Mair 4:1

[Marblehead]

Yen Hui {{Confucius' favorite pupil.}} went to see Confucius and requested permission to take a trip.

 

"Where are you going?" asked Confucius.

 

"I'm going to the state of Wey."  {{An ancient state within the Chou dynasty.}}

 

"What will you do there?"

 

"I have heard that the Lord of Wey is behaving dictatorially in the vigor of his youth.  He is frivolous in exercising his state prerogatives and is blind to his own faults.  He looks lightly upon the death of his people, and those who die for the state fill the swamps like so many withered weeds.  The people have no place to turn.  Master, I have heard you say that one may leave a wellordered state and go to one that is in chaos.  'There are many sick people at the gate of a physician.'  In conformity with what you told me, I wish to think of a plan whereby perhaps I may cure {{It should be noted that the word for "cure" is the same as that for "govern."  The concept of governing in ancient China was premised upon the notion that the sage ruler, with the assistance of his worthy advisers, brought order where disorder would otherwise prevail.  In other words, he healed the body politic.}} the sickness of the state of Wey."

 

"Alas," said Confucius, "I'm afraid you'll end up in trouble if you go there.  The Way should not be adulterated.  Adulteration leads to multiplicity, multiplicity to confusion, confusion to worry.  When one is worried, one cannot be saved.  The ultimate men of the past first sought to preserve it in themselves and only after that to preserve it in others.  Before one has settled what one seeks to preserve in oneself, where is there any leisure to attend to the behavior of a tyrant?

 

"Furthermore, do you know wherein integrity is dissipated and wherein knowledge is elicited?  Integrity is dissipated through fame {{The word for "fame" is the same as that for "name" in ancient Chinese (both are ming).  It should further be noted that an important problem in classical Chinese philosophy was the relationship between name and reality.  Hence, "the rectification of names" was a burning concern for several schools of ancient Chinese thought.}} and knowledge is elicited by contention.  Fame implies mutual conflict; knowledge is an instrument of contention.  Both are instruments of evil and not something for which one should strive.

 

"Besides, a person of substantial integrity and solid trust may still not gain the approval of others; a person who does not contend for name and fame may still not gain the acquiescence of others.  In such circumstances, forcibly to flaunt talk about humaneness, righteousness, and codes of conduct before a tyrant would be to glorify oneself at the expense of another's failings.  This is called 'hurting others.'  Those who hurt others will certainly be hurt by others in return.  I'm afraid that you'll be hurt by others!

 

"What's more, if the lord appreciates the worthy and despises the unworthy, what need is there for you to try to be different?  If you do not offer your views, the prince will certainly take advantage to display his own eloquence.  Your eyes will be dazzled, your face fall flat, your mouth mutter diffidently, your expression embody your submissiveness, and your mind will confirm it.  This is to fight fire with fire, drain water with water.  We may call it 'excess.'  If you are compliant from the start, there will be no end to it.  But I fear that if you speak honestly to someone who does not trust you, you will certainly die at the hands of the tyrant.

 

"Of old, Kuan Lungp'ang {{A worthy minister.}} was executed by Chieh {{A tyrant of high antiquity.}} and Prince Pi Kan {{A worthy minister.}} was executed by Chow.  {{A notorious tyrant of high antiquity; the last ruler of the Shang dynasty.}}  Both had cultivated themselves as inferiors out of solicitude for their rulers' subjects.  As inferiors, they ran afoul of their superiors, consequently their lords pushed them aside.  This was due to their love of fame.  Also, of old, Yao attacked Ts'ungchih and Hsii'ao, and Yu attacked the freehold at Hu.  {{Ts'ungchih, Hsii'ao, Hu - Small countries.}}

 

These countries were reduced to haunted wastelands and their rulers put to death.  They were constantly engaged in war and always on the lookout for gain.  These are all examples of individuals who sought fame or gain.  Haven't you heard of them?  Even the sage could not conquer the attractions of fame and gain.  Can you?  Nonetheless you must have a plan in mind. Let us hear what it is."

 

"Dignified and dispassionate, energetic and focused," said Yen Hui.  "Will that work?"

 

"Oh, no!  That won't work.  The Lord of Wey is overflowing with pride and his moods are unstable.  Ordinarily people do not oppose him.  As a result, he suppresses the persuasions {{This is a technical term (shui), comparable to the suasoriae of the classical Greek and Roman orators, that was used during the Warring States period to refer to the counsels of various thinkers who attempted to influence the contending rulers of the day.  Confucius was one of the betterknown itinerant rhetorician-persuaders of the Eastern Chou period who attempted to influence the policies of various rulers.}} of others in order to gratify his own intentions.  It is obvious that a small daily dose of integrity would have no effect on him, not to mention a grand dose all at once!  He will stubbornly refuse your attempts to transform him.  Outwardly he may agree with you, but inwardly he will remain unreflective.  How could that possibly work?"

