater,andyetitcanweardownrocks.”ThisisalsowhatLieh-tzuadvises.Whilewatercanflow through the smallest cracks in the rocks, branches and tree trunks arebrokenorstoppedbyboulders.Yieldingisalsothesecrettotranscendingthelimitsofbodyandmind.Only

thosewhodonotfighttheelementscanmergewiththem;indoingso,theycanstayunderwaterandnotdrownandwalkthroughfiresandnotbeburned.Finally,yieldingtothenaturaloccurrenceoflifeanddeathandgainandloss

willprepareusforwhatevermayhappen.Wewillnotbeexcitedovergainandsadoverloss.Unhinderedbyfear,anxiety,orexcitement,wewillbefreetosaywhatnaturallycomesfromourmouths,thinkwhatnaturallycomestoourminds,anddowhatnaturallycomesfromtheheart.

PARTTHREE.KingMuofCh’ou:AbouttheNatureofRealityHere, Lieh-tzu questions the conventional view of reality and asks, “What isreal?”InthisheechoesChuangtzu’s“AmIdreamingthatIamabutterfly,oramIabutterflydreamingthatIamahuman?”ForLieh-tzu,realityisnotaspermanentaswethinkitis.Theboundariesof

real and unreal, waking and dream are fuzzy. Therefore, why put so muchimportance on impermanent things such as fame and fortune? Why pushourselvestounnecessaryextremesandsufferanxietyandmiseryinthenameofvirtue or honor? Besides, taking a light-hearted approach to what is real andwhatisnotrealcanhelpustobelessattachedandinvolved.Asaresult,likethehomesickmanwhorealizedthathegotupsetovernothing,wemayunderstandthathowwefeeldependsonwhatwebelieve.

PARTFOUR.Confucius:AbouttheNatureofEnlightenmentAccording to Lieh-tzu, the difference between an enlightened and anunenlightened person is in the relationship ofmind and body and of self andother.ThesageKang-sen-tzucouldseeandhearwithouteyesandearsbecausehis mind was in tune with everything around him. Sometimes enlightenedindividualshidetheirskill, liketheEarlofKung-yi.Sometimes, likeNan-kuo-tzu and Kung-sun Lung, they behave to the contrary, presenting strangeargumentsandspeaking inparadoxes toawakenothers fromignorance.But inallcases, thesageneithercriticizesnormakesfunofothers.Andaboveall, tothe enlightened person, enlightenment is a common and ordinary experienceattainablebyall.

PARTFIVE.TheQuestionsofT’ang:AbouttheNatureofAttitude

In this section, Lieh-tzu talks about attitude and how it affects us. There areattitudesthatwilldestroyus,likepride,competitiveness,andvengeance.Thereareattitudesthatfreeusfromanxietyandstress,likenonattachment,calmness,andinnerpeace.Whetherornotsomethingisconsideredshockingisamatterofattitude.

Understandingandcommunicationalsodependonattitude.Ifwelistenwithaquietmindanddonot letour ideasdistractus,wewillunderstandothersevenbeforewordsarespoken.Peoplewhoinsistonclarifyingsemanticsdeliberatelywilldestroythisattitudeandlimitcommunicationtospeechandwords,andnospontaneousorintuitiveunderstandingwillbepossible.Learningalsorequires therightattitude.Whetherweare learningtheartsor

sciencesormasteringaphysicalormentalskill,weneedtodissolvethebarrierbetweenourselvesandwhat is learned.Practicerequires theability to translateintention into action, which in turn requires the body to be spontaneous andresponsive and the mind to be still and clear. Therefore, in all learning, thetrainingofbodyandmindareequallyimportant.Ifthemindisstillbutthebodyisnotresponsive,nointentioncanbecommunicatedtothebody.Ifthebodyisresponsiveandthemindisconfused,theactionswillcomeoutconfused.Finally, teaching also requires a certain attitude.A true teacher is onewho

recognizes his or her limitations.Howmany teachers or experts today can belike Confucius, who could admit to the children that he did not know theanswerstotheirquestions?

PARTSIX.EffortandDestiny:AbouttheNatureofEventsAccordingtoLieh-tzu,fortuneandmisfortuneandlifeanddeathcomeoftheirownwithoutanydirectionorcontrol fromusor froma supremebeing.Giventhis,whyworryoverthingsthatwecannotdomuchabout?Whytrytopredictwhatmayhappenandanticipatewithanxiety?Lieh-tzu does not suggest that we should be morbid and embrace fate. He

feelswewouldbekindertoourselvesifwedonotkillourselvestryingtomakethingshappenorpreventthemfromhappening.Veryoften,wefeelsecurewhenwe think we have looked at a situation from all perspectives or feel that allcontingencieshavebeenprovidedfor.Butthissenseofsecurityisfalse,becausenoonecanguaranteewhatwillhappenandwhatwillnot.The emperor of Ch’in built the Great Wall and silenced opposition in an

attempttomakehisempirelastforever,buthisdynastyfellafterhisdeath.Wecantrytotakeprecautionsandmakethingssecureforoursuccessorsorchildren,butitisnotguaranteedthatthingswillturnoutthewaywewant.Finally, Lieh-tzu advises us that since we have no control over external

circumstances, the only thing we can do is control our reactions to them.Therefore, the less attached we are to events around us, the less we will bedrawninemotionally.ToLieh-tzu,acceptingdestinyisnotsubmittingtofate.Itisacknowledging thatmany thingsarebeyondourcontroland thatwearenot

moversofevents.Theworlddoesnotrevolvearoundus.Likeeverythingelse,weareonlyapartoftheunfoldingofevents.

PARTSEVEN.Yangchu:AboutPersonalFreedomThemessageofPartSevenisverysimpleandstraightforward.Lifeisshortandtransient, fame and renown are empty, and social rules and conventions stiflepersonalfreedom.TheYangchuchapterisoftenconsideredananomalyintheLieh-tzu.

However, as we examine the teachings of Yangchu closely, we realize theyextend theTaoist ideasofnonactionandsimplicity to thequestionofpersonalfreedom.Yangchu is against all restraintsonpersonal freedom.Tohim, rules,regulations,norms,andsocialachievementssuchasfame,respect,renown,andreputation are all obstacles to freedom of thought, action, expression, andfeeling.Hisapproachto life isverybluntandsimple—liveyour lifeanddon’tletothersbossyouaround.Liveaccordingtoyourprinciplesandnotsomebodyelse’s.However,Yangchu’sphilosophyisnottheirresponsiblehedonismthatmany

people make it out to be. Yangchu counsels us to do only enough to live acontentedlife.Knowwhentostop,oryouwillloseeverything.Finally,Yangchuhassomeveryinsightfulideasonmakingtheworldbetter,

or “saving theworld.”He thinks if peoplewere not so eager to play hero orsaviorandwouldleavethingsalone,theworldmightbebetteroff.Somepeoplethink this kind of noninvolvement is selfish and uncaring. However, manyatrocitieshavebeencommittedinthenameof“makingthingsbetter.”Ifweask,“Whoismaking thingsbetter forwhom?”and“Bywhosestandards?”wewillbegin to understand Yangchu’s point of view. Native cultures have beendestroyed because some people thought thingswould be better for indigenouspeoples if they became “civilized.” Genocides have been committed becausesomeonethoughttheworldwouldbeabetterplaceifcertainethnicgroupswereexterminated.Whenwelookatthemanythingsthathavehappenedinthenameof making the world a better place, Yangchu’s assertion that he would notsacrificeastrandofhairforthebenefitoftheworldisprobablynottheselfishanduncaringattitudeitismadeouttobe.

PARTEIGHT.ExplainingCoincidences:AbouttheRelationshipofThings

Whetherwevieweventsascauseandeffect,aresponsetoasituation,rewardor

retribution, a mere coincidence, or an accident depends on how we interpretrelationshipsamongthingsandevents.Therearehappeningsthatcannotbeexplained,soweattributethemtoluck,

orbeingattherightplaceattherighttime.Whilemanypeopledonotconsiderlucktobeaseriousfactor,Lieh-tzuthinksotherwise.Ifwearewillingtoadmitthatluckplaysaroleinourlives,wewillbelesspretentiousaboutsuccessandlessdepressedaboutmisfortune.Similarly,byacceptingthatsomethingssimplycannotbeexplained,wewillbemorelikelytoleavethemaloneandnot trytomakethemhappenorpreventthemfromhappening.

ListeningtotheLieh-tzu:TheHermeneuticalMethod

InthisbookIhavetriedadifferentapproachtopresentingaTaoisttext.Insteadofastraighttranslationofthesemanticsofthetext,Ihavedecidedtopresentthe“voice”ofLieh-tzu.Whilebooksareread,voicesaremeanttobelistenedto.Inreadingatext,wefollowatrainofthoughtlinearly,analyzeit,andimpose

our meaning on it. Often we are so busy talking to ourselves that our ownthoughtsdrownoutthevoiceofthetext.However,ifwelisten,ourmindswillbecome quiet and receptive, and the text can revealmeaningswewould havemissed had we tried to read it analytically. Listening to a text is especiallyappropriateifwearelookingforpracticaladviceonhowtolive.Itallowsustoapproachatextwithawillingnesstolearn.Listeningisthefirststeptowardadialoguewiththetext.Thedialoguemakes

usactiveparticipantsinunfoldingthemeaningofitsteachings.Aswelisten,itspeaks;aswespeaktoit,itlistensandspeaksagain.Thisdialecticalrelationshipcontinues, and the textbecomesa friendandanadvisor.Personally, I felt thattheteachingsoftheLieh-tzuonlybecamemeaningfultomeafterIenteredintothisrelationshipwiththetext.Taoist textscontainphilosophy that ismeant tobe lived.Whenwe read the

booksofTaoism,wearehopingtheteachingscanawakenus,enlightenus,andguide us in our lives. More than any other text, the Lieh-tzu presents aphilosophyofpractical livingwhosemessageisbestunderstoodifwelistentothetextratherthanreadit.ThisbookisanattempttoallowLieh-tzutospeaktousasifhewerehere.It

hopestocommunicatetheintentionofthetextbyallowingthetexttospeakforitself.Thismethodofpresentingatextiscalled“opening”atext,anditisbynomeansnew.Itispartofthedisciplineofhermeneutics,atechniquethathasbeenusedprimarilyininterpretingthemeaningofreligioustexts.

Themajorideasofhermeneuticsareasfollows:

1. Atexthasmanylevelsofmeaning.Themeaningcarriedinthesemanticsofthetextisthesurfacemeaning.

2. Adeeper levelofmeaning isexpressed inhow thewordsarespoken,notjustwhatisspokeninthetext.

3. Evendeeperlevelsofmeaningarecarriedinthe“intention”ofatext,whichisits“voice.”

4. Thedeeperlevelsofmeaningcanbegraspedbylistening.5. Religiousandspiritualtextstendtohavemanylevelsofmeaning.Thegoal

ofhermeneuticsisto“open”thetextsothatthelevelsofmeaningscanberevealed.

I first encountered the hermeneutical method as an undergraduate. I wasstudyingHeidegger, andmy philosophy professor at the time,WalterWright,encouraged me to look into hermeneutics as a method of understandingHeidegger’sphilosophy.ItwasthenthatIdiscoveredwhatagreatdifferenceitmade to listen to a text rather than just read it. My interest in hermeneuticscontinuedthroughoutmyyears ingraduateschool,andIattendedtheseminarsof Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur, two of the greatest contemporarytheoristsofhermeneutics.However,itdidnotoccurtometoapplyatechniquedeveloped inWesternphilosophy and theology toChinesephilosophical texts.Perhapsmymindwastooactivethen,andthetextsofTaoismdidnotspeaktomeastheydonow.AsmyTaoisttrainingcontinuestogivememoreinnerpeaceandstillness,Iamnowabletolistentothevoiceofatextmoreclearly.Lieh-tzuisthefirstTaoisttexttohavespokentome.SinceitisaChinesetext,

and Chinese is one of my first languages, my dialogue with it was in thatlanguage.“Opening”atextandpresentingitinitsoriginallanguageisrelativelystraightforward.Itisnotnecessarytodealwiththesemanticsoftwolanguages.Openingandpresentingatextinalanguageotherthanitsoriginaloneismuchmoreinteresting.Oneapproachwouldbetotranslateitfirstintheconventionalwayandthenopenthetranslatedtextbylisteningtoits intentionorvoice.MyfriendswhoworkwithGreekandHebrewtextsadvisedmetousethismethod.However, when I tried it, the method did not feel natural, so I decided toexperimentwithadifferentapproach.To me, wisdom is timeless and transcends language. At the same time,

language canbeused toopen themeaningof a text.What if I couldbe freedfrom linguistic constraints, eliminate the process of translating from onelanguage to another, and go directly from the teachings of theLieh-tzu to its

voiceintheEnglishlanguage?ThiswouldrequirebeinginthestateofmindthatLieh-tzumusthavebeenin,oratleastbeingakindredspirittoLieh-tzu.SinceIhadbeenlisteningtothetextforsometime,thisapproachseemedpromising.Withtime,asIdevelopedakinshipwithLieh-tzu,Ibegantofeelwhatitwas

like to think thewayhedid.His teachingswereno longer tied to a language.Sometimes hewould speak in Chinese, sometimes in English, and sometimesnotinanylanguageinparticular.MynexttaskwastofindavoiceforhimintheEnglishlanguage.Howwould

Lieh-tzu speak if he lived in an English-speaking country in our times? Thevoice would be natural, as if he were speaking in a first language and not atranslatedlanguage.Inthisaspect,Iamfortunate,becauseasabilingualpersonwithtwofirstlanguages(EnglishandChinese),Iamusedtoswitchingbackandforthbetween the twolanguageswhenI think.SometimesIwouldevenforgetwhich language Iwas thinking in. To give Lieh-tzu a voice in English, I hadonlytobecomeachannelandlettheLieh-tzucomeoutnaturallyintheEnglishlanguageafter I had totally immersedmyself in its teachings.The emptiermymind, the clearer would be the voice of the text. Thus, opening a text andrevealing its meaning require stillness of mind, quite the opposite of theanalyticalstateofminddemandedintranslationwork.

TheVoiceofLieh-tzu

What, then, is thevoiceof theLieh-tzu?Tome, it isafriendlyvoice,acasualvoice, and not the voice of an all-knowing sage or master. It is the voice ofsomeonewhogivesadvicenotbecauseheisanexpert,butbecausehehasmademistakesandlearnedfromthem.Itcomesfromapersonwhoallowsustolisten.Hespeaks,pauses,andwhenwerespond,hespeaksagain.IdonotgetthesamefeelingwhenIreadtheLao-tzu.Lao-tzuspeaksasasage

who presents his ideas in an organized manner. I can almost imagine himlecturing from a podium. Moreover, when the lecture is over, there is noquestionperiod.Itisuptoustounderstandhim.TheChuangtzuconveysyetadifferentfeeling.Chuangtzuisaneccentricwho

chuckles to himself and is not concerned about being understood. Chuangtzuwanders in a world different from ours, completely removed from everydayaffairs.Helivesinaworldwherethingscomeandgoinfleetingmoments,andthegroundof reality is alwayschanging.Wecancatchaglimpseofhimnowandthen,butitwouldbeimpossibletostayathissideandtalktohim.The Lieh-tzu is different. Lieh-tzu lives in our world. He talks about

experiences we can understand. He speaks about life and death, fortune andmisfortune,gainandloss,thingsweareconcernedwith,andproblemswewanttosolveinourlives.Hetalksaboutthemadraceforwealthandrenownandthehazardsofseekingsocial recognition.Hescornssocialpressureand theemptypursuits of the rich and famous. He talks about friendship, humancommunication,dreams,reality,andlearning.Hespeaksthingswedonotdareto speak of, but when we listen to him, we may smile, laugh, or nod inagreement. The awakening from ignorance is not rude but soft. It is as ifsomeonegentlyshookusandwokeusfromadeepsleep.Thus,whileLao-tzutalksatusandChuangtzutalkstohimself,Lieh-tzuspeakstous.Lieh-tzuasksthekindsofquestionsweaskourselvesregularly:What is life

and death?Why do things run smoothly for some people and not for others?Howcanwedealwithanxietyandfrustrationsinourdailylives?Howcanwelearn more effectively? What is happiness in life? Why are there so manyproblemsinourworld?Arematerialgoodsandsocialgainsworthwhile?Andheguidesusinadirectionwherewemayfindtheanswers.Itisonlywhenwehavefoundouranswerstothesequestionsthatitmakessenseforustothinkaboutthenatureof yin andyang, how these energies interact in theuniverse and inourbodies,howenergycirculatesinthebody,andwhatitisliketomergewiththeTao. In other words, the Lieh-tzu helps us to build the foundations that arenecessaryforthehigherlevelsofTaoisttraining.TheLao-tzu and theChuangtzu talk about the state of enlightenment. They

describe what it is like to merge with the Tao and be filled with theundifferentiatedbreathof theorigin.Wearenot toldhow these sagesattainedenlightenmentorwhat theyhad togo through.Ontheotherhand, theLieh-tzushows us the struggles of a person who tries to become enlightened.We seeLieh-tzufumbleinhisattempts;weseehimlaughingathimself.Weseethekindoftraininghehadtogothroughandtheobstacleshehadtoovercome.Weareshownwhatitislikeonthepathtoenlightenmentratherthanwhatitislikeafterwegetthere.WhileLao-tzuandChuangtzuno longer concern themselveswith theworld

because they have transcended it, Lieh-tzu has to deal with very concreteproblems,thesamekindsofproblemswewouldhavetodealwithifweweretoembark on a spiritual path.He has to contendwith social pressures, financialproblems,thepoliticsofhistimes,andhisownself-doubtandself-centeredness.Lao-tzuandChuangtzudonot tellus theproblems theyencounteredalong thewaytoenlightenment.Whenwemeetthem,theyarealreadyenlightenedpeople,andtheytalkaboutwhatitislikeaftertheyhaveattainedenlightenment.Ontheotherhand,Lieh-tzutalksabouttheprocessofgettingthere.Knowledgeofthe

endstateofspiritualtrainingiscertainlyimportant,butknowledgeofthestepsin the process is invaluable.Moreover, becausewe can relate to the problemsLieh-tzu encountered, we find his enlightenment all the more real andbelievable.TheLao-tzudescribesastateofrealitythatasageexperiences;theChuangtzu

describesastateofmindthatthesageisin;buttheLieh-tzudescribeshowtheenlightened person lives. How many Taoist sages are willing to revealexperiencesoftheirpersonallivesasanexampletoothers?Lieh-tzuisnotafraidtotellusthathespentalongtimelearningfromtheimmortalOldShang.Heisnotafraidtoadmithewasfoolishinthinkinghehadmasteredarcherywhenhehadnot.Evenwhenhewasalreadyateacher,headmittedheenjoyedattentionandflattery.Hiswifewasnotafraidtoscoldhim,andhewasnotfrustratedwithher anger.All these things tell us thatLieh-tzu is avery approachableperson.Wedonotneedtomakeanappointmenttoseehim,andweneednotbeafraidtotellhimourproblemsoradmitourstupidity.IalsofeelthatLieh-tzuisahumblepersonwhodoesnotwanttomakeasplashintheworld.Howmanysages,afterthey have become enlightened, can go back to their homes, help outwith thehousework and cooking, and do not want to be attended by students andadmirers?ManypeopledonottakethestoriesintheLieh-tzuseriouslyandwritethem

offasfairy tales.But it ispreciselybecausesomestoriesaresoremovedfromour everyday reality that they can talk about things we would otherwise findhardtoaccept.IftheLao-tzuispoetryandtheChuangtzuisprose,thentheLieh-tzuisaseriesofcomicstrips.Byexaggeratingtheridiculousaspectsofhumanactions, it portrays the human condition as humorous and pokes fun at socialtaboos.Whenwelaughathumorincomicstrips,weareinessencelaughingatourselves. Thus, while the Lao-tzu is the voice of serious wisdom and theChuangtzu isthevoiceofcrazywisdom,theLieh-tzu isthevoiceofhumorouswisdom.The philosophy in theLao-tzu comes from above us;we can admire it and

hopetofollowit,butitishardtoreach.ThephilosophyintheChuangtzucomesfromaworldthatisverydifferentfromourown;wemaytrytograspit,butitistooelusivetocatch.ThephilosophyintheLieh-tzucomesfromwhereweare.Itspeaks to us at our level and talks about experiences we can relate to andunderstand.Finally, theLieh-tzu isavoicewecanhearnomatterwhereweareorwhat

state ofmindwe are in. Some texts speak only in classrooms.Others presentthemselves best in a mountain retreat. Some texts speak to us when we arefeelingdownandotherswhenwearecalmandpeaceful. I find thatnomatter

whatstateofmind Iam in, theLieh-tzu alwayshassomething tosay.Wecanhearhimspeaking inbusystreetsduringrushhour;wecanhearhimwhenweareworking quietly in our gardens, or taking an eveningwalk, or even in themiddleofawildparty.IamawedbyLao-tzu,baffledbyChuangtzu,butIamneverafraidofLieh-tzu.

AbouttheOrganizationofThisBook

In“opening”a text, the intentionof the teachings is themost important thing.TheLieh-tzu is alreadyorganized intoeight sections, eachwitha theme,but Ifeel thateachsectioncanbesubdividednaturally intounits. Ihaveprovidedatitleforeachunitsothatthereaderwillfinditeasytorereadsectionsandreflecton them selectively. I have found this kind of organization extremely usefulwhenIwanttolistentoselectedpartsofthetext.Whenyouhavereadthebookthroughonce,youwillhaveafeelforeachsectionandeachunit,andyouwillknowwheretofindtheappropriatepassageforyourneeds.IcarryacopyoftheLieh-tzuaroundandithastaughtandadvisedmeatthemostunexpectedtimes.Youmaywanttocarryacopyofitinyourbackpackorbag.Readitwhenyouare sitting in a commuter train. Read it in your tent waiting out a mountainstorm.Read itwhileyouarewaiting foryourplane.Read itby the firesideathome or during a break atwork. Lieh-tzu speaks bestwhen he becomes yourcompanion.Because this is not a translation of theLieh-tzu, I have elaborated on some

partsandamalgamatedothers.Moreover, IhaveomittedsomeChinesenames,especiallythosethataredifficulttopronounce.Inthisway,Ihopethecontinuityof listening to the text will not be disrupted. If Lieh-tzu were to speak to aWestern audience, he would not have used obscure references to events inChinese history or given his characters hard-to-pronounce Chinese names.However, I have kept the names that I feel are integral to maintaining thestructureofthestories.TheLieh-tzuisatextthatteachesushowtolive.Ifthereaderisboggeddownwithnamesandlocationsthatareonlyfamiliartopeoplewholivedinacertaincultureatacertaintime,itdoesnotserveitspurpose.ManypeoplehavecommentedthattheylikedthewaymybookSevenTaoist

MasterspresentedtheteachingsofTaoism;theonlyproblemwasthattheyweredistractedbytoomanyChinesepropernamesthatwerehardtopronounceandremember.SinceSevenTaoistMasterswasatranslation,IfeltobligatedtomakeitascloseaspossibletotheoriginalChinese,thusprobablysacrificingsomeofits effectiveness as a spiritual guide. I thankmy readers for this veryvaluable

feedback.Sincethen,IhavethoughtaboutwaysofpresentingtheteachingsofTaoismsothattheyaremoreaccessibletonon-Chinesereaders.IfeeltheLieh-tzuhasgivenmeanexcellentopportunitytoopentheteachingsofTaoism,notintheformofatranslation,butinlettingthetextspeakforitself.I have found this project of opening the Lieh-tzu extremely enjoyable and

rewarding.Ihavetoadmitittookmoretimeandwasmoredifficultthandoingatranslation,butIfelt theexperiencewaswellworthit.Ihopeyouwillenjoyittoo, and share with me the wonderful experience of listening to one of thegreatestteachersofTaoism.

PartOne/TheGiftsofHeaven

INTRODUCTION

TheancientssaidthatthegiantPan-kucreatedtheworldwhenheseparatedtheskyandearthwithagreatax.Themountainsandseasfellintotheirplaces;grassandtreessproutedfromtheground,andtheanimalsbegantoroamtheearth.Butthere were no humans. Then the goddess Nü took yellow dirt, mixed it withwater from the springs, and fashioned a small figure.When she put it on theground,thislittlethingjumpedandranandmadestrangenoiseswithitsmouth.Itsnameis“humanity.”TheancientChinesesawlifeasagiftfromheavenandrecognizedthatweare

madeofthesamematerialasthemountains,earth,plants,andanimals.Lieh-tzu,whounderstoodthis,said,“Yourbodydoesnotbelongtoyou;itsformwaslentto you by heaven and earth. Your life does not belong to you; it came intoexistencewith the interaction of the energies of heaven and earth.Yourmindandyourspiritarenotyourstocontrol;theyfollowthenaturalwaysofheavenandearth.Yourchildrenandgrandchildrenarenotyourstopossess;theyarebuttheflakesofyourskin,forprocreationwasgrantedtoyoubyheavenandearth.”Sincelifeisanaturalphenomenon,itisbesttoletitbe.Thereisnoneedto

spendtimeandefforttryingtomolditorbinditwithrulesandregulations.Onthe contrary, we should use our time to cultivate ourselves so that we can“wanderandnotknowwherewearegoing,settleandnotknowwhatkeepsus,andeatandnotknowhowwearefed.”Thisiscalled“forgettingyourself,”andtoachievethisstateofmindistoattaintheTao.

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Thatwhichisnotborngivesbirthtoeverything

LIEH-TZUWASahumbleandsincereperson.His thoughtsandactions tellushewas “uncommonly common.” He was unassuming and never displayed hislearning.He liveda simple andquiet life anddidnot competewithothers forrecognition.Therefore,althoughhehadlivedinthekingdomofChengforfortyyears, people in positions of power saw him only as a common citizen.Throughouthislife,Lieh-tzunevermadeanameforhimself.Withouttheburdensandproblemsassociatedwithfameandfortune,Lieh-tzu

couldliveleisurelyandbefreetodowhathelikedandgowherehewanted.ToLieh-tzu,beinganunknowncitizenwasbetterthanbeingapersonofpowerandresponsibility.Inatimewhenpoliticiansplayedgamesofintrigue,Lieh-tzufeltitwasbettertoremainsilentandbetruthfultooneself.Ofcourse, therearecertain things thatevenawisesagecannotescape.But,

notbeingboundbycustomandsocialconvention,Lieh-tzuwasabletodealwithadversitymuchbetterthananyoneelse.Oneyear,afamineoccurredinCheng,andLieh-tzudecidedtomovetothekingdomofWeitoseeifhecouldmakealivingthere.Moreover,hethoughtthiswouldgivehimanopportunitytotraveltoanunknowncountryandbroadenhislearning.WhileLieh-tzuwaspreparingtoleave,agroupofhisstudentscametohim.

Theywereworried that their teachermight leave them for a long time. TheyknewLieh-tzudidnotfollowanyroutine,and,ifthemoodsuitedhim,hemightwander for months or years before returning. Therefore, they wanted theirteachertogivethemsomewordsofwisdombeforehedeparted.Lieh-tzuwasnotapersongiventocasualchatting.Afterhisstudentsbegged

him tirelessly for half a day, he finally said, “Think about this. Oldman skyneversaysaword,butwecanseethateverythinghasitsplaceintheuniverse.Naturehas a lot to teachus.Allyouneed is toopenyour eyes and look.Thechanges you see in nature follow a course. The four seasons behave in aregulated way. In truth, all human matters follow the same principles as theworkingsofheavenandearth.Whatmoreisthereformetosay?”

His studentswere not satisifed and continued to pester himwith questions.Onestudentsaid,“Sir,evenifyoufeelthereisnothingforyoutosay,youcanatleast tell us what your teacher Hu-tzu taught you.” Lieh-tzu was silent for awhile.Thenhesmiledandsaid,“Actually,myteacherHu-tzudidnotsaymuch.He told us to let everything go according to its natural way. However, I didrememberafewthingshementionedtosomeofmyfellowstudents. I’llsharethemwithyounow.”HereiswhatMasterHu-tzutaught:Therearemanythingsintheuniversethatwedon’tunderstand.Forexample,

some plants and animals require help from others to grow and survive,whileothers don’t.We humans rely on plants and animals for food.We also needsomeofour community to farm the landand raise the livestock to sustain therestofus.Ontheotherhand,cacticangrowinthemosthostileconditionsanddonotneedmuchsupporttosurvive.Ingeneral,thosethatdonotdependontheexternalenvironmentforsupportwillfinditeasiertosurvivethanthosethatdo.Theywillnotdiewhentheirsupportingenvironmentdisappears.However,weshouldnot lookdownon thosewhoneed todependonothers

forsurvival.Weshouldletthemgrownaturallyintheirownway,fortheirmodeoflivinghasitsplaceinmaintainingthebalanceoftheuniverse.Ifwetriedtochangetheirwayoflife,wewouldupsetthebalanceofthings,andtheorderoftheuniversewouldbedisturbed.All things have their place in the universe, whether it is active or passive,

movingornotmoving.Theyfulfilltheirfunctionintheworldsimplybybeingwhat they are. Everything plays a part in the process of creating, nourishing,transforming, and destroying. The creation of one thing is the destruction ofanother,andthedestructionofonethingisthecreationofanother.Inthisway,lifecarriesonintheuniverse.Ineverymomentthereisbirthanddeathandthereiscomingandgoing.Thisprocessneverstops.

THEBOOKOFTHEYELLOWEMPERORsays,“TheValleySpiritthatdoesnotdieistheMysterious Female. It is the foundation of heaven and earth. It continuesforever and cannot be used up.”Because the valley is hollow, it can hold thespirit, itcanembrace,anditcannourish.Becausethevalleyisempty, it isnotsubject to birth and death. To transcend birth and death is to enter into theLimitless(wu-chi)andbeatonewiththeoriginofheavenandearth.TheGateof theMysteriousFemale iswhereall thingsarecreated.Andyet

heavenandeartharesaidtobebornfromthenot-born.Thisiswhatismeantby“thatwhichisnotborngivesbirthtoeverything,”fortheMysteriousFemaleisthat which is not-born. Its origins belong to the realm of nondifferentiation,

where there is neither birth nor death.Because it is never born, it never dies.Because it never dies, its energy lasts forever. It is in heaven and earth, andheavenandearthdonotknowit.Itisinallthings,yetallthingsdonotrecognizeit.Ifweunderstandthatbirthanddeatharepartofthenaturalorderofthings,we

willknowthatourlivescannotbecontrolledbyourownefforts,andcomingandgoingarenotourowndoing.Atbirth,wetakeashapeandform;ingrowth,weundergodevelopmentandchange;andwhenourcoursehasrunout,wedissolveandreturntowherewewerebeforewewereborn.Ifweknowtheorderofthings,wewillunderstandthatwhenintelligenceand

wisdomhave reached their zenith, theywill begin to fade anddecay.The riseand fall of shapes, colors, thoughts, and feelings are not subject to control.Becausewedon’tknowwhencetheycomeorwhere theygo,wecanonlysaythateverythingthatisborncomesfromthenot-born.

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Allthingsareconnectedandcomefromthesameorigin

LIEH-TZU FELT that his students did not quite understand what he said, so hecontinued:“Theancientsagesusedyinandyangtotalkaboutthenatureofthings.They

describedchangesinheavenandearthastheinteractionofyinandyang.Theysaid that theNamelessgivesbirth to theNamedand that theoriginofheavenand earth lies in that nebulous and unfathomable realm where all things areundifferentiatedfromeachother.“Howdo thingsemerge from thisunfathomableandundifferentiated realm?

They go through four stages: the Primal Oneness, the Primal Emerging, thePrimalBeginning,andthePrimalSubstance.“The Primal Oneness is the state in which all things are undivided and

undifferentiated.Thereisnosubjectandobject,noshapeandform.InthePrimalEmerging, thePrimordialVapor (ch’i) coversheavenandearth.Yin andyanghave not divided, and everything lieswithin the embrace of theVapor. In thePrimal Beginning, yin and yang divide, and their interaction produces limitedbut identifiable shapes and forms. In the stageof thePrimalSubstance, thingshave not only assumed definite shapes and forms but have taken on qualities.Theyarehardorsoft,lightorheavy,movingorstill.“Although each thing is said to have its own essence of life, shape, and

quality, these three entities are inseparable. They are all connected to theundifferentiatedorigin.Despiteallapparentdifferences,allthingsareconnectedwitheachotherandwiththeirorigin,theTao.“TheTao is formlessandcannotbeseenorheard.Whatweseeorhearare

onlythemanifestationsoftheTao.Thatiswhytheancientssaid,“Trytoseeitanditisnotthere;trytohearit,andthereisnothing.”BecausetheTaocannotbegraspedbyourmundanesenses, it isfutileforustouseordinaryperceptiontodiscovertheTao.ThePrimalOriginhasnoessence,noform,andnosubstance.From itsundifferentiatedoneness, it divides intounaccountablemyriad things,

andyetinaninstant,allthingscanreturntotheoriginaloneness.“In thePrimalBeginning, the pure and light vapor rises to becomeheaven,

andthemuddyandheavyvaporsinkstobecomeearth.Itisfromtheharmoniousinteraction between the pure and the muddy, the light and the heavy, thathumanity came into being. Thus,we are products of the vapor born from thecopulation of heaven and earth.We are interconnectedwith all things—plantsandanimals,heavenandearth—becauseallthingstracetheiroriginstoandowetheirexistencetothePrimalOneness.”

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Heavenandearthhavetheirstrengthsandweaknesses

LIEH-TZUSAID:“Althoughweoweourexistencetoheavenandearth,wecannotsaytheyare

all-powerful, because heaven and earth cannot do everything. Similarly,althoughthesagescantellusaboutthepastandshowusthefuture,theyarenotall-knowing.“The skyprovidescoverand shelterbut cannot support andhold.Theearth

providessupportbutdoesnotcoverandshelter.Thisiswhywesaythatheavenandearthhavetheirstrengthsandweaknesses.“Theroleofheavenistocover,theroleoftheearthistosupport,andtherole

of the sage is to teachand inspire.All thingshave their function,and to forcethem todo something theywerenotmeant todowouldgoagainst thenaturalwayof things.Thatwhichcangive shelter cannotprovide support, thatwhichcan give support cannot teach and inspire, and those who teach and inspirecannotmakethingsbehavecountertotheirfunction.Thisisthenaturalwayofthe universe. In thisway, humanity can be taught, earth can be sheltered, andheaven can be supported. Understand this, and youwill see that stillness andmovement are simplyqualities of things, just as roundness and squareness arekindsofshapes.Noonethingismorevaluablethananother,andnoonepersonismoreworthythananother.“Theworkingsofheavenandearthdonotdepart from theprinciplesofyin

andyang.The teachingsof thesagescanbesummedupbyvirtueand justice.Allthingscanbeclassifiedaseitherhardorsoft.Inthisway,everythingfollowsits natural course and fulfills its natural function. Therefore,we can concludethattherearethosewhoarebornandthosewhogivebirth;thereareshapesandthose thatmold shape; there are sounds and those thatmake sound; there arecolors and those thatmakecolor; and there are flavors and those thatproduceflavor. In fact, when something that is born dies, that which gave it lifecontinues.While formedshapesareconcreteand real, thatwhichshaped them

doesnotexist.Whilesoundsareheard, thatwhichmadethesoundhasnotyetbegun to resonate.Whilecolorsareseen, thatwhichdoes thecoloringhasnotappeared.Flavorshavebeentasted,butthatwhichproducedtheflavorshasnotrevealeditself.Theseareallexamplesoftheabsenceofeffort.“If youunderstandwhat itmeans tobe effortless, then there is nothingyou

cannotdo.Youcanbeyinoryang,hardorsoft,shortorlong,roundorsquare,hotorcold;youcanliveordie,floatorsink,strikeahighpitchorlow,appearordisappear,takeoncolorationsofblackoryellow,becomesweetorbitter,andbefragrantorpungent.Byknowinganddoingnothing,youcanknowall anddoall.”

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Lifeanddeath

LIEH-TZULEFThishomeinChengandjourneyedtothekingdomofWei.Whilewalkingdownadustyroad,hesawtheremainsofaskulllyingbythewayside.Lieh-tzusawthatitwastheskullofahumanthatwasoverahundredyearsold.He picked up the bone, brushed the dirt off it, and looked at it for a while.Finally,heputtheskulldown,sighed,andsaidtohisstudentwhowasstandingnearby,“Inthisworld,onlyyouandIunderstandlifeanddeath.”Turningtotheskullhesaid,“Areyouunfortunatetobedeadandarewefortunatetobealive?Maybeitisyouwhoarefortunateandwewhoareunfortunate!”Lieh-tzu then said to his student, “Many people sweat and toil and feel

satisfiedthattheyhaveaccomplishedmanythings.However,intheendwearenot all that different from this polished piece of bone. In a hundred years,everyoneweknowwillbejustapileofbones.Whatistheretogaininlife,andwhatistheretoloseindeath?”Theancientsknewthatlifecannotgoonforever,anddeathisnottheendof

everything.Therefore,theyarenotexcitedbytheeventoflifenordepressedbytheoccurrenceofdeath.Birthanddeatharepartof thenaturalcycleof things.Onlythosewhocanseethroughtheillusionsof lifeanddeathcanberenewedwithheavenandearthandagewiththesun,moon,andstars.

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Shadows,sounds,andghosts

THEACTIONOFonethingproduceseffectsonanother.Inauniverseinwhichallthings are interconnected, this is just natural. Thus, a shape and its shadow, asound and its echo are always together.When there is action, there is effect.Whenthereiseffect,thereisaresponseinaction.TheBookof theYellowEmperor says,“Whena shapemoves, itproducesa

shadow, not another shape.When a sound resonates, it produces an echo, notanothersound.Stillnessdoesnotgeneratestillnessbutmovement.”Althoughthingsdifferinappearance,theyallcomefromthesameoriginand

willreturntothesamesource.Somethingsmaylingerlongerthanothers,butallthingswilleventuallyreturntowhattheywerebeforetheycameintoexistence.People use the words “beginning” and “end” to describe the start and end ofthings. However, “beginning” is really the event of coming together whenenergygathers,and“end” is simply thedissolutionof thatenergy.Thatwhichcametogethercaneasilydissolveifconditionsbecomeunfavorable.Thatwhichhas dissolved may come together again if the circumstances are appropriate.Therefore,whoistosaythatthereisabeginningandanend?Life and death follow a natural course, and we should let it come and go

accordingly.Theproblemformanypeopleisthatwhenit’stimetogo,theystillhangon,andwhenit’stimeforsomethingtocomeintotheworld,theypreventit.Thisisgoingagainstthenaturalorderofthings.Thatiswhytheancientssaythatwhatmustcomewillcome,andwhatmustgowillgo.Peopletrytoohardtomake thingshappenornothappen,because theydonotunderstand thenaturalorderofthings.Theybelievetheycancontroltheoutcomeofthings,andintheend,afteralotofeffort,theyfindtheirhardworkproducestheoppositeeffect.Our spirit is theproduct of heaven andourbones are theproductsof earth.

When the twocannotbe togetheranymore,eachwill return to itssource.Thatwhich ispureand lightwill riseand float toheaven,and thatwhich ismuddyandheavywillsinkandbeabsorbedintoearth.Whenthishappens,wesaythatapersonhasbecomeaghost. InChinese, theword forghost iskuei,whichalso

means “return.”Thus, becoming aghostmeans returning toheaven and earth.Therefore,deathisnottheendofthings,butareturntotheorigin.Atdeath,thecomponentsmakingupapersongotheirownway,returningtowhattheywerebeforetheybecamepartsofaperson.Ourtimeinthisworldisajourneythroughthecyclewecalllife.Asguests,

we lingerforawhile in this realmbeforewedepart foranother.Andwhocantell how long this traveler will stay in the next realm before embarking onanothervisittotherealmoftheliving?

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Thestagesoflife

WE CANDIVIDE the life spanof a person into four periods: infancy, youth, oldage,anddeath.Ineachoftheseperiods,majorchangesoccur.In infancy, our blood is strong and our energy is plentiful.Mind and body,

thought and action are one. Everythingwe do is in harmonywith the naturalorder.The infant isnotaffectedby things thathappenaroundhim.Virtueandethicscannotrestrainhiswill.Nakedandfreeofsocialconventions,hefollowsthenaturalpathoftheheart.In youth, our blood rises and becomes volatile. Desire, worry, and anxiety

increase.Externalcircumstancesnowdirect the riseand fallofemotions.Willand intentionbecomeconstrainedbysocialconventions.Competition,conflict,and scheming are the norm in interactions with people. The approval anddisapprovalofothersbecomeimportant,and thehonestandsincereexpressionofthoughtsandfeelingsislost.Inoldage, thestrengthofourbloodbegins todecline.Consequently,desire

andworryalsoweaken.Comparedtotheyouthfulyears,wearemorepeacefulandateasewithourselves.Socialconventionsandexternalinfluenceshavelessimpact on us becausewe are no longer interested in heroics and competition.Althoughtheolderpersonisnotasharmoniouswiththenaturalorderofthingsastheinfant,heiscertainlymoretruthfultohimselfthanwhenhewasayouth.At death, everything returns to stillness.At this time,we knownothing, do

nothing,andfeelnothing.Ourenergyisagainunitedwithitssource.Confuciusalsotalkedaboutstagesinlife.Hedividedlife intothreeperiods.

Hesaid,“Inyouth,ourbloodandenergyareunstable.Therefore,inthisperiodweneedtotameoursexualdesire.Inmaturity,ourbloodandenergyarestrongandaggressive.Therefore,inthisstageoflife,weneedtotameourcompetitivenature.Inoldage,ourbloodandenergyareweak.Therefore,inourfinalyears,weneedtodissolveourattachmenttothings.”Both the Taoists and the Confucianists give valuable insights into human

nature and the changes that occur in our lifetime. For the Confucianists, the

importantthingistounderstandwhatmustbedoneineachperiodoflifesothatwe can be useful to society, live honorably, and interact harmoniously withothers.FortheTaoists,theimportantthingistounderstandthatinfancy,youth,oldage,anddeatharestagesof life thatwemustpass through.Understandingthis, we can accept the changes we go through and view them as a naturalsequenceofeventsinthecycleofbirthanddeath.

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Lifeishardwork,deathisrest

CONFUCIUS AND HIS STUDENTS passed through the village of Cheng when theywenttoseethesightsofMountT’ai.Inthevillagetheysawamanwanderingaroundsingingandplayingalute.Themanhadadeerskinforacoatandaropeforabelt.Heseemedhappyandcarefreeashewalkedandsang.Confuciuswascuriousaboutwhy themanwas sohappyandcontented.He

walkeduptohimandsaid,“Sir,whyareyousohappywithlife?”Themanreplied,“Therearemanyreasonsformetobehappy.First,ofallthe

thingscreatedintheuniverse,onlyhumanityisblessedwiththegiftofwisdom.Sinceitismyfortunetobeahuman,thisisareasonformetobehappy.Second,inmysociety,menseemtohavemoreprivilegesthanwomen.SinceIamaman,thisisanotherreasonformetobehappy.Third,notmanypeoplelivelonglives.Yet I am gifted with health and a life span of ninety years. This is the thirdreasonformetobehappy.Finally,Idon’tcarewhetherIamrichorpoor,andIknowthatbirthanddeatharebutthenaturalorderofthings.Whilemanypeopleareworriedaboutbeingpoorandareafraidofdying,Iamnotbotheredbythesethings.ThatiswhyIamalwayshappy.”After hearing this, Confuciuswas impressed.He turned to his students and

said,“Now,hereisawisemanwhoknowshowtocopewithlife!”Onanotheroccasion,whenConfuciuswasontheroadtothekingdomofWei,

hemetahermitwhowasatleastahundredyearsold.Inthewarmthofspring,thismanwaswearingafurcoatandwasgatheringgrainthathadbeendroppedbythefarmersinthefields.Themanwassingingasheworked.Confuciusobservedhimforawhile,andthensaidtohisstudents,“Thisold

manisquiteapersonandshouldbewellworthtalkingto.Whowouldliketogoandseewhathehastosay?”Tzu-kungvolunteeredandwalkedtowardtheembankmentalongthefield.He

waited for the old man to approach, and when they were within speakingdistance,Tzu-kungsaid,“Sir,youareoldandtired,andyoustillhavetotoilandsweattomakealiving.Youhaveallmysympathy!”TheoldmanignoredTzu-

kung’sremarkandcontinuedalongthefield,pickingupgrainsandsinging.Tzu-kung realized somethingwaswrong, sohe caughtupwith theoldman

andapologized.TheoldmanthenlookedatTzu-kungandsaid,“WhyamIsopathetic that you should feel sorry forme?”Tzu-kungventured to say, “Well,sir,Ithoughtmaybeyoudidnotworkhardwhenyouwereyoung,andinyouradultyearsyoudidnotcaretomakeanameforyourself.Asaresult,youhavenowife and children to look after you.Now you are getting old and death isnear.Youlaughandsing,andyoudon’tevenrealizethatyouhavewastedthebestyearsofyourlife.”The oldman smiled and said to Tzu-kung, “I laugh and sing because I am

happy.Thinkabout this. If Ihadpassedmyyouthfulyears strainingbodyandmind,andifIhadspentallmyenergycompetingwithothersinmyadultyears,IwouldnothavelivedtobeahundredandbeashealthyasIamnow.Asfornothavingafamily,allthebetter.Inthisway,IwillnothavetoworryabouttheirlivelihoodwhenIdie.IcanevenlookforwardtothedaywhenIdie.CanyoutellmewhyIshouldn’tbehappy?”Tzu-kungrepliedatonce:“Towanttoliveandtobeafraidofdeatharepartof

humannature.Youseemtobehappytodie.Idon’tunderstandthat.”Theoldmansaid,“Deathandlifearecyclesofgoingandcoming.Whenwe

leaveoneworld,maybewewillbeborninanotherworld.Whichisbetter,lifeordeath?Itishardtotell.Nowthen,whyshouldwemakeithardforourselvesinthisworldwhenwedon’tevenknowwhetherwearebetterofflivingordying?”AfterTzu-kung heard thesewords, hewas very confused.Hewent back to

Confuciusandrelatedeverythingtheoldmanhadsaid.Confuciusonlynodded,“Justas Ihad thought. Itwasworth findingoutwhat thisoldmanhad to say.Fromhisobservations,itappearshehasfoundhisanswersinlife,buthehasnotfoundeverything.”It was at this time that Tzu-kung grew tired of his studies and thought

everything he did was futile. He went to Confucius and told his teacher hewantedtotakearest.Confuciussaid,“Aslongasyouliveyouwillnotrest.”“ThenthereisnoplacewhereIcanfindrestfrommywork?”Confuciussmiledamysterioussmileandsaid,“Yes,thereareactuallyplenty

of placeswhere you can find rest. Look carefully in the graveyards, the deepvalleys,andthehighmounds.Theseareallplacesofrest.”Tzu-kungthenexclaimed,“Oh,nowIknowwhythoseofuswhoare living

cannotknowwhat itmeans to rest,because rest isonly for thedead.Death isindeed something great! The contented person finds rest in death, and for thegreedyperson,deathputsanendtohislonglistofdesires.”

Confuciusthensaidtohisstudent,“Itlookslikeyouhavefinallyunderstoodwhatismeantby‘lifeishardwork,anddeathisrest.’Mostpeoplethinklivingisahappybusiness,buttheydon’trealizethatsometimeslivingismoredifficultthandying.Similarly,manypeoplethinkoldagebringslonelinessanddespair,buttheydon’trealizethatsometimesinoldagetheycanrecoverthecarefreeandhappylifeoftheirchildhood.Theyonlyknowthatdeathissomethinghorrible,buttheydon’trealizethatdeathisarestfromhardlabors.”The sage Yen-tzu also understood the meaning of death. He said, “The

ancients said that for persons who cultivated body and mind, and who arevirtuousandhonorable,deathisanexperienceofliberation,along-awaitedrestfromalifetimeoflabors.Deathhelpstheunscrupulouspersontoputanendtothemiseryofdesire.Death,then,foreveryone,isakindofhomecoming.Thatiswhytheancientsagesspeakofadyingpersonasapersonwhois‘goinghome’Ontheotherhand,alivingpersonisatravelingperson.Normally,ifatravelerfails to find home when his journeys are over, everyone will agree that thisperson has lost hisway.However, in the journey of life,many travelers onlyknowhowtowanderbutdonotknowhowtoreturnhome.Andyetpeopledonotseethatthesetravelershavelikewiselosttheirway.“If aman leaves his family and his livelihood andwanders far fromhome,

everyonewill sayhe is crazyand irresponsible.However, if amanappears touse his skill and intelligence to make a name for himself, and ensures thateverybodyrecognizeshisachievements,heisregardedasagreatman.Actually,bothmenhavestrayed from their truenature.Only the sagescan tellwhohaslosttheiroriginalnatureandwhohasretainedit.”

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Thevalueofemptiness

SOMEONEASKEDLieh-tzu,“Whydoyouvalueemptiness?”Lieh-tzu said, “Most people like to be praised. They feel good when their

accomplishmentsareacknowledged.However, I feelwewouldbebetteroff ifwewereemptyofattachmentsandnotimprisonedbyrecognition,approval,anddisapproval.Inthelongrun,we’dhavefewerthingstoworryabout.That’swhyIvalueemptiness.”Lieh-tzupausedandthencontinued,“Evenifyouweregivencreditfordoing

something, you should realize that itwas not entirely your owndoing.Eventsoccurbecauseconditionsareright,andyouractiononlycontributestooneofthemanyconditions.Weareaccustomedtothinkingthatwhenthingshappen,theyareour‘accomplishments’;wedon’tunderstandthatthereisactuallynothingtoaccomplish.Therefore,ratherthanacceptcreditthatdoesnotbelongtoanyone,whynotquietdownandthinkabouttheworkingsofheavenandearth?“Seeing the emptiness of things can help us cultivate stillness and peace of

mind. If you do not know how to keep still in this crazy world, you will bedrawnintoallkindsofunnecessarytrouble.YouwillloseyourviewoftheWay,and,whenyourealizeit,itwillbetoolate,forinlosingtheWay,youwillhavealsolostyourself.”Chuang-tzuonce toldastoryabout twopersonswhoboth lostasheep.One

persongotverydepressedandlosthimselfindrinking,sex,andgamblingtotryto forget this misfortune. The other person decided that this would be anexcellentchanceforhimtostudytheclassicsandquietlyobservethesubtletiesofnature.Bothmenexperiencedthesamemisfortune,butonemanlosthimselfbecause he was too attached to the experience of loss, while the other foundhimselfbecausehewasabletoletgoofgainandloss.

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Arethingsgrowingordecaying?

HEAVENANDEARTHarealwayschanging.However,becausethesechangesaresoslow,wemistakenlythinktheydonotoccur.Whensomethingrises,somethingelse will fall. When something grows, something else will decay. Whensomethingdisappears,somethingelseemerges.Thisisthebalanceofthings.Ifthere isonlygrowthandnodecay, theworldwillbeoverpopulated,be itwithpeople, animals, or vegetation. If there is only decay and no growth, lifewilldisappear. For the world to continue there must be a balance of growth anddecay.Ifweinterferewiththenaturalorderofthingsbytryingtocontrolgrowthanddecay,thebalanceoftheuniversewillbelost.Onlywhenthingsarelefttotheirnaturalwaywillthebalancebemaintained.Thevaporsofheavenandeartharenotgatheredinoneinstance.Mountains,

seas, valleys, and rivers are not made or destroyed in one day. Changes inheavenandearthoccurallthetime.Butbecausethechangesaresogradual,thetimebetweenthecomingandgoingofthingsisoftenimperceptibletous.The appearance of a person also changes all the time. From childhood to

death,thecolorofthehair,thefacialfeatures,skintexture,andevenintelligencearealwayschanging.Again,becausethechangesaresogradual,weareunawareofthemoccurring.Weonlyseetheresultsofthechangeafterthefactandtheninferthatchangesmusthaveoccurred.

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Worryingthattheskywillfall

INTHEKINGDOMOFCh’itherelivedanoldmanwhowasafraidtheskywouldfallandtheearthwouldbreakup.Hereasonedthatifthathappened,hewouldhavenowheretohide,andhewouldsurelydie.Hewassoworkedupaboutitthathecouldneithereatnorsleep.Afriendtriedtoreasonwithhimthattherewasnothingtoworryabout.The

friendsaid,“Heavenisonlytheaccumulationofvapor.Thisvaporsurroundsus.We breathe it, we walk through it, and we stretch our bodies inside it.Whywoulditfalldown?”Theoldmanwasstilluneasy.“Whataboutthesunandmoon?Evenifthesky

ismadeofvaporandwillnotfalldown,themoonandthesuncanstillfalldownandcrushus.”“The sun and themoon are alsomadeof vapor.Theonly difference is that

they hold different light. Even if they fall, vapor and light are not heavy, andtheywillnotcrushus.”Theoldmanwasstillworried.“Butwhatabouttheearth?Itmaybreakupand

disappear.”“Theearth ismadeofgrainsanddirt.Dirt iseverything.Wewalkon it,we

jumponit,wesleeponit,wesitonit,andyetitdoesnotgiveway.Whywoulditbreakup?”Theoldmanwasfinallysatisfied.Feelingthateverythingwassecureandsafe,

he was happy again. His friend was glad too, knowing that he had helpedsomeonegetridofneedlessworries.When the hermit Ch’ang-lu heard about this incident, he laughed and said,

“Rainbows,clouds,mist,wind,rain,andthechangesinthefourseasonsareallformed from vapor accumulated in heaven.Mountains, rivers, seas, minerals,metal,andstoneareallformedfromtheaccumulationofmatterontheearth.Ifeverythinginheavenandearthismadeofvaporanddirt,whoistosaythattheycannotbedamagedordestroyed?Forsure,heaveniswideandearthisgreat,buttheyarenotpermanent.However,iftheyweretoperish,itwouldbeaeonsfrom

now. The man of Ch’i who worried about their destruction is probably tooconcernedaboutthingsinthedistantfuture,but,ontheotherhand,heisactuallynotascrazyaswethinkheis.”WhenLieh-tzuheardthishechuckled,“MasterCh’ang-luthinksheavenand

earth can be destroyed. I thinkhe iswrong. It’s nonsense even to think aboutwhetherheavenandearthcanorcannotbedestroyed.Whethertheywillperishornot is somethingwedon’tknow. Ifheavenandearthwillnotperish, that’sgreat.Wecanliveourliveswithoutworry.However,if theywillperish,that’ssomethingwecan’tdomuchabout,sowhyworryaboutit?Whilewelive,wedon’t knowwhat it’s like to be dead. Likewise, whenwe are dead, we don’tknowwhatit’sliketobealive.Thosewhowerejustbornwon’tknowthatit’slikeforthosewholivedbeforethem.Similarly,thosewholivedbeforeuscouldnot knowwhat it’s like to be in our times.Therefore,why let the question ofwhetherheavenandearthwillperishoccupyourminds?”

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Lifethatisborrowed,wealththatisstolen

KINGSHUNASKEDhisminister,“CanIpossessthewayofheavenandearthandmakeitgoaccordingtomywishes?”Hisminister replied, “Even your body is not your own; how can you think

aboutbendingthewayofheavenandearthtoyourwill?”“Ifmybodydoesnotbelongtome,thentowhomdoesitbelong?”“Yourbodydoesnotbelongtoyou; itsformwaslent toyoubyheavenand

earth. Your life does not belong to you; it came into existence with theinteractionoftheenergiesofheavenandearth.Yourmindandyourspiritarenotyourstocontrol;theyfollowthenaturalwayofheavenandearth.Yourchildrenandgrandchildrenarenotyourstopossess;theyarelikeflakesofyourskin,forprocreationwasgrantedtoyoubyheavenandearth.“Apersonwhounderstandsthistruthisonewhoisnotboundbytheideasof

whatamindisandwhatabodyis.Forgettinghisbody,hecantravelanywherein the world without knowing where he goes. Forgetting his mind, he cansucceed ineverythinghedoesbecausehedoesnot thinkabouthowit isdone.He follows the way of heaven, going when he needs to go, staying withoutknowingwhatmadehimstay,andeatingwithoutknowinghowheisfed.“Lifeisbutthecomingtogetheroftheenergiesofheavenandearth,andthe

sourceoftheseenergieshasnobeginningandnoend.Howcanoneeverpossessthewayofheavenandearth?”

INTHEKINGDOMofCh’ilivedaveryrichmanbythenameofKuo.InthelandofSung therewasaverypoormanby thenameofHsiang.Seeing thewealthofKuo,Hsiangdecidedtopaythewealthymanavisittoseeifhecouldlearnhowtogetrich.Kuosaid,“Actually,thereisnotmuchtohow1gotrich.Isimplystole.Inthe

first year, I made enough to be self-sufficient. In the second year, I startedgettingrich.Bythethirdyear,Ihadsavedupanenormouswealth.Sincethen,Ihavebeenabletohelpotherswhoareinneed.”

Whenthepoormanheardthishewasdelighted.HelatchedontotheideaofstealinganddidnotbothertoaskKuotoexplainthedetailsofhowhestole.Hsiangstarted tryinghis skillsat stealing.Heclimbedoverwallsandbroke

intohouses.Hehelpedhimself toanythinghecouldlayhishandson.Soonhehadaccumulatedagoodbitofwealth.However,onetimehewascaught.Hewaspunishedseverelyandallhisstolen

goodswereconfiscated.Pooragain,andangryatKuoforgivinghimbadadvice,hewenttoaccusetherichmanoftrickinghim.UponseeingHsiang,Kuogreetedhimsincerelyandaskedhowhewasfaring.

Hsiangangrily told the richmanhowhehad followedhisexampleof stealingandhowithadendedindisaster.Kuosighedandsaid,“YouneveraskedmewhatIstoletomakemyselfrich.

Youheardtheword‘steal,’formedyourownideas,andwentaboutdoingityourway. Of course you ended up in trouble. Let me tell you what I stole to getwealthy.“Ihaveheardthatthefourseasonshavebountifulgifts.SoIstolesomegifts

ofthespringrainandthesummerwarmthformycrops.Ialsoknowtheriversandlakeshavealotofwealth,soIstolesomefishformyfishpondandsomewaterfowlformyduckfarm.Iknowtheearthhasmuchtogive,soIstolesomeearth to build shelters for myself and my livestock. I know the woods haveplentyofriches,sonowandthenIstolesomewildgameforfood.Water,soil,animals,andcropsallbelongtoheavenandearth.Idonotpossessanyofthem.Neitherdoesanyoneelse.That’swhy I said I stole them tomakemyself rich.WhenIstealfromheavenandearth,thereisnoretribution,becauseIknowthatnooneowns these things.You,on theotherhand, are foolish enough to stealotherpeoplesproperty.Youtookgold,jewels,silk,andgrainthatbelongedtopeople.Thatiswhyyouwerepunishedbythelawsofhumanity.”HsiangfeltthatKuowastrickinghimagain.Ashelefttherichman’shome,

hemet the sage Tung-kuo.Hsiang asked for an explanation ofKuo’s speech.Thelearnedmansaid,“Kuodidnotstealinthecommonsenseoftheword.Heunderstoodthatthegiftsofheavenandeartharethereforhimtouse,althoughhe knows he cannot call them his own. He used the word ‘stealing’ tomean‘takingwithouttheneedtoask.’You,ontheotherhand,donotknowthistruth,andyourignorancecausedyoualotofgrief.”

PartTwo/TheYellowEmperor

INTRODUCTION

If lifegoesaccordingtoourwishes,wefeelhappy.Themomentthingsdonotgo ourway,we are annoyed.That iswhyonly thosewho are not affected byexternalcircumstanceswillalwaysbecalm.Theyfollowthenaturalwayandarenotcontrolledbytheirreactionstohappeningsaroundthem.TheYellowEmperorvisitedamythical landwhere therewasneither leader

nor government. The people lived according to the natural way andwere notexcited about birth or anxious about death. Everyone possessed incredibleabilitiesandcouldstayunderwaterandnotdrownorwalkthroughfireandnotbe burned. Having reached the point where they could completely forgetthemselves, theywere freed from the limitations of body andmind and couldrideonthewindandfloatwiththeclouds.Thetranscendenceofmindandbodyyieldsabilitiesthatwouldappearstrange

toordinarypeople.Infact,someonewhocouldwalkthroughfireorstayunderwaterwouldbeconsideredtohavemagicalpowers,andmanywouldgiveordoanythingtoacquiretheseabilities.Theydonotknowthatsuchskillsaretheby-productoflettinggoofbodyandmindandmergingwiththelawsofnature.Lettinggobeginswithseeingthroughtheillusionofexternalformsandsocial

conventions.Thosewhoarenot attached to themundanemattersof theworldwillnotbeaffectedbysocialpressure,emotions,anddesire.Theyknowthewayof heaven and are not bound by ideas of good and bad, right andwrong, andbeautyandugliness.Finally, transcending mind and body requires discipline and patience, and

whenitisaccomplished,onlytheenlightenedindividualwillknowthatheorshehas attained enlightenment. Without publicity or fanfare, enlightened beingscontinue their lives as ordinary people and live out the rest of their days insimplicity and contentment, unknown to the world and unaffected by itsconventions.

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TheYellowEmperorvisitstheimmortallands

AFTERHE HAD RULED for fifteen years, theYellowEmperor looked aroundhiscountry toseewhathehaddone.Whenhesawthathissubjects respectedandlovedhim,hewasdelighted.He felt he couldnow turnhis energies to takingcareofhimself.Retiring from the duties of government, theYellowEmperor decided to do

thingstopleasehisbodyandmind.Heatethebestfoods,hadthebestmusiciansentertainhim,slept late,anddidwhathefeltwasenjoyable.However,as timewent on, his skin darkened, his senses were dulled, he got bored, and hisintelligencewasslowed.Evenhisemotionsgotoutofcontrol.So, for the next fifteen years, he took a different approach to life. He quit

satisfyinghissensesandputallhisenergies intogoverninghiscountry.Everydayheworkedhardandwasanxiousthathewouldnotbeagoodruler.Astimewenton,hisphysicalhealthandmentalstategotworse.Hisskinbecameevendarker,hissensesgotmoredulled,hismindgotevenweaker,andhisemotionsbecamemorevolatile.Seeingwhathehadgottenhimselfinto,theYellowEmperorsighedandsaid,

“Ipamperedmyself toomuch, and thenpushedmyself toohard.Nowonder Ilostmyhealthandmyinnerpeace.”Afterthis,theYellowEmperordecidedtotakearestfromcourtlife.Hefelt

heneededtimetothink,sohelefttheimperialcourtandlivedinasimplehutinacornerofthepalacegrounds.Hedismissedhisservantsanddistancedhimselffrom fancy foods, good music, and companionship. He stilled his mind anddisciplined his body. For three months, he stayed away from the affairs ofgovernment.Oneday,whiledozingintheafternoon,theYellowEmperorhadadream.He

dreamedhehadjourneyedtoamythicalkingdomintheWest.Theseimmortallandsweresofarawayfromhisowncountry thathecouldonlyget there inadreamstate.In thismythical land, therewereno leadersandno teachers, fornoonewas

wiser than another. Not excited about life nor anxious about death, everyonelived a full and contented life. The people there did not have prejudices orpreferencesanddidnotknowhow to loveorhate.Theydidnotknowwhat itmeanstofeelattractionorrepulsion,toapproachoravoid,totakeadvantageortoignore.Therefore,theyneverdevelopedideasofwantingandnotwantingorlikinganddisliking.Becausetherewasnothingtowelcomeordread,theycouldstayunderwater

andnotdrown;theycouldwalkthroughfireandnotbeburned.Theycouldbecut with knives and they would not be wounded. They could be poked andscratched,andtheywouldnotfeeltheitch.Theycouldfloatthroughspaceasiftheywerewalkingonsolidground.Theycouldsleeponthinairasifitwereasolidbed.Cloudsandmistcouldnotblocktheirvision,thundercouldnotdisturbtheir sense of hearing, and beauty and ugliness did not affect their judgment.Traveling in spirit, they could walk surefooted on treacherous paths in themountainsandvalleyswithoutfearoftheprecipitousheights.Whenheawoke,theYellowEmperorfeltenlightened.Hecalledhisministers

andtoldthem,“Ihavespentthreemonthsinseclusiontryingtofindoutwhatisthe best way to govern the country and cultivate myself. However, I did notbecomeenlightenedbytryingtothinkthingsoutconsciously.Igotenlightenedinadream.NowIknowthattheWayisnotsomethingthatcanbediscoveredbyconsciousthinking.Itcanonlybeattainedwhenconsciousthinkingstops.”TheYellowEmperorthenrelatedwhathehaddreamedtohisministers.Twenty years later, theYellowEmperor’s kingdomwas notmuch different

from the mythical land he had visited in his dream. Not long afterward, theYellowEmperorlefttherealmofthelivingandascendedtoheaven,andallthepeoplemournedthepassingofagreatruler.Ontheislandsintheeasternseasareimmortalbeingswholiveondewdrops

andpinecones.Theydonoteatgrain,theyfeedonthewindandvapor,andtheirmindsareasclearandstillas themountain lake.Theyhave ruddycheeksandthey all look like healthy children. They are open, friendly, and have noinhibitions.Theyalldotheirownchoresandarehelpful toothers.There isnofear,noanger,notension,andnodissatisfaction.Nooneissuperiororinferiorto anyoneelse.Everything isbountiful andeveryoneenjoys theprovidenceofheavenandearth.Thesunandmoonsendagentle light, theseasonsareneverharsh, theearthisrich,andtheinhabitantsarekind.Thedeitiesblesstheland,andthemonstersnevergonearit.ThisisthelandtheYellowEmperorvisitedinhisdream.

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Ridingonthewind,floatingwiththeclouds

LIEH-TZUHADtheimmortalOldShangforateacherandthesagePai-kao-tzuasafriend.Afterhehadfinishedhistraining,hecamehomeridingonthewindandfloatingontheclouds.AmannamedYin-shengheardaboutLieh-tzu’sfeatandwantedtolearnthis

skillofridingonthewind.SohewenttoLieh-tzuandaskedtobehisstudent.SointentwasYin-shengonlearningthisskillthathestayedatLieh-tzu’shomeandkeptpesteringtheteacherwithquestions.Thiswentonforseveralmonths,butLieh-tzuonlyignoredhim.Yin-sheng began to get impatient and then angry that Lieh-tzu was not

teachinghim.Oneday,heleftinahuff.WhenYin-shenggothome,hecalmeddownandrealizedhehadbeenstupid

andimpulsive,sohewenttoLieh-tzuandaskedtobehisstudentagain.Lieh-tzusimplysaid,“Whydidyoucomeandthenleaveandthenreturn?”Yin-shengsaid,“WhenIfirstcametoaskyoutoteachme,youignoredme.

SoIgotannoyedandleft.ThenIrealized1wastooimpatientandreckless,soIcamebacktoaskyoutoacceptmeasastudentagain.”Lieh-tzusaid,“Ihadthoughtyouwereintelligent,butnowIcanseeyouare

quitestupid.ListentowhatIwentthroughwhenIlearnedfrommyteachers.”Lieh-tzusaid:“WhenIaskedOldShangtobemymasterandPai-kao-tzutobemyfriend,I

decidedtoworkhardtodisciplinemybodyandmind.After threeyears,Iwasafraidtohavenotionsofrightandwrong,andIdidnotdaretospeakwordsthatmight offend or please. It was only then that my master glanced at me andacknowledgedmypresence.Fiveyearslater,Ithoughtfreelyofrightandwrongandspokefreelyofapprovalordisapproval.Mymastergavemeasmile.Sevenyears later, my thoughts came naturally without any conceptions of right andwrong,andwordscamenaturallywithoutanyintentionofpleasingoroffending.For thefirst time,mymaster invitedmetositbyhisside.Nineyears later,nomatterwhatcametomymindorwhatcameoutofmymouth,therewasnothing

thatwasrightorwrong,pleasingoroffending.IdidnotevenentertaintheideathatOldShangwasmymasterandPai-kao-tzuwasmyfriend.“It was then I became aware that there was no barrier between what was

insideandwhatwasoutside.Mybodywasilluminatedbyabrightlight.Iheardwithmyeyesandsawwithmyears.Iusedmynoseasmouthandmymouthasnose.Iexperiencedtheworldwiththetotalityofmysensesasmyspiritgatheredandmy formdissolved.Therewasnodistinctionbetweenmuscles andbones.MybodystoppedbeingheavyandIfeltlikeafloatingleaf.Withoutknowingit,Iwasbeingcarriedbythewind.Driftinghereandthere,IdidnotknowwhetherIrodeonthewindorthewindrodeonme.”HethenlookedatYin-shengandsaid,“Youhadonlybeenhereforlessthan

an hour and you got dissatisfied that you were not taught. Look at yourcondition.Theparts of your bodydonot cooperate; thevapors of heaven andearthdonotenteryourbody;yourjointsandbonesaresoheavythatyoucan’tevenmove.Andyouwanttolearnhowtorideonthewind?”WhenYin-sheng heard thesewords hewas ashamed and did not ask again

aboutridingonthewind.

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Theartofstayingunderwaterandwalkingthroughfire

LIEH-TZUASKEDthesageWen-tzu,“Whycantheenlightenedpersonstayunderwaterandnotdrown,walkonfireandnotbeburned,andfloatonthinairandnotfall?”Wen-tzu said, “He does so not by skill and courage but by gathering the

energyandfocusingthespirit.“Wethinkanything thathasshape,color,andsoundisa thing.Whatmakes

one thing different from another? Its shape, color, and sound. And what areshapes,colors,andsounds?Theyaresimplyexternal featuresof things. Ifyoucanseethroughtheseexternalqualitiesofthings, thenyouwillrealizetheyallhavethesameunderlyingstructure,becausetheyallcomefromthesameorigin.Once you transcend the external differences, anything can be merged withanything.Becomingonewiththewater,youwillnotdrown;becomingonewiththefire,youwillnotburn.“Toanenlightenedperson,theworldislimitless.Hehidesintherealmwhere

there is no beginning and no end, and hewanders leisurelywhere themyriadthings appear and disappear. He purifies his original nature, he cultivates hisenergy,andhemaintainshisvirtue.Unifiedwiththelawsofnature,hemergeswiththenaturalorderofthings.Thus,hisspiritisnotharmed,andthingsoutsidecannotpenetratehimorharmhim.“Whenadrunkmanfallsoffacart,he isnotseverely injured.Why is this?

Thedrunkman’sbonesandflesharethesameaseverybodyelse’s,butwhiletheconsciousmanmightbekilledinthefall,thedrunkmancouldescapewithoutascratch.Thisisbecausethedrunkmanisunawareoffearordeath.Tohimthereis no differencewhether he is in the cart or falling off the cart. On the otherhand,theconsciousmanstiffensupinfearwhenhefallsbecauseheisaffectedbywhat is happening around him. If you can lose the sense of self and otherthroughwine, think ofwhat truly forgetting yourself can do. The enlightenedpersonmergeswitheverythingaroundhim.Therefore,nothingaroundhimcan

harmhim.”

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Theartofarchery

LIEH-TZUWANTED toshowoffhisskillofarcherytoafriend.Hedrewhisbowandplacedacupofwateronhisleftforearm.Thenhenotchedanarrowandletitfly.Beforethefirstarrowhitthetarget,hehadletoffthesecondandthethird.Whenhesawthatallthreearrowshitthecenterofthetarget,Lieh-tzuwasquitepleased with himself. So steady was his hand and so focused was hisconcentrationthatthewaterinthecupdidnotspill.His friend, however, was not impressed. He said to Lieh-tzu, “What you

showedmewasmerelytheskillofeyeandhand,andnotthestateofmindofatruearcher.Let’sgouptothemountainsandstandontheedgeofacliff.Ifyoucan shoot accuratelyunder thoseconditions, then I shallbeconvincedofyourmasteryinarchery.”Thetwowentuptothemountains,andwhentheyreachedthetopofapeak,

Lieh-tzu’sfriendwalkedtowardtheedgeofacliffthatdroppedathousandfeetbelow.Standingwithhisbacktothedropandwithhalfofhisfootovertheedge,heinvitedLieh-tzutojoinhim.Lieh-tzuwasalreadytremblingwhenhesawhisfriendwalktowardtheedge

ofthecliff.Now,atthethoughtofstandingwithhisbacktoanabyss,hefellonhisfaceandbrokeintoacoldsweat.Lieh-tzu’s friend then said, “Themaster archer can fire an arrowunder any

condition.Whetherheseestheclearskyorfacestheyawningabyss,hecanstillshootwith thesamestateofmind.He isnotaffectedbyconditionsof lifeanddeath,fornothingcanmovethestillnessofhismind.Lookatyourselfnow.Youaresoscaredthatyoucan’tstanduporlookstraight.Howcanyouevenbegintodemonstratetheartofarchery?”

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Featsofpower

INTHECOUNTRYofChintherelivedaninfluentialmanbythenameofTzu-hua.Thoughnotagovernmentofficialbyrank,Tzu-huahadpowerequal to thatofministers.Hewasfavoredbythekingandherubbedshoulderswiththenobles.Thosewhowereingoodrapportwithhimreceivedbenefits,andthosewhofelloutofhisfavorcouldneverhopetofindfortune.Tzu-hua kept a large number of retainers and encouraged them to compete

with each other in contests of physical and mental prowess. When thecompetitions led todeathor injuries,Tzu-huawasnotat all concerned.He letthestrongermenbullytheweakeronesandthesmarteronesridiculetheslow-witted ones. Challenges and mockery were the norm in the region where hisinfluencewasfelt.Oneday, twoofTzu-hua’smenwereon an errand far from the city.When

night fell, they found lodging at the house of an old farmer by the name ofShang.The twomen talkedallnightabout theirmaster.Theyremarked that ifanyonehad thepower togrant lifeordeath,bestow fortuneandmisfortune, itwasTzu-hua.Theoldfarmeroverheardthisanddecidedhewouldtrytomakehisfortunebyofferinghisservicestothispowerfulman.Thenextday, after the retainershad left,Shangborrowed somemoneyand

provisionsfromhisneighbors.Wearingastrawhatandcarryingabasketonhisback,hewenttoTzu-hua’smansion.Whenhegotthere,hesawthatallofTzu-hua’sretainersworerichsilks,rode

finehorses,andhadanairofarrogance.Theylookedattheoldfarmerwiththedirtyfaceandraggedclothesandbegantoteasehimandpushhimaround.Theygavehimthemeanesttasks,theybeathimup,andmadefunofhimallthetime.However,nomatterhow they tried tobullyhim,Shang took themockeryandthe beatings with a good nature. Soon, Tzu-hua’s men got bored with theircrueltyandlefthimalone.Onetime,theretainerswerestandingonaplatformhighabovethegroundand

wereboastingabouttheirfeatsandchallengingeachother.Shangwasalsothere.

The men joked and said, “Whoever’s brave enough to jump down from thisscaffold will be awarded with one hundred pieces of gold.”While they weregoadinganddaringeachother,Shangstepped forwardand,withouthesitation,jumpedoff theplatform.Hefloateddownandlandedonhisfeet,unhurt.Tzu-hua’sretainersweresurprised,buttheythoughtmaybethistimeShanghadbeenlucky.SotheyledShangtoabendintheriverwherethewatersweredeepandswift

and told him, “Somewhere in those deep waters is a pearl.Whoever’s braveenough to dive down and find it will keep that jewel.” Shang immediatelyjumped into the river andwentunderwater.Not longafterward,he camebackwithalargeandshiningpearlinhishand.After this, Shang began to earn the respect of Tzu-hua’s retainers. They

stopped pushing him around. EvenTzu-hua gotword of Shang’s abilities andstartedtogivehimthestipendofgoldandcloththattheotherretainersreceived.Onenight,afirebrokeoutinawarehousewherethesilkswerekept.Tzu-hua

arrivedat thescenewithhisretainers.Seeingthathewasabout to losea largefortune,themastersaidtohisretainers,“Ishallgiveahugerewardtothepersonwhocangetmysilksoutofthatburningbuilding.”Shangimmediatelyrushedthroughtheflamesandstartedcarryingbundlesof

silk and brocade out of the burning building. Fire and smoke did not seem toaffecthim.HewalkedthroughflamesandburningdebrisandrescuedallofTzu-hua’swares.Afterthisfeat,Shangwasnotonlyrespectedbutadmired.Theretainerswho

hadbulliedhimnowapologizedtohim“Wehadnoideayouknewmagicandcoulddoallthesethingsthatordinarypeoplecouldnotdo.We’resorrywewereunkindtoyouandmadefunofyouwhenyoufirstcame.Wetriedtofoolyouintodoingimpossibletasks,andnowwefeelstupidfornotrecognizingthatyouareamanofpower.”Others also crowded around Shang, congratulated him, and begged him to

teach them the secrets of “flying through air,” “staying under water,” and“walkingthroughfire.”Shangansweredthem,“IhavenoideahowImanagedtodothoseincredible

feats.Thereisreallynothingmagicalaboutthem.WhenIheardthatonecouldmake a fortune in the services of Master Tzu-hua, I came believing I wouldmakeafortune.AfterIgothere,therewasnodoubtinmymindthatifIjumpeddownfromthescaffoldIwouldgetrich,orthatifIdivedintothedeepriver,Iwould find jewels. It never occurred to me that those tasks were impossible.Nowthatyouhavetoldmeyouhadoriginallysetouttofoolme,Ishallbemorereluctant to rushheadlong intoanything. Ihavediscoveredwhat it’s like tobe

afraid,andIambeginning todoubtwhether Iamindeedable towalk throughfireorflythroughair.Fromnowon,nomatterhowmuchyourewardme,Ishallnot jump from a tower, dive into deep water, or walk through a burningbuilding.”

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Theartoftamingtigers

THEKINGOFCH’OUhadananimalcaretakerbythenameofLiangwhowasanexpert in taming animals. This man was not only able to tame the morecommonly domesticated animals like dogs and horses, but he was especiallyadeptattamingwildanimalssuchastigers,wolves,andeaglesandotherbirdsof prey. The animals were so tame that he could let them roam around hiscourtyard. Female and male were not afraid to mate in his presence, anddifferentspeciesofanimalslivedcomfortablysidebysidewithoutconflict.The kingwas very impressedwithLiang andwas afraid that such skills of

animal taming would disappear when this man died. So he sent one of hisservantstobecomeLiang’sapprentice.Whenthenewapprenticearrived,Liangsaidtohim,“Thereisn’treallymuch

totamingwildanimals.However,ifIdonotexplaintoyouhowImanagedtotametheseanimals, thekingwillbemadatme.Nowlistencarefully.Animalshaveauniquenature.Theydonotflyintoarageorcalmdownfornoapparentreason. The secret to taming wild animals is to understand their nature.Generally,ifyoudonotrousetheirferocity,theywillbecalm;however,ifyoudosomethingthatgoesagainsttheirnature,theywillbeenraged.“Typically,amanwhofeedstigerswillnotgivethemaliveanimal,because

the tigers’ ferocity will be aroused when they chase and tear at their prey.Moreover,he feeds the tigerwhen itbegins togethungry,notwhen it isveryhungryorwhenit is full. In thisway, theanimalfeelssatisfiedwhenit is fed.Tigersaredifferentfrompeople,andtotamethemyouneedtounderstandtheirnaturalinstinctsandnotgoagainstthem.”Liangcontinued,“AlthoughIamcarefulnottomakemytigersangry,Ialso

donotletthemhavetheirwaycompletely.Iftheygettoohappyorexcited,theymaybecomeangry.Youneedtokeeptheminabalancedstate,not toohappy,and not discontented. It is because I do not go out ofmyway tomake themhappyorbehaveinsuchawaytoprovoketheirragethatmyanimalsfeelthatIamoneofthem.That’swhytheyarecontenttostayinmygardensanddonot

wanttogobacktothewilderness.”

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Theartofsteeringaboat

ASTUDENTASKEDCONFUCIUS,“OnetimewhenIwascrossingariverInoticedthattheferrymanhandledtheboatwithsuchgracethatIaskedhimifthisskillcanbelearned.Hetoldmeanyonecanlearnthisskill,butifyouknowhowtoswim,thenyouwillfinditespeciallyeasy.I thenaskedwhetherapersonwhoknowshowtoswimunderwaterbuthasneverseenaboatbeforewillalsofinditeasytolearnhowtohandleaboat.Themandidnotanswerthatquestionforme.Canyoutellmewhy?”Confuciussaid,“Itiseasyforaswimmertolearntosteeraboatbecausethis

person already understands the nature of water. To him it is natural to movearound inwater. Infact, theswimmer’smovementsaresonatural in thewaterthathe forgetshe is in thewater.Thediverwhohasnever seenaboat shouldalsohavenoprobleminpickinguptheskillsofboating.Tohim,thedeepseaislikedryland.Heissoaccustomedtogoingunderwaterthataboatrollingoveris nothing to him.He is not afraid ofwhatmay happen to the boat.He is asrelaxedinaboatasheisonland.Therefore,hewilllearnquickly.”WhenConfuciussawthathisstudentwasstillpuzzled,hecontinued,“Ifyou

playagamewherescrappiecesofglassareatstake,youwillplayskillfully.Ifyour expensive belt buckle is at stake, you’ll start to get clumsy. If it’s yourmoney that’s at stake, you’ll fumble. It’s not that you’ve lost your skill. It’sbecauseyouaresoflusteredby thingshappeningoutside thatyou’ve lostyourcalmnessinside.Loseyourstillnessandyouwillfailineverythingyoudo.”

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Theartofswimming

CONFUCIUSANDHISSTUDENTSwerestandingnearawaterfall.Thewaterflowedover a ledge and dropped over three hundred feet below, where the rivercontinuedtoflowswiftlythroughagorgeoverthirtymileslong.Eventhefish,turtles,andalligatorswouldnotgonearthesedangerouswaters.Suddenly, they saw a figure jump from the top of the waterfall into the

foamingriver.Confuciusthoughtthismanmustbeattemptingsuicide,sohetoldhisstudentstogettothebanksoftheriverandbereadyforarescue.Butwhentheyhurried to theedgeof theriver, theysawsomeoneswimming leisurely tothebank.Totheirsurprise,themanstoodupintheshallows,shookthewateroffhislonghair,andbegantosing.Confuciuscouldn’tbelievewhathesaw,sohewalkedtowardthestrangeman

and said, “When I saw you dive from the top of thewaterfall, I thought youwanted tokill yourself.Then,when I sawyou swimming in those treacherouswatersandenjoyingyourself,Ithoughtyouwereaghost.Butcomingupclose,Ican see that you are human. How did you manage to swim through suchdangerouswaters?”The long-haired man replied, “I have no particular method of swimming,

exceptthatwhenIaminthewater,Idonotfightthewater.Ifloatwithitandsinkwith it instead of trying to forcemyway through it. You can say that Istartedmylearningwithwhatwasgiventomeatbirth,continuedwithwhatwasnaturalformetodo,andcompleteditbytrustingwhatwasmeanttobe.”Confuciussaid,“Tellmewhatyoumean.”Themanreplied,“Itmeans following thenaturalcourseof things. If Iwere

borninthemountains,itwouldbenaturalformetofeelcomfortableinthehighmountains.That’sstartingoutwithwhatisgiveninbirth.IfIwerebornbythesea, it would be natural for me to grow up playing in the water. That’scontinuingwithwhatisnatural todo.WhenIdosomething, itneveroccurstometothinkabouthowIdoit.That’strustingwhatismeanttobe.”

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Themanwhocouldwalkthroughfire

A HUNTER AND A LARGE PARTY of his followers were searching in the CentralMountainsforgame.Whentheycouldnotfindanyanimalsinthearea,theysetthetallgrassonfire,hopingtheanimalswouldbedrivenoutoftheirhiding.Suddenly,theysawafigureemergefromtherocks.Whenthehunterandhis

friends saw the figure dancing in the fire and smoke, they thought theymusthaveseenaghost.However, when the fire died down, they saw the figure again, this time

walking leisurely as if nothing had happened. The hunter was curious, so hewalkedtowardthefiguretohaveacloserlook.Whenherealizedthefigurehadtheshapeandfeaturesofahuman,hewasevenmorefascinated.Sohewentuptothemanandaskedhim,“Whydoyouliveintherocksandwhydoyourunamongtheflames?”Themanreplied,“Whatarerocks,whatareflames?Idon’tknowwhatyou’re

talkingabout.”Later,whentheMarquisofWeiheardaboutthis,heaskedTzu-hsia,astudent

ofConfucius,“Haveyouheardofpeoplewhocanwalkthroughfire?”Tzu-hsia said, “My teacher Confucius once said if someone is in harmony

with the elements around him, he will not be harmed by them. This personwouldbeabletomergewiththerocksandwalkthroughfire.”“Canyoudothis?”“Ican’tdoitbecauseIamstillunabletoemptymymindandthrowawaymy

knowledge.Ionlyknowenoughtotalkaboutit.”“Canyourteacherdoit?”“Myteachercandoit,buthedoesn’twantto.”Whenthemarquisheardthis,hewasdelightedandaskednomore.

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Lieh-tzuandthesorcerer

THERE WAS A SORCERER who could foretell the future. One look at someone’sfacialfeaturesandhecouldtellwhetherthispersonwouldliveordie,beluckyor unlucky. He could even tell an individual’s age, day of birth, and day ofdeath.Everybodystayedawayfromthissorcererbecausetheywereafraidhemight

tellthemthingstheywouldrathernotknow.OnlyLieh-tzuwasimpressedwiththesorcerer’sabilitiesandwelcomedhiscompany.Lieh-tzuwassotakenbythesorcerer’spowerthathewenttohisteacherHu-

tzuandsaid,“InthepastIthoughtyouhadmasteredthemysteriesofheavenandearth,butnowI’vefoundsomeonewhohasmorepower.”Hu-tzusaid,“Youhaveonlyscratchedthesurfaceofmyteachings.Ihavenot

yetbeguntoshowyoutheunderlyingnatureofthings,andyouthinkyouhaveunderstood the mysteries of the universe. If you interact with people withsuperficialknowledge,youwillbeentirelypredictable.Bringthissorcerertomeandlet’sseewhathappens.”ThenextdayLieh-tzubroughtthesorcerertoseeHu-tzu.Respectfully,Lieh-

tzuwaitedoutside.Whenthesorcerercameout,hesaidtoLieh-tzu,“Ihavebadnewsforyou.Yourmasterisabouttodie.Atmosthe’llhavetendaysleft.Hisfacewaslikeashandhewasasimmobileasacorpse.”Distressedandweeping,Lieh-tzuwentintoseehisteacherandrelatedwhat

thesorcererhadsaid.Hu-tzu said, “Just then I showed him the dominance of yin over yang.My

bodywasrigidandmybreathwasdormant.Therefore,hesawmeasdying.Askhimtocomeagain.”The next day, Lieh-tzu got the sorcerer to come again to see Hu-tzu. This

time,whenhecameout, the sorcerer said toLieh-tzu, “Congratulations!Yourmaster isgettingbetter.Heis luckytohavemetme.Inowseesignsof life inhim.”WhenLieh-tzurelatedwhatthesorcererhadsaid,Hu-tzusmiled.“JustthenI

showed him the dominance of yang over yin. The primordial breath had justawakenedinme.Ican’tnameitordescribeit.Itwasrisingfrommyheelstofillmybody.Therefore,hesawmereturningtolife.Gethimtocomeagain.”When the sorcerer sawHu-tzu again, he said to Lieh-tzu, “Your teacher is

changingallthetime.Ican’treadhim.I’llhavetocomebackwhenhe’smorestable.”Hu-tzu then said toLieh-tzu, “Just then I showedhim thecopulationofyin

andyang.Heprobablysawtheprocessofcreationanddissolutionandthefluxandchangeof things.Streams, rivers,waterfalls, springs, lakes, rapids,eddies,vortices are all different manifestations of water, but eventually they all flowintodeeppools.ThereareninepoolsandIhaveshownhimthree.Tellhimtocomeagain.”ThistimethesorcererhadscarcelywalkedintoHu-tzu’splacewhenhecame

runningout.“Stophim!”saidHu-tzu.Lieh-tzuranafterthesorcererbutwasjustnotfastenough.Hesoonlosttrackofhim.Lieh-tzureturnedtohisteacherandsaid,“HeransofastIcouldn’tcatchup

withhim.”Hu-tzuthensaid,“WhatIjustshowedhimwaswhatitwaslikebeforeIcame

intotheworld.Ihadnoshape,noform,nosound,nosmell.Idriftedinandoutof things. I couldnot begraspedor examined.Hehasnever seen thiskindofthingbefore,sohegotscaredandran.”Fromthattimeon,Lieh-tzurealizedthathislearningwasshallowandhewas

indeedfarfromunderstandingthewayofheavenandearth.Sohereturnedhomeanddidnotleavehishouseforthreeyears.Hecookedforhiswifeanddidthehousework.Hetookcareofthepigsandwaskindtoeveryoneandeverything.He distanced himself from worldly matters and freed himself from theentanglementoftruthsandlies.Hewasnolongerapieceofcarvedjadebutanunhewnblockofwood. In themidstof themuddyworld,he remained true tohimself,andinsimplicityandstillnesshespenttherestofhislife.

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Lieh-tzu’sfear

LIEH-TZUWASonhiswaytothekingdomofCh’iwhenhedecidedtoturnback.On the roadhemetoneofhis former teachers,Po-hun,whoaskedhim,“YouweregoingtoCh’i;whydidyouturnback?”Lieh-tzusaid,“BecauseI’mafraid.”“What’stheretobeafraidof?”“Iateatteninnsandfiveofthemservedmebeforetheyservedanyoneelse.”“What’stheproblem?”Lieh-tzusaid,“Itoccurredtomethatmyegowasgettingthebetterofmeand

I was commanding some sort of respect or making people think I am animportantman.Thismadetheinnkeepersgivemepreferentialtreatment.Ifthisgoeson,I’llbeintrouble.”Lieh-tzu continued, “Innkeepers donotmakemuchmoney and certainly do

nothavemuchsayinpolitics.Ifpeoplewithsolittletogainmakeabigdealoutofme,thenIwouldreallybeintroublewhenthegeneralsandthechiefsofstatecomeaftermeforadvice.That’swhyI’mafraid.”Po-hunsaid,“Goodobservations!Butletmetellyouonething.Evenifyou

stayanddonotgotoCh’i,otherpeoplewillnotletyouoffthehookeasily.”Lieh-tzuneverwenttoCh’i.Insteadhedecidedtosettledowninaquietplace.

Not long afterward, Po-hun came by to visit him. Seeing the shoes of manyvisitorsattheentrancetoLieh-tzu’shouse,Po-hunstoodoutside,leanedonhisstaff,andthenleftwithoutaword.WhenLieh-tzuwastoldthathisformerteacherwasseenoutsidehisdoor,he

ranoutbarefootedandcaughtupwithPo-hun,saying,“Master,sinceyouhavecome,whydon’tyoucomeinandinstructme?”Po-hunsaid,“Ihavenothingtosay.Itoldyoubeforethatpeoplewillnotlet

yougo easily.Now it hashappened.People come toyounotbecauseyouarecapable of allowing them to respect you, but because you can’t prevent themfrom doing so. You displayed your virtue and accomplishments and attractedpeopletocometolearnfromyou,andneitheryounorthesepeoplebenefitfrom

this.They flatteryou, andyou saywhat they like tohear.Youpatronize eachotherandintheendnoonegetsenlightened.”

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Lao-tzuteachesYang-chu

YANG-CHUWASLao-tzu’s student.Whenheheard thatLao-tzuwas journeyingwestward to the land ofCh’in, he caught upwith his teacher on the road justoutsidethetownofLiang.Lao-tzulookedatYang-chu,andthenlookedupattheskyandsighed,“Once

Ithoughtyouwereteachable,butnowIknowyoucannotlearn.”WhenYang-chuheardthishewaspuzzled,buthesaidnothing.Hefollowed

Lao-tzutotheinnandattendedhismaster.Hegavehisteacheracomb,atowel,andabasinofwaterandwaitedpatientlywhilehisteachercleanedup.Whenhesaw that Lao-tzu had finally sat down, he took off his shoes, crawled on hishandsandknees tohis teacher, and said respectfully, “Awhileagoyousaid Iwasunteachable.Seeingthatyouwerehurryingtowardtown,Ididnotdaretodelayyoubyaskingforanexplanation.Nowthatyouseemtohavesometime,IwouldliketofindoutwhatIhavedonewrong.”Lao-tzu said, “You are arrogant and haughty. You have no respect for

anything.Nowondernoonewantsyourcompany.”Yang-chu humbly asked for instruction. Lao-tzu then said, “A person with

virtue does not consider himself or herself virtuous, and someone who isenlighteneddoesnotappearperfect.Onlythencanyoutranscendtheworldandyetbeapartofit.”Yang-chutookhisteacher’sadviceimmediately.Whenhe first arrivedat the inn, the innkeeperwouldgreethim respectfully

everyday.Theinnkeeperswifewasafraidthatshedidnotservehimwell.Theother customers sat at a respectful distance and dared not say aword.By thetime Yang-chu left the inn to continue his journey, he was joking with theinnkeeperandwassofriendlywiththeothercustomersthattheybegantofighttositathistable.

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Whatistheretoappearances?

WHILE TRAVELING to the kingdom of Sung, Yang-chu stayed at an inn. Theinnkeeperhadtwowives,oneprettyandoneugly.WhenYang-chusawthattheinnkeeperlovedtheuglywomanmorethantheprettyone,hewassurprisedandaskedtheinnkeeper,“Mostpeoplewillloveaprettywomanandignoreanuglyone.Whydoyoudotheopposite?”The innkeeper replied, “The beautiful one thinks she’s beautiful but I don’t

seeherbeauty.Theuglyonethinksshe’suglybutIdon’tseeherugliness.”Yang-chuturnedtohisstudentsandsaid,“Rememberthiswell.Ifyouaretrue

to yourself and do everything with a good conscience, everyone will see thevirtueinyou.Thennomatterwhereyougo,youwillberespected.”Whenwe look at things, we often assume that when two things look alike

outside,theymustbesimilarinside.However,thesageknowsthatappearancescannot tell us aboutwhat’s inside. Somethingmay look like a human and yetmay not be as intelligent as a human; and something may not appear like ahumanandyetbeasintelligentasahuman.Wealsotendtobeattractedtothingsthatresembleusanddistanceourselves

fromthingsthatdon’t.Whenweseesomethingthatisaboutsixfeettall,walksontwolegs,hashaironitsheadandfingersonitshands,wecallitahumanandwe immediately feel friendly toward it.Whenweseesomething thatwalksonfourlegs,flies,orcrawls,weimmediatelyfeelthisissomethingdifferentfromus and become wary. However, the sage knows that some animals are asintelligent and caring as humans, and some humans are as savage as animals.Howcanwejudgebyappearances?The benefactors of humanity—the goddess Nü who created us, the sage

Sheng-nungwhotaughtusagriculture,andmanyofhumanity’steachersintheancient times—donotappear inhumanform.Somehave thebodyofasnake,othershavetheheadofabull,andyetothershavewingsandclaws.Ontheotherhand, the tyrants who enslaved people and killed innocents are human inappearance.Thus,howcanyoujudgesomethingsimplybyitsappearance?

WHEN THE YELLOW EMPEROR defended his country from invaders, he had anarmyof tigers,bears,wolves,andleopards.Eagles, falcons,andhawkscarriedhisbanners.ItwassaidthattheEmperorYaocouldcallanimalstohissidewithfluteandchimes.Therefore,howareanimalssodifferentfromuswhentheycanrespond to our call? We think we are unable to communicate with animalsbecausetheydonotresembleusinappearanceandtheymakedifferentsounds.However, theancientsagesknewotherwise,for theycouldtalktoanimalsandunderstandthem.Actually,animalsareverysimilartohumans.Theyknowhowtotakecareof

themselves, theymate, they care for their young, they avoid danger, and theyseekwarmthand shelter.When they travel, the strongonesprotect theyoung.Somescoutforwater,somebreakthetrail,andotherswatchfordanger.Isthisnotwhatintelligenthumansdo?In the ancient days, animals and humans lived peacefully together.Humans

didnotharmanimals,andanimalswerenotafraidofpeople.Inthetimeoftheemperors, animals began to fear people because they were hunted. Now werarelyseeanimalsintheirnaturalenvironmentbecausetheyhavelearnedtohidefromus.Inalandfartotheeast,therearepeoplewhocouldstilltalktodomesticated

animals and understand them. However, only the ancient sages knew thelanguageofallanimalsandcouldsummonthemandgivetheminstructions.Infact,thesesagescouldspeakwithspiritsandmonsters,andthustheirteachingsreachedallthemyriadthingsofcreation,humansandnonhumansalike.

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Softnessandhardness,yieldingandresisting

THERE ARE MANY THINGS about the way of heaven and earth that people findpuzzling. For example, strength does not alwayswin, and sometimes softnessmaybeamoreeffectivestrategy.Ifyouroutinelytrytoovercomestrengthwithstrength,thenonedayyouwill

meetsomeonewhoisstrongerthanyouare,andyouwillbedefeated.However,if you know how to yield, then you will never be in danger. If you arecompetitive, there will always be that one time that youwill lose. If you arenoncompetitive,youwillnothavetoworryaboutwinningandlosing.Strengthshouldalwaysbecomplementedbysoftness.Ifyouresisttoomuch,

youwillbreak.Thus,thestrongpersonknowswhentousestrengthandwhentoyield,andgoodfortuneanddisasterdependonwhetheryouknowhowandwhentoyield.Lao-tzuoncesaid,“Ifabranchistoorigid,itwillbreak.Resist,andyouwill

perish.Knowhowtoyield,andyouwillsurvive.”

THEREWASONCEAKINGwhowasonlyinterestedinhiringmenwhowerestrongandbravebecausehebelievedthatstrengthwasthebestwaytoprotecthimself.One day, a wandering philosopher visited the king. The kingwas in a bad

moodthatdayandwasscowlingandpacingaround.Hesawthephilosopherandsaid, “I am only interested in hearing about strength and courage. If you aregoingtotalktomeaboutvirtueandmorality,thenyouarewastingmytime.”Thephilosophersaid,“IfIhadastrategythatwillguaranteethatanyonewho

attemptstostabyouwillmiss,wouldyoubeinterested?”“OfcourseI’dliketohearaboutit.”“Ifsomeone tries tostabyouandmisses,youwillstillbehumiliatedby the

attemptonyourlife.Therefore,abetterstrategywouldbeoneinwhichpeoplewillneverdaretostrikeyouinthefirstplace.”Thekingreluctantlyagreed.Thephilosphercontinued,“Now,ifpeopledonotdaretoharmyou,there’sno

guaranteethattheywillnotwishtoharmyou.Therefore,anevenbetterstrategyisonethatwillmakepeoplenotwanttoharmyouatall.”Thekingnoddedthoughtfully.Thephilosopherthensaid,“Butjustbecausepeopledonotwanttoharmyou

doesn’tmeantheywillrespectyouorloveyou.Supposeyouhadastrategythatcould get them to love you and respect you, so that your concerns are theirconcerns. Would this strategy be several times better than just strength andcourage?”Thekingexclaimed,“ThisisexactlywhatIamlookingfor.”The philospher said, “Confucius andMo-tzu were not princes. They never

becameleadersorheldanypoliticaloffice.However,peoplegavethemrespectequal to that of kings and nobles. Everywhere theywent, people craned theirnecksandstoodontiptoestocatchaglimpseofthem.Everyonerespectedthemandwished themwell. YourMajesty, you already have political andmilitarypower.Ifyouruleyourpeoplewithvirtueandintegrity,wouldn’tyourgreatnesssurpassthatofConfuciusandMo-tzu?”Thekingwasatalossforwords.Seeing that he had accomplished his aim, the philosopher left quickly. The

king turned tohisministersandsaid,“Here’samanwhoreallyknowshowtotalk.He’scompletelyturnedmearoundwithhisarguments.”

PartThree/KingMuofCh’ou

INTRODUCTION

Sometimesadreamissorealthatwhenwewakeup,wefeelitwasnotadream.Canwetellthatwearedreamingwhenwedream?Mostoftennot.Whenweareawake,weforgetourdreams.Whenwedream,weforgetaboutourwakinglife.Whichismorereal,ourdreamlifeorourwakinglife?ThisiswhatLieh-tzuasksus.Eveninourwakinglife,thingsarenotaspermanentaswethink.Whatmay

seemreasonabletodaymayappearludicroustomorrow.Thoughtsthatmayhaveoccupiedourmindsduring thedaymayseemtotallymeaninglesswhenwe lieawakeatnightandthinkaboutthemagain.Ifnothingispermanent,thenwhybecomesoattachedtosuccessandfailure?

No one will remember what we did after we die. And even if we areremembered,whatisrememberedisonlywhatotherschoosetoremember.Whydrive ourselves so hardwhenwe can’t take our richeswith uswhenwe die?Whyplacesomuchimportanceonloveandlossoflovewhenweknowonedaywe must leave everyone? Life is a short journey, so why get imprisoned bysocialconvention,peerapproval,anduselessworries?WhileKingMutraveledintherealmofthespirit,everythingfeltrealtohim.

But when he returned to his own realm, he found that everything he hadexperiencedhappenedwithinthewinkofaneye.Istherealmofthespiritrealorisitjustafleetingthought?For themanwhocouldmake it snow insummerand thunder inwinter,our

“real”worldmaybejustafleetingthought.Canthismanchangereality?Orisourrealitynotaspermanentaswethinkitis?Ifwecanletgoofourselvesandnotbeboundbyworldlyconcerns,thenwe

will not worry during the day and dream about our problems at night.Whenthereisnoself,therewillbenodreams.Sleepisatimeofrest.Whyspendthistimeworrying?Seeingthroughtheillusionsofselfandworldwillallowustounderstandthe

natureofhappinessandsorrow.Therichmanwhowasthekingofhisbusinessduringthedayanddreamedhewasaslaveatnightisnotmuchdifferentfromaslavewho suffered during the day and dreamed hewas a king at night. They

eachhadhalfadayofhappinessandhalfadayofmisery.Ifwearegoingtobemiserableinourwakinglivesorinourdreams,thenwhy

notbelikethemanwholosthismemoryandforgotallhisworries?Whoismorefortunate,themanwholoseshismemoryandhisworriesortheonewhoretainshismemoryandhisworries?Theworldiswhatwemakeofit.Wecreateourhappinessandoursorrows.If

thisisthecase,whymakeproblemsforourselves?

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KingMu’sdream

KINGMUOFCH’OUwasvisitedbyastrangemanfromtheFarWest.Thismanwasasorcererwhocouldwalkthroughfireandwater,penetratestoneandmetal,fly throughair, andmovemountains and rivers.KingMuwasvery impressedwiththesorcerer’sabilitiesandtreatedhimlikeagod.Hebuiltapalaceforhim,sent him the finest foods in his kingdom, and provided him with the mosttalentedandbeautifulcourtesans.However,thesorcererdidnotthinkmuchofthesegifts.Hefoundthepalace

uncomfortable, the food displeasing, and the entertainers ugly, smelly, anduncultured.Seeing thathisguestwasdissatisfied, thekingbuiltanotherpalacegranderthantheonebefore.Heusedthebestwoodandstonefromhiskingdomand employed themost skillful craftspeople to design and built it. The palacewas a tower that reached up to the clouds and had a view of themost scenicmountainsandvalleysintheland.KingMucalledittheTowerintheMiddleoftheSky.Thekingalsogatheredtogetherthemostbeautifulandgentleyoungwomenin

hiskingdom.Heprovidedthemwiththebestjewelryandsilks,sprinkledthemwith themost fragrant perfumes, and sent them to attend to the needs of thesorcerer.Hecalledinthemosttalentedmusicianstoperformthebestmusiceverwritten. Every month he offered his guest expensive garments and everymorningservedhimdelicacies.Thesorcererwasstillnotverysatisfied,butseeingthatthekinghaddonehis

best,hegrudginglyacceptedthegifts.Not long afterward, the sorcerer invitedKingMu to travelwith him to his

countryintheWest.Tellingthekingtoclosehiseyesandhangontohissleeve,he flew into the sky.When thekingopenedhis eyes, he foundhimself in thesorcerer’scountry.Enteringthepalacegrounds,hesawthatthebuildingsweredecoratedwithsilverandgold.Jade,pearls,andotherprecious jewelsadornedthewallsandwindows.Thepalacestoodonabedofcloudsabovetherainandstorm.Everythinghesaw,heard,andexperiencedwasunknowninhisworld.It

was then thatKingMu realized the godsmust have enjoyed such luxuries intheirheavenlypalaces.Comparedtothis,hisownpalaceappearedlikeameanhovel.KingMu said to himself, “I have never seen anything like this. Iwouldn’t

mindstayinghere for tenor twentyyears.”Hismusingwas interruptedby thesorcererwhotookhimtovisityetanotherrealm.Thistime,whenKingMuarrived,hecouldnotseesunormoon,mountainsor

seas.Everywherehelooked,thelightwassodazzlingthatallhecouldseewasakaleidoscopeofcolorsthatmadehimdizzy.Thesoundsheheardwereeerieandstrange and soon his senses were disoriented. His body was shaking and hismindwasablur.Hisinsidesfeltqueasyandhethoughthewasgoingtogetsick.Hequicklyaskedthesorcerertogethimoutofthereorhewouldgocrazy.Thesorcerergavethekingagentlepush,andKingMuwasbackathisownpalace.Whenheopenedhiseyes,thekingfoundhimselfsittingonhischairasifhe

hadnever left.Thewinewasstillunfinished inhiscup,and the foodwasstillwarm. His attendants were standing in the same position as before.When heaskedthemwhathadhappened,hisattendantsrepliedthathehadsatinhischairandhadclosedhiseyesbriefly.KingMuwassoshockedbythisthatittookhimalmostthreemonthstorecoverfromthewholeexperience.Finally, he decided to ask the sorcerer what had really happened. His

distinguishedguestreplied,“Wetraveledonajourneyofthespirit.That’swhyyour body did not move and time did not pass. You experienced a worldunknown to youwhile youwere sitting in your own palace. Is there really adifferencebetweentheplacesyouvisitedandtheoneyoucallhome?Youwereshocked and disoriented because you are comfortable with what you callpermanent, and you are made nervous by things you feel are transient. Yourreactionsaretheresultofyourmindplayingtricksonyou.Whocantellwhenandhowfastonesituationchangesintoanotherandwhichoneisrealandwhichoneisnot?”AfterKingMuheard this,hedecided to retire frompolitics.Heorderedhis

attendants to ready his carriage and horses and went on a grand tour of hiskingdom.Hetraveledtoforeignlandswherehewasentertainedbylords.Inoneoftheplaceshevisited,thetribalchiefofferedhimthebloodofsnowgeeseasadrinkandwashedhisfeetwithcowandgoatmilk.Then the king climbed to the top of the Kun-lun Mountains, where he

glimpsedtheroyalpalaceoftheYellowEmperorandbuiltamemorialforfuturegenerationstorememberthismightyruler.Nexthevisited theMotherEmpressof theWest,whogaveabanquet inhis

honorandentertainedhimwithdanceandsong.Thekingsangaduetwiththe

heavenlyempressbutthemusiconlyconjuredfeelingsofsadness.As the sun began to set in the western skies, King Mu realized he had

journeyedover ten thousandmiles inoneday.Hesighedandsaid,“Insteadofusingmytimetorulethecountryandcareformysubjects,Ihavespentthisdaysinging and enjoying myself. I will probably be seen as a fool by futuregenerations!”KingMuwasnotdivine.Heenjoyedhislifefullyanddiedwhenhistimewas

up.Buteverybodybelievedhebecameagodandwentuptoheaven.

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Learningthearcanearts

LAO-CH’ENG-TZUwenttolearnthesecretsofthearcaneartsfromthesageWen-tzu.Whenhisteacherhadnottoldhimanythingafterthreeyears,heapologizedforhisstupidityandaskedforpermissiontoreturnhome.Wen-tzubowedtoLao-ch’eng-tzu,ledhimintohisroom,dismissedtheother

students,andclosedthedoor.Thenhesaid:“WhenmyteacherLao-tzuleftforthewesternlands,hetoldmethatthelife

andbreathofheavenandearthand the shapeof all thingsare really illusions.Whenyinandyangenergiescopulateandthingscomeintoexistence,wecallitbirth.When theyseparateanddisappear,wecall itdeath.Thatwhichhappensaccordingtothemathematicsofchangewecalltransformation,orthearcane.“The principles of creation and dissolution are profound and not easily

understood. Ifwesimply latchon to thesuperficialaspectsofchange,wewillonlybeplayingwithillusions,andwhateverwemanipulatewillnothavelastingeffects.Onlywhenyoupenetratethemathematicsoftransformationandbecomeonewithchangewillyoubequalifiedtolearnthearcanearts.Afterall,youandIareillusionsofbodyandmind,sowhatissomagicalaboutthearcane?”Lao-ch’eng-tzu thankedhis teacherand returnedhome.For threemonthshe

thoughtaboutwhatWen-tzuhadsaidandbegantoletgooftheillusionofbodyandmind.Havingdonethat,hewasabletoappearanddisappearatwillandturntheseasonsaround.Hecouldcalldownthunderinwinterandsnowinsummer.Hecouldmakerunninganimalsflyandflyinganimalsrun.However,hedidnotreveal his abilities to anyone, so these artswere never handed down to futuregenerations.Lieh-tzu said, ‘Those who are adept at the arcane arts do not reveal them

casually. In fact, theyhide it sowell thatwhat theydo appears ordinary. It isgenerallyacceptedthattheancientsagesandkingsaccomplishedwhattheydidwith virtue and courage. But who can say they did not use the arts of thearcane?”

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Dreams

ITISSAIDthatepisodesinourwakinglifecanbeclassifiedintoeightcategories,and experiences in our dream life can be divided into six. Our life on earthrevolvesaroundthesefourteenkindsofevents.The eight episodes of our waking life are: events, actions, gain, loss,

happiness, sorrow, life, and death. These are experienced when our bodiesencountersomethingintheworld.The six experiences of our dream life are: normal dreams with nothing

significant, dreams of warning, dreams that result from excessive thinking,instructive dreams, happy dreams, and fearful dreams or nightmares. Thesedreamstatesareexperiencedwhenourmindsarerestless.Ifwedonot recognizewhenchangescomeandwhy theyoccur,wewillbe

confused. However, if we know the cause and effect of things, then we arepreparedandwillnotbeexcitedorafraid.Thisisthesamewithdreams.Theriseandfallofenergyinourbodiesfollowstheflowofenergyinheaven

andearth.When there is toomuchyinenergy, thenwewilldreamaboutdeepwaters and experience the fear of drowning. When there is too much yangenergy,wewilldreamabouthotfiresandexperiencethethreatofbeingburned.Whenbothyinandyangenergiesarepowerful,thenwewilldreamofviolenceandkilling.Whenwearehungry,wewilldreamaboutbeggingforfood.Whenfilled,wewilldreamaboutofferingfood toothers.For thesamereason, thosewho are ill with a burning fever will dream that their bodies are light andfloating.Thosewhoareillwithashiveringcoldwilldreamtheyaresinkinganddrowning. Sleep with your belt around you, and you will dream you aresuffocatedbyasnake.Sleepwhendarknessbeginstofall,andyouwilldreamoffirelight. If your stomach is upset when you sleep, you will dream of eating.Peoplewhogotosleepdepressedwilldreamofdrinkingwine.Thosewhogotosleepaftercryinginsorrowwilldreamofdancingandsinging.Lieh-tzusaid:“Whenthemindisrestless,wewilldream.Whatarousedthebodyduringthe

daywillappear inourdreamsatnight.This isawayinwhichmindandbodyrespond to each other. Thus, people whose minds are empty of thoughts andwhose bodies are not aroused by things around themwill not be bothered bydreams at night. These people are fully awake in their waking life and fullyrestful in their sleep. The ancient sages are not attached to their thoughts andactionsduringtheday,sotheydonotdreamatnight.”There is a land far away that does not recieve the breath of yin and yang.

Therefore,inthisplacetherearenochangesintheseasonsandnodifferenceinnightorday.Thepeople theredonotworkoreatorwearclothes.Theysleepmostofthetimeandonlywakeuponceeveryfiftydays.Inthebrieftimetheyareawake,theyfeeltheyaredreaming.Ontheotherhand,dreamsareveryrealtothem.Thereisanothercountrythatisinthemiddleoftheworld.Thelandstretches

northandsouthofagreatriver;itisboundedbymountainstotheeastandwest;anditextendsovertenthousandmiles.Becauseitisinthemiddleoftheworld,itreceivesthebreathofyinandyangequally.Therefore,therearedifferencesintheseasonsandacleardistinctionbetweendayandnight.Somepeople in thiscountry are intelligent and some are dull. Some are talented and some areordinary. The people in this country have an organized society, know how tocultivatetheland,andareruledbyaleader.Theyarealsoskilledinavarietyofactivities.The people here believe thatwhat they experience inwaking life isrealandwhattheyexperienceindreamsisunreal.Thereisyetanothercountrywhereitisalwayshot.Thesunandmoonnever

set,andthereisnonight.Batteredbytheheat,thelanddoesnotsupportcrops.Thepeoplefeedonwildfruitsandtreerootsanddonotknowhowtocookwithfire.Theyarefierceandviolent.Thestrongonesconquertheweak.Theyvalueforceovervirtue.Becausethereisnonight,theyareactiveallthetimeandsleepveryrarely.Areeventsinourwakinglifemorerealthandreams?Topeoplewhosleepall

thetime,dreamsaremorerealthanwakinglife.However,tothosewhodividetheirtimeequallybetweenwakingandsleeping,experiencesintheirwakinglifeare real, and events indreams areunreal.Andyet, to thosewhodonot knowwhatitmeanstosleep,itdoesnotmakesensetotalkaboutadifferencebetweenwaking and dreaming. What then is the difference between waking anddreaming?

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Thetruthabouthappinessandmisery

A CERTAIN RICH MAN in the country of Ch’ou had a way with managing hisbusiness. Under his supervision, his estates and investments yielded hugereturns.However,hedrovehisworkersmercilesslyandmadethemlaborfromsunrisetosunset.Therewasanoldservantwhohadworkedallhislifeontheestate.Weakened

by hard labor and rough treatment, he had lost both strength and stamina andwasnolongerabletoproduce.Butthebusinessmanhadnocompassionforthepoor servant. Instead, he punished him for being lazy and drove him toworkharderandlonger.Theservantwassomiserablethathegroanedalldaywhileheworked.Tired

inbodyandmind,hefellintoadeepsleepatnight.Ashelostconsciousness,hebegan to dream. He dreamed he was king of a prosperous land and hadthousandsofservantsathiscommand.Helivedinabeautifulpalace,touredhiskingdominpompandluxury,andwashappybeyondimagination.Butwhenhewokeupthenextmorning,itwasanotherdayofmisery.Whenhisfellowworkerscomfortedhim,theoldservantsaid,“Itisreallynot

thatbad.Isufferduringtheday,butatnightIenjoymyselfwhenIamthekingofacountry.”Meanwhile, the rich businessman found that he was extremely tired after

managinghisestateseachday.He toofell intoadeepsleepanddreamed.Butwhenhedreamed,hisdreamwasanightmare.Hebecameaslavebonded toacruelmaster.Hewasgiventhemeanesttasksandwasforcedtoworklong,hardhours.Evenwhenhewas tiredhewasdrivenmercilessly.Hewasbeaten andpunished for every possible fault whether it was his or not. He sufferedmiserablyinhisdreamandonlygotreliefatdaybreak.Everydaythetwomenplayedouttherolesofmasterandservant.Everynight

theydreamedandplayedouttherolesofslaveandking.Thedaysandmonthswentby.Therichmanwasmiserableandaskedafriendforhelp.Thefriendsaidtohim,“Youhaveahugefortuneandarespectednameinthe

business world. Your social standing is far above the ordinary person’s.Therefore, dreaming that you are at the bottom of the social ladder is quitenormal. Things have away of balancing themselves out. If youwant to haveeverything go your way in both your waking and dreaming life, that’simpossible.”The businessman thought about his friend’swords and realized that hewas

pushing things to the extreme. He had made himself too fortunate and hisworkers toomiserable.From thenon,he treatedhisworkerswithcompassion,lessened their workloads, and did not drive himself as hard. As a result,everybodyfeltbetter.Therichmandidnothavenightmaresofbeingaslaveatnight,andtheoldservantdidnothavetosufferthroughtheday.

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Whatisrealandwhatisunreal?

AMANWHOWASGATHERINGfirewoodinthewildernesscameacrossadeer.Hekilleditandhiditinahollowsohecouldreturnandretrieveitlater.Hewassohappyabouthistremendousluckthathesoonforgotwherehehidthedeerandbegantosuspecthemighthavedreamedthewholething.As he walked home, he muttered to himself about his strange dream. A

passerbyhappenedtooverhearthewoodcuttertalkingtohimselfanddecidedtoseeifhecouldfindthedeerthemanhadmentioned.After searching around carefully in the area where the woodcutter had

described, he found the deer in a hollow covered by branches.Amazed at hisgoodfortune,themantookthedeerhomeandsaidtohiswife,“TodayImetamenwhodreamedhehadkilledadeerbuthadforgottenwherehehidit.Iwentandlookedaroundtheplacewherehesaidhehadkilledtheanimalandfounditinahollow.Isn’titincrediblethatdreamscanbereal?”His wife replied, “I think you probably dreamed the whole incident. You

foundadeerandyoudreamedyoumetawoodcutterwho talkedaboutkillingone.”Herhusbandthensaid,“Well, itdoesn’treallymatterwhetherIdreameduptheincidentornot.Ifoundadeerandnowwehaveagoodsupplyoffood.”When thewoodcutter got homehewas still bothered aboutwhether he had

killedadeerornot.Thatnighthehadadream.Hedreamedhehadindeedkilledadeerandhadplacedit inahollowandcovereditwithbranches.Morever, inhisdreamhesawthatsomeonewhomhehadmetonthewayhomehadgonetothehidingplaceandtakenawayhisdeer.Thenextmorninghewentstraighttothehousehesawinhisdreamandfound

thedeerintheyard.Hewentintoclaimhisdeer,buttheothermanwouldnotgiveitup.Finally,thetwowenttothelocalmagistratetosettlethematter.Themagistratelistenedtobothmen’sclaimsandthensaid,“Oneofyoukilled

thedeerand thensaid itwasadream.Lateryouclaimed itwasrealandnotadream.Nowtheotheroneofyoufoundadeerthatsomeonedreamedhekilled,butyoutellmeyourwifesaidthatyoudreamedupthewholethingandthatthe

woodcutterandhisdreamneverexisted.Well,allIseehereareadeerandtwopeople contesting their claims. I judge that the deer be divided up equallybetweenthetwoofyou.”When thekingheardabout this strange incident,heaskedhisminister, “Do

yousupposethemagistratewilldreamaboutdividingthedeer?”Hisminister replied, “I cannot tellwhether somethingwas real or dreamed.

Only sages like the Yellow Emperor or Confucius can tell the differencebetween waking and dreaming. Since they have both left this world, we willhave no way of telling what was dreamed and what was not. So, in themeantime,Iwouldgoalongwiththemagistrate’sdecisionofdividingthedeerinhalf.”

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Themanwholosthismemory

AMANCALLEDHUA-TZU suddenly lost hismemory inmiddle age. If yougavehimsomethinginthemorning,hewouldforgetaboutitbyevening.Ifyouaskedhimaboutsomethingintheevening,hewouldforgetitthenextday.Inthestreethewouldforgettowalk.Athomehewouldforgettosit.Todayhewouldforgetwhathappenedyesterday,andtomorrowhewouldnotrememberwhathappenedthedaybefore.Concernedabouthis lossofmemory,his family first inviteda fortune-teller

andthenasorcerertoseeiftheycouldhelpHua-tzurestorehismemory.Whenneithercouldhelp,adoctorwascalled,but thehealershookhisheadandsaidtherewasnothinghecoulddoeither.Finally,Hua-tzu thought about a philosopherwhoprobably couldhelphim.

SodesperatewasHua-tzu’swife in findinghimacure that she soldhalf theirpossessionsandtookherhusbandtothephilosophertoaskforhelp.The family traveled to the philosopher’s home and begged thewiseman to

cureHua-tzu.Thephilosopher told the family, “Thiskindof illness cannotbecured by omens, magic, or herbs. I’ll have to use special methods that aredesignedtoworkonhismind.”ThephilosopherthentriedanexperimentonHua-tzu.WhenhetoldHua-tzu

totakeoffhisclothes,Hua-tzuwantedtobedressed.Whenhestarvedtheman,Hua-tzu asked for food. When he locked Hua-tzu in a dark room, the manwantedtogetout.SeeingHua-tzu’sreactions,thescholarwasdelightedandtoldHua-tzu’s wife, “Your husband can be cured. However, I will need to use asecretmethodthatwashandeddowntomethroughthegenerations.Therefore,Icannotallowyou tostayhereandwatch.Comeback insevendays.Youhavemyguaranteethathewillbecured.”Hua-tzu’sfamilyhadnochoicebuttoleave.Forsevendaysthephilosopher

wassecludedwithHua-tzu.Nooneknewwhathedidorhowhedidit,butwhenHua-tzu’sfamilyarrivedtotakehimhome,theyfoundhimcompletelycured.After Hua-tzu recovered his memory, he became irritable and angry. He

chased out his wife, beat up his sons, and threatened the philosopher with aspear.Whenthepolicearrestedhimfordisruptingthepeaceandquestionedhismotives,Hua-tzu said, “When I lostmymemory, Iwas carefree and happy. IsleptpeacefullyandhadnoworrieswhenIwokeup.Ididn’thaveanythingonmy mind, and I was a free man. Now that I’ve got my memory back I ammiserable.Ilookbackonthefortunesandmisfortunes,thegainsandlosses,andthejoysandsorrowsinmylife,andIamoverwhelmed.Iwokeupfromagooddreamintoanightmare.Iwillneverbeabletogobacktothehappytimeswhenmymemorywaslost!”WhenTzu-kung,a studentofConfucius,heardaboutHua-tzu’soutburst,he

waspuzzled.Hewenttoaskhisteacherforanexplanation,butConfuciusonlysaid,“Thisissomethingyouwillneverunderstand.”Hethenturnedtohismostpromisingstudent,Yen-hui,andtoldhimtotakenoteofallthis.

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Whoisconfused?

THEREWASAMANwhohadaveryprecociousson,butwhentheboygrewup,heseemed to have a strange kind ofmental illness.When he heard laughter, hethought it was weeping. When he smelled fragrances, he thought they werepungent.Whenhesawblack,hesaiditwaswhite.Whenheatesomethingbitter,hesaiditwassweet.Whenhedidsomethingwrong,hethoughtitwascorrect.Itappearedthathewasutterlyconfusedanddideverythingcontrarytowhatwasexpected.Hisfatherwasworriedabouthisson’sproblemandaskedhisfriendsforhelp.

Onemanadvisedthefather,“ThereisawisegentlemaninthelandofLuwhoprobablycouldhelpyourson.Whynotgiveitatry?”The father gathered whatever money he had and, taking his son with him,

madethelongjourneytothekingdomofLu.On the road hemet Lao-tzu and described his son’s problem to the Taoist

sage.Lao-tzu said to the father, “How do you know that your son is mentally

disturbed and confused? These days there aremany peoplewho are confusedabout right and wrong, true and false. There are even more people who arementallydisturbedbygainandloss.Soyoursonisnottheonlypersonwhohasthis problem.Anyhow, just because one person is confused doesn’tmean thewhole family is confused. If one family is confused, it should not affect thewhole village. If an entire village is confused, it should not affect the wholecountry. If one country is confused, it doesnotmean thewholeworldwill beturned upside down. If thewholeworld is confused, thenwho is there to tellanyonetheyareconfused?“Supposeeveryoneislikeyoursonandyouaretheonlyonewho’sdifferent.

Whoisconfused,then:you,oryoursonandtherestoftheworld?Whointheworldcanclaimtobeabsolutelyclearaboutrightandwrong,blackandwhite,true and false, and happiness and sorrow? I’m not even sure whether I amconfusedornotwhenItellyouthesethings.AndthosewisegentlemenofLuare

evenmore confused. So how can they clear up somebody else’s confusion? Ithinkyoushouldsaveyourmoneyandtakeyoursonhome.”

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Themanwhogotupsetovernothing

THEREWASAMANwhowasborninthecountryofYenbutgrewupfarawayinthelandofCh’u.Inhisoldagehehadalongingforhishomelandanddecidedtoreturntheretolive.Ashejourneyedtowardhiscountryofbirth,hepassedthroughthecountryof

Chin.Hiscompanionsontheroaddecidedtoplayatrickonhim.Sooneofthemsaid,“Thisisyourhometown.”Themanbecamesilentandthoughtful.Another friend pointed to a building and said, “Look, over there is your

neighborhoodtemple.”Themansigheddeeply.Onecompanionledhimtoanabandonedhouseandsaid,“Here’sthehomeof

yourancestors.”Thepoormanbrokedownintears.Another companion motioned him toward a group of tombstones and said,

“Yourancestorsareburiedhere.”Themanbegantoweeploudlyandbitterly.Seeing his distress, the friends decided the jokewas over, so they told him

theywerejustplayingatrickonhim.Thehomesickmanwasveryembarrassedabouthisemotionaloutburstsand

keptquietfortherestoftheway.Whenhe finally reachedhishometownandsawhisancestralhouseand the

familytombs,hedidnotfeelasbad.Canwesaythemangotupsetovernothingwhenhisfriendsteasedhim?We

cannot sayhisemotionswere false,becausehe trulybelievedwhathis friendstold him.Our emotions are the result of our beliefs. They have nothing to dowithwhatisreallyoutthere.Ifwebelieveonething,thencertainemotionswillfollow. Ifwebelieve someother thing,wewill experiencedifferent emotions.Understandingthis, thehomesickmanrealizedhisemotionsdependedonwhathebelievedhesaw,notwhatwas“really”there.So,whenhefinallyreachedhishomeland,hewaslessattachedtohislonging,andasaresulthisfeelingswerelessstirredbyhissurroundings.

PartFour/Confucius

INTRODUCTION

Whoisasage?Whatisanenlightenedperson?Aretheypeoplewhoareknownand respected by many? Or are they the ones who hide their knowledge andwisdomandappearlikeordinarypersons?Lieh-tzuthinksthatenlightenedpeoplearethosewhospeakrarelyanddonot

reveal their abilities and accomplishments casually. In fact, they may appearslowanddull.Theyseewiththeirearsandhearwiththeireyes.Theymayhidebehindawoodenexpression,or theymayperceiveandact inwayscontrarytowhatpeopleexpect.Thus,tomostpeopletheyappearcrazyandinconsistent,butoftentheyarenotevennoticedatall.Most people would question why these enlightened people do not want to

make themselvesknown.After all, theypossess skillsbeyondour imaginationandcertainlycanmakeanimpactonthesocietyandtheworld.Butinaworldoftruthand lies,wherepeopleare trappedbyfame,fortune,approval,andgreed,thesageswhohidetheirskillaretheoneswhosurvive.

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Truehappinessandcontentment

CONFUCIUS HAD JUST RETIRED from politics when Tzu-kung came visiting. AsTzu-kungentered,hesawhisteacherlookingsadanddespondent.HehadneverseenConfuciusbehavelikethisbefore,soheleftquietlyandwenttotalktohisfriendYen-hui.Yen-huiwasoneofthemostpromisingstudentsofConfucius.Heenjoyeda

specialrelationshipwithhisteacherandunderstoodtheteachingsofhismastermorethananyotherstudent.WhenYen-huiheardwhatTzu-kunghadsaidabouttheirteacher,hedidnotsayaword.Instead,hepickeduphisluteandstartedtoplayandsingashewalkedtohisteacher’shome.When Confucius heard Yen-hui’s singing, he was surprised. He stopped

frowning and invited Yen-hui inside. Yen-hui was happy that his little actsucceededincheeringuphisteacher,butConfuciusgreetedhimwith,“Whyareyousohappywithyourselfthesedays?”Yen-huididnot responddirectly tohis teacher’squestion. Instead,heasked

Confucius,“Teacher,whyareyousodepressedthesedays?”Confuciussaid,“Let’shearyourreasonsforbeinghappyfirst.”SoYen-huireplied,“Youhavetaughtmethattoacceptlifeandbecontented

withthewillofheavenistobehappy.IhavekeptthosewordsinmymindandnowIamalwayssatisfiedandhappy.”ConfuciuswastakenabackbyYen-hui’sanswer.“DidIreallyteachyouthat?

I think youmisunderstoodme.Besides, thatwas a long time ago. Things aredifferentnow,andmyunderstandingofhappinesshaschanged.”Confucius then looked at Yen-hui intently and continued, “You only know

thatacceptinglifeandbeingcontentedwiththewillofheavenishappiness.Youdonotknowthatsometimesitmaybringsorrow.Youthinkyouarecontentedandhappyifyouarenotattractedbyfameandfortune,orworriedaboutlifeanddeath,ordisturbedbychangesinyoursurroundings.Myunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobehappyandcontentedisnotmerelythat.Letmetellyousomeofmyexperiencesandmaybeyouwillunderstandwhatitmeanstobetrulyhappy

andcontented.“WhenIwasyoung,IpledgedthatonedayIshouldoffermyservicestomy

country and help tomake a better society. So I studied the classics, acquiredskills in the martial arts, and cultivated myself with music and poetry. I hadhopedIcouldleadotherswithmyexample,becomeanadvisortothelordofmycountry,andhelppeopleliveabetterlife.ButwhenIcompletedmystudies,thesituation changed. My country became weak and the court became corrupt.Politicansfoughtforpower,andintriguesandbetrayalsbecamethenorm.“Nowadays, no one is interested in hearing about virtue and harmony

anymore. Inour society, peopleplacemore importanceonbusiness advantagethanfriendship.Relationshipshavebecomeshallow,andeveryoneisbendingtosocialandpeerpressuretogetapprovalortogetahead.“HownaiveIwasinthinkingIcouldturnthingsaround!NowIknownoone

canchange thegovernmentor societyby studying theclassics.But Ihavenotfound a way to solve the problems of the world, either.When you lose youridealsandvision,youwillrealizethatsimplyacceptinglifedoesnotnecessarilymakeyouhappy.”Yen-huiwasdumbfoundedbyConfucius’sconfession.Hehadneverheardhis

teacher talk about his life and his experiences. So he continued to listenattentively.Confuciussaid,“Tobetrulyhappyandcontented,youmustletgooftheidea

ofwhat itmeans tobehappyor content.Whenyouunderstand there is reallynothing tobehappyor sadabout, thenyouwillbe trulycontented.Whenyouhavereachedthisstateofmind,thenyouwillrealizeitdoesnotmatterwhetheror not music, poetry, or the classics are useful in changing society. In fact,whetherornotyouhaveanimpactonsocietyisnotimportant.”Yen-hui finally understood what his teacher meant. He bowed respectfully

andleft.Seeing that Yen-hui had returned home, Tzu-kung went to see his friend.

WhenYen-huirelatedwhatConfuciushadtoldhim,Tzu-kungwasconfused.Hethought about his teacher’swords and found that hewas far from the state ofmindConfuciushadattained.Feelingfrustratedandhopeless,hewenthomeandlocked himself in his house. For seven days he could not sleep. He lost hisappetiteandbecamethinandsallow.WhenYen-huisawTzu-kung’scondition,hepatientlyexplainedhismaster’s

teachingstoTzu-kungandencouragedhimtohaveconfidenceinhimself.WithYen-hui’shelp,Tzu-kungfinallycamearound.Fromthenon,Tzu-kungwasnotdepressed anymore. Daily he went to study with Confucius and laughed andsangwiththeotherstudents.

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Seeingwithearsandhearingwitheyes

THEREWASADIPLOMATfromthecountryofCh’enwhovisitedanacquaintancewhenhewasonofficialbusinessinthekingdomofLu.Whenthetwomenhadexchangedgreetings,theacquaintanceShu-sunsaid,“Wehaveafamoussageinourcountry.”The man of Ch’en said, “I take it you are referring to this man named

Confucius?”“That’sright.”“Howdoyouknowheisasage?”themanofCh’enchallenged.“IhaveheardhisstudentYen-huisaythathisteachercanemptyhismindand

makehisbodyintelligent.”“Wehaveasageinourcountry,too.Haveyouheardofhim?”“Whoisit?”“He’s a student of Lao-tzu and his name is Kang-sen-tzu. He has not only

mastered all the teachings of Lao-tzu but has surpassed his teacher in manyways.Hecanseewithhisearsandhearwithhiseyes.”Shu-sunwasstumped.Hehadneverheardofsomeonewiththeseabilities.He

told his friends aboutKang-sen-tzu, and soon everybody in the country ofLutalkedaboutthesagewhocouldhearwithhiseyesandseewithhisears.The talk reached theMarquis of Lu, who was so astounded by this man’s

extraordinaryabilitiesthathesentapersonalinvitationtoaskKang-sen-tzutobehisguest.When Kang-sen-tzu arrived, the marquis humbly asked, “I have heard that

youcanhearwithyoureyesandseewithyourears.Isthistrue?”Kang-sen-tzurepliedamicably,“That’sallrumor.It’snottruethatIcanmake

myearsseeandmyeyeshear.ButIcanseeandhearwithoutusingmyeyesorears.”Themarquiswasevenmore impressed.“This ismore thanwhat Iexpected.

Canyoutellmehowyoudoit?”Kang-sen-tzuthensaid,“Itisreallyquitesimple.Mybodyisinharmonywith

mymind,andmymindisinharmonywithmyenergies.Myenergiesfollowmyspirit,andmyspiritisintunewitheverythingaroundit.Therefore,Icanhearthefaintestsoundandsee theslightestmovement.Nothingescapesmyawareness,whetheritisfarawayorrightinfrontofme.IdonotknowwhetherIperceiveitwithmysenses,experienceitwithmybody,orknowitinmyguts.Let’ssayitisjustanaturalfeelforthewayofthings.”TheMarquisofLuwasverydelightedwithKang-sen-tzu’sanswerandwent

totellConfuciusaboutit.Confuciussimplysmiledandsaidnothing.

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Whoisasage?

AMINISTEROFTHEKINGDOMofShangcametovisitConfucius.Neveronetobeataround the bush, the minister always asked questions in a blunt andstraightforwardway. So themoment he sawConfucius he asked, “Are you asage?”Confuciusreplied,“Idonotdaretoclaimtobeone.I’monlysomeonewho

hasstudiedmuchandreadwidely.”“ThenweretheThreeKingssages?”“TheThreeKingsknewhow touse their courageand intelligence.Whether

theyweresagesIwouldnotknow.”“WhatabouttheFiveEmperors?”“TheFiveEmperorsknewhowtorulewithvirtue.Weretheysages?Idonot

know.”“HowabouttheThreeLords?Weretheysages?”“TheThreeLordsknewhowtousetherightpeopleattherighttime.It’snot

formetosaywhethertheyweresagesornot.”Theministerwas beginning to get impatient. “Thenwho do you think is a

sage?”Confuciuswouldnotbehurried,sohewaiteduntiltheministercalmeddown

again and replied, “Maybe far away in theWest is a personwho doesn’t talkabout the art of government and yet his country is orderly and peaceful. Herarelyspeaksaboutpromisesbutheistrustedbyall.Hedoesnotuseforce,soeverythingrunssmoothly.Hisheartisopenandhisactionsarespontaneous.Hissubjectsdontevenknowwhattocallhim.Isuspectheisasage,butthatheistrulyasageIwouldnotknow.”When theminister of Shang heard this, hewas not pleased.Hewent away

thinking to himself, “It doesn’t make sense. This fellow Confucius must befoolingme.”Does it reallymatter if someone is recognized as a sage or not? If you are

truly honest, sincere, and upright in everything youdo, do youneedothers to

acknowledgeyourvirtuestomakeyouvirtuous?

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Whatiswisdom?

ONEDAYTZU-HSIAwaschattingwithConfucius.Whentheycametodiscussingthemerits of each student,Tzu-hsia askedhis teacher, “What doyou thinkofYen-hui?”Confucius replied, “Yen-hui is very kind and gentle. His compassion far

surpassesmine.”“HowaboutTzu-kung?”“Tzu-kungismuchbetterthanIamwhenitcomestodebatingandpresenting

arguments.”“AndwhataboutTzu-lu?”“Tzu-luisabraveman.Icannotmatchhimforcourage.”“AndTzu-chang?”“Tzu-changcanholdhisdignitybetterthanI.”Tzu-hsia was so surprised by his teacher’s answers that he stood up and

exclaimed,“Howcometheyallwanttolearnfromyou?”Confuciusmotionedhisstudenttositdown.WhenhesawthatTzu-hsiahad

calmed down, he said, “Yen-hui is compassionate, but he is stubborn andinflexible.Tzu-kungcanbeverypersuasive,buthedoesnotknowwhentostoptalking.Tzu-lucanbecourageousbutdoesnotknowtolerance.Tzu-changcanbedignifiedbutdoesnotknowhowtobeharmoniouswithothers.Iwouldnotexchangetheirmeritsformyowneveniftheyoffered.That’swhytheyallcometolearnfromme.”Wisdom is not competence in one skill or many skills. It is the ability to

recognizestrengthsandweaknessesinourselvesandothers.Thus,awiseteacherknowsthatalthoughhemaynotsurpasscertainstudentsinspecificskills,hecangivethemwhattheyneedtobecomebetterindividuals.

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Themanwithawoodenface

AFTERLIEH-TZUhadcompletedhisstudieswiththeimmortalOldShangandhisfriend the sage Po-hun, he settled in the southern part of town. Not longafterward, hewas besieged by visitors and hopeful students. SometimesLieh-tzu’shousewascrowdedwithhundredsofpeople.Lieh-tzu welcomed their company and enjoyed talking with them all day.

Nextdoor toLieh-tzu livedamanby thenameofNan-kuo-tzu. In the twentyyears that theywere neighbors,Lieh-tzu and thisman had never greeted eachother. If they passed each other on the road,Nankuo-tzuwouldwalk by as ifLieh-tzuwerenotthere.Lieh-tzu’sfriendsfiguredthetwomenmustbeenemies.WhensomeoneaskedLieh-tzuabouthisneighbor,Lieh-tzusaid,“Nan-kuo-

tzu’sfaceisfullbuthismindisempty.Hehearsnothing,soheisnotdistractedbywhat’shappeningaroundhim.Heseesnothing,soheisnotattractedtothingsaroundhim.Hesaysnothing,soheneverargueswithothers.Hismindisstill,sonothing bothers him. His body is not aroused, so he is like a blank wall.Somebody likehimwouldnotwant to bebotheredby anyoneor anything, sothere’snopointintryingtoreachhim.”Nonetheless,Lieh-tzudecidedtovisithisneighbor.Alargegroupoffriends

andstudentsfollowedasLieh-tzuwentintoNan-kuo-tzu’shouse.Entering,theysawNan-kuo-tzusittingtherelikeaclayfigure.Hisfacewasasexpressionlessasablockofwood.Hiseyeswereblankandhisbodywasmotionless.Indeed,hewas not someone they could talk to. EvenLieh-tzu had noway of gettingthroughtoNan-kuo-tzu.While everyonewas standing therenot knowingwhat todo, suddenlyNan-

kuo-tzulookedatthestudentswhowerestandingatthebackandsaid,“Youareallarrogantandcompetitive.”Thecrowdwasstartled.WhentheyallreturnedtoLieh-tzu’shouse,theyasked,“Whatwenton?”Lieh-tzu replied, “Ifyoucan see intention, thenyouneednotuse speech to

communicate.Thesagedoesnotneedtotalktopeopletounderstandtheirintent.Moreover,theydonotneedtousewordstocommunicatetheirownintent.This

iscalledsayingnothing.Theenlightenedpersoncanalsosensethetruthwithoutgoing throughdeductionor reasoning.This is called knowingnothing andyetknowingall.Nan-kuo-tzuappearsasifhedoesnotsee,doesnothear,anddoesnotknow.However,he seesall,hearsall, andknowsall.Forhim, there isnoseparationbetween seeing andnot seeing, hearing andnot hearing, acting andnotacting,andknowingandnotknowing.”True communication does not always require speech or action. Enlightened

persons communicate through the spirit and do not need to convey theirintentions through sound and movement. Consequently, the way theycommunicateismoreeffectivethanthatoftheordinaryperson.

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Theartoftravelingandsightseeing

LIEH-TZU USED TO love to travel and see the sights.When his teacher Hu-tzuasked himwhat he found so enjoyable about traveling, Lieh-tzu said, “Whileotherpeopletraveltoseethebeautyofsightsandsurroundings,Ienjoyseeingthewaythingschange.Toothersightseers,itmayseemthatIamlikethem,butthedifferencebetweenusisthattheyseethingswhereasIseechanges.”Hu-tzu said, “You think you are different from other travelers, but actually

you are not. Although they are amused by sights and sounds, and you arefascinatedbythingsthatalwayschange,youarebothoccupiedwithwhatisoutthere rather than what you experience inside. People who are attracted to theexternalworld are always looking for something new andwonderful thatwillsatisfy their senses.However, only peoplewho look into themselveswill findtruesatisfaction.”Afterthisconversation,Lieh-tzustoppedtravelingbecausehethoughthehad

thoroughlymisunderstoodwhat itmeans to travel. Seeing this,Hu-tzu said tohim, “Travel is such awonderful experience!Especiallywhen you forget youaretraveling.Thenyouwillenjoywhateveryouseeanddo.Thosewholookintothemselveswhentheytravelwillnotthinkaboutwhattheysee.Infact,thereisnodistinctionbetweentheviewerandtheseen.Youexperienceeverythingwiththetotalityofyourself,sothateverybladeofgrass,everymountain,everylakeisaliveandisapartofyou.Whenthereisnodivisionbetweenyouandwhatisother,thisistheultimateexperienceoftraveling.”

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Lung-shu’sstrangeillness

ONEDAYLUNG-SHUwaschattingwithhisfriendwhoclaimedhewasespeciallyadept at curing strange illnesses. Lung-shu found this hard to believe, so hechallenged his friend, “I have a strange illness. If you can cure me, then I’llagreethatyou’rethebestdoctoraround.”Hisfrienddidnotseemflustered.“Tellmeaboutyourillness,”hesaid.“Nowlistencarefully,”saidLung-shu.“Thisismyillness.WhenIampraised

byothers,Idonotfeelpride.Whenothersspeakbadlyaboutme,Idonotfeeldisgraced.WhenIgainsomething,Iamnothappy.WhenIlose,Iamnotsad.Lifeanddeath,richesandpoverty,fortuneandmisfortuneare thesametome.As amatter of fact, I can see people as pigs and seemyself as other people.WhenI’mathome, I feel Iamwanderingaround.WhenI’m inmycountry, Ifeel like Iamamongforeigners.Since Igot thisstrange illness, Ihave lostallinterestinbecomingrichandfamous.Idon’tcareabouttitles,land,andrenown.Idon’tthinkmuchaboutrulesandregulations.Theriseandfallofgovernmentand politicians are notmy concern, and I am not affected by the emotions ofpeople around me. Because of my illness I can no longer serve my country,managemybusiness, or become the head ofmy family.How are you able tohelpme?”ThedoctortoldLung-shutostandwithhisbacktothesun.Facingthelight,

heexaminedLung-shufromadistanceandlookedhimupanddowncarefully.Presentlyhesaid,“Ah, Icansee thatyourheart isemptyandyouareclose tobeing a sage. Six out of seven cavities in your heart are completely open.However,oneofthemisstillshut.Thisblockageisprobablythecauseofyourillness. If indeed your illness is seeingwisdom as a strange disease, thenmyskillsareinadequatetocureyou.”Lung-shuhadgottenridofallhisattachmentsexceptone.Hestillretaineda

conceptionofwhat itmeans to be enlightened.Comparing enlightenment to astrangeillness,Lung-shumadeitmysterious,extraordinary,andunnatural.Enlightenmentisaverynormalexperience,attainablebyeveryone.Therefore,

there is nothing mysterious or secretive about it. There is nothing unnaturalaboutit,either,becauseitfollowsthenaturalwayofthings.

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Respondingnaturally

WHENONEOFYang-chu’s friendsdied,Yang-chuwent to the funeral laughingandsingingandshowednosignsofmourning.Whenanotherofhisfriendsdied,Yang-shuhuggedthedeadmanandweptbitterly.Ordinarily,peoplearehappyaboutbirthandsadaboutdeath.WhydidYang-

chulaughatthedeathofonepersonandcryatthedeathofanother?Yang-chufoundnothingsadaboutthemanwhodiedafterlivinghislifetothefullest.Infact, he felt happy for the friend who left this world as a contented man.However,Yang-chuwassadabouthisotherfriend’sdeathbecausehefelt thisman died before his time. In both cases Yang-chu was simply respondingnaturallytothecircumstances.

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Therearesomethingsyoujustcan’tfight

ANEYEthatisabouttoloseitssighttendstobeextremelysharpinmakingoutdetails.Anearthatisabouttobecomedeaftendstobeveryacuteinitshearing.A tongue that is about to lose its sensitivity can make out the differencesbetweenwaterfromtwosources.Anosethatisabouttoloseitsabilityismostsensitive to fragrances. It is as if the senses are fighting to maintain theirusefulness.However, nomatter howhard they fight, theywill eventually losetheireffectiveness.It is the samewith people. People who are beginning to weakenwill push

theirbodiestothelimit.Peoplewhoareabouttolosetheirmindswillbecomeunusually argumentative.This is because theyarenotwilling to admit that allthingsmustend,andtheywant tomakeashowoftheirstrengthtocover theirweakness.On the other hand, enlightened persons accept the natural course of things.

They do not force their bodies to display strength or their minds to showcleverness.Knowingthattherearesomethingsthattheycan’tfight,theyacceptwhatcomes.Thatiswhytheycanembracelifeandacceptdeath.

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Whoissupportingwhom?

IN THE PART OF TOWN where Lieh-tzu lived and taught, there were manyphilosophers of high virtue. In another part of town, the eastern quarter, therelivedmanyskilledcivilservantsandpoliticians.One day when Pai-feng, a student of Lieh-tzu, was walking through the

easternquarter,heranintoTeng-hsi,alegislatorandarespectedofficial.Teng-hsi and his students were always talking about how to solve the politicalproblems of the day. The philosophers, on the other hand, seldom discussedpolitics.WhenTeng-hsisawPai-feng,heturnedtohisstudentsandsaid,“Watchmemakethatfellowdancearoundincircles.”Hisstudentsencouragedhimon.Teng-hsiapproachedPai-fengandsaid,“Doyouknowthedifferencebetween

supportingyourselfandbeingsupportedbyothers?Ibetyoudon’t.Letmetellyou. Peoplewho are always supported by others and nevermake an effort tosupportthemselvesarenobetterthandogsorpigs.Inthisworld,onlythosewhocontributecanhopetoreceivebenefitsfromsociety.Thosewhositaroundandwait for the kitchen to hand out food are just like domestic animals andlivestock,”Pai-fengdidnotanswer,butoneofhisfollowerssteppedforwardandsaidto

Teng-hsi,“Yourhonor,haveyouheardthatinthecountriesofCh’iandLutherearemanypeoplewithspecialskills?Someareexpertsincarpentryandceramics.Some are excellent metal workers. Some are talented musicians and artists.Some are good at military strategy and some are great fighters. Some areknowledgeable in religious ceremonies and rituals, and others are skillful indivinationandmagic.Despite their expertise in theirownareas,noneof thesepeople are good administrators. They can do their own tasks but cannot tellotherstodotheirs.Fortunately,therearesomepeoplewithnospecialskillsatallwho could be employed as bureaucrats. So we have the following situation.Those who are skilled are employed by those who are not skilled, and youadministrators and bureaucrats are employed by citizens like us.Now,who issupportingwhom?”

Teng-hsididnotknowwhattosay.Sheepishly,heturnedtowardhisstudentsandwalkedaway.

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Whatisstrength?

THE EARL OF THE STATE of Kung-yi was reputed to be a very strong man. Acertain dukewas impressedwith thisman’s strength and spoke highly of himbeforetheking.Thekingwaseagertomeettheearl,sohesentalargegiftandinvitedtheearltogiveademonstrationofhisstrengthatthecourt.WhentheEarlofKung-yiarrived,thekingwasshocked.Themanwhostood

beforehimwasnotaheavy,muscularmanbutathinandlankyfellow.Thekingwasbeginningtohavedoubtsaboutthisman’sability,sohefrownedandsaid,“Really,howstrongareyou?”Theearlreplied,“Iamstrongenoughtobreakthelegsofagrasshopperand

snapthewingsofaninsect.”Whenthekingheardthis,hewasannoyednoend.Eitherthismanwasafraud

orhewastryingtopassoffawittyremark.Irritated,thekingsaidloudly,“Thestrongmen inmy service can rip thehideof a rhinoceros anddragnineoxenaroundby their tails,andyet Iamnotsatisfiedwith their strength.Howcomeyouaresofamousforyourstrengthwhenyoucanonlybreakthewingsandlegsofinsects?”TheEarlofKung-yisighedandsaid,“Mylord,thisisanexcellentquestion.

Letmeexplain.MyteacherOldShangwasthestrongestmanintheworld,yethisfamilyknewnothingaboutit.Henevershowedhisstrengthbecauseheneverhadtouseit.WhenIsawthis,IsworeIwouldspendtherestofmylifelearningfromhim.“Thisiswhathetoldme:‘Most people like to seewhat they have never seen before or dowhat has

neverbeendonebefore.Theywanttostarttacklingchallengingconditionsrightawayanddonothavethepatiencetolearnfromscratch.However,Isayifyouwanttotrainyourpowersofseeing,youshouldstartoutbyscrutinizingastackoffirewood.Ifyouwanttosharpenyoursenseofhearing,youshouldstartoutby listening to the sound of bells. In this way, you will build your abilitiesgraduallyandnotencountera lotofobstacleswhileyou learn.Onceyouhave

acquiredtheabilities,noconditionwillappeardifficult.Andiftheconditionsarenotdifficult,whywouldyouneedtocallonyourabilitiestodealwiththem?’”The earl continued, “If my reputation for strength is known around the

country,thenIhavenotfollowedmymaster’steachingswell.However,IamnotfamousformystrengthbecauseIboastaboutwhatIcando,butbecauseofthewayIuseit.”Thekingwasfinallysatisfiedwiththeearl’sexplanation.Instrength,theEarlofKung-yihadnotreachedthelevelofmasterythathis

teacherOld Shang had.While the earl did not boast about his ability, he stillneeded to use it.OldShang, however, had reached the pointwhere therewasnothing out there that proved difficult enough for him to need to call on hisstrength.Soheneverneededtouseit.

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ThestrangeargumentsofKungsunLung

PRINCEMOUwasoneofthemostintelligentsonsintheroyalfamilyofWei.Hewas always in the company of philosophers and scholars, listening to theirlectures and debates. Not interested in politics and government, Prince MouspentmuchofhistimewiththesophistKungsunLungandenjoyedhearingwhatthiswittyphilosopherhadtosayabouteverythingintheworld.A prominent scholar made fun of Prince Mou’s friendship with Kungsun

Lung.When theprinceheardabout it,heasked thescholar,“What’s so funnyaboutmybeingfriendswithKungsunLung?”Thescholarsaid,“EverybodyknowsthatKungsunLungisstrange.Hehasno

respectforanyoneoranything.Hehasasharptongueanddoesnotknowwhento hold it. His views are eccentric and extreme and he does not follow anyknownschoolofteaching.Helikestousehiswitandverbalfinessetoconfuseothers and win arguments. Although he can argue successfully that white isblackandstraightiscrooked,youwalkawaywiththefeelingthathe’swontheargumentnotbecauseheiscorrectbutbecauseyoucan’toutwithim.Ifindhimtobeamostshallowandconceitedman.Ilaughatyoubecauseyouareafooltotreathimwithsuchrespect.”PrinceMouwasnothappywiththisevaluationofhisfriend.“WhydoyouseeKungsunLungthisway?Canyoushowmeinstanceswhere

heisasyousaid?”“Sure!First, lookatwhatKungsunLungsaid to thegrandsonofConfucius.

Hesaid:‘Thereisanarcherwhocanfirearrowsinsuchawaythatthetipofthesecondarrow touches thenotchof the first one, and the tipof the third arrowtouchesthenotchofsecond.Thus,whenthepointofthefirstarrowislodgedinthetarget,thethirdarrowisstillnotchedinthebowstring.Asaresult,insteadofthreearrowsthereisonlyonelongarrow,ofwhichthetipisinthetargetandthenotchisstillinthebowstring.’WhentheConfucianistwasawestruckbythisfeatof archery,Kungsun Lung then said, ‘This is nothing.Have you heard of thestudentof thegreat archerP’engwhowasangrywithhiswife anddecided to

teachheralessonbyfrighteningher?Hetookafamousbow,fitteditwiththebest-crafted arrow, and shot at her eye. Strange it may sound, but when thearrow touched the surface of the eye, it fell to the ground. The whole thinghappenedsofastthathiswifedidnotevenhavetimetoblink.Nowthat’swhatIcallmasteryinarchery.’Wouldn’tyousaythisisridiculous?”Prince Mou calmly replied, “The words of a wise man are not easily

understoodbyafool.Thethreearrowscanlineuponebehindanothermakingalongarrowbecausethearcherknowstheprecisemomenttoletgoofeacharrow.Moreover,anarchercanmakeanarrowstoprightinfrontofsomeone’seyeifhe knows how to deploy his strength in such a way that the arrow loses itsmomentum when it has covered a certain distance. I find both cases verybelievable.There’snothing ridiculous aboutwhatKungsunLung said. In fact,theseinstancestellmethatKungsunLunghasadeepunderstandingoftheartofarchery.”ThescholarwasnothappywithPrinceMou’srebuttal,sohesaid,“Youare

KungsunLung’sstudentandfriend.Ofcourseyouwilldefendhimandignorehisfaults.Letmetellyoumoreoutrageousthingsabouttheman.Thistimeyouarenotgoingtofinditeasytodefendhim.OnceKungsunLungsaidtothekingofWei:Apersonwithamindcannotknow;

Ifyoucanpointtoit,thenyoucannotreachit;Youcanneverfinishdividingsomething;

Ashadowcannotmove;Asinglehaircanholdupathousandstones;Awhitehorseisnotahorse;

Anorphanedcalfhasneverhadamother.

“Yousee,there’snoendtoKungsunLung’sperversionofreason.”PrinceMouwasnotatallbotheredbytheseallegations.Calmlyhesaid,“You

thinkthesestatementsareoutrageousonlybecauseyoucannotunderstandthem.Theproblemisinyou,notKungsunLung.”He continued, “Let me explain the meaning of these statements. First, a

personwith amind is bound to be filledwith conceptions.These conceptionspreventhimfromknowingthingsdirectly,soapersonwithamindshallneverreallyknow.Second, phenomena in theworld are so fleeting that themomentyou point to them they are gone. Third, division and differentiation are theprocessesbywhichthingsarecreated.Sincethingsareemerginganddissolvingallthetime,youcannotspecifythepointwhenthisdivisionwillstop.Fourth,ashadow is in an effect, not a cause.Therefore, by itself, it cannotmove.Only

when a cause is present is there an effect. Fifth, a single hair can hold up athousandstonesifyouunderstandtheprincipleofbalance.Moreover,KungsunLung’s famous statement ‘A white horse is not a horse’ cautions us not toconfuse anobjectwith itsqualities.Finally, anorphancalfwasnot anorphanwhenithadamother.Inthesameway,acowcannotgivebirthtoanorphancalfbecauseitmustbealivetogivebirth.“Asyoucan see,KungsunLung’s statements are far frombeingempty and

outrageous.Theyarewordsofwisdomdesignedtoawakenusfromignorance.”Thescholarhadnothingmoretosayandleft.The words of the wise are difficult to accept not because they cannot be

understood,butbecausepeopledonotwanttounderstandthem.KungsunLungwasanextraordinaryman.Hisperceptionandunderstandingofthingswerewaybeyondhistime.Thatiswhyhiscontemporariesdismissedhisteachingsaswildandeccentric.OnlyPrinceMouunderstoodhiswisdom.ButPrinceMouwasaverywisemanhimself.

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Knowingwhentowithdraw

WHEN THE EMPERORYAO had ruled for fifty years, hewas unsurewhether hisempirewas in order andwhether his subjects accepted him as their ruler. Heaskedhisministersinthecourt,buttheydidnotknow.Heaskedtheofficialsintheoutlyingprovinces;theycouldnottellhim.Heaskedthewisepeopleoftheland,buttheywereunabletohelphim.Under these circumstances,Yao had no choice but to disguise himself as a

commonerandtravelaroundinhiskingdom.Oneday,ashenearedaprovincialtown,heheardagroupofchildrensinging.Ashegotcloser,hemadeoutthesewords:Youfedusandclothedus.

Yourlawsareourlaws.Withoutknowingit,Wefollowthewayofheaven.

Yaowasdelightedwhenheheardthis.Heaskedthechildren,“Wheredidyoulearnthissong?”“Wehearditfromanofficial,”theyreplied.“Howdidyoucomebythisverse?”Yaoaskedtheofficial.“Ibelieveit’sfromanoldpoem.”Yao returned to his court, summonedhis successorShun, told himwhat he

had seen and heard, and then abdicated. Shun accepted the kingship withoutquestion.WhenthesageWen-tzuheardaboutthis,hesaid,“Someonewhoknowshow

to withdraw when his work is finished is one who understands the way ofheaven. He has no quarrels with theworld andwhatever he does follows thenaturalorderofthings.Therearethingsthatgoagainstthenaturalway,butthenaturalwaydoesnotgoagainst theorderof things.Therefore, theenlightenedpersondoesnotneedeyes tosee theWay.This isbecause theWaycannotbegraspedwith your senses and thoughts. Look for it in front and it will sneak

behind you. Seek it with good intentions and it is everywhere. If you areinsincere, it will never reveal itself. It is something that you cannot use yourintellect to attain, but if you are not serious, it will also escape you. Only innaturalness can theWay be attained. And after you have attained it, only innaturalnesscanitbekept.Knowingthetruthofthingsandyetnotclutchingtothetruth,knowinghowtoactandnotusingefforttodoit,isthemarkofasage.Ifyoupretendtoknowornottoknow,pretendtodoornottodo,youarejustlikeapileofdirt.Itsitstheredoingnothing,butitisalsoworthnothing.”Abdicationandretirementarenot thingsthatcanbeforced.Onlythosewho

are in tunewith the natural way of things knowwhen and how towithdraw.WhenYaosawthathiscountrywasinorderandthattherewasnothinghecoulddotomakethingsbetter,heknewitwastimetowithdraw.AndShun,whoalsounderstoodthewayofheaven,acceptedhisresponsibilitieswithouthesitation.

PartFive/TheQuestionsofT’ang

INTRODUCTION

Manythingsintheworldarenotasstrangeaswethinktheyare.Customsandtraditions in other cultures may appear shocking at first, but when people ofothercultureslookatus,theyprobablyhavethesameinitialreaction.To Lieh-tzu, even the strangest happenings are not anomalous, because all

things follow the natural order of the universe. People can acquire incredibleskillsandperformunbelievablefeatsbecausetheyunderstandhowthingswork.Thekeytounderstandingthenaturalorderofthingsisdissolvingthebarriers

betweensubjectandobject;knowerandknown,seerandseen.Whetheryouarelearningarchery,fishing,driving,singing,craftinganartifact,playingamusicalinstrument, or communicating with a friend, the highest level of achievementcanonlybereachedwhendualitiesaredissolvedandnothingseparatesyoufromeverythingandeveryone.

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Wheredothingscomefrom?

THE EMPEROR T’ANG asked a sage, “Have things always been there from theancientbeginning?”Thesagereplied,“Ifthingswerenotthereinthebeginning,howcantheybe

herenow?Whatdoyouthinkofpeopleinthefuturewhoaskiftherearethingsnow?”“Inthiscase,wouldyousaythereisnosuchthingasbeforeorafter?”“It is difficult to saywhen things begin orwhen they end.The start of one

thingmaybetheendofanother.Fromtheancientbeginningstoourtime,thingscontinuouslycomeandgo.Thereisnowayofknowingwhatcamefirst.”“Thenistherealimittotheuniverse?”“Idon’tknow.”The Emperor T’ang pressed further. “There’s got to be a boundary

somewhere.”The sage then said, “Nothingness is limitless. How do I know where its

boundariesare?Howdoweknowthatbeyondthisuniversethereisnotanotheruniverse?Icanonlysaythatthingsarelimitless,butIcannottellyouifthereareanyboundaries.”

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Themanwhotriedtomovethemountains

IN A VALLEY SURROUNDED by two high mountains lived an old man. He wasnicknamed theOld Fool by his neighbors because hewas always thinking upimpossibleprojects.Oneday,theOldFoolgottiredofhavingtotakealongandroundabouthike

togetoutofhisvalley.Hecalledhis family togetherandpresented themwiththeproposalthattheyremovethemountainsthatblockedtheirway.Hissonandgrandsonwereveryexcitedabouttheideaandwantedtostartthe

project right away. The old man’s wife, however, was not enthusiastic. Sheshookherheadandsaid toherhusband,“Youareninetyyearsold.Youdon’tevenhavethestrengthtoremoveasmallmoundofdirt.Howcanyouleveltwohigh mountains? Aren’t you a bit too ambitious? Anyhow, where would youplacethedirtafteryou’vetakendownthemountains?”Theoldmanwasnotdiscouraged.“Wecandumptherocksintothesea,”he

said.Hissonandgrandsonagreed.Thenextday,theOldFool,withhissonandgrandson,tookshovelsandpicks

andheadedforthemountains.Ontheirway,theywerejoinedbyaseven-year-old boy from a neighboring family. The four of themworked from sunrise tosunsetanddidnotreturnhometorestuntilthewintercame.A wise man in the village who had heard about the Old Fool’s attempt at

leveling themountainscame to talk theoldmanoutofhis foolishproject.Hesaid, “At your age you should be wise enough to know that your project isimpractical.You areold andweak.You can’t evenpull up theweeds in yourgarden.Whatmakesyouthinkyoucanmoveamountain?”TheOldFoolsighedandsaid,“Yourmindisassetasarock.Evenaseven-

year-old child is smarter than you are.Can’t you see that if I don’t finish theproject, my son and grandson will continue with it? And if they can’t finishmoving themountain, their sons and grandsonswill continue, and so on. Themountain, on the other hand, does not grow. So if each generation keepschippingaway,thenonedaythemountainwillbeleveled.”

Thewisemancouldn’targuewiththeOldFool’slogic,soheleft.Timewenton,andtheOldFoolandhischildrenkeptondiggingawayatthe

mountain.While everyone laughed at his impossible project, the spirits of themountainbecameconcerned.Theysaw that theOldFoolwasdetermined,andtherewasnoquestionthatthemountainwasgoingtobeleveled,evenifitwouldbesometimeinthedistantfuture.Alarmed, theywent to the lords of heaven and reported their concern. The

deitieswerebothcuriousandamusedbytheOldFool’sattemptatmovingthemountains,butwhen they sawhispatienceanddetermination, theydecided tohelphim.Onenight theysent twogiants tocarry themountainoff,one to theeastandonetothesouth.Thenextmorning,whenthepeoplelookedoutfromtheir windows, the mountains that had blocked their way were miraculouslygone.

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Themanwhotriedtochasedownthesun

THERE WAS A MAN who prided himself in being a great runner. One day hedecidedtocompetewiththesun’sjourneyacrossthesky,sohechasedthesuntothebrinkoftwilight.Bythenhewasextremelythirsty.HehuntedforwaterandfoundtheYellow

RiverandtheWeiRiver.Afterhehaddrunkthewatersdry,hewasstillthirsty,so he headed for a greatmarsh up north.Before he could reach it, he died ofthirstandfelltotheground.Thestaffhehadcarriedsoakedupthefleshofhisdecayingbodyandbecameagreatforest.Peoplewhoareproudoftheirabilitiestendtowanttopushthemtothelimit.

Ifyoupushyourselftothelimit, thenyouwill trytocompetewitheverything.Andifyoucompetewitheverything,thenoneday,likethemanwhochasedthesun,youwilllose.

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TheNorthCountry

YÜ THE SHAMAN-KING said, “Within heaven and earth and the four directions,insidethefourseas,everythingislitbythesunandmoon,circledbythestarsinthesky,regulatedbythefourseasons,andruledbytheStaroftheYear.ThingsthatcomefromtheGreatSpiritdifferinshapeandsize.Someliveoutlonglivesandsomedieaccidentally.Onlytheenlightenedonesunderstandthenaturalwayofthingsandseetheirplaceintheuniverse.”ThesageHsia-chisaid,“TherearethingsthatdonotrequiretheGreatSpirit

tomake them and yet they exist. They do not require the energies of yin andyang to nourish them, nor the sun andmoon to light them.They do not needprotectiontolivealonglife,nordotheydieaccidentaldeaths.Theykeepwarmwithout clothing, they are filled without needing grains, and they can travelwithoutboatsorvehicles.Thisisthenaturalwayofthings.”Lateron,whenYüwashelpingtofighttheGreatFlood,helosthiswayand

stumbled intoacountry farupnorth.Whenheasked the inhabitantswherehewas, they told himhewas in theNorthCountry, thousands ofmiles fromhishome.Yü soon found that therewere a lot of unusual things in this country. The

peoplehadnoideaofwheretheboundariesofthecountrylay.Wheretheylivedtherewerenostormsorsnow,nowildanimals,andnoforests.Theylivedonagreatplainwithmilesofgrassland. In themiddleof theplainwasamountainshapedlikeajug.Ontopofthemountainwasaspring.Thewatersofthespringwere sweet and fragrant and they floweddown themountainside in four clearand sparkling streams. The streams carried thewaters all over the land. Theyregulatedtheclimateandneutralizedpoisonousgas.Thepeopleweregentleandfriendly.Theirbodiesweresoft,theirheartswere

open,and theirmindswereclear.Everybody lived together inharmony.Therewere no quarrels, no jealousies, and no pride. The old lived with the young.Therewerenopoliticansorleaders.Menandwomenmingledfreely,andtherewerenosocialconventionssuchascourtingormarriage.Everyonelivedbythe

water. Therewas no need to cultivate crops orweave cloth for clothing. Thepeoplediednaturallyafterlivingoutahundredyears.Noonediedofillnessordisease,andnoonewaskilledaccidentally.Thepeople lived inhappinessandcontentmentanddidnotknowanxiety,sorrow,decay,death,orpain.Thepeople therealso lovedmusicandsong.Theydancedandsangallday.

Whentheyweretiredorwhentheygothungry,alltheyneededwastodrinkthesweetwatersofthemagicspringandtheywouldbefilledwithenergyagain.Iftheydranktoomuch,theywouldsleepfortendays.Iftheybathedinthewaters,their bodieswould renew their vigor and carry the fragranceof thewaters formanydays.When theEmperorMouofCh’ouwentonhis spirit journey,hevisited this

North Country and stayed there for three years. After he returned home, hethoughtaboutthiscountryoftenandwassooccupiedwithhisthoughtsthathecouldneithereatnorsleep.ThiscountrywassounusualthatKuan-chung,theadvisortothekingofCh’i,

encouragedhislordtovisitit.Thetwomenwereabouttosetoutforthisfabledlandwhenanotherministercounseledthekingandsaid,“Mylord,whytraveltoaforeignlandwhenyouhaveeverythinginyourowncountry?LookaroundthekingdomofCh’i.Ourmountains and rivers are beautiful, our plains arewide,andourpeoplearehappy.Ourlandyieldsbountifulharvestsandwedonotlackanything. Your court is filled with splendor, your ministers are loyal, yoursoldiersstrong,andyoursubjectsarecultured.Everythingyoucouldeverwantisbackhereathome.Whydoyouwanttotraveltolandsthatareonthebordersofourcivilization?Kuan-chungmustbefantasizingagain.”WhenthekingreportedthistoKuan-ching,theadvisorsimplyreplied,“This

isnotsomethingthatourfriendwillunderstand.I’mafraidifwedonotkeepthesearchfortheNorthCountryalive,weshallneverfindit.Asfortheprosperityofourcountry,whybesoattachedtowhatwehave?Asforourfriend’swords,doyoureallythinktheycarrygoodadvice?”

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Strangecustomsinstrangecountries

IN THE SOUTHERNKINGDOMS, peoplewear their hair short and go naked. In thenorthernkingdoms,peoplewrapturbansaroundtheirheadsandwearfurs.Inthecentral lands, they wear hats and skirts. People of themiddle kingdom knowhow to make the best use of the resources from the land. There are farmers,traders, hunters, and fishermen. Therefore, the people of the central lands arewell fedandwell clothed. Inwinter theyhave furs tokeep themwarmand insummertheywearcottontokeepthemselvescool.Theytravelbyboatsandcars,andtheydonotneedtoexertalotofefforttogetwhattheywant.Inalandfartothesouthandeastisacountrywhereitiscustomaryforpeople

tokilltheirfirstbornandofferitsfleshandbloodtoeveryoneinthecommunitytoeat.Theysaythiswillbringfertilitytothewomen.Moreover,whenafatherdies,thechildrentietheirmotheronthedeadman’sbackandabandonbothofthem in thewilderness. They claim it is not proper to livewith thewife of aghost.When a relative or familymember dies, the children demonstrate theirfilialdutiesbycuttingoffthedeadman’sskinbeforetheyburyhisbones.Inalandfarsouthisacountrywherechildrenaresaidtobefilialonlyifthey

burnthebodiesoftheirdeadparents.Whenthesmokerisesfromthepyre,itissaidthatthesoulofthedeadhasrisenintothesky.All these customs are established traditions in the countrieswhere they are

practiced.Theyareobservedbyallthepeopleandthereisnothingstrangeaboutthem.We call them barbaric and are shocked by them only becausewe havedifferentcustoms.

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Thequestionsofachild

ONCE, WHEN CONFUCIUS was walking through a marketplace, he saw twochildrenwholookedliketheywerearguingheatedlyoversomething.Confuciusgotcuriousandwentovertoaskthemwhattheircontentionwas.Onechild said, “I say the sun isneareruswhen it is risingandgets farther

awayatmidday.”The other child immediately said, “I say the sun is farther awaywhen it is

risingandnearerusatmidday.”The onewho spoke first then said, “The sun looks biggerwhen it is at the

horizonandgetssmallerasitreachesnoon.Don’tthingslooksmallerwhentheyarefarawayandbiggerwhentheyarenear?”Thesecondchildwasnotdaunted.Hesaid, “The sun ishotter atnoon than

when it rises in themorning. Isn’t somethinghotterwhen it isnearandcoolerwhenitisfartheraway?”Both children then pesteredConfucius to answer their questions. Confucius

wasstumped.Hetoldthemhecouldn’ttellwhichofthemwascorrect.Thechildren laughedand said, “Hey,you’re supposed tobe a learnedman,

andyoucan’tevenanswerourquestions!”

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Theartoffishing

MANYTHINGS in thisworlddependonbalance.For example, a singlehair canhangaweightifthebalanceisright.Thehaironlybreaksifthebalanceisoff.Most people do not understand this principle of balance, but here is an

exampleofsomeonewhodid.InthecountryofCh’utherelivedamanwhowasfondoffishing.Hemade

hisfishinglineoutofsilk,hishookoutoftheshellofawheatgrain,andhisrodoutofaslenderstripofbamboo.Forhisbaitheusedhalfagrainofrice.Oneofhisfavoritefishingspotswasastretchofdeepwatersinafast-flowing

river.Therehewouldcasthisbaitandwouldalwaysreturnwithafishaslargeashiscart.Andtotopitalloff,hislinedidnotsnap,hisroddidnotbend,andhishookdidnotbreak.ThekingofCh’uwasvery curious about theway thisman caught fish.He

invitedthefishermantohiscourtandasked,“Howisitthatyoucancatchsuchabigfishwiththatstrangeassortmentofgear?”Thefishermanreplied,“Ihaveheardthesagesofoldtalkaboutanarcherwho

usedabowmadeofaveryweakstripofwoodandabowstringmadeofathinstring of cotton to shoot down two birds with one arrow. He could do thisbecause his attentionwas focused and he understood the balance of give andpull.Iadmiredhisfeatanddecidedtousehimasanexampletoperfectmyskillin fishing. From that time on, I put aside everything and spent all my timelearning the art of fishing. Finally, after five years, I could cast my lineundistracted.WhenIsitbytheriver,mymindistotallyconcentratedonfishingandnothingelse.Ihaveagoodfeelforthegiveandpullofthelinesothefisharenotevenawarewhenthehookandbaitenterthewater.Tothem,thebaitisno different from a grain of sand or a bubble, and they swallow it withoutsuspecting.Thisistheprincipleofusingthesofttowinoverthestrongandthelighttoholdtheheavy.“Mylord,ifyoucanruleyourcountrythisway,theneverythingintheworld

willbeatyourfingertips.Isn’tthatmoreeffectivethanusingforce?”

Thekingwasveryimpressedwiththefisherman’sadvice.

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Exchangingheartsandminds

TWOMENWHOFELL ILLwent to see the samedoctor.Thedoctor curedbothofthem,butbeforetheyleft,hesaid,“Youwerebothsufferingfromadiseasethatattacked your internal organs. That’s something quite common and could betaken care of by acupuncture and herbs. However, there is a virus that isattackingyouwhichaffectsyourheartsandminds.Doyouwantmetocurethisillnessforyou?”Thetwomensaid,“Let’shearaboutitfirst.”The doctor then said to one man, “You have strong ambitions, but your

willpowerisweak.Althoughyouaregoodatplanning,youcanseldomseetheplansthrough.”Turning to the otherman, the doctor said, “You, on the other hand, are the

opposite.Yourambitionsareweakbutyourwillpowerisstrong.Therefore,yougetintotroublebydoingthingsrecklesslywithoutthinkingthemthrough.”Then, tobothof them,hesaid,“If the twoofyoucanexchangeyourhearts

andminds, then you’d both be perfect. Now, do you want me to do that foryou?”Bothhispatientsagreed.Thedoctor gave thema drug thatmade themunconscious for several days.

Then,carefully,heremovedtheirhearts,exchangedthem,andappliedamagicalherbsothatwhenbothmenwokeuptherewerenophysicalsignsofthesurgery.Asthemenwalkedhometheyweredelighted,butthemomenttheysteppedin

theirhouses, troublebegan.Thefirstmanhadgone to thesecondman’shomeandwasnotrecognizedbythewifeandchildren.Thesecondmanhadgonetothefirstman’shomeandthesamethinghappened.Bothfamilieswereangryandfrustrated.Theywenttothelawcourtstosettlethematterandonlyacceptedthecircumstanceswhenthedoctorexplainedthewholesituationtothem.No one is born perfect, and even if science or technology can dowonders,

solvingoneproblemwillcreateanother.Therefore,itisbettertoacceptwhoweareandnotwanttobesomeoneelse,foreachpersonhashisvalue.

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MusicianWenlearnstoplaythelute

A LONG TIME AGO there was a musician who could charm birds and fish intodancingwithhismusic.AluteplayernamedWenfromthekingdomofChengheardthestoryandwantedtoacquiretheskill.SohelefthisfamilyandwenttostudywiththemastermusicianHsiang.For a long timeWen could not play anything. His fingers were tied up in

knots,andeverytimehepickedupthelutehecouldnotbringhimselftoplay.After three years he had learned nothing. “You might as well go home,” histeachersaid.Wenputdownhis lute, signedandsaid,“It’snot that Ihaven’t learnedany

songsorthatIcan’ttunemyinstrumentproperly.Icannotplayfrommyheart,sothemusichasneverbecomeapartofme.That’swhyIcan’tbringmyselftoplay.Letmerestabitandseewhathappens.”Nolongafterward,Wenreturnedtohisteacher.“Howareyougettingalongwithyourmusic?”histeacherasked.“IthinkI’veexperiencedabreakthrough.Letmeshowyou.”Wen took the luteandgently touched thestringcalledAutumn.Although it

wasspringtime,acoolwindblew,theleavescrackledintheautumnbreeze,andthe skywasbrightandcloudless.Then inautumnhe touched the stringcalledSpring,andagentlewindcame.Warmrainsfellandtheflowersbloomed.Inthemiddleofsummer,WentouchedthestringcalledWinter,andsuddenlythesnowfell and the rivers froze. When winter came, he touched the string calledSummer.Immediatelythesunshonefiercely,thesnowdisappeared,andtheicemeltedfromtherivers.Finally, when he touched the last string and played all of them together, a

refreshing wind blew, azure clouds floated overhead, sweet dew fell, andfragrantspringsbubbledupfromtheground.ThemastermusicianHsiang clapped his chest and exclaimed. “Yourmusic

far surpasseswhatwords candescribe.Thegreatest playerswill have to learnfromyounow.”

WenwasalreadyanaccomplishedmusicianbythetimehewenttostudywithHsiang,buthe realized thatperfection in techniquealonedoesnotmakegreatmusic.Whenhewasfinallyabletodissolvethedualitybetweenhimselfandthemusic,thesongsheplayednotonlyhadthepowertocreatemoodsbutliterallychangedreality.

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WhenHan-erhsang

THEREWASAMUSICIANwhoapprenticedhimselftoamastersinger,butbeforehehad finished his training he decided he had alreadymastered all the skills histeacher could offer. Confident, he asked to be graduated so he could returnhome.Histeacherdidnotcontestthisrequest,andontheappointeddayhethrewa

feastforthegraduateaftertheceremony.Wheneveryonewasseatedaroundthetable,themastersingerbeganasadsong,beatingtherhythmwithasmalldrum.Hisvoiceshooktheleavesonthetreesandstilledtheflyingclouds.Thebrashyoungstudentnowrealizedhowpretentioushewas in thinkinghehadlearnedeverything from his teacher. Quickly he apologized and asked to be acceptedagain.“Ishallstayasyourstudentfortherestofmylife,”hesaidtohisteacher.Themastersingerthentoldastoryforeveryonetohear.Hesaid:“Once therewas awoman calledHan-erhwho ran out ofmoneywhile she

wastravelingtotheeasterncountryofCh’i.Shehadnochoicebuttosingatalocal tavern to earn her supper. After she had left, the sound of her voicereverberatedintheroomforthreedays,andpeoplethoughtshewasstillaround.“Later, Han-erh stayed at an inn where the owner ridiculed her foreign

manners.ThismadeHan-erhhomesick,andsheburstintoasongofsadnessandlonging.Hervoicetraveledthroughthetownandsenteveryoneintotears.Thepeopleofthetownweresoaffectedbythesadnessofthesongthat theycouldnoteatforthreedays.TheysentsomeoneafterHan-erhandinvitedherback.“Han-erh let out a long note and then sang a song of joy. Soon the

townspeople started dancing and laughing and forgot they had been sad justbefore.Han-erhstayedwiththesepeopleforawhileandwhensheleft,thetownsentheroffwithmanyrichgifts.Tothisday,thepeopleofthattownarefamousfor theirsingingbecause theypickedupsomeofHan-erh’sartwhileshe livedthere.”

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Kindredspirits

PO-YAANDCHUNGTZU-CH’Iweregoodfriends.Po-yawasagoodluteplayerandhisfriendwasanintuitivelistener.WhenPo-yahadhismindonthehighmountainswhileheplayed,ChungTzu-

ch’isaid,“IcanfeelthegrandeuroftheGreatMountains!”WhenPo-ya thought about flowingwaterswhile he played, his friend said,

“HowdeepandwidearetheYellowRiverandtheYang-tze!”It seemed nomatter what was on Po-ya’s mind which he expressed in his

music,hisfriendsharedthefeelingsrightaway.One time the two friendswerewandering around in the north slopes of the

Great Mountains when a rainstorm hit. They found shelter in a cave, and,waiting for the rains to subside,Po-ya tookuphis luteandplayed.Seeing themist and rain hiding the mountains, Po-ya had a feeling of sadness andcomposedapieceabouttheunendingrainandrisingmist.Thenhechangedhismoodandimprovisedasongthatpaintedthesplendorofanavalanchecrashingdownthemountains.Ineverypieceheplayed,ChungTzu-ch’icouldgraspPo-ya’sfeelofthemusicwithoutfail.Hismoodandstateofmindwereidenticaltothoseoftheplayer.Po-ya put down his lute and sighed, “This is more than my wildest

expectations.Youcan readmymindby listening tomymusic.Fromnowon,howcanIhideanythingfromyou?”Po-ya and Chung Tzu-ch’i were not only good friends but kindred spirits.

They could reach into eachother’sminds not just because one of themwas agoodplayerandtheotheranintuitivelistener.Itwasbecausetheyhaddissolvedthe barriers that separated them from each other and themusic was simply abridgethatallowedthemtocommunicatetheirheartsandminds.

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Artificialorreal?

KINGMUOFCH’OUwastouringthewesternregionofhiscountry.HewentasfarastheKun-lunMountainsbeforeheturnedback.Onthewayhome,hisofficersintroducedtohimamanwhowasreputedtobeaveryskilledcraftsman.The king received the craftsman in his tent and said, “Tell me about your

skills.”The man replied, “I can make anything you want, but let me show you

somethingI’vealreadycompleted.”“Good,”saidKingMu.“Bringitthenexttimeyoucome.”Twodayslater thecraftsmanaskedtoseethekingagain.Thekingsawthat

the craftsman had brought someonewith him, so he asked, “Who is thismanyou’vebroughtwithyou?”“He ismy creation,” the craftsman said proudly. “He can talk, he can sing,

andhecandance.”Thekingwasbothfascinatedandamazed.Thefigurebeforehimwaswalking

aroundbrisklyandcertainlyhadallthefeaturesofahuman.The craftsman pressed the cheeks of his companion, and immediately the

figure started singing. When he squeezed its hand, it started to dance to therhythmofthesong.Thenthecraftsmanhadhis“creation”doallkindsoftricks,which the king enjoyed immensely. The movements and mannerisms of thefigureweresorealthatthekingthoughtitwasarealperson.Thekingarranged tohave thisvery talented“man”giveashowand invited

hisfavoritecourtesanandotherfemaleattendantstoattend.Whentheshowwasabouttoend, theartificialmanmadesuggestiveglancesat thewomenwhosataroundtheking.KingMusawthisandwasoutraged.Hesummonedthecraftsmanandshouted

athimangrily,“Howdareyoulietomethatyou’vecreatedthisman!Hehadthenervetoflirtwithmycourtesans.Ishallhaveyouexecutedforthis.”Terrified, the craftsman immediately went over to the artificial man and

rippedopenitsbody.Hedisassembleditshead,arms,andlegsandshowedthe

piecestotheking.Thekingexaminedthemandfoundtheyweremadeofwoodand hide held together by strings and glue. The craftsman then emptied theinsidesof the robot,and thekingsaw thatalthough the internalorgans lookedreal, they too were made of inert materials and painted with the appropriatecolors.Teeth,bones,muscles, tendons, joints, skin,andhairwereallartificial.However,whenthesepartswereallassembled,hesawalifelikeperson.The king was even more curious now. He reexamined the robot and

experimentedwithtakingout itsheart.Whentheheartwasremoved, therobotlost its speech. Next the king removed the liver, and the robot lost its sight.Whenhetookoutthekidneys, itcouldn’twalk.Thekingwasfinallysatisfied.He sighed and said, “Could it be possible that human skill can producesomethingthatcanmatchwhatiscreatedbyheavenandearth?”Thekinghadtherobotloadedontoacartandinvitedthecraftsmantoreturn

withhimtothecapital.Peopleused to regardKung-shuPan’s ladder that reached to thecloudsand

Mo-tzu’s flying machine as crafts of great skill. But when the news of theartificialman spread, these two talented craftsmen dared not boast about theirinventionsanymore.LookingbackatKingMu’srobot,canwereallysayitisartificial?Therobot

wasmade ofmaterials found in nature—leather, bark, and hemp.Humans arealsomadeofthesamestuffasnature,forallthingsemergedfromthegatheringofyinandyangvaporsandowe theirexistence to theprimordialbreathof theTao. Whether something is real or artificial depends on how we view thematerialsfromwhichitismade.Ifthisisthecase,thenas“real”persons,whatmakesusmoreprivilegedthanotherthingsincreation?

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Learningtheartofarchery

FEI-WEILEARNEDARCHERYfromoneofthegreatestarchers.Itwassaidthatwhenhismaster drew his bow, the animals would lie still on the ground and birdswoulddropfromthesky.Fei-weilearnedeverythinghismastercouldteachhimandeventuallysurpassedtheoldermaninskill.A man named Chi-ch’ang heard about Fei-wei’s mastery of the bow and

beggedtobecomehisapprentice.Hehopedthatonedayhetoowouldbeabletobesthisteacherinhisskill.Fei-weitoldtheprospectivestudent,“Firstyouneedtotrainyoureyenotto

blinkunderanycircumstances.Comebackwhenyouhaveaccomplishedthis.”Chi-ch’angputthesewordsinhismindandreturnedhome.Dayafterdayhe

layunderneathhiswife’sloomwithhiseyesnexttotheneedlesthatwentupanddownwhenherfootpressedthepedal.Afterthreeyearshehadtrainedhimselfnottoblinkevenwhentheneedlescameclosetopiercinghiseyeball.Excited about his success, Chi-ch’ang ran to Fei-wei and reported his

progress.Fei-weionlysaid,“Youhavejuststartedtolearn.Thenextthingyouneed todo is to trainyoureye to lookatsmallobjectsuntil theyappear large,andfuzzyobjectsuntiltheyappearclear.Gobackandpractice.Whenyouhavesucceededindoingthis,youcancomeandseeme.”Chi-ch’angwenthomeagainandbeganhisnextphaseoftraining.Hecaught

afleaandhungitfromawindowthatfacedsouth.Everydayhestaredatthefleawiththesunshiningintohiseyes.Tendayslater, thefleaappearedtogrowinsize.Threeyearslater,theflealookedasbigasawheelonacart.Bythen,whenChi-ch’anglookedatotherthingsinthesameway,hesawhillsandmountains.TakingabowmadefromthehornofananimalofYenandanarrowmadefromwildgrassfromthenorth,Chi-ch’angtookaimandshot.Thearrowpiercedtheheartofthefleawithoutbreakingthestrandofhairthatthefleahungfrom.WhenChi-ch’angrelatedthistoFei-wei,themasterarcherclappedhishands

andsaid,“Wonderful.Youhaveunderstoodwhatarcheryisallabout.Youarenowreadytolearn.”

Not long afterward,Chi-ch’ang learned everything that Fei-wei could teachhim.Hewenthomeandthought,“Rightnow,theonlypersonwhocanrivalmyskillismymaster.IfIkillhim,thenIshallbethegreatestarcheralive.”One day, Chi-ch’angmet Fei-wei on a deserted road. Seeing his chance in

killinghisformerteacher,hepulledhisbowandsentanarrowtowardFei-wei.Almostsimultaneouslythemasterpulledhisbow.Thetwoarrowshiteachotherat the samedistancebetween the twomen anddropped to thegroundwithoutraising any dust. Swiftly Chi-ch’ang shot several arrows toward Fei-wei, andeachtimethearrowswerestoppedinmid-flight.Finally,Chi-ch’angwasdowntoonearrowandFei-wei’squiverwasempty.

“Thisismychancetokillhim,”Chi-ch’angsaidtohimself.Sohedrewhisbowandletoffthelastarrow.Fei-weicalmlypickedupathornybranch,and,usingitasanarrow,stoppedChi-ch’ang’sarrowinmid-air.Seeing this,bothmen threwdown theirbows.With tears in theireyes, they

bowedtoeachother.Sogreatwastheirrespectforeachotherthattheypledgedonthespot tobecomefatherandson.Notwantingtheirskills tobeacauseofjealousyandtreacheryforfuturegenerations, theymadecuts in theirarmsandtookanoathnevertorevealthesecretsoftheirtechniquetoothers.Chi-ch’angwasproudandambitiousandwantedtobethebest.However,he

wasmoved by Fei-wei’smastery and realized that what he had seenwas thegreatest feat of archery. Fei-wei, too, was impressed with Chi-ch’ang’sintelligenceandhissingle-mindednessinaccomplishingwhathehadsetouttodo. It is said that thepinnacleofachievement isa lonelyplaceandsometimesrivalscanunderstandandappreciateeachothermore than friendscan.So it isnotuncommonthatthegreatestrivalscanbecomethebestoffriends.

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Tsao-fulearnstodrive

TSAO-FUAPPRENTICEDHIMSELFtoafamouscharioteerwhoseskillwaslegendary.For many years, Tsao-fu served his teacher humbly but did not receive anyinstruction.Thisdidnotdiscouragetheapprentice.Infact,Tsao-fushowedevenmorerespectanddiligenceinattendingtohismaster’sneeds.Finally, impressed by Tsao-fu’s sincerity, the master charioteer said to his

student,“Theancientssaythatamasterbowmakerstartsoutbymakingbasketsand a master blacksmith starts out by making hammers. Now watch mecarefully. Ifyoucanget to thesamestateofbodyandmind that Iamin, thenyouwillbeabletodriveachariot.”“Ishallfollowyourinstructionscarefully,”saidTsao-fu.Themaster then took severalposts, just large enough to standon, and sunk

themintotheground.Thepostswerearrangedsothattheywereaboutastrideapart.Then themaster charioteer jumpedonto theposts and stepped fromoneposttoanother,runningbackandforthwithease.“Practicerunningontheposts,”hetoldTsao-fu,“andwhenyou’vemastered

this,Ishallgiveyoufurtherinstructions.”After three days Tsao-fu was able to run around on the posts without

stumblingor falling.Hismastersighedandsaid,“Youareagileandyou learnfast. Now let me tell you about charioteering. All charioteers must start bylearninghowtorunontheposts.Althoughitappearsthatyouaretrainingtobeagile in your footwork, you are actually training your body to respond to thecommandsofyourmind.Thisisthekeytodrivingachariot.“Applying and releasing pressure in the reins should be at one with your

intention.Ifyourfingersandyourpalmsrespondnaturallytoyourwill,thenyoucan transfer your intention directly to each horse on the team. The teamwillrespond to the smallest pull or slack in any direction, and you can guide thechariotforwardorbackwardandturnleftorrightwithoutanyeffort.Yourbodyrespondstoyourmind,thereinsrespondtothemovementsofyourbody,andthehorses respond to the pressure from the reins. In thisway,without expending

anyenergy,youcandriveachariotoverlongdistancesandnotfeeltired.Whenthishappens,youknowyouhavemasteredthisart.”After awhile themaster charioteer continued, “Letme elaborate onwhat I

havesaid.Eachhorsepullingthechariotwearsabitandabridle.Thus,thefeelofthehorse’smovementiscommunicatedthroughthebittothebridle,fromthebridle to the reins, from the reins toyourhands, from thehands to the rest ofyour body, and from your body to your mind.When you communicate yourintentiontothehorses,itissimplythissequenceofcommandsinreverse.Thus,controllingyourteamandgettingfeedbackfromthehorses’movementscanbetotallydonebyintentionalone.Inthiswayyoucandrivewithoutyoureyesandyouwillneverneed touseawhip.Whenyourmind isclearandyourbody isrelaxed,youcancontrolsixbridleswithoutconfusion,and twenty-fourhooveswill step where you want them. Then the wheels of your chariot will moveforwardand in reverse,and turn leftandrightwithprecisionandcontrol.Youcan drive onmountain roadswith the same ease as youwould on the plains.Yourdrivingwillnotbedifferentwhetheryourhorsesaresteppingclosetotheedge of a cliff or running on flat grassland. That is all I have to teach, sorememberitwell!”Agility of body and stillness of mind are required for intention to be

communicated naturally. A stiff body whose parts do not cooperate cannotrespondtointentionnomatterhowclearandstillthemindis.Likewise,anagilebodywillonlymeetwithconfusionif themindisnotstill.Therefore, toattainthe highest level of any skill, both body and mind must be trainedsimultaneously.

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Lai-tan’srevenge

LAI-TAN’SFATHERwaskilledbyHei-luan inaheateddispute.Lai-tansworehewouldfindthekillerandavengehisfather’sdeath.AlthoughLai-tanhadafearlessdispositionandintenseperseverance,hewas

asthinasawraith.Hisstomachcouldonlyholdahandfulofgrains,andhewassoweakthatastrongwindcouldsweephimoffhisfeet.Therefore,despitehisintentofavenginghisfather’sdeath,Lai-tanwasincapableofhandlinganykindofweapon.However,Lai-tanhadasenseofhonorandwouldnothiresomeoneto fight for him. So, ashamed of his weakness and angry that he could donothing,hefretteddayandnight.Asifthingsweren’tbadenough,Hei-luan,thekillerofLai-tan’sfather,wasa

verystrongandviolentman.Hei-luancouldswingtheheaviestswordandfightahundredmenbare-handed.Moreover,themanhadskinlikebarkthatcouldnotbe penetrated by sword or spear. He would flaunt his abilities by blockingswordswith his neck or stopping arrowswith his bare chest. The swords andarrowswouldbreakwithoutleavingascarorscratchonhisbody.HethereforetauntedandlaughedatLai-tan,callingtheweakmanahelplesschick.OnedayafriendofLai-tan’ssaidtohim,“Hei-luanbehavesasifyouwerea

pieceofdung.Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit?”Lai-tangot evenmoredepressedand said tohis friend, “Idon’tknowwhat

I’mgoingtodo.Doyouhaveanysuggestions?”Hisfriendreplied,“IhaveheardthatinthecountryofWeiisanoblemanwho

has amagic sword.This sword is so powerful that it can drive away awholearmyevenwhenitiswieldedbyachild.Whynotgoandaskifyoucanborrowthatsword?”Lai-tantookhisfriend’sadviceandjourneyedtothelandofWei.Hebegged

thenoblemantohelphimandofferedtobeabondedservant.Next,heexplainedhissituation,askedtoborrowthemagicsword,andpromisedtoleavehiswifeandchildrenashostagesinthenobleman’sestatewhilehewenttolookforthekiller.

Thenobleman listened toLai-tan’spleasandwas impressedwith theyoungman’s determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable hardships. So hesaid,“Ihavethreemagicswords,butnoneofthemcankill.Iwillletyouborrowone of them for avenging your father’s death. But before you choose, let medescribethecharacteristicsofeachoftheseswordsforyou.“ThefirstswordiscalledInvisibleLight.Ithasnoshape,soyoucannotseeit.

Itisweightless,soyoucannotfeelitwhenyouwieldit.Itleavesnomarkwhenitcuts,anditcanslicethroughavictim’sbodywithouthimevenknowingit.“ThesecondoneiscalledtheShadowSword.Ifyoutakethisswordandhold

it against the soft morning or evening light, you can barely see it. If it cutssomething, there isaslightswishingsound.When itpiercesabody thevictimdoesnotfeelanypain.“MythirdswordiscalledtheNightSword.Inthedaylight,youcanonlysee

itsshadowbutnotitsglitter.Inthenight,youcanseeitsglowbutnotitsshape.Whenitcutssomething,youhearaslashingsound.Thewounditmakesclosesimmediatelyandnoblood is shed.Thevictimonly feels slightpainwhere theswordhascut.“These three swords have been passed down to me through thirteen

generationsinmyfamily.Theyhaveneverbeenusedandarestillsealedinsidetheirspecialcases.”Lai-tanaskedtoborrowtheNightSword.ThenoblemanthentoldLai-tanthataspecialritualwasneededtobreakthe

sealthatlockedthesword.Hefastedforsevendays,didtheappropriateritualsofpurification,andbroughttheswordoutofitscaseinthemiddleofthenight.HehandedtheswordtoLai-tanandtoldhimtherewasnoneedtoleavehiswifeandchildrenashostages.Lai-tanbowedinthanksandsetouttofindHei-luan.WhenLai-tanarrivedatHei-luan’shouse,hefoundthemanaloneanddrunk.

Seeing his chance, Lai-tan lifted the sword and slashed Hei-luan effortlesslythreetimesfromtheneckdowntothewaist.WhenHei-luandidnotstir,Lai-tanthoughthehadkilled theman, sohehurriedout.At thedoorhe ran intoHei-luan’sson.SwiftlyheraisedtheNightSwordandstruckhimthreetimes.Again,hefeltlikecuttingthroughthinair.Hei-luan’ssonsmiledcordiallyandaskedLai-tan,“You’reafunnyman.Why

didyouwaveyourhandaroundmelikethat?”Lai-tanknewhisswordcouldnotkill,sohesighedandwentaway.WhenHei-luanwokeup,heshoutedathiswife,“Whydidn’tyoucoverme

whenIpassedout?NowIhaveasorethroatandmywaisthurts.”Hei-luan’ssonthensaid,“Father,whenIcamehomeyesterdayImetLai-tan

at the door of our house.Hewaved his hand atme in a funnyway and then

walkedaway.Nowmybodyishurtingabitandmyarmsandlegsareaching.Doyouthinkhe’slaidacurseonus?”Lai-tandidnotkillHei-luan,buthegothisrevenge.ItdidnotmatterthatHei-

luandidnotdie.ToLai-tan,allthatmatteredwasthathehadswungtheswordandhit his father’s killerwith his ownhands.TheNight Swordwas indeed apowerful sword. Not only did it not kill or hurt, but it had helped Lai-tandissipatehisangerandmadehimfeelhehadaccomplishedhisgoal.IfLai-tanhadusedalesserswordtoavengehisfather,thenhewouldhavekilledHei-luanandHei-luan’sson.Hei-luan’sfamilywouldthenseekLai-tanforrevenge,andthekillingwouldgoon,familyavengingfamily,formanygenerations.

PartSix/EffortandDestiny

INTRODUCTION

Thefarmerisdependentonthemercyofweather,themerchantontheeconomy,theartisanontimelyapplicationofskills,andthepoliticianonpublicopinion.Inagriculture thereareseasonsofplentyandseasonsofdrought. Inbusinessandcommerce there are boom times and recessions. Success in design andmanufacturing depends on demand in the market. Popularity of governmentdependsonpoliticalpreference.Thereisnoprofessionthatguaranteessuccess.Success and failure depend on timeliness, which we can neither control norpredict.ThisiswhatLieh-tzumeansbydestiny.Timelinesscanmakeorbreakacareer.A talentedpersonmaynever realize

hisorherpotentialwithouttheproperopportunities.Ontheotherhand,someonewithaverageabilitiesmayrise togreat fameandfortune if the timesareright.Therefore,fortuneandmisfortunedependondestiny.Whether someone is fortunate or unfortunate also depends on when the

situation is evaluated. Thus, something thatmay appear unfortunate nowmayactuallybebeneficialinthelongrun,andviceversa.Sincewedon’tknowhowlong“thelongrun”is,itisimpossibletotellwhethersomethingisfortunateorunfortunate.Moreover,whether something is consideredgood fortuneormisfortunewill

depend on a person’s outlook. Typically, people who are less attached toexternal circumstances will be less eager to label something as fortune ormisfortune. Our empathy toward another person’s misfortune is based on theassumptionthatifthesamecircumstancesweretohappentous,wewouldfeelbadandwanttobepitied.Therefore,empathymaybebasedonself-pityratherthancompassiontowardothers.Given all this, Lieh-tzu asks, why must we be so attached to success and

failure, fortune andmisfortune?Why spend somuch effort pursuingwhatweconsideratpresent tobesuccessorfortune?Whatmaybebeneficialnowmaybeharmful later.And if it turnsout tobeharmful,whocansay itmaynotbebeneficialinthefuture?

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EffortargueswithDestiny

ONEDAYEFFORTSAIDtoDestiny,“Myachievementsaregreaterthanyours.”Destiny did not agree. He challenged Effort immediately: “What have you

donetomakeyourachievementssurpassmine?”Effortsaid,“Whethersomeoneliveslongordiesyoung,isrichorpoor,will

succeedorfaildependsonme.”Destiny said at once, “Old P’eng’s intelligence did not match that of the

emperorsYaoandShun,buthelivedalongandhealthylife.Ontheotherhand,Yen-hui, Confucius’s best student, died when he was eighteen. Confucius’svirtue far surpassed that of the feudal lords, but compared with them he wasdestitute. The emperor Shang-t’sou was cruel and immoral but lived aprosperousandlonglife.Ontheotherhand,hisministerswhowerevirtuousmetwithviolentdeaths.Therewasamanwhosacrificedhisownfortunetoallowhisbrotherachance tobeemployedby the lordofCheng.He remainedpoorandunknown for the restofhis life.Then therewasanothermanwhohadneithervirtuenorabilitywhobecame the lordofCh’i.HowaboutPo-yiandShu-ch’iwhostarvedtodeathinthemountainsbecausetheywouldnotcompromisetheirintegrity and honor to serve an enemy lord?What can you say about corruptofficialswhoarerich,orhonest,hard-workingpeoplewhoarepoor?”Effort had not expected this barrage of evidence against his assertion. He

frowned,butDestiny continued, “If you are as effective asyou say, thenwhydon’t you make the hard-working people rich?Why don’t you give virtuouspeoplea longandprosperous life?Whyare the intelligentandablepeoplenotemployed,andwhydostupidpeopleoccupyimportantplacesingovernment?”Efforthadnomoretosayinthefaceofthesechallenges,sosheepishlyhesaid

toDestiny,“Youareright.Idonothavemucheffectafterall.ButIdaresayalotofthingshappenthewaytheydobecauseyou’vebeenuptomischief,twistingpeople’sdestinyaroundandenjoyingit!”Destinythensaid,“Icannotforcethedirectionsofthings.Imerelyopendoors

forthemtogothrough.Ifsomethingisgoingstraight,Iletitfollowthestraight

path;ifsomethingtakesaturn,Idonothinderit.Noone,notyouorI,candirectthepathofthings.Longlifeorshort,richorpoor,successorfailure,fortuneormisfortune,allcomeaboutbythemselves.HowcanIdirecteventsorevenknowwherethingswillendup?”

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Fortuneandworth

ONE DAY PEI-KUNG-TZU visitedHsi-men-tzu. The twowere friends, but due todifferentthingsthathadhappenedintheirlives,theyhadnotseeneachotherforalongtime.WhenPeikung-tzusawhisfriend,thefirstthinghesaidwas:“We grew up together. We live in the same times. How come everything

seems tobegoingyourwaybut I amalways stoppedbyobstacles?Wecomefrom the same clan, but people respect you and despiseme. Like you I haveeyes, ears, and a mouth, but people greet you and walk away from me.Sometimeswehave similaropinionsandeven talk the sameway,butyouarelistenedtoandIamignored.Whenweareseentogether,youaretreatedasanhonestmanandIamnottrusted.Whenwebothtookofficeingovernment,youwere promoted and I was dismissed. When we both farmed, even the earthcooperated with you and not with me. When we traded together, you madeprofitsandIlost.Thisisreallyunfair!”Peikung-tzucontinuedbemoaninghistroubles.“Iwear old clothing and eat food that the pigwould eat. I live in a broken

shackandcannotaffordacart.You,ontheotherhand,wearsilksandfinecloth.Youeatthefinestmeatandgrains.Youliveinalargemansionandtravelaroundinacarriagepulledbyfinehorses.Youignoremeonthestreetsandyouneverinvitemetoyourbanquetsoroutings.Isthisthewaytotreatafriend?OrdoyouthinkyouaremorevirtuousandworthythanIam?”Hsi-men-tzu was not very happy with Peikung-tzu’s outburst. So he said

curtly, “Idon’tknowwho’smorevirtuous,youor I.All Iknow is that thingsalwaysgorightwithmeandtheyalwaysgowrongwithyou.PerhapsIammorevirtuousandthereforemoreworthyintheeyesofothers.Inanycase,youhavethe gall to compare yourworthinesswithmine!Don’t you have any sense ofshame?”Peikung-tzu did not expect this slap in the face. Hurt and dejected, he left

withoutaword.

OnhiswayhomePeikung-tzu ran into the sageTung-kuo.SeeingPeikung-tzu’s despondent look,Tung-kuo asked, “Where have you been?Why do youlooksodepressed?”Peikung-tzu told Tung-kuo what had happened during his visit to Hsimen-

tzu’s.Tung-kuosaidkindly,“Don’tfeelsobad.WeshallgoovertoHsi-men-tzu’s

andhaveatalkwithhim.”WhenTung-kuosawHsi-men-tzu,he said,“Whydidyou insultyour friend

andhurthisfeelings?”Hsi-men-tzu said, “Peikung-tzu said that his age, his background, and his

educationarethesameasmine,butwhileIamrich,successful,andrespected,he is poor, despised, and a failure in life. I told him it’s because he is not asworthyasIam.”Tung-kuo then said to Hsi-men-tzu, “You seem to think worth can be

measuredbysocialorpoliticalsuccess.Isee itdifferently.ItseemstomeyouhavemoreluckandPeikung-tzuactuallyhasmorevirtue.Youaresuccessfulinsocietynotbecauseyouareparticularlywiseorvirtuousbutbecauseyouhaveluck in everything you do. On the other hand, Peikung-tzu’s failure to berecognizedisnotduetostupidityorlackofvirtue.It’sbecausehedoesnothaveluckineverythinghedoes.“Whetheryouhaveluckornotisnotsomethingyoucancontrol.Youshould

notbepresumptuousbecauseyouhavemoreluck.Ontheotherhand,heshouldnotfeelworthlessalthoughhehasmorevirtue.Bothofyouareequallyblindedbyyourownideasofworthiness.”WhenHsi-men-tzuheardthis,hesaid,“Youneednotspeakanymore.Ishall

neverboastaboutmysuccessagain.”When Peikung-tzu returned home he was not ashamed of being worthless

anymore.Heworehisclothesandfeltas if theywere luxurioussilksandfurs.He ate simple foods and found them as tasteful as the best gourmet foods intown.Helivedinashackandfeltasifhewerelivinginalargemansion.Whenhetraveledinhisbrokencart,hefeltitwasthefinestcarriage.Henolongersawthedifferencebetweenhonor anddisgrace, recognition and anonymity. In thisway,hepassedtherestofhislifeincontentment.WhenthesageTung-kuosawthetransformationinPeikung-tzu,hesaid,“For

a longtimethismanwasburied in illusionsofworthandvalueestablishedbysocial norms. But it is also remarkable that he only needed one lesson to cutthroughtheseillusions.Ifonlymorepeoplecouldbelikehim!”

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ThefriendshipofKuanchungandPaoShu-ya

KUANCHUNGANDPAOSHU-YAwerethebestoffriends.TheybothgrewupinthecountryofCh’iandbothservedintheroyalcourtasteachersofprinces.At that time thekingdomofCh’iwas inpolitical turmoil.Thereweremany

intrigues in thecapital surrounding the rivalrybetweenprinceswhoaspired tobecomeheir to thethrone.Kuanchungcounseledhisprotégétofindsupport inthe kingdomofLu, andPaoShu-ya advised his prince to stay away from thecapitalandbidehistime.Thecourtpoliticssoonturnedvicious.ThekingofCh’iwasassassinatedina

coupbyageneralwho in turnwaskilledbyrivals.Thecountrywas inchaos.BothKuanchungandPaoShu-yaadvisedtheirprincesthatitwastimetostaketheirclaimstothethrone.Inabattleoutsidethecapital,thearmiesofthetwoprincesmet.Kuanchung

shot an arrow at the rival prince which bounced off the prince’s belt buckle.Infuriated and insulted, the prince returned to his camp. But in the end,Kuanchung’s armywas defeated, and both he and his lord had to flee to thenearbykingdomofLu.PaoShu-ya’sprinceenteredthecapitalandbecamethekingofCh’i.Immediately,thenewkingledanarmyintoLu,wherehekilledhisbrother.Kuanchungsurrendered,buttheotheradvisorchosetodiewithhislord.Whenthekingreturnedtothecapital,PaoShu-ya,whowasnowaminister,

saidtohislord,“Nowthatthewarisover,wecanturnourattentiontobuildingthecountry.Kuanchungisaveryableman.HecanhelpyoutomakeCh’i themostpowerfulstateamongthefeudalkingdoms.”Thekingsaid,“Heinsultedmeonthebattlefield.Iwasplanningtohavehim

executed.”Pao Shu-ya said, “A wise ruler does not let personal grudges cloud his

judgmentofpeople’sabilities.Moreover,agood ruleralways thinksabout thewelfareofhiscountryfirstandhispersonalneedssecond. IfyouwantCh’i tobecomepowerfulandprosperous,youneedKuanchung’shelp.”Thekinghadgreatrespectforhisformertutor,soheacceptedPaoShu-ya’s

advice.HeorderedKuanchungtobereleasedfromtheprisoncampoutsidethecityandbrought into thecourt.PaoShu-yapersonallywent tomeethis friendandaccompaniedhimintothecapital.Kuanchung impressed the king somuch that hewas immediately given the

position of chief minister, which ranked him above Pao Shuya. In time, theking’strustinKuanchunggrew,andeventuallyhegavehimthehonoredtitleofeldest statesman. Kuanchung thus became the most powerful man in thekingdomofCh’i, secondonly to theking.PaoShu-yawasneither jealousnorresentful of Kuanchung’s success. They remained the best of friends, for PaoShu-yarespectedKuanchung’sabilitiesandknewthatifthelordofCh’iwasawise ruler, he would entrust the highest responsibilities to Kuanchung. AndKuanchung did not disappoint his king.Under his guidance, Ch’i became themostpowerfulstateamongthefeudalkingdoms.KuanchungdidnotlethissuccessaffecthisfriendshipwithPaoShuya,Often

hewouldsay,“IfnotforPaoShu-ya,IwouldnotbewhereIamtoday.Whenwewere children, I always took a larger shareof everythingwe found.Hedidn’targuewithmeandneverconsideredmegreedybecauseheknewIcamefromapoor family thatneverhadenoughofanything.Whenwemadeplans togetherforour little enterprises,PaoShu-ya acceptedmyadvice, butwhen thingsdidnot turn out, he never blamedme for stupidity, for he knew that success andfailureoftendependmoreon luck thaneffort.AsayoungmanIserved in thecivilservicethreetimesandeachtimewasfiredfrommyjob.PaoShuyadidnotthinkIwasworthlessbecauseheknewtheopportunitieswerejustnotrightforme.Three times Iwent into battle, and three times I escaped rather than facecapture.PaoShu-yadidnotthinkthatIwasacowardbecauseheknewIneededtolookaftermyagingmother.Inthefinalbattlewhentheprincesfoughtforthethrone,whenmyfellowadvisorchosetodiewithhislordandIsurrendered,PaoShu-yadidnotconsidermyactionsshameful,becauseheknewthatheroicsaresometimesfolly.Therefore,althoughmyparentsgavemelifeandnourishedme,itisPaoShu-yawhoreallyunderstandsme.”Truefriendship isnotsimplylookingoutforyourfriendsandignoringtheir

faults.PaoShu-yadidnotrecommendKuanchungtothekingbecausehewantedto do his friend a favor. Itwas because he understoodKuanchung’s genius inmanaging the affairs of a state and did not let his own personal ambitionspreventhisfriendfromtakingoffice.IfKuanchunghadnotbeencapable,PaoShu-yawould not have recommended him, andKuanchung in turnwould nothave begrudged his friend for not supporting him.When Pao Shu-ya becameKuanchung’s subordinate, he was not resentful, but neither was Kuanchunghesitantinacceptinghisoffice.KuanchungknewthatPaoShu-yawouldnotbe

offended.Bothmenknewthatnomatterwhathappenedinthepoliticalarena,itwouldnotaffecttheirfriendship.Thisiswhattruefriendshipshouldbe.After a longanddistinguished service as chiefminister inCh’i,Kuanchung

fell seriously ill.Thekingwasworriedanddistressedbecause itappeared thatKuanchungwasnotgoingtorecover.Hevisitedhisminister,satbyhisbed,andasked, “You are very ill and are not getting better, so I shall be honest andstraightforwardwithyou. Ifonedayyoushoulddie,who is thebestperson totakeyourplace?”Kuanchungdidnotanswer.Insteadheaskedtheking,“Doyouhaveanyone

inmind?”“IamconsideringPaoShu-ya.”Kuanchungcounseledtheking,“PaoShu-yaisnotsuitableforthepositionof

chiefminister.Hehasveryhighmoralstandardsandisofteninflexible.Hedoesnottoleratepeoplewhoarelesserthanheinvirtueorability.Ifheseessomeonemakeamistake,hewilldiscreditthatpersonandremembertheinstancefortherest of his life. If you use Pao Shuya as your chief minister, there will bedisharmony in the court.Peoplewill be afraid to serveyou, andyour subjectswilllosetheirtrustinyou.Soonerorlater,youwillfindPaoShu-yaoffensiveorhewillfindyouoffensive,andyouwillhavetodismisshim.No,PaoShu-yaisbestusedwhereheisnow.”“Then,whomwouldyourecommend?”Kuanchung said, “Ifyou reallywantme toname someone, Iwould suggest

Hsi-p’eng.Hsi-p’engishumbleandunassuming.Hecanoccupyahighpositionandyet forgethe ispowerful.Hewillbe respectedbyhissubordinates,andatthesametimehewillnotintimidatethem.Hedoesnotcomparehimselfwiththesages. He recognizes his own shortcomings and is patient and tolerant. He issomeonehissubordinateswouldfeelcomfortableworkingwith.“Ithinkwewillagreethatthemanwhocaninspireotherswithhisvirtueisa

sage,and themanwhocansharehiswisdomwithothers isworthyof respect.Hsi-p’eng is precisely this kind ofman. However, a manwho despises thosewhodonotmeasureuptohisstandardwillnotgaintherespectofothers,andaman who never forgets or forgives other people’s mistakes cannot win theirhearts.“You do not want your chief advisor to be someonewho is so rigid about

virtuethateverythingappearswronginhiseyes.Youdonotwantaperfectionistwho criticizes and never encourages. Ideally, you want someone who knowswhen topointoutproblemsandwhen to look theotherwayand let thingsbe.This personwill not look for perfection in his subordinates, his family, or hisking.AsfarasIcansee,Hsi-p’engisveryclosetothisideal.”

Intheend,thekingofCh’itookKuanchung’sadviceandemployedHsi-p’engtobehischiefminister.ManypeoplewouldsayKuanchungwasharshinhisevaluationofPaoShu-ya

anddidnotrememberwhathisfriendhaddoneforhim.ButKuanchungwasnotthekindofmanwhowouldjeopardizeacountry’ssafetyforthesakeofpersonalfavors. In fact, Kuanchung realized that true friendship does not depend onfavorsorpositiveevaluation.ThatwaswhyhewascandidaboutPaoShu-ya’sabilitiesandcharacterwhenthekingaskedhimforadvice.Kuanchungwasalsocertain his friend would understand his candidness and would not be hurt byKuanchung’shonestevaluation.WhydidthingsturnoutthewaytheydidforKuanchung,PaoShuya,andHsi-

p’eng?ItwasnotbecausePaoShu-yafavoredhisfriendinitially,orKuanchungignoredhis friend toward theendofhis life,orHsi-p’engwas favored. ItwasbecauseofKuanchungandPaoShu-ya’sfriendship.Neitherofthemcouldhaveactedotherwise.ItwasbecauseoftheirabilitiesthatKuanchungwaschoseninthe first instance and Hsi-p’eng was chosen to be Kuanchung’s successor.However, if thekingofCh’ihadnotbeenawiserulerandhadnot listened towords of wisdom and reason, neither man would have been chosen as chiefminister at all. If we continue to analyze the situation we could go onindefinitely and find more reasons why one man was chosen and the otherwasn’t.Andwewouldconcludethatthingshappenedthewaytheydidbecauseotherthingshappenedtomakethemhappen.Thus,whethersomeoneisfavoredorneglected,usedordismissedisnotafunctionoftheireffortorevenanotherperson’seffort.Itisbecausemanyfactorscometogethersothattheeventscouldnothaveunfoldedotherwise.

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Arelifeanddeathamatterofeffortordestiny?

TENG-HSIWASaprominentofficialinthestateofChengwhodelightedinfindingfaultwithothersandplayingthedevil’sadvocate.Helovedtomakeambiguousstatements that stirred up conflict and contention among the governmentadministrators.Tzu-ch’anwasaministerwhoruledChengwithanironfist.Concernedwith

the rise of criminal activities in the state, Tzu-ch’an adopted a code ofregulationsthatcalledforstricterenforcementoflawandorder.Administratorsand citizens all welcomed this new legislation, except for Teng-hsi, whocriticizedTzu-ch’anandhisnewcodeof law.ThismadeTzu-ch’anextremelyangry.NotonlywasTeng-hsicriticizinghim,but,asusual,Teng-hsi’sassertionsstirredupargumentsandconflict inthehigherlevelsofthegovernment.Soon,the government officials were divided into two camps: those who supportedTzu-ch’anandthosewhoagreedwithTeng-hsi.Oneday,withoutwarning,Tzu-ch’anhadTeng-hsiarrestedandexecuted.DidTzu-ch’anhave tokillTeng-hsi?HadTeng-hsi reallycommittedsucha

serious crime to deserve to be executed?Under the circumstances, Tzu-ch’anhad no other choice because he knew how dangerous a disrupting influencecouldbe foracountry thatwasalways threatenedby invasionandplaguedbyinternaldisorder.Ontheotherhand,knowingTzu-ch’an’sunbendingironrule,whydidTeng-hsiplay thedevil’sadvocateand invite troubleforhimself?Wecan also say that Teng-hsi had no choice because it was natural for him tocriticizeeverythingunderthesun.Thus,itwasnotTzu-ch’an’sdoingthatkilledTeng-hsi, nor did Teng-hsi bring death upon himself. Things could not havehappenedotherwisegiven thecircumstancesandgiven thenaturaldispositionsofthetwomen.Inthenaturalorderofthings,lifeanddeatharenotsomethingwecancontrol.

Itisablessingtobeabletoliveanddieattherighttime.Tolivewhenitisnotappropriatetoliveandtodiewhenitisnottimetodieispunishment.Similarly,nottobeabletolivewhenyoushouldliveandnottobeabletodiewhenyou

should die is suffering. But whether we live and die at the right time is notsomethingwecancontrol.Rather,itissomethingthathappensinthecontextofandasaconsequenceofmanyotherevents.The ancients say that the ways in which things happen are limitless and

unknowable. Following the laws of transformation in heaven and earth,boundless and unceasing, the cycles of change come about by themselves.Heavenandearthandallthingscannotgoagainstthisnaturalorder.Thewisdomofthesagescannotmodifyitanddemonscannotescapeit.Allthingscomeandgowithout theneedofacreatorormover tomake themhappen.Silently theirpresenceisrecognized,harmoniouslytheirexistenceisaccepted,andpeacefullytheirdepartureisacknowledged.

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Anaveragedoctor,agooddoctor,andaningeniousdoctor

YANG-CHU’S FRIEND fell ill. The man’s sons counseled their father to call adoctor,butYang-chu’sfriendrefused.Aftertendays,theillnesswentfrombadtoworse.Thesonssatbytheirfather’sbedsideandweptbitterly.One day Yang-chu came to visit his friend. Finding the whole house in

mourning, he said, “What’s all this weeping?” His friend sighed and replied,“Mysonsaresothick-headed!Whydon’tyousingasongtowakethemup?”SoYang-chusang:

Ifheavendoesnotknow,howcanmortalsknow?Ifheavendoesnotblessyou,cryingwon’thelp.Ifweallweeptogether,Willitlengthenlifeandchaseawaydeath?Evendoctorsandshamansarcnotmiracleworkers.

AfterYang-chuhadfinishedhissong,thesonsstillfailedtounderstand.Theywentandinvitedthreedoctorstoexaminetheirfather.Thefirstdoctorlookedatthesickmanandsaid,“Youareillbecausetheyang

andyininyourbodyareoutofbalance.You’veweakenedyourselfbynoteatingorsleepingproperly,havingtoomuchsex,andworryingabouttoomanythings.Givenenoughrestandcareyoushouldrecover.”Yang-chu’s friend said, “He’s a docter of average ability.Tell him to leave

immediately.”Thesecondphysicianexaminedthesickmanandgavehisprognosis.“Your

illness is a result of a weak constitution due to insufficient nutrition in yourmother’s womb. Although there was sufficient milk to nourish you after youwereborn,thedamageisdone.Yourillnessdidnotcomeaboutovernight.Itissomethingthathasdevelopedoveralongperiodoftime.There’snotmuchthatcanbedoneaboutitnow.”

Yang-chu’sfriendsaid,“Thismanisagooddoctor.Takehimoutfordinner.”The third doctor did not even examine Yang-chu’s friend. He simply said,

“Your illness is not caused by heaven, man, or evil spirits. Each person isendowedwith life at birth and this courseof life is not something that canbecontrolled or directed. Given the way things have turned out, even the bestmedicationcannothelpyou.”Yang-chu’s friendwas very pleasedwith this doctor.He said, “Give him a

richgift.Heisaningeniousdoctor!”Soonafterward,Yang-chu’sfriendrecoveredwithoutanytreatment.Sometimes, if you value life too much, you cannot preserve it. If you get

overattachedtoyourhealth,youwillgetsick.However, ifyoudonotcareforyourselfatall,youwillloseyourhealthandyourlife.Lifeanddeath,healthandillness,benefit andharmcomeof themselves.Let thingsgoaccording to theirnatural course.Don’t try tomake things happen and don’t prevent them fromhappening.

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Yang-chutalksaboutdestiny

KINGWEN’STEACHERsaidtohim,“Inthenaturalworld,thingsthatareendowedwithgiftsfromheavenarenotnecessarilymorewell-offthanthingsthatarenotfavored. In the sameway, intelligent people are not necessarilymorewell-offthanpeoplewhoarenotintelligent.Therefore,whytrytoestimateyourchancesofsuccessbasedonyourabilitiesandtalents?”Lao-tzusaid tohisstudentWen-tzu,“Wecan’tsay thatapersonwhoisnot

giftedishatedbyheaven.Butontheotherhand,whoknowsthewillofheaven?Maybebynotgivinghimblessings,heavenishelpinghiminstead.”Yang-chu’syoungerbrotherfoundthattherewerecertainthingshecouldnot

understand.Soheaskedhisbrother,“Supposetherearetwomenwhoareequalin age, intelligence, andmanners. Let’s say they even look alike and talk thesameway.Butonemanisrichandtheotherpoor;oneofthemenjoysalongandhealthy life and the other dies young; one is respected by all and the other isdespised.Canyoutellmewhyonemanisfavoredandtheotherisnot,althoughtheyarebothendowedwiththesamegiftsatbirth?”Yang-chu said, “The ancients havemuch to say about these things. Letme

explainthemtoyouandmaybeafteryouhaveconsideredtheirwisdom,youwillnotfeelasconfused.“That twopeoplewithsimilarendowmentsatbirthshouldendupwithvery

differentlivesisamatterofthenaturalunfoldingofeventscalleddestiny.Lookat the muddy world, look at the crowds of people who push themselves toachieve,andyouwillrealizetheyareneitherhappynorcontented.Doyouneedtodothis,too,justbecauseeveryoneelseisdoingit?Ifyoudon’twanttopushyourself,ifyoudon’tacceptthesocialnormsofsuccessandachievement,whocan stop you? From sunrise to sunset people rush around madly. Does thisguarantee they will be more well-off than you are if you don’t do the samething?Whatwill happen to you is not determined by effort, nor even by anyinnateabilities.”Seeingthathisbrotherwasstillconfused,Yang-chucontinued,“Ifyouaccept

thenaturalorderofthings,youwillnotworryaboutwhetheryourlifeislongorshort.Ifyouunderstandthelawsofheavenandearth,youwillnotbeconcernedwithconceptionsofrightorwrong.Ifyoutrustinyourself,thenitdoesn’tmatterwhetherconditionsaresafeordangerous.Ifyouaretruetoyourself,youwillnotbe disturbed by things that happen around you.Gain or loss, praise or blame,approvalordisapproval,happinessorsadness,angerorsatisfactioncannotaffectyou.“TheYellowEmperoroncesaidthatenlightenedpersonsdonotquestionwhy

theyarelivingorwhat theyaredoing.Theyarenotaffectedbyotherpeople’sactionsandopinions.Theydonotgoagainstthenaturalgrainofthingsanddonot do things that oppose their principles. Accepting the natural unfolding ofevents, they can go where they please and do what needs to be done. Thethoughtsandactionsofotherswillhavenoaffectonthem.”LikeYang-chu’sbrother,weoftenwonderwhy thingshappen theway they

do. And when we see things happen contrary to our expectations, we arefrustratedordisappointed.Inourminds, twopeoplewiththesameintelligenceand appearance should have similar achievements in careers and social status.Andifwedonotsucceedwhereotherswiththesameabilitiesdid,itfeelsgoodto find an excuse to get depressed and think that we are treated unfairly.However,ifwecanbreakfreefromthismodeofthoughtandacknowledgethatthere are some things we simply cannot control, then there will be lessdisappointment,frustration,anger,anddissatisfactioninourlives.

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Wecannotknowpeoplewhoaredifferentfromus

THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE who shared a house. They ate together, did thehouseworktogether,andevenplayedtogether,buteachonehadaverydifferentpersonality.Oneof themwas studious and serious, onewas reckless, onewascarefree,andonewashot-tempered.Althoughtheyspentalotoftimetogether,theydid things theirownwayanddidnotunderstandeachother, foreachoneclaimedtobemoreintelligentthaneveryoneelse.Therewasanothergroupoffourpeoplewhoalsolivedtogetheranddidmany

thingstogether.Theywerealsoverydifferentintheirdispositions.Oneofthemwasglibandsmooth-talking,onewasbluntandhonest,onewas stubbornandrigid,andonewascomplacentandbending.Althoughtheyhadlivedtogetherforalongtime,theyallwentaboutdoingthingstheirownwayandneverbotheredto learnaboutwhat theotherpeopledid, foreachof themclaimed tobemoreskillfulthantheothers.Yetanothergroupoffourfoundthemselvesashousemateswhospentalotof

time together.They toowereverydifferent fromeachother.Oneof themwascrafty, onewas proud, onewas silent, and onewas argumentative. They alsowentabouttheirownbusinessandneverlistenedtotheotherpeople,fortheyallbelievedtheyweremoregiftedthantheothers.Fourotherpeoplelivedtogether.Oneofthemwassneaky,onewasfickle,one

wasdaring,andonewastimid.Theyalsodidthingstheirownwayanddidnotwant to learn fromeachother.To theendof their lives theyneverunderstoodeachotherandtheyallbelievedthemselvesmorevirtuousthantheothers.Therewasonemoregroupof fourpeoplewithdifferentcharacteristicswho

livedinthesamehouseforalongtime.Oneofthemwasoutgoingandsociable,onewasconfident,onewasauthoritative,andonewasaloner.Despitethetimethey’dspenttogether,theyneverkneweachother,foreachofthemclaimedtoknowthebestwaytotakeadvantageofopportunities.Allof thesepeoplehaddifferentdispositions.Onfirstglance, itmayappear

theywere snobbishbecause theydidnotwant tounderstandotherswhohadadifferent attitude. But, on the other hand, if they had tried, would they havesucceeded?Orwouldtheyhaveacknowledgedeachother’sdifferencespolitely,pretended they had understood each other, and then returned to doing thingstheirownway?Eachindividualisdifferent,andeachfollowshisorherownpathinlife.Why

notbehonestandacceptourdifferences?Whypretendtounderstandwhenwedonot?Itisarareoccasionwhentwoindividualscancommunicatedirectlywithheartandmind,likePo-yatheluteplayerandhisfriendChungTzu-ch’i,orthemaster archerFei-wei andhis studentChi-ch’ang, and the friendsKuan-chungandPaoShu-ya.

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Successandfailure

THOSE WHO SUCCEED will often not know beforehand that they will succeed.Thosewho fail will often not know beforehand that theywill fail. Therefore,whywastetimeandefforttoanticipatesuccessorfailurewhenitwillonlycauseanxietyandapprehension?Ifweunderstandthenatureofsuccessandfailure,wewillnotbesadifthings

go wrong or overjoyed when things go our way. Undisturbed by emotionalswings,wecandealinacalmandcomposedmannerwithwhatevercomes.Manythingshappenwithoutouractiveintervention.Whenthemomentumof

events is toostrong, thebest thingwecando isgetoutof thewayandnotbesweptupbyit.Thus,knowingtheroleofdestinyinsuccessandfailure,thewiseonesknowwhentoactandwhentostop.Someonewhoacceptsthenaturalflowofeventswillnotbearousedbywhat’s

happening around him. He will not respond in anger or joy, attraction orrepulsion,fearorrelaxation.Ontheotherhand,someonewhorejectsthenaturalflow of events will always worry about success and failure, gain and loss,approvalor rejection.Even ifweblindfoldhimorputwax inhisears,hewillstillfeeltensionandanxiety.Lifeanddeatharenaturalevents.Richesandpovertyare theproductof the

times.Weonlyworryaboutwhetherourliveswillbelongorshort,orwhetherwewillberichorpoor,whenwedonotunderstandthateventscomeandgoofthemselvesandourworryingcannotchangethem.Onlythosewhoacceptthenaturalflowofeventswillnotbeconcernedabout

life and death or anxious about praise or blame. Intelligent people will oftenwant to calculate the likelihoodof success and failurebefore they take action.However,theirchancesofsucceedingareoftennotverydifferentfromthoseofpeople who do not think about the odds. Therefore, odds, likelihood, andtimelinessaredependentonothereventsandtheirchancesofhappening,andsooninanendlesschain.Thingswillturnoutthewaytheywouldregardlessofourpredictions.Therefore,whytrytopredictandthenbeanxiousabouttheaccuracy

ofourpredictions?Whenwedonotanticipatesuccessandfailure,wewillbepreparedtoaccept

anyoutcome.Wewill not be terribly overjoyed if things turnout thewaywewant,butwewillnotbemiserableshouldthingsrunamok.

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Thekingwhowasgreedyaboutlifeandafraidofdeath

THEKINGOFCH’IwassightseeingonOxMountain.Withhimwerehisministersandattendants.Lookingdownfromthehill,thekingsawhiscountrybeforehim—thewideexpanseoffertilefields,therollinghillsofgreenandyellow,andtheslow, meandering rivers. Suddenly, he was overcome with sadness andmelancholyandsighed,“Whatabeautifulland!WhatapitythatIshalldieoneday and leave all this! If only death didn’t exist, then I should have thesemountainsandriversforever!”Ashefinishedspeaking,tearsbegantorolldownhischeeks.Twoofficialswhoattendedthekingalsobegantoweep.Totheirmasterthey

said,“Mylord,evenwewhoonlyeatcoarsegrainandtoughmeatandtravelinoldcarriagesdonotwant to leavewhatwehave.Howmuchharder it is foralordlikeyoutopartwithyourfortune!”Just as everyone was getting more and more depressed, his chief minister,

Yen-tzu, was quietly laughing to himself. The king turned to his advisor andsaid,“WhenIsawthebeautyofthelandbeforemeandrealizedthatIhavetopartwithitoneday,Iwasovercomewithsadnessandwept.Allmysubordinatesshared my feelings and cried with me except you. Why are you laughinginstead?”Yen-tzusaid,“Ifeveryonelivedforever,thentheancientkingswouldstillbe

around,andtheywouldbeoccupyingtheirthrones.You,mylord,wouldbeanundistinguishedcitizenplowingthefieldandworryingaboutwhetheryouwouldhaveenoughtoeat.Giventhat,you’dprobablywanttodieandnotliveforever.Todayyouarethekingofaprosperouscountry,andyetyoucrylikeacowardwhoisafraidofdying.Seeingafoolurgedonbyotherfools,Icannotbutlaughatthiscollectivefolly!”Whenthekingheardthishewasashamed.Heapologizedforhisbehaviorand

hisinabilitytobeanexampletohissubordinates.Whenweare richand famousandpowerful,wedonotwant todie.On the

otherhand,ifwearemiserableandsuffering,wewanttodieandleaveitall.Butcan joy ormisery last forever? There is a saying, “All celebrationsmust endsometime.”Anywishtoliveforeverordieimmediatelyisoftenawhimofthemoment.Howdoweknowthat,althoughwearehappynow,wemaynotbesadthe next day, or sad now but may be happy soon? Given that good and ill,fortune andmisfortune come in their ownway,we should not cling to life orembracedeath.Lifeanddeathwillcomeoftheirown.Whybegreedyaboutlifeandafraidofdeath?

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Deathisnotaloss

THEREWASAMANwhoseonlysondiedofasuddenillness.Hedidnotmournforhisson,norwashesadaboutit.Hisfriendswerecuriousabouthisbehavior,sothey askedhim, “Your only son is dead.You should be heartbroken.Whydoyouactasifnothinghadhappened?”The man replied, “Before my son came, I had no son. I was certainly not

heartbrokenbackthen.NowIhavenoson.WhyshouldIbeheartbrokennow?”

PartSeven/Yang-chu

INTRODUCTION

Sincewehavenocontrolover lifeanddeath,weshouldmake thebestofourtimeonearth.Whybendtosocialconventions,whybepartof thestruggleformaterialwealthwhenonedaywewilldie,partwitheverythingwehave,andbeforgotton?ThisisthegistofYang-chu’steaching.ForYang-chu,everythingisreplaceable,andthereforeexpendable;exceptthe

body.Thus,hecounsels that thebodyshouldbepreservedatallcosts.Evenifonecouldgainakingdombylosingonehair,itisnotworthit.Ifakingdomisnot worth a strand of hair, then fame and fortune are not worth the loss ofphysicalhealthandmentalwell-being.Names, titles, social status, and reputation are all empty. We should not

sacrificeourprecioustimeonearthforsuchemptypursuits.However,Yang-chudoesnotpromoteasceticism.Tohim,thereisnothingwrongwithbeingwell-offandcomfortable.Weonlydestroyourselveswhenweclimbthesocialladderattheexpenseofhappiness.

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Anameisnothingandtitlesareempty

YANG-CHU WAS TRAVELING in the kingdom of Lu and stayed with his friendMeng.OnedayMengaskedYang-chu,“Whyarepeoplenotsatisfiedwithwhothey

are?Whydotheywantsocialrecognition?”Yang-chusaidmatter-of-factly,“Socialrecognitioncanhelpthemgetrich.”“Whyisitthataftertheygetrich,theyarestilnotsatisfied?”“Afteryouhavewealth,you’llwantpoliticalpower.”“Butwhentheyhavepoliticalpower,they’restillnotsatisfied.”“Nowtheywanttomakesurethingsareinorderwhentheydie.”“Whenyoudie,you’llleaveeverything.What’stheuseofplanningforthings

thathappenafterward?”“Theyworryabouttheirgrandchildren’sfuture.”“Howcananameandtitleaffectthewelfareofyourdescendants?”Yang-chuexplained,“Peoplethinkiftheyleaveagoodreputation,thentheir

descendantswillbe respected.However,mostof the time,peoplewho leaveagoodnameare thosewhoare tired inbodyandmindbuthave livedanhonestlive.Honestyandrichesdonotoftengohandinhand.Sothehonestmanwhoissocially recognized as a virtuous person is often poor. Similarly, a humblepersonmaygain respect inhisorhercommunitybutwillnot rise in rankandpoliticalpower.“Sowehaveaparadoxhere.Honestyandhumilitywillnotgetyoupowerand

rank although it may get you reputation. On the other hand, to be rich andpowerful,youneedtosacrificesomehonestyandhumilityandmaybeloseyourreputationasavirtuousperson.Manypeoplespendtheirlivesbeingstuckinthisdilemma.”MengthoughthehadunderstoodYang-chu,sohesaid,“IthinkIseewhatyou

mean. Look at Kuan-chung.When hewas the chiefminister of Ch’i, he waslecherous when the king was lecherous and extravagant when the king wasextravagant. The minister and his lord were of the same heart and mind. So

Kuan-chung got along very well with the king and became the second mostpowerfulmaninthecountry.Buttoday,hisdescendantsarerespectednomorethanthecommoncitizen.Ontheotherhand,anotherministernamedT’ien-hengwashumblewhenhis kingwas arrogant, generouswhenhiskingwasgreedy.Ministerandlordnevergotalongwell,buthispopularitywontheheartsofthepeopleandtheymadehimking.NowhisdescendantsenjoytheprosperityofthekingdomofCh’i.“Therefore,themanwhohaspowernowmaynotleaveagoodnamebehind

him,but themanwhomaybepoornowmayenduphavingagoodreputationlater.”Yang-chusaid,“Youhaven’tgottenmypoint.Itisnotthatbeinghumbleand

poornowwillgetyourecognitionlater,northatbeingpowerfulnowwillleaveyouabadname.Peoplethinkeitheryougetpowerandsocialrecognitionnowandgiveupyourgoodnameforever,oryousufferandsacrificenowandgetagoodnamelater.Isayneitherisworthwhile.Theancientssayanameisnothingandtitlesareempty.DoyouthinktheemperorsYaoandShunabdicatedbecausethey were virtuous? Their reputation actually went up after they lost thekingship. If there had been nothing to gain, I bet neither of themwould haveabdicated.Nowdoyouthinkhavingreputationoragoodnameinhistoryhastodowithbeingvirtuous?Notonlyisanamenotworthpursuing,butitisactuallymeaningless.“Take a look at the hermits Po-yi and Shu-ch’i. They refused to serve an

enemylordandstarvedtodeathinthemountains.Thesetwobecameheroesandwereregardedasmenofintegrityandvirtue.However,theylosttheirlivesandtheirlands,andtheirdescendantsbecamedestitute.Inthiscase,thereputationofthesetwomendidnothingtohelptheirchildrenandgrandchildren.”Ifyouwantanameand title,youmust sacrifice someofyour integrityand

humility. If you want to be sincere and honest, you won’t get much socialrecognition.Sometimes,havinganamecarrieswithitanxietiesandburdensofresponsibility.Thus,peoplewhohavepowerandsocialstatusareoftennotfreetodowhattheywant.Becauseeveryoneiswatchingthem,theyhavetobehaveinawaythat isexpectedof theirreputation.Oneerrorandtheywill lose theirhard-earnedreputation.Theyarenotexactlythehappiestpeople.One the other hand, someone with neither social status nor a reputation to

upholdmaybeafreerandhappierperson.Whythenworksohardtogainsocialrecognitionwhenitwillonlydiminishyourfreedomandhappiness?

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Life—temporarilystayingintheworld;death—temporarilyleaving

YANG-CHUSAID:“Ifyoulivetobeahundred,itisconsideredalonglife.However,onlyonein

a thousand persons is that lucky. But if we take a person who has lived ahundredyearsandlookatthetimehehasspentinhislife,wewillrealizethatahundredyearsisnotalonglife.Outoftheseyears,childhoodandoldagetakeupatleasthalfthetime.Inaddition,halfthedayheisasleep.Nottomentionthehours during the day that he has idled away. What does that leave him?Moreover,ifyoutakeoutthetimeswhenheisill,sad,confused,suffering,andnotfeelinggood,thereisn’tmuchtimeleftthathecanenjoyorbefree.“Somepeoplethinktheycanfindsatisfactioningoodfood,fineclothes,lively

music,andsexualpleasure.However,whentheyhaveallthesethings,theyarenot satisfied.They realize happiness is not simply having theirmaterial needsmet.Thus,societyhassetupasystemofrewardsthatgobeyondmaterialgoods.Theseincludetitles,socialrecognition,status,andpoliticalpower,allwrappedupinapackagecalledself-fulfillment.Attractedbytheseprizesandgoadedonbysocialpressure,peoplespendtheirshortlivestiringbodyandmindtochaseafter these goals. Perhaps this gives them the feeling that they have achievedsomethingintheirlives,butinrealitytheyhavesacrificedalotinlife.Theycanno longer see,hear, act, feel, or think from theirhearts.Everything theydo isdictatedbywhetheritcangetthemsocialgains.Intheend,they’vespenttheirlivesfollowingotherpeople’sdemandsandneverlivedalifeoftheirown.Howdifferentisthisfromthelifeofaslaveoraprisoner?“Theancientsunderstood that life isonlya temporarysojourn in thisworld,

anddeathatemporarydeparture.Inourshorttimehere,weshouldlistentoourownvoicesandfollowourownhearts.Whynotbefreeandliveyourownlife?Why follow other people’s rules and live to please others? When somethingenjoyable comesyourway, you should enjoy it fully.Don’t be imprisonedbynameortitle,forsocialconventionscanleadyouawayfromthenaturalorderof

things.Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheryouwillberememberedingenerationsahead,becauseyouwillnotbetheretoseeit.“Whyspendyourlifelettingotherpeoplemanipulateyoujusttogetaname

and reputation?Why not let your life be guided by your own heart and livewithouttheburdensoffameandrecognition?”

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Inlifetheremaybedifferences;indeatheverythingisthesame

MYRIADTHINGSmaybedifferentinlife,butindeaththeyarethesame.Somepeoplearebornintorichfamilies;othersarebornpoor.Someareborn

intelligent;othersarebornstupid.Somearebornintonobility;othersarebornascommon citizens. While they live, they are different. But when they die,everyoneisjustapileofbonesandrottingflesh.Whether we live or die, are intelligent or stupid, is not something we can

control.Wecannotchoosetobeborn,norcanwechoosenottorotwhenwedie.Wearenotresponsibleforourintelligenceorstupidity,nordowehaveanysayin what kind of environment we are born into. All these things come ofthemselvesandaremattersofdestiny.Thus,inlifewearedifferentbecauseofdifferentdestinies.Thereis,however,onethingweallhaveincommon:death.Somemayliveto

beahundred;othersmaydieaftertenyearsoflife.Butregardlessofhowlongyoulive,youmustdie.Virtuouspeopledie;crooksdie.Whenalive,thevirtuousmayberespected,butindeaththeyareapileofdrybones.Similarly,thewickedmay be abhorred in life, but in death they are also a pile of bones. Famouspeopleareapileofbonesafterdeath;unknownpeopleareapileofbonesafterdeath.Differencesareseenorrememberedatmostforahundredyears,butafterthat,onepileofbonesisjustthesameasanother.Giventheshortnessandtransitorynatureoflife,weshouldmakethebestuse

of it.Enjoy itwhileyoucan.Whyworryaboutwhetheryouwill leaveagoodnamewhenallthatwillbeleftofyouisapileofdrybones?

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Richescaninjureyou,butpovertycanalsohurtyou

THERE WAS A POOR MAN who eventually starved to death because of poverty.Therewasawealthymanwho injuredhisbodyand tiredhismindbecausehepushedhimselftoohardtryingtogetricher.Thus, richescan injureyou,butpovertycanalsohurtyou.What is thebest

way,then,tolive?Agoodlifeisacontentedlifewithsufficientmeansandadequateenjoyment.

If you’re too rich, you will be burdened by your wealth, because with greatwealthcomethecomplexitiesofmanagement,andwithmanagementcomestheanxietyovergainandloss.Ontheotherhand,ifyouaretoopoor,youwillnotgetenoughtoeatorhavewarmclothingorleisuretime.Thus,youtoilifyouaretoo rich, and you toil if you are too poor. These are two extremeswe shouldavoid.Ifyoudon’thaveenoughtoeat,workongettingenoughtoeat.Ifyoucan’t

keepwarminwinter,workongettingsufficientclothing.Ifyoudon’thavetimetoenjoyyourself,worktowardgettingleisuretime.Butwhenyouhaveenough,youshouldstop.Ifyoucontinuetoworktogetgourmetfoods,abigwardrobe,andmorevacations,you’ll endupnothaving the time toenjoy them,becauseyouwillalwaysbeworkingongettingthemoneytodothesethings.

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Takingcareofyourself

YEN-TZUASKEDKUAN-CHUNGwhattheancientsmeantby“cultivatinglife.”Kuan-chung replied, “Cultivating life is taking care of yourself. It means

livingfreelyandnotputtingconstraintsonyourself.”“Canyouelaborateonthis?”“Letyoureyesseewhattheysee,notwhatotherswantyoutosee.Letyour

earshearwhat theynaturallyhear,notwhatotherswantyou tohear.Letyourmouthspeakyourmindfreelyandnotbeconstrainedbyotherpeople’sapprovalor disapproval. Let your mind think what it wants to think and not let otherpeople’s demandsdictate your thoughts. If your senses andyourmind arenotallowedtodowhattheywanttodonaturally,youaredenyingthemtheirrights.Whenyoucannotthink,sense,feel,oractfreely,thenyourbodyandmindareinjured. Break these oppressions, and you will cultivate life. When you cancultivatelife,thenyoucanwaitpeacefullyfordeath.Beingabletoescapetheseoppressionsforonedayisbetterthantoliveahundredyearsbeingimprisonedbythem.”Kuan-chungthensaidtoYen-tzu,“NowthatI’vetalkedaboutcultivatinglife,

whatcanyoutellmeabouttakingcareofdeath?”Yen-tzusaid,“As faras Iamconcerned, there’snotmuch to takingcareof

death.Itcomeswhenitcomes.”When Kuan-chung pressed him further, Yen-tzu said, “When I’m dead I

won’tknowanything.Therefore,itdoesn’treallymatterwhetheryouthrowmeintothesea,leavemeintheopen,rollmeintoaditch,orburymeinagrave.Iwouldn’tknowifyoudressedmeupinexpensiveburialclothesorwrappedmeinburlapsacks.Whyworryaboutwhathappensafteryoudie?”Kuan-chungthenturnedtohisfriendPaoShu-yaandsaid,“BetweenYen-tzu

andmyself,we’vesaidall thereis tosayabout thewaytoliveandthewaytodie.”Whenyoulive,becontentedandknowwhat’senough.Whenyoudie,there’s

noneedforexpensivecasketsandelaboratefunerals.Thus, liveasatisfied life

anddieasimpledeath.

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Amadmanoranenlightenedman?

TUAN-MUSHUWAS anextremelywealthyman.Hewas thedescendantofTzu-kung,whowasastudentofConfuciusandaverysuccessfulbusinessman.Tuan-muShu inherited a large fortune fromhis ancestors andwas not interested inworking.Heenjoyedthegoodlifeandfollowedwhereverhisfancyledhim.Hehadalargemansionbuiltofthefinestmaterialsanddecoratedbythemost

skillfulartisans.Heatethebestfoodsandworeclothesofthehighestquality.Hetraveled in comfortable carriages and was always accompanied by beautifulcourtesans.Tuan-mu Shu went after anything that excited his senses, aroused his

curiosity,andstimulatedhismind.Hecollectedrareartifactsandtreasuresfromforeigncountries.He traveled toexoticplaces.Hewasentertainedby thebestmusiciansanddancersofthetime.Hewouldnotdenyhimselfanything.Hewaswealthyandextravagantandwasenviedbykingsandnoblesalike.Unlike most wealthy people, however, Tuan-mu Shu was never tightfisted

with hismoney.Hewas generous and spent it freely on others aswell as onhimself.Hethrewhugepartiesregularlyandinvitedhundredsofpeopletoenjoythe best food and the finest entertainment. He also shared his wealth withrelatives, friends, neighbors, and even people whom he didn’t know. Hisgenerositywassogreatthatnotaneedypersonwasfoundinthetownwherehelivednorintheneighboringvillages.WhenTuan-muShuwassixtyyearsoldandhishealthwasbeginningtofail,

he gave away all his possessions, leaving nothing for his children andgrandchildren.Withinayear,therichmanhadbecomepoorandcouldnotevenaffordtocalladoctorwhenhewasill.Whenhedied,hischildrenhadnomoneytoburyhim.Fortunatelyforhisdescendants,thepeoplewhohadbenefitedfromTuan-mu Shu’s generosity collected funds, gave him a decent burial, andreturnedsomeofthewealthtothefamily.When a prominent scholar heard about this, he said, “Tuan-mu Shu is a

madman.Tzu-kungwouldhaverolledoverinhisgraveifheknewaboutthis.”

Another philosopher commented, “Tuan-muShu is an enlightenedman.HeevensurpasseshisancestorTzu-kung.”IsTuan-muShuamadmanoranenlightenedman?Ifyoujudgehimbysocial

norms,thenitwouldappearthatTuan-muShuwasindeedcrazy.Heabandonedhis family,didnotcare for thewelfareofhisdescendants,andsquanderedhiswealth.But then again,Tuan-muShuwas sincere in everything he did.Therewasnopretense,noscheming,noulteriormotiveinhisactions.Hefollowedhisheartandwasnotconstrainedbysocialconventions.Heenjoyedhimselffreely,hegavefreely,andheneverdidanythingthatwentagainsthisnature.

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Whatdamageshealthmore—unrestrictedpleasureorobsessivehardwork?

TZU-CH’AN, THE CHIEF MINISTER of the kingdom of Cheng, had two brothers.Whilehespenthisenergyonstrengtheningthecountryandputtingdowncrimeanddisorder,histwobrothersindulgedineverythingthatsatisfiedtheirsenses.Oneof thebrothershadabreweryanda largewarehouse in thebackofhis

mansion where he stored thousands of jars of wine. Even a block away onecouldsmellthereekoffermentingyeast.Hedrankheavily,and,whendrunk,hewasoblivioustoeverythingaroundhim.Hecouldn’tcareiftherewaspeaceorwarorifhishousewaslooted.Hecouldn’trecognizefriendsandrelatives,andhelostallconcernforlifeordeath.Theotherbrotherhadadozenroomsin thehousewherehekeptagroupof

beautifulyoungwomen.Oftenhewouldvisithisharemandmakeloveallnightand would not be satisfied when the morning came. When he was arousedsexually,hewouldspendmonthswiththewomen,neverevenbotheringtocomeout tomeet friendsand relativesor takecareof the familybusiness.Whenhereveledinhissexualpleasures,hewasoblivioustotheworldoutside.Itdidn’tmattertohimwhetherthecountrywasatwarorpeaceorwhetherhishousewasvandalizedorrobbed.Tzu-ch’anwas very concerned about his brothers’ lifestyles. So hewent to

talktoTeng-hsi,afellowstatesmanwho,althoughsarcasticandsnideattimes,wasknownforhiskeenobservationsandproblem-solvingability.Tzu-ch’ansaid,“I’mworriedaboutmytwobrothers. It issaid thatamanis

notworthytogovernastateifhecannotsethisfamilyinorder.Asyoucansee,thenewlawsandreformsareworkingverywellnow,butmyfamilymattersareamess.Canyousuggestanythingthatwouldgetmytwoirresponsiblebrotherstobehavemoreproperly?”Teng-hsi replied,“I’venoticed theirbehaviors too,andI’vewonderedwhen

youweregoing todosomethingabout it.Here’swhatIwouldsuggest.Findagoodopportunitytotellthemabouttheneedtoputtheirlivesinorder.Tellthem

what they’redoing isdamaging theirhealth.Maybe thiswillconvince themtochangetheirlifestyles.”OnedayTzu-ch’an foundhis brothers together.He took this opportunity to

talktothemabouttheirlives.“Heavenmadeusacutaboveanimalsindignityandintelligence.Therefore,it

isourdutytoliveuptotheseexpectationsandbehaveinamannerbefittingourpositioninsociety.Ifyouonlylivetosatisfyyoursenses,youarenomorethananimals.Moreover,wineandsexcandamageyourhealth,andonedayyouwillfind yourself weak and wasted away by your pleasures. Stop harmingyourselves, become responsible citizens, and I shall giveyou aposition in thegovernment.”Tzu-ch’an’sbrothers said, “Weknow thatwineand sexdamagehealth.But

wealsoknowthatlifeisshort,andwewanttoenjoywhateverwecannow.You,ontheotherhand,suppresswhatyouwanttodoinordertomaintainyourrankand power. You belabor your body and mind day and night. Does that notdamageyourhealth,ageyou,andmakeyouweakandwasted?“You are proud of your achievements and youwant us to conform to your

beliefs.Youwanttoenticeuswithtitlesandpoliticalpower,butweknowthatsuchthingsonlybringburdenandtrouble.“You sayour lifestyles are embarrassingandyouwant to reformus.Letus

tell you something, too.Youmay be the chiefminister, and the countrymaylooklike it’s inorder.But lookatyourselfclosely.Youare tiredandhaggard.Youhavedamagedyourbodyandmindbecauseyouareanxiousaboutkeepingthe country in order. In order tomaintain your reputation, you have damagedyour heart by suppressing your natural inclinations. You have kept law andorder, but you have notwon people’s hearts. People accept your rule becausetheyareafraidofyou,notbecausetheyrespectyou.We,ontheotherhand,maybewildandunruly,butwearetruetoourselves.Wehaveneverputupafronttogain respect. We have never been involved in dirty politics or harmed otherpeoplewithtreacheryandintrigue.Canyousaythisaboutyourself?Ifyoucan’t,thenit’snotwewhoshouldtakeyouradvice,butyouwhoshouldtakeours!”Tzu-ch’andidnotknowwhat to say.Laterhe sawTeng-hsi and related the

whole incident to him.Teng-hsi said, “Youhavebeen livingwith enlightenedmenanddidn’tevenknowit.”As history tells us, Tzu-ch’an had to kill Teng-hsi to silence his disruptive

criticisms. Cheng became a powerful state for a while, but after Tzu-ch’an’sdeathitweakenedandwaseventuallyconqueredbyamorepowerfulneighbor.Tzu-ch’an himself was not given a very good image by later historians, butnothingwasheardconcerningthetwobrothers,fortheywereneitherpraisednor

damnedbyhistory.

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Everyonemustdiesometime

SOMEONE ASKED YANG-CHU, “What do you think of people who pray forimmortality?”Yang-chureplied,“Everyonemustdiesometime.Prayingwon’thelp.”“Howaboutaskingforalonglife,then?”“Life and death have their own course. It’s not something we can ask for,

hopefor,orcontrol.Even ifyou takeall thenecessaryprecautions topreserveyour life, it isnotguaranteedthatyou’llkeepit.Besides, joyandsorrow,gainandloss,warandpeace,goodgovernmentandbadrepeatthemselvesthroughouthistory.Whyliveahundredyearstoseethesamethingscomeandgo?”“Iflifeissuchabadexperience,whynotkillyourselfandenditearly?”“That’snotthewaytogoeither.Whenyoulive,youshouldacceptlifeandlet

itrunitscourse.Whenyoudie,youshouldacceptdeathandgotoitpeacefully.Lifeanddeathcomebythemselves.Weshouldletthemruntheircourseandnottrytospeedordelaythem.”

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Wouldyousacrificeastrandofhairtobenefittheworld?

YANG-CHUSAID,“ThesagePo-ch’eng-kao-tzuwouldnotsacrificehisbodyandmindtobenefit theworld,sohebecameahermitandlivedalifeofpeaceandcontentment. Yü the king sacrificed everything to help the world. He goteveryone’srespectbutbecameacripplefortherestofhislife.Theancientssayifpeopledidnotsacrificeasinglestrandoftheirhairtosavetheworld,thentheworldwouldbealesscomplicatedplace.”SomeonethenaskedYang-chu,“Ifpluckingastrandofhairfromyourbody

couldhelptheworld,wouldyoudoit?”Yang-chusaid,“Theworldcannotbehelpedbyapieceofmyhair.”“Butsupposeitcould.Wouldyoudoit?”Yang-chudidnotanswer.Sometime later, this inquirermetoneofYang-chu’s friends andbroughtup

thematter.Yang-chu’sfriendsaid,“Youdon’tunderstandhispoint.Letmeaskyouthis.

Wouldyoucutapieceoffleshfromyourbodyifbydoingityouwouldgettenthousandpiecesofgold?”“IthinkIwould.”“However,ifyoucouldgainakingdombylosinganarm,wouldyoudoit?”Theinquirerwassilent.Yang-chu’sfriendthensaid,“Astrandofhairisnothingcomparedtoapiece

offlesh,andapieceoffleshisnegligiblecomparedtoalimb.However,manypieces of hairmakeup your scalp, andmanypieces of fleshmakeup a limb.Whendoyouconsiderenoughhairsascalpandwhendoyouconsiderenoughpieces of flesh an arm?Every part of your body is as important as any other.Whythinkthatsomepartsaredispensable?”The inquirer said, “I can’t arguewith you on that. Ifwe took thematter to

Lao-tzu andWen-tzu, theywould probably say you are right.However, ifwetooktheissuetoMo-tzuorYü,theywouldagreewithme.”

It isnot that theselflessConfucianistwouldsacrificehimselffor thegreaterbenefit of humanity while the selfish Taoist would not. Yang-chu is oftenmisunderstoodonthispoint.WhatYang-chuissayingisthatweoftenthinkwecanchangethecourseofthingsbysacrificingonethingortheother.Inthinkingthatoureffortscanmakeadifference,wemayhavemessedthingsupratherthanhelped. If we weren’t so eager to be heroic and sacrifice ourselves “to makethings better,” things could be left alone to run their course, andmaybe therewouldbefewerproblemsintheworld.

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Rulingacountryisliketendingaflockofsheep

YANG-CHUSAIDtothekingofLiang,“Rulingacountryisquitestraightforward.It’saseasyasflippingthingsonthepalmofyourhand.”The king said, “You can’t even manage your family affairs or clear your

gardenofweeds.Howcanyouadvisemeonrulingmycountry?”Yang-chuwasnotdaunted.Hesaid,“Haveyouseenashepherdatwork?He

cancontrol severalhundredsheepbygettingachild toprod themgently frombehindwithabamboostick.Theentireflockwillmoveinthedirectionhewantsthemtogo.Ontheotherhand,ifyoutrytoleadeachsheep,youwillnotbeabletogettheflockmoving.“I have also heard that fish that can swallow a boat do not swim in small

rivers,andhigh-flyingbirdsdonotlandonsmallponds.Why?Itisbecauseonlywide-openspacescanmatch thestatureandpowerof theseanimals.Similarly,statelymusicisnotappropriateforsmallevents,andasmallknifecannotskinalarge animal. Thus, those who set out to rule a country do not concernthemselveswithtrivialtasks,andthosewhowanttosuceedingreatenterprisesdonotwastetheirtimeonsmallachievements.”

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Thingsarenotaspermanentaswethinktheyare

THINGS THAT HAPPENED in the ancient times are now forgotten. Things thathappenedtenthousandyearsagoaremorelegendthanfact.Eventsthatoccurredfivethousandyearsagoaremoreofadreamthanreality.Wemaystillretainabitofmemoryofwhathappenedathousandyearsago,butmostoftheeventsareforgotten.Infact,itisagreataccomplishmenttorememberthingsthathappeneda hundred years ago. Even eyewitnesses have a hard time recallingwhat theysawfiftyyearsago.Much has gone on between the ancient times and the present. Sages and

tyrants have come and gone. Intelligent people, foolish people, kind people,cruelpeople,goodpeople,badpeoplehaveallmadebriefappearancesinhistoryandthendisappeared.Wedon’tknowwhotheywereorwhattheydid,letalonewhat position and rank they occupied in society. Life is short. Why injureyourselftoachievethingslikenameandreputationwhenyouknowthatinfiftyyears, you’ll be no different from anyone else?Why sacrifice your happinessandpeaceofmindtogoaftersomethingephemeralandtransitory?Ofallcreatures,humansaresaidtobethemostintelligent.However,weare

plaguedbyhappiness,anger, sadness,and fear.Wedonothavesharp teethorclaws to hunt down prey. We do not have fur or feathers to keep ourselveswarm.Wecannotrunfasttoescapepredators,andourskinisnottoughenoughtoprotectusifweareattacked.Wemustrelyonothersourcestoprovideuswithshelter, clothing, food, and weapons. Our intelligence does not make usprivileged.Eachspeciesisendowedwithauniqueability.Wehaveintelligence,birdshave feathers, and fishhavegills.Touse intelligence to fulfill our basicneeds and comfort is appropriate; to use it to harmothers is to go against thenatural order of things. And intelligence is transitory. Like skin, bones, andflesh,itdisappearswhenwedie.Ourtimeonearthisshort.Wedonotownourlives.Wecomeintoexistence

when yin and yang energies interact, and we disappear when they separate.

Thus,shouldwefindourselvesaliveinthisworld,weshouldletthisliferunitscourse.Donotbeattachedtoit,butdonotthrowitaway.Makethebestuseofyourtimenow.Ifthisbodyoffleshandbloodisimpermanent,howmuchmorearenontangiblethingslikename,title,andreputation?

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Longevity,fame,socialstatus,andwealth

PEOPLEWORKTHEMSELVEStoexhaustionforfourthings—longevity,fame,socialstatus,andwealth.However,theydonotknowthatthesefourthingsonlybringproblemsandanxiety.Whenyouhavelongevity,you’llbeafraidthatevilspiritsoruncontrollablecircumstanceswill takeitaway.Whenyouhavefame,you’llbeanxiousthatyourreputationwillbedamagedbypeoplejealousofyou.Whenyouhavesocialstatus,you’llbeworriedthatashiftinpoliticswilltakeitaway.Whenyouhavewealth,you’llbeafraidthatyoumayberobbed.Onlypeoplewho see through the illusions of longevity, fame, social status,

andwealtharenotburdenedbyanxietyandfear.Ifthereisnothingatstake,thenthereisnothingtoworryabout.Ifyoudon’tcravelongevity,thenyouwon’tbeafraidtodie.Ifyoudon’tcareforfame,thenyouwon’tbeconcernedwithhowyoupresentyourselftoothers.Ifyouarenotinterestedinsocialstatus,thenyouwon’tbebotheredbywhatotherpeoplethinkofyou.Ifyouarenotpossessiveaboutmoney,thenyouwon’ttirebodyandmindtoaccumulateit.Youwillhavenoneedtoenvyothers,andyoucanfollowyourownprinciplesandbetruetoyourself.Theancientssay,“Iftherewerenosuchthingsasmarriageorpoliticalpower,

then people’s desireswould be cut in half. If therewere no need to eat or beclothed,thenrulersandgovernmentswouldbesuperfluous.”Thus,thewiseonesof old advised us that craving power, status, wealth, and longevity will onlygenerate problems. If people are contentwith living a simple but comfortablelife, therewillbenocompetition.When there isnocompetition, thingscanbeallowedtoruntheirnaturalcourse.Thereisanoldsaying,“Makeafarmersitalldayandyou’lldrivehimcrazy.”

Itisnaturalforafarmertotendthefieldsandworkfromsunrisetosunset.Tobetiredafter aday’swork, toeat a simpleandbigmeal, and to sleep soundlyatnightare thingshe isaccustomed to. Ifyouputhimona featherbed,givehimgourmetfoodsthatdon’tfillhimup,andmakehimsitaroundallday,itwouldbeequivalenttokillinghim.

Therewasastoryaboutafarmerwhocouldnotaffordafurcoat.Inwinterhefelt chilly andcold, butwhen springcameand the sun shoneonhisneckandarms,hefeltitwasbliss.Sohewenttohisfriendsandsaid,“Nooneknowshowgreatitfeelstohavethesunwarmingyourback.Ishallpresentthissecrettotheking.He’ll be sure to rewardmewell formydiscovery.”Whenhisneighborsheard this they laughed at him and said, “You’re just like that man whopresentedbroadbeans,potatoes,androotstothedignitaries,thinkingtheywouldenjoy them as delicacies. But when the rich people tasted these foods, theirstomachswereupsetandtheypunishedthefarmerforhismeantrick.”Thosewho see fame, longevity, status, andwealth as their goal in lifewill

neverexperiencesimplehappinessandcontentment.And thosewhoarehappyandcarefreewillnotwanttoexchangetheirfreedomfortheproblemsassociatedwithsocialsuccess.The ancients say, “Better to eat a simplemeal than to receive food from a

ruler’s plate.” Being conscientious and loyal does not necessarily protect youfrom treachery, and too many responsibilities can harm body and mind.Therefore,thebestrulersgovernwithoutaskingsubjectstobeloyalorvirtuous,and the best government is one that does not promote reward, whether it bewealth, status, or power.When there is no systemof reward, therewill be nocompetition.When there is no competition, there will be no treachery.Whenthereisnotreachery,peoplecanbetruetothemselves.Theancientsalsosay,“Ifyoucandispensewithreputation,thenyouarefree

fromcare.Reputationisonlyavisitor,butrealityisheretostay.”In today’s world, people place too much importance on fame, wealth,

longevity,andreputationattheexpenseoftheirhappiness.Ofcourse,youcan’tenjoylifeifyoudon’thavesomewealthorlongevity.However,topushyourselfto exhaustion going after these goals and not knowingwhen to stop is to robyourselfofthetimeyouhaveinthisworld.

PartEight/ExplainingCoincidences

INTRODUCTION

Whentwothingsoccursuccessivelywecallthemcauseandeffectifwebelieveoneeventmade theotheronehappen. Ifwe thinkoneevent is theresponse totheother,wecallitareaction.Ifwefeelthatthetwoincidentsarenotrelated,wecallitamerecoincidence.Ifwethinksomeonedeservedwhathappened,wecall it retribution or reward, depending onwhether the event was negative orpositive for the recipient. If we cannot find a reason for the two events’occurringsimultaneouslyorincloseproximity,wecallitanaccident.Therefore,howweexplaincoincidencesdependsonhowwesee theworld. Iseverythingconnected, so that events create resonances like ripples across a net? Or dothingsmerelyco-occurandwegivemeaning to theseco-occurrencesbasedonourbeliefsystem?Lieh-tzu’sanswer:It’sallinhowyouthink.

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Actionandreaction

LIEH-TZUWASSTUDYINGwithhisteacherHu-tzu.“Beforeyouunderstandwhatitmeanstoact,youneedtoknowwhatitmeans

toreact,”saidHu-tzu.“Canyoutellmemoreaboutthis?”“Turnaroundandlookatyourshadow.”Lieh-tzu turned around and looked at his shadow. When he was bent, the

shadowwasbent.Whenhe straightenedup, his shadowstraightened.Lieh-tzufoundthathisshadowhadnocontroloveritsmovementandsimplyreactedtowhathedid. Itwasonly then thatLieh-tzu realizedweare also like shadows,reacting toevents in theworld.Wearenot themoversofevents;wecanonlyrespondtosituations.Whetherweshouldbeactiveorpassivedoesnotdependonwhatwewanttodo,butwhatthesituationcallsfor.

WEN-TZUSAIDtoLieh-tzu,“Ifyouaregoodtoothers,otherswillbegoodtoyou.If you harm others, you will eventually be harmed. Your actions producereactionsthatfollowyoulikeshadows.Justasatallperson’sshadowistallandashortperson’sshadowisshort,uglywordswillproduceuglyechoes,andgoodintentionswillproducegoodreactions.Foreveryactionthereisareaction,andforeverycausethereisaneffect.“Ifsomeonelovesyou,youarelikelytolovehim;ifsomeonehatesyou,you

are likely tohatehim.This is the typicalwaywe react.Therefore, the sage iscarefulabouthisownactionsbecauseheknowsotherswillreacttothem,andbyexamininghisownactionshecanpredictwhatotherpeoplewilldo.Thesagealsoknowsthatashecanpredicttheactionsofothers,socanotherspredicthis.Therefore,byhidinghisactions,hebecomesunpredictable.”

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WhydopeoplefollowthepathoftheTao?

SOMEONE ONCE ASKED Lieh-tzu, “Why do people follow the path of the Tao?Doesitmakethemrich?Butthenagain,wecangetrichbywinningthelottery.SowhyfollowtheTao?”Lieh-tzu said, “Tyrants and dictators fell because they placed too much

importanceon riches andpower. If you spendyour life pushing, shoving, andgrabbing,thenyouarenobetterthanwildanimals.Howcanyougaintherespectofothersifyouactlikeabeast?”

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Lieh-tzulearnsarchery

LIEH-TZUWASLEARNINGarcheryandfinallymanagedtohitthetarget.HewenttoWen-tzuandsaid,“DoyouhaveanysuggestionastohowIcan

improve?”Wen-tzureplied,“Doyouknowwhyyoucouldhitthetargetthattime?”“Idon’tknow.”“That’snotgoodenough.Gobackandpracticesomemore.”AfterthreeyearsLieh-tzuvisitedWen-tzuagain.Wen-tzusaid,“Nowdoyouknowwhyyouareabletohitthetarget?”“Ido.”“That’sgood.Rememberwhatyou’velearnedanddon’tletyourpracticego

towaste.Bytheway,theprinciplesoflearningarcheryapplytoeverythingelse.If you don’t understandwhat you are doing, youwill not be able to performreliably.Therefore,inlearninganything,whetheritisgoverningthecountryormanagingyourlife,youmustunderstandtheprinciples.”

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Choosingtherightpersonforthejob

LIEH-TZUSAID,“Peoplewhoareintheprimeoftheirvitalityareoftenproudoftheirvigor.Thosewhoarephysicallystrongareeagertoshowofftheirprowessand strength. You cannot discuss the Tao with them because they will notappreciate it. Similarly, it is useless to talk about theTaowith thosewho areyoungand immature.Theywillnot listen, andeven if they listen theyarenotemotionallysteadyenoughtoholdontoit.“Therefore, theresourcefulperson likes togiveresponsibility topeoplewho

areolderandmoremature.Ideally,youshouldlookforsomeonewhohasacleardirection in life, someone who still has physical strength, but who also hasstayingpowerandemotionalstability.Thus,thekeytomanagementliesnotinyourowntalentbutinyourabilitytochoosetherightpeople.”

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Canwecompetewithnature?

THEREWASAMANwhospentthreeyearssculptingapieceofjadeintoaleaf.Hepresentedhismasterpiecetoaprincewhowasveryimpressedbyitandbecamehispatron.Theleaflookedsorealthatifyouplaceditamongrealleavesyoucouldnot

tellthedifference.Everyoneremarkedthatitwasaverybeautifulpieceofart.However,whenLieh-tzu heard about this he quipped, “If nature took three

yearstomakealeaf,thenwe’dbeintrouble.”Thus,thesageknowsthatnomatterhowwetrytoimitatetheworksofnature,

naturestilldoesabetterjob.

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Someone’swordscanmakeorbreakyou

WHENLIEH-TZUwaslivinginCheng,hewaspoorandstarving.Afriendsawhisconditionandspoke to thechiefminister,“Lieh-tzu isasagewhohasattainedtheTao.He is now living in your country poor and unrecognized.Whydon’tyousendhimagift to showyouappreciateanenlightenedmanwhenyouseeone?”ThechiefministerimmediatelysentagiftofgraintoLieh-tzu.When the minister’s messenger arrived with the gift, Lieh-tzu went to the

door,bowedtwicetothehonoredguest,andpolitelyrefusedthegift.HiswifewasoutragedwithLieh-tzu’sbehaviorandscoldedhim,“Wivesand

children of other sages live comfortably andwe are starving.Now thatwe’vefinallygottensomefoodfromtheminister,whydidyourefuseit?Howcanyoudothistous?”Lieh-tzusmiledandsaidtohiswife,“LetmetellyouwhyIrefusedthegift.If

Iamhonoredbecauseofanotherperson’sopinion,thenIcanalsobedismissedbecauseofsomeone’sopinion.People’swordscanmakeyoubuttheycanalsobreak you. That’s why I am scared of receiving a gift based on someone’sopinionofme.Wemaynotberich,butitissaferthisway.”Notlongafterward,thepopularityofthechiefministerfell.Theking,swayed

bypublicopinion,hadhimexecuted.

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Beingattherightplaceattherighttime

SHIH OF THE COUNTRY of Lu had two talented sons. One son excelled inscholarship and the other excelled in the military arts. After discussing theirfuturewiththem,hesentthescholartothekingofCh’iandthemilitarygeniustothekingofCh’u.ThekingofCh’iwasvery impressedwith theyoungman’sscholarshipand

madehimtutortothecrownprince.ThekingofCh’uwasverypleasedwiththeotherbrother’sabilitiesandmade

himageneral.Bothyoungmen received rich landsanda largesalary,and theShih family

roseinfortuneandpower.Meng,whowasa longtimeneighborof theShihfamily,sawandenviedthe

successofShih’s sons.Hedecided to ask the richman for adviceonhowhisown sonsmight find their fortunes.Meng also had two sons, one talented inscholarshipandtheotherinwarfare.Shih was very candid and told Meng how his own sons became rich and

powerful.Mengwenthomeandcounseledhistwosonstooffertheirskillstothelordsoftwofeudalkingdoms.ThelearnedsonwenttothekingofCh’inandpresentedaproposalofhowto

governa countrywithkindness andhumility.The rulerofCh’inwasabout toinvade the neighboring states that were rich and fertile. He considered thescholar’sproposalamockeryandaninsulttohispolicyandsaidangrily,“HereinCh’in the land ispoorandmountainous. Ifwedon’t invade the smallerbutricherstatestogettheirresources,we’llbeconqueredbypowerfulstatessuchasCh’i.IfIfollowyourproposal,ourcountrywillbedestroyed.Whatdoyoutakemefor,afool?”Thekinghadthescholarcastratedbeforehesenthimaway.Meng’sothersonwenttothekingofWeiandpresentedaproposalofmilitary

action.Thekinglistenedtotheplansandsaid,“Mycountryissmallandweak.IfIlistentoyouradviceandinvadetheneighboringstates,thatwillbetheendofWei.Lookingat the current situation,wecanonlyhope to surviveby forging

allianceswiththemorepowerfulstates.Ineedtheservicesofadiplomat,notawarrior. Icannotuseyou,but Iamafraidyouwillofferyourmilitaryskills totheotherstates.”Sothekingorderedhisguardstocutofftheyoungman’slegsbeforehesenthimaway.WhenMengsawhissonsreturn,onecrippledandtheothercastrated,hewas

shockedandangry.ThinkingthatShihhadplayedameantrickonhimandhaddeliberatelygivenhimbadadvice,hestormedintoShih’shouseanddemandedanexplanation.When Shih heard what had happened to Meng’s sons he sighed and said,

“Heroesandpaupersaremadebythetimes.Mysonswereattherightplaceattherighttimeandyourswereatthewrongplaceatthewrongtime.Imerelytoldyouwhatmysonsdid.Youthoughtitwasaformulaforsuccessandapplieditwithout thinking.Sometimes, things thatwork todaymaynotwork tomorrow,and strategies that are good for one situation may not work in another. Forsomething towork, thepolitical, social,andeconomicalclimatemustbe right.Youcancallitdestinyorfateortheappropriatenessofthetimes.Thewisemanunderstandsthatbeingattherightorwrongplaceattherightorwrongtimeissomethingwecannotcontrol.Therefore,heacceptswhatbefallshimandtriestocopewiththeconsequenceratherthanfightit.”WhenMeng heard this, his anger died down and he realized he must find

waystolivewithhismisfortune.ToShih,hesaid,“Iunderstandnow.Youneednotspeakanymore.”

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IfIcansteponsomeone,someoneelsecansteponme

THE KING OF CHIN called his ministers together and told them he intended toinvadetheneighboringcountryofWei.Whenthechiefministerheardtheking’splans,hethrewhisheadbackandlaughed.Thekingwasshockedandaskedforanexplanation.Thechiefministersaid,

“Therewasamanfrommyneighborhoodwhometabeautifulwomanwhileheand his wifewere on their way to visit his in-laws. Theman lusted after thewomanandsecretlywent tomeether.Oncominghomeafterhisnightout,hefound his wife in bed with another man. When I heard this, I couldn’t helplaughing.”ThekingofChingotthepointanddidnotentertainfurtherideasaboutgoing

afteranothercountry’sterritory.

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Tosolveaproblem,youneedtoremovethecause,notthesymptom

THEREWASALOTofcrime in thestateofChin.Thegovernment trieddifferentstrategiestoapprehendtherobbers,butallfailed.Oneday,astherulerofChinwas frettingover theworsening situation, anofficer toldhim therewasamanwhocould recognizecriminal typesby looking forcertain features in theeyesandeyebrows.ThekingofChinsummonedthismanandsethimtohuntdownthecriminals

inthecountry.Themanliveduptohisreputation,andinnotimealargenumberofrobberswerecapturedand imprisoned.Thekingwasveryhappywith theseresults and related them toWen-tzu. “Ihave foundapersonwhocanhelpmeapprehend all the robbers in the country. It looks like our crime problem issolved.”Wen-tzusaid,“Youcannotstopcrimebyrelyingontechniquestohuntdown

criminals. If you apprehend a hundred robbers today, there will be anotherhundred tomorrow, because you are dealingwith the symptom, not the cause.Anyhow, I am willing to bet that this fellow whom you are using to huntcriminalswillnotlivelong.”Nottoolongafterward,alarmedbytherateatwhichtheywerebeingcaught,

severalgangsofrobbersbandedtogetherandmurderedthecriminalhunter.ThekingwasbothstartledanddistressedbythisnewsandwenttoWen-tzu

foradvice.“Itisasyouhavepredicted,”saidtheking.“Nowhowarewegoingtocatch

theserobbers?”Wen-tzu said, “The ancient sages said thosewho have a talent in revealing

fishindeeppoolsareunlucky,andthosewhoareskillfulinuncoveringsecretswillnotlivelong.Thebestwaytodealwithcrimeisnottohuntdowncriminalsbut toeducatethepublic.Employuprightandhonorablepeople.Instillasenseofvirtueandhonestyinyoursubjects.Induetime,aspeoplecometorespectthevirtues,thecrimeratewilldropnaturally.”

ThekingtookWen-tzu’sadvicethistimeandsetupaprogramofeducationthroughout thecountry.AndasWen-tzuhadpredicted,whenthepeoplebeganto value honesty and integrity, the crime rate dropped.When the few diehardcriminalsfoundtheycouldnotgetsympathyandsupportfromthecitizens,theyfledChinandwenttoanotherstate.

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Trustandconfidence

CONFUCIUSWASTRAVELINGfromthestateofWeibacktohishomecountryofLuwhenhestoppedtorestbyariver.Lookingdownstream,hesawthewatersflowswiftly along the banks and tumble down a great height in a spectacularwaterfall.Suddenly,hesawamanontheoppositebankwhowasabouttodiveintothe

river.Hecalledtothemanurgentlyandsaid,“Thewatersareveryfastanddeep.Eventhefishandturtlesareafraidtogonearthispartoftheriver.Ifyoutrytoswimacross,you’llbedrowned.”ThemanactedasifhehadnotheardawordConfuciussaid.Hejumpedinto

theriverandswamleisurelyacross.Confuciuswasamazedthat themancouldaccomplishsuchafeat.Asthemansteppedontotheshore,Confuciuswentovertohimandsaid,“Ihaveneverseenanyonewithsuchskill inswimming.Howwereyouabletokeepyourselffrombeingsweptawaybytherapids?”The man replied, “When I am in the water, I trust the waters and I have

confidence inmyself. Therefore, nomatter how fast the waters are, I am notafraid. With trust and confidence, I have become friends with the river.Therefore,Icanswimacrossitanditwillnotharmme.”Confuciusthenturnedtohisstudentsandsaid,“Rememberthesewordswell.

If by trust and confidence you can befriend a river, howmuchmore can theyhelpyoutobefriendpeople?”

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Thebestwaytokeepasecretisnottotalk

ANOBLEMANwhowasplottingtokill twoofhisrivalswantedtoseeifpeoplesaw his motives. He went to Confucius and said, “Will someone guess yoursecretsifyouleaveclues?”Confuciusdidnotanswer.“Supposeyouthrowastoneintotheriver.Willsomeonenoticeit?”“Agooddiverwould”“If youmix thewaters of two rivers together,will someone be able to tell

themapart?”“I’veheardtherearesomepeoplewhohavethisability.”“Inthiscase,cantherebenosecrets?”Confuciussaid,“Whynot?Someonewholistensandunderstandswellwillbe

abletokeepasecretwell.Thisisbecauseyoudon’thavetotalkalottogethimtounderstandyourpoint.Thelessyoutalk,thelessyou’llreveal.Thus,thebestwaytokeepasecretisnottotalk,andthebestwaytogetthingsdoneisnottodothem.”ThenoblemandidnotquiteunderstandwhatConfuciusmeant.Intheendhis

plansoftreacheryandmurderwerediscovered,andhehimselfwaskilled.

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Thosewhosucceedarenotexcitedaboutsuccess;thosewhoknowdonotdisplaytheirknowledge

THEPRINCEOFCH’Uorderedhisgeneralstoattackarivalstate.Afewdayslater,messengers returned with the news that the commanders were victorious andtooktwomajorcities.Theprincewaseatinghisdinnerwhenthecouriersarrived.Helistenedtothe

reportandthenlookedworried.Hissubordinateswereconfusedbytheir lord’sbehaviorandasked,“Ourgeneralstooktwocitiesinoneday.Thisisgreatnews,mylord.Whyaren’tyouexcited?”Theprincereplied,“Intheolddaysitwassaidthatagreatfloodwillnotlast

more than three days. It was also said that a strong wind will not last tillmorning,andaheavyraincannotfallallday.Whatthismeansisthatbigeventswon’t last long, and sudden and large achievements are not permanent. I’mafraidthatourearlysuccessmaynothold,andifwegetexcitedoverit,wewillbecomenegligent,andeventuallywe’llbedefeated.”WhenConfuciusheardthis,hesaid,“Witharulerlikethat,thestateofCh’u

will become very powerful. The prince is amanwho is not carried away bysuccess.Therefore,hewillbecalmandsteadyregardlessofthecircumstances.Itis easy to succeed and be excited by it, but it is difficult to treat success as anormal,everydayaffairandnotletitdisruptyourplans.ThestateofCh’uwillbearoundforalongtime.“Whenarulerisproudofsuccess,youcanbesurethecountrywillweaken.

ThiswaswhathappenedtothestatesofCh’i,WuandYeh.Theirkingsdidnotunderstandthatshort-rangeachievementsdonotguaranteelong-termsuccess.”Itwas said thatConfucius had the strength to lift an irongate but he never

displayedhis strength.WhenMo-tzuanda famousmilitary strategistplayedawar game on a chess board,Mo-tzu won easily. And yet, Mo-tzu was neverknownasanexpertinthemilitaryarts.

Therefore, thosewho succeed do not revel in their success, and thosewhoknowdonotdisplaytheirknowledge.

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Fortuneandmisfortune

IN THE COUNTRY of Sung there lived a family who were known for theirgenerosity and kindness. For three generations, all themembers of the familyhad helped the poor and needy, but one day a strange thing happened in thehousehold—theirblackcowgavebirth toawhitecalf.Theheadof the familywas curious about what the omen meant, so he sent his son to consult withConfucius.Confucius said, “This is a very good omen for your family. You should

sacrificethecalfandthankthelordsofheaven.”ThefamilydidasConfuciussuggested.Ayear later, the headof the family suddenlybecameblind inone eye, and

aboutthesametime,theirblackcowgavebirthtoawhitecalf.Againthefathertold his son to ask Confucius the meaning of this. His son said, “Last timeConfuciustoldusthewhitecalfwasagoodomen.You’velostaneye;what’ssogoodaboutthat?Idon’tthinkweshouldconsultwithConfuciusanymore.”His father said, “The wisdom of the sages is beyond our understanding.

Besides, it is often not apparent whether something is good or bad on firstexamination.GoandaskConfuciusagain.”Reluctantly,thesonwenttoConfuciusanddescribedthesituation.Confucius

said,“Thisisaverygoodomen.Gohomeandtellyourfathertogivethanksforhisgoodfortune.”Ayearlater,fornoapparentreason,thesonlosthissightinbotheyes.Notlongafterthat,thecountryofSungwasattackedbythepowerfulstateof

Ch’u. All able-bodied males were conscripted into the army. Eventually, thepeopleofSungwereable toholdoff the invaders,butatacostofmanylives.The father and his blind son escaped the conscription only because theyweredisabled.After thewarwasover and theneighborswereweepingover lost husbands

andsons, theblindboyrealized thathismisfortunewasactuallygoodfortune.Notlongafterward,bothfatherandsonsuddenlyrecoveredtheirsight.

Somethingthatappearsasmisfortunenowmayturnouttobebeneficiallater,andviceversa.Ifwecanlookatfortuneandmisfortuneinthisway,wewillbelessmiserablewhenmisfortunehitsus.Wewillalsobelessexcitedwhenwearefortunate,andthereforewewillbelessdepressedwhenfortunegoesaway.

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Amatterofluck

THEREWASawanderingacrobatwhoofferedtoperformbeforethekingofSung.“Showmewhatyoucando,”saidtheking.Theacrobat tiedhis legs toapairof stilts taller than twomen, stoodupon

them, and ranbackand forth.His footworkwas sonimble andhisbalance soprecise that the stilts appeared as if theywere extensions of his legs.Thenhetooksevenswordsand,balancingonthestiltsagain,juggledthesevenweapons,keepingfiveofthemspinningintheairallthetime.The king was impressed by the acrobat’s skill. He gave the performer a

handsomegiftofsilksandgold.Anotherwanderingacrobatheardaboutthisanddecidedhewouldtrytogeta

reward by performing before the king. So he went to the palace, offered toentertain theking,andproceeded todemonstratehisskillon the trapeze.Aftertheperformancethekingscowledandsaid,“Theotherdayanentertainercametoshowoffhistricks,andbeinginagoodmoodIsenthimoffwithsomegifts.Youmusthaveheardthatyoucanmakefastmoneybyshowingoffyours.Well,Iamnotinthemoodforbeingentertainedtoday.”Withoutfurtherdiscussion,thekinghadtheacrobatpunishedandimprisoned.

Luckily for the entertainer, theking’smood changed after a fewdays and theperformerwasreleased.Luck brought the first acrobat fortune, and lack of luck brought the second

onemisfortune,butintheenditwasluckthatsavedhim.Whetherweattributelucktoanactofsomegodornature,ortothewhimsofapowerfulman,itplaysalargepartinourdestiny.Andifwecanacknowledgeitsrole,wewillnotbeasfrustrated or angered if we are “unlucky” or excited and proud when we are“lucky.”

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Seeingbeyondappearances

PO-LOWASAHORSEBREEDERwhowasknownforhisuncannyskillinrecognizingexceptionalhorses.Hehadservedhiskingforalongtimeandwasresponsibleforbreedingthebesthorsesinthecountry.NowthatPo-lowasgettingoldandweak,thekingwasworriedthatthehorse

breederwould leave no successorwhen he died. So he approached Po-lo andsaid,“Youareadvancedinyears,butIcan’tretireyoutoliveacomfortablelifebecauseIcan’tfindanyonewhopossessesyourskillinrecognizingexceptionalhorses.Doyouhavesomeoneinyourfamilywhomyoucanrecommendasyoursuccessor?”Po-losaid,“Youcanrecognizeagoodhorsebylookingatitsmuscles,bone

structure,andgeneralappearance.However,thebesthorsescannotbeidentifiedbyappearancealone.Theirpotentialcanonlybeseenwhentheyaredeveloped,and you must train them early to let them fully realize their potential. Theseexceptional horses have tremendous speed and endurance. They can carry awarrior in full armorand runa thousandmileswithout rest.Unfortunately,noone in my family has this skill. My sons can distinguish good horses fromaverage ones, but they are incapable of recognizing these “thousand-milehorses.”Whenthekinglookeddisappointed,Po-losaid,“Idoknowsomeonewhohas

the ability, though. His name is Kao and he is a porter who hauls wood andvegetablestothemarketforaliving.Heisonlyacommonlaborer,buthisskillinrecognizingaprizehorseisasgoodasmine.”The king sent forKao and charged him to find the legendary horses.After

threemonths,Kaofoundsuchahorseinaremoteregion.Hereportedthistothekingwhosaid,“Whatdoesitlooklike?”“Itisayellowmare,”saidKao.Whenthehorsewasbrought to thepalacestables, thekingsawitwasnota

yellowmare but a black stallion.He summonedPo-lo and said angrily, “Thatfellowyourecommendedtomeisnogood.Hetoldmethehorsewasayellow

mare, and we have a black stallion here. He can’t even tell the differencebetween a stallion and amare, let alone the colorsof their coats.Howcanheservemeasahorsebreeder?”Po-losighedandsaid,“Hisskillhasrisenbeyondmyimagination.Hisability

isnowatleasttenthousandtimesbetterthanmine,forwhileIstilljudgeahorsebynuancesinappearance,hecanseebeyondappearance.Whenheseesahorse,hedoesnotseemaleorfemale,blackoryellow.Heseestheessenceofthehorsedirectly. When one can see that way, external features are unimportant. Theimportant thing about the horse is its potential, not whether it is a mare orstallion,orhasayelloworblackcoat.”Whenthehorsewastrained,thekingfoundthathepossessedthebesthorsein

thecountry.

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Managingyourlifeandgoverningacountry

ACERTAINKINGwenttoaskasageforadvice.“CanyoutellmehowIcangovernmycountrywell?”“Ionlyknowhowtomanagemylife.Idon’tknowanythingaboutpolitics.”“I am responsible for managing the ancestral shrines and conducting

ceremonies of thanksgiving to the earth and sky gods, and Iwish to do themwell.”“I have heard that someonewhomanages his lifewell can do nowrong in

governing a country. However, I have also heard that someone who cannotmanagehislifecanneverbeagoodleader.”“Good,”saidtheking,“Youhavegottenrighttothepoint.”

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Rank,wealth,andabilitycangetyouintotrouble

A SAGE ONCE SAID to Sun Shu-ao, “There are three things in life that areguaranteedtogetyouintotrouble.Doyouknowwhattheyare?”“Idonot.”“Theyarerank,wealth,andability.Ifyouoccupyahighrankingovernment,

otherpoliticianswillhateyou.Ifyouarewealthy,peoplewillresentyou.Ifyouaretoosmart,yourkingwillbejealousofyou.Thesethreethingswillgetyouintroubleiftheydon’tcostyouyourlife.”“IfIamhumbleaboutmyrank,ifIamgenerouswithmywealth,andifIam

unassumingaboutmyabilities,wouldIbeabletoavoidtrouble?”Thesagesmiledandsaidnothing.Yearslater,whenSunShu-aowasonhisdeathbed,hetoldhisson,“WhenI

wasinoffice,thekingofferedmeoneoftherichestfiefsinthecountry,butIdidnotacceptit.Aftermydeath,hewillofferittoyou.Youmustnotaccepttherichandcentral lands.Acceptonlythepoorandremoteregionsthatnobodywants.Inthiswayyouandyourdescendantswilllivelong.”AsSunShu-aohadforeseen,thekingofferedtheSunfamilytherichestpiece

of land in thecountry.Takinghis father’sadvice, the sonpolitely rejected theking’sgiftandaskedforapoorandremoteregioninstead.Thekinggrantedhiswish,andwhilemanynoblesroseandfellfrompower,thedescendantsofSunShu-aolivedinpeaceandkepttheirfiefformanygenerations.

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Youcannotapplyoneprincipletoallconditions

THEREWASACONFUCIANscholarwhowasjourneyingfromhishometowntothecapital.While hewas passing through a quiet anduntraveled area, a groupofbanditsrobbedhimofhismoney,hishorse,andhiscarriage.The scholar continued his journey on foot as if nothing had happened. The

robberswere surprised that their victim showedno signsofdisappointmentorgrief, so they caught upwith him and asked, “Most people are alarmedwhentheylosetheirbelongingsbutyouarenot.Why?”The scholar said, “A virtuous man is not attached to his possessions.

Moreoverhewon’tsatisfyhisneedsbytakingthingsthatarenothisown.”Thebanditslookedatoneanotherandsaid,“Soundslikewordsfromawise

man.”Later,whentherobbershadtimetothinkitover,theysaidamongthemselves,

“Suchawisemanwillriseinpowerinthegovernmentandhe’llsendthepoliceafterus.Wehadbetterkillhimbeforehegetstothecapital.”Sotheyranafterthescholarandkilledhim.Whenthenewsofthescholar’sdeathreachedthecapital,afamilyeldertold

his clan members, “When you run into bandits, don’t act like that stupidscholar.”Not long afterwards, one of the younger members of this clan went to the

remote areas of the country on business and came upon some bandits.Rememberingwhat the family elder had said, the youngman arguedwith therobbers and defended his possessions. When the bandits went off with hisbelongings, themanstilldidnotgiveup.He ranafter the robbersandbeggedthemtoreturnhisgoods.Thebanditslookedattheyoungmanandsaid,“Wesparedyourlifeandyou

didn’tappreciateit.Youareafoolandanuisance,andyourfootprintsaregoingtoleadthepolicetous.”Sothebanditskilledthemanonthespot.

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Retributionbyaccident

THERE WAS A RICH MAN by the name of Yü who was proud and haughty. Hedisplayed his wealth shamelessly and was scornful of those who were not asprosperousashe.Oftenhewouldholdpartiesonthebalconyofhishousewhereafteralavishdinnerheandhisguestswouldplayagameofbackgammonanddice.One evening, during a game that wasmore boisterous than usual, a player

threwthewinningdiceofdoublesixes.Therewasagreatuproar,andeveryonestarted clapping and shouting at once.The suddennoise frightened a bird thatwashoveringaroundthebalcony.Itopeneditsmouthtosquawkanddroppedadeadratitwascarryingontothestreetbelow.Therathittheleaderofagroupofmercenarieswhohappenedtobewalkingby.Thesoldierturnedtohiscompanionsandsaid,“ThismanYüisgettingonmy

nerves.He’sproudandpretentiousandthinkshismoneycangethimanythinghewants.Wehaveneveroffendedhim,andhethrowsthisdeadratonus.Ican’ttake thiskindof treatmentanymore. If Idon’tavenge the insult, I shallbe thelaughingstockofallfightingmen!”Later that night, the leader of the mercenaries called a meeting of all the

professionalsoldiersintheareaandsaid,“Ourcodeofhonorhasbeenviolated.WewillnotbeavengeduntilwehavekilledYü’sentirefamily.Thesoldierswent to therichman’shouse in theearlyhoursof themorning

andkilledeveryoneinthehousehold.

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Confusingnameandreality

AMANFROMtheeasternprovinceswastravelingalongaseldom-usedroadwhenhefainted.Arobberhappenedtobepassingbyandnoticedthemanfallenbythewayside.Seeingthatthetravelerwasstillalive,therobberstartedtorevivethemanby

offering him food andwater.After threemouthfuls, themanopenedhis eyes.Seeingagruffandfierce-lookingmanbentoverhim,hesaid,“Whoareyou?”Therobbersaid,“IamCh’iuoftheregionofHu-fu.”Startled, the traveler said, “You’re not that infamous robber who’s wanted

everywhere,areyou?”“Iamhe.”“Thenwhydidyougivemefood?Didyouhelpmebecauseyouassociateme

withyourkind?Iamamanofvirtueandwillnoteatanythingthatcomesfromacriminal.”The traveler then tried to throw up the food the robber had given him.

Eventuallyhechokedonhisvomitanddied.Even ifCh’iuwas a criminal, his intent andaction in this situationwasnot

criminal. Although he might have committed unforgivable crimes, there wasnothingcriminalaboutthefoodandwater.Self-righteouspeopleoftenfollowaprincipleblindlywithoutunderstandingitandindoingsoconfusewhatisnameandwhatisreality.

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Todieforsomeonewhovaluesyouisnatural

THEREWASA RETAINERwho felt hismaster did not appreciate his skills, so heresignedhisofficeandwenttoliveasahermitbythesea.Hesworehewouldratherliveonacornsandchestnutsthanreceiverationsfromhislord.Not too long afterward, the lord was attacked by his rivals. The former

retainer immediately left his home and came to defend the lord. Some of theretainer’sfriendssaidtohim,“Youoriginallyleftyourmasterbecausehedidn’tvalueyou.Howcomeyouare soeager to fight forhimnow?We’veheardofpeople who would die for a lord who appreciates them, but never heard ofpeoplewhowouldgivetheirlivesforsomeonewhodoesn’tvaluethem.”The retainer said, “I lefthimbecausehe shamedmebynot recognizingmy

skills.Now I amgoing tohavemy revenge. I shall shamehim in front of hisfellowprincesbydyingforhim.”To die for someonewho values you and to refuse to die for someonewho

doesnotappreciateyouisnatural.Todotheoppositeoutofspiteandvengeanceistoviolatethenaturalorderofthings.

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Confusedbytoomanyalternatives

YANG-CHU’S NEIGHBOR lost a sheep. The entire family, together with friends,relatives,andevenYangchu’sservants,wentofftosearchfortheanimal.WhenYangchu saw the commotion, he said to his neighbor, “Why send so

manypeopletolookforonesheep?”“There are too many forks in the road, and we don’t knowwhich one the

sheepcouldhavetaken.”Alittlelater,thesearchpartyreturned.Yangchuaskedhisneighbor,“Didyou

findyoursheep?”“No.Thereweretoomanypaths,andwedidn’thaveenoughpeopletosearch

allofthem.”Afterhearing this,Yangchufrownedanddidnotsayaword thewholeday.

Hisstudentsthoughttheirteacherwasbehavingstrangely,sotheyasked,“Sheeparenot veryvaluable livestock.Besides, it is not your sheep.Whyareyou sounhappy?”WhenYangchudidnotanswer,oneof thestudents,Meng,went toHsin-tu-

tzu,oneofYangchu’sfriends,toseeifhecouldgetaclueastowhyhisteacherwasbehavingthatway.Hsin-tu-tzu accompaniedMeng to seeYangchu.When he sawYangchu he

said, “There were three brothers who went to learn about virtue. When theyreturnedhomeaftertheyfinishedtheirstudies,theirfatheraskedthemwhattheyhadlearned.Theeldestsonsaid,‘Tobevirtuousistovaluemybodyandneversacrifice it for reputation.’Thesecondsonsaid, ‘Tobevirtuous is to sacrificemybodyforthesakeofhonorandreputation.’Thethirdsonsaid,Tobevirtuousistocareformybodyandpreservemyreputation.’Thethreeboyswenttolearnfrom the students of Confucius and yet they came home with three differentunderstandingsofvirtue.Whoiscorrect?”Yangchu then said, “There was a man who lived by a river and made his

living ferrying people across. He was also an excellent swimmer and oftenrescuedpeoplewhohadtriedtoswimacrosstheriverandfailed.Asaresult,he

receivedmany gifts from grateful people whose lives he had saved. Soon hebecameaveryrichman.“There weremany people who heard about his expertise in swimming and

wanted to learn from him. They all hoped that if they learned his secrets ofswimming,theytoocouldmakealotofmoneybyrescuingpeoplewhofellintotheriver.However,morethanhalfofthepeoplewhocametolearnhowtoswimdrowned.Allofthemlearnedfromthesameman,yetsomesucceededandsomefailed.”Hsin-tu-tzunodded andwent awaywithout saying aword.Mengcaught up

withhimandsaid,“Whatisallthis?Youwerebothtalkingincircles.NowIamevenmoreconfusedthanever.”Hsin-tu-tzu said to Yangchu’s students, “Our friends couldn’t find the lost

sheepbecausetheywereconfusedbytoomanypaths.Theapprenticeswimmersdrownedbecausetheyweretooeagertotrydifferentmethods.ThereisonlyoneprincipleinlearningtheTao.Don’tgetswampedbytoomanychoices.Bythetimeyoutryallthealternatives,youwillbetotallyconfusedandyouwillhavelearnednothing.Theonlywaytolearn,then,istofocusononetechnique,gettothesourceofit,anddonotabandonituntilyou’vecompletedyourlearning.“Iamsurprisedthatyouhavebeenwithyourteacherforalongtimeandyet

youdonotunderstandthesethings.”

106/

Yang-puandthedog

ONEDAYYANG-PU,Yang-chu’sbrother,wentoutof thehousewearingawhitecoat.Whenhegothome,aheavyrainwasfalling,andthecourtyardbecamewetandmuddy.Yang-puquicklywentintohisroomandputonablackcoatsohewouldnotdirtythewhiteone.Whenhecameout,hisdogbarkedandsnarledathim.Yang-pupickedupa

stickandwasabouttobeatupthedogwhenhisbrotherYang-chustoppedhimandsaid,“Don’tpunishthedog.Hisbehaviorwasabsolutelynatural.Ifhehadgoneoutofthehousewithawhitecoatandlaterhadcomebackwearingablackone,wouldn’tyoubeshocked,too?”

107/

Knowledgeandaction

THEREWASAMANwhoknewthesecretsofimmortality.ThekingofYensentamessenger to get this information, but themessenger was tardy, and themandiedbefore theking’s request arrived.When theenvoy returned to thepalace,thekingwasangryandwantedtohavethemessengerexecuted.One of the king’s favored ministers, who happened to be standing nearby,

counseledtheking,“If themanwhoclaimstoknowthesecretsofimmortalitycannotkeephimselfalive,howcanhehaveanythingtoofferyou?”Thekingnoddedandthoughtthatwasagoodpoint.Hethereforereleasedthe

messenger.There was another man who also wanted to learn the arts of immortality.

Whenheheardthatahermitwhopossessedthissecrethadjustdied,hebeathischestandlamentedthathehadlostagreatopportunity.When a philosopher heard about these incidents, he said, “These people

wanted to learn the secrets of immortality. But in each case, the so-calledteachersthemselvesdied.Thisshowsthattheseteachersarefrauds.Whyregretnotbeingabletolearnfromthem?”Lieh-tzu’s teacher Hu-tzu disagreed with this. He said, “There are some

people who know the principles of a skill and yet cannot apply it. There aresomepeoplewhocanapplytheprincipleswithoutknowingwhattheyare.Oncetherewasagreatmathematicianwhopassedonhissecretstohisson.Theyoungman memorized the theory but could not apply it. Another person got theinformatonoutof the sonandapplied it successfully.There’snothingunusualaboutsomeonewhocanpassonatheorybutnottheapplications.Therefore,itisnotunreasonablethatmortalscanpossessinformationaboutimmortality.”Knowledge is the precursor to action, but action is not necessarily the

precursortoknowledge.Itisararecasethatsomeonebothknowsthetheoryandisabletoapplyit.Astowhetheritiseasiertoderiveactionfromknowledgeorinduceknowledgefromaction,itishardtotell.

108/

Captureandrelease—anactofcompassionorcruelty?

THERE WAS A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN who encouraged his subjects to present himwithdovesonNewYear’sDayandwouldrewardthemaccordingtothenumberofdovestheybroughtin.Whenaguestaskedwhyhedidthis,thenoblemansaid,“NewYear’sDayisa

gooddaytododeedsofcompassion.IreleasethedovesthatarebroughttometoshowthatIvaluethelivesofallsentientbeings.”Theguestthensaid,“Yoursubjectsknowtheyarerewardedwellforbringing

in thebirds,so theywill scramble tocaptureasmanydovesas theycan.Asaresult, for one dove brought to you, many will die. If you are trulycompassionate,why don’t you issue an order to prohibit the hunting of dovesinstead?Rightnowyourso-calledactofcompassioncannotevenbegin topayforthecrueltyofdeathandcapture.”Thenoblemanrealizedhismistake.Hesaid,“Youhaveapointthere.Ishall

doasyouhavesuggested.”

109/

Whowascreatedforwhomtoeat?

ACERTAINNOBLEMANheldafeastofthanksgiving.Thebanquetwasattendedbymorethanathousandpeople.Whensomegeeseandfishwerepresentedtohim,helookedupatthesky,sighed,andsaid,“Heavenisverykindtous.Itprovidesuswithgrainsandcreatesbirdsandfishforustoeat.”All the guestsmurmured and nodded in agreementwith the lord.However,

oneofthesonsofaguest,achildoftwelve,stoodupandsaid,“Idisagreewiththat.Themyriadofthingsofheavenandearthdifferonlyinshapeandform.Noonekindisnoblerthananother,andnoonegroupwascreatedforthebenefitofanother.Everylivingthingeatswhatitcangetholdof.Wehumanseatfishandbirds,mosquitoessuckourblood,andtigerseatourflesh.Ifweweretosaythatbirdsandfishwerecreatedforus toeat, thenwewouldhavetoadmit thatwehumanswerecreatedforthemosquitoesandtigerstofeastupon.”

110/

It’sallinyourmind

THEREWASAMANwhowassopoorthathehadtobegforaliving.Atfirst,theresidentsoftheneighborhoodpitiedhimandgavehimhandouts.Afterawhile,whentheyrealizedthemanwasplanningtoliveoff thecharityofothers, theystoppedhelpinghim.Thebeggarbecamedesperateandfinallygotamenialjobinastablecleaning

outhorsedung.Theneighbors laughedathimandsaid,“Haveyounoshame?You’vesunksolowthatyouarewillingtocleanouthorseshit.”The poor man replied, “All labor has its place in society. Begging was

shameful, and yet I begged.Now that I have an honest job,why should I beashamedaboutit?”Whetheranactivityisshamefulornotdependsonhowyouthinkaboutit.

THERE WAS A MAN who made a habit of picking up things that people haddroppedon the street.Hewouldgather tornmoneynotes and tattered receiptsfrompawnshopsandwouldcounttheitemsinhiscollectionfromtimetotime.Thenhewouldgotohisneighborsandsay,“OnedayI’llbeaveryrichman.”Whetheryouarerichornotdependsonhowyouthinkaboutit.

THEREWASAFAMILYwhohadasycamoretreeintheircourtyard.Theneighborscamebyandsaid,“Sycamoretreeshavefruitsthatdonotflower.It’sunluckytohavethistreeinyourgarden.Youshouldcutitdownassoonasyoucan.”The family had the tree cut and dumped the wood behind the house.

Immediately, theneighborscamebyandhauledoff the logsfor firewood.Thefamily got suspicious of the motives of the neighbors and said amongthemselves,“Ourneighborsarereallycrafty.Theytoldusthetreegaveusbadlucksothattheycouldgetfreefirewood.”Arepeoplearecraftyornot?It’sallinyourmind.

THEREWASAMANwholostanaxandsuspectedthattheboynextdoorstoleit.

Forthenextfewdayshewatchedtheboy’smovementsanddecidedhisbehaviorandlookswerelikethoseofaguiltyperson.Later, theman found the ax in a deserted area in thewoods.When he got

home,hisneighbor’sboynolongerlookedlikeathief.Whethersomeoneisguiltyornotdependsonyouropinionoftheminthefirst

place.

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Thosewhoareinvolvedaremuddled;thosewhowatchareclear

THEREWASAMANwhowassointentonavenginghisfather’sdeaththathecouldthinkofnothingelse.Hewassoengrossedinmakingplansforhisrevengethatheforgothewasholdinghiswalkingstickupsidedown.Heleanedonhisstaffandthesharppointpuncturedhischeek.Oneofhisfriendssaid,“Heissodeepinhisownthoughtsthateverythingaroundhimisablur.”Therewasanothermanwhowasobsessedwithgettingrich.Onedayhewent

intothebankandtriedtowalkoffwithseveralbagsofgold.Theguardscaughthimimmediately.Apasserbysaid,“Onlyafoolwouldthinkofrobbingabankinthepresenceofarmedguards.”Themansaid,“MymindwassosetonthegoldthatIdidn’tseetheguards.”Youoftenseepeoplestumblingintowallsorsteppingintoholesbecausethey

are so occupied by their thoughts that they don’t seewhat’s in front of them.Whenweare too involved inasituation,wecan’t seestraight,and things thatareobviousandcleartobystandersareablurtous.Thisisverydangerous.

BooksbyEvaWongCultivatingStillnessCultivatingtheEnergyofLifeFeng-shuiHarmonizingYinandYangHoldingYinEmbracingYangLieh-tzuAMasterCourseinFeng-shuiNourishingtheEssenceofLifeThePocketTaoReader

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