 

"Well, then, I will be inwardly direct but outwardly flexible and will complete myself through comparison to antiquity.  He who is inwardly direct is a disciple of heaven.  The disciple of heaven realizes that the son of heaven {{The ruler.}} and himself are both born of heaven.  So why should he expect that others will either approve or disapprove of his words?  One who is like this will be viewed by others as an innocent child.  This is what I mean by being a disciple of heaven.  He who is outwardly flexible is a disciple of man.  Saluting, kneeling, bowing, and scraping - these are the etiquette of a ruler's subject.  Everyone else does them, so why shouldn't I?  Doing what others do will not invite criticism from others.  This is what I mean by being a disciple of man.  Completing myself through comparison to antiquity, I shall be a disciple of the ancients.  Although the substance of such words will be didactic and reproachful, they belong to the ancients, not to me.  If I can be like this, although I am direct, I will be beyond reproach.  This is what I mean by being a disciple of antiquity.  If I can do this, will it work?"

 

"Oh, no!" said Confucius.  "That won't work.  You're glibly setting up too many orthodox laws.  Although this is a crude approach, it may save you from blame.  Yet that's about all it's good for; how could it result in anyone's transformation?  You're still taking the mind as your model."

 

"I have nothing further to propose," said Yen Hui.  "I venture to ask you for a method."

 

"Fasting," said Confucius.  "I shall explain it for you.  If you do things with your mind, do you think it will be easy?  Bright heaven will not approve one who thinks it will be easy."

 

"My family is poor," said Yen Hui, "and it's been several months since I've drunk wine or tasted meat.  May this be considered fasting?"

 

"This is fasting suitable for sacrifices, but it is not fasting of the mind."

 

"I venture to ask what 'fasting of the mind' is," said Hui.

 

"Maintaining the unity of your will," said Confucius, "listen not with your ears but with your mind.  Listen not with your mind but with your primal breath.  The ears are limited to listening, the mind is limited to tallying.  The primal breath, however, awaits things emptily.  It is only through the Way that one can gather emptiness, and emptiness is the fasting of the mind."

 

"Before I am able to exercise fasting of the mind," said Yen Hui, "I truly have an identity.  But after I am able to exercise it, I will no longer have an identity.  Can this be called emptiness?"

 

"Precisely," said Confucius.  "Now I shall explain it for you.  You may enter his realm as a wandering persuader, but don't be attracted by fame.  If he accepts you, present your views; if he rejects you, cease.  When there is neither gate nor opening, if you can dwell in unity and lodge in necessity, you're close to it.

 

"To eliminate one's footsteps by not walking is easy, but to walk without touching the ground is hard.  If you are impelled by human feelings, it is easy to be false; if you are impelled by nature, it is hard to be false.  I've only heard of creatures that fly with wings, never of creatures that fly with nonwings.  I've only heard of people knowing things through awareness, never of people knowing things through unawareness.  Observe the void - the empty room emits a pure light.  Good fortune lies in stopping when it is time to stop.  If you do not stop, this is called 'galloping while sitting.'  Let your senses communicate within and rid yourself of the machinations of the mind.  Then even ghosts and spirits will take shelter with you, not to mention men.  This is how the myriad things are transformed.  It is that to which Yao and Shun bound themselves, and that which Fuhsi {{A mythical culture-hero; the First Man.}} and Chich'ŭ {{A mythical culture-hero.}} exercised all their lives.  All the more is it suited for the masses."

Edited November 20, 2016 by Marblehead

[Marblehead]

This is a long one.  Sorry about that but I didn't want to break it into smaller sections.

[Taoist Texts]

  If you do not stop, this is called 'galloping while sitting.'  Let your senses communicate within and rid yourself of the machinations of the mind.  ...  All the more is it suited for the masses."

 

He got this couple of sentences wrong, but otherwise did ok. A fairly straightforward passage, proving that ZZ like all the other wizards of those times was predominantly concerned with governance, not with the airy-fairy quietism. 

[Marblehead]

... concerned with governance, ...

Including and especially self governance.

[Stosh]

He got this couple of sentences wrong, but otherwise did ok. A fairly straightforward passage, proving that ZZ like all the other wizards of those times was predominantly concerned with governance, not with the airy-fairy quietism. 

Is there something about the advice which would not scale down to advise regular people relative to one another ,, or farther yet down to a single persons internal dialogue ,,,( or even so- scale it up potentially for gods re: humanity.)?

I think not and so don't consider this here ample evidence that the teachings pertain only to govt. Maybe thats somewhere else when we get there , please  point it out to me, the non-scalable advice of the master, that is. 

Edited November 21, 2016 by Stosh

[Taoist Texts]

Is there something about the advice which would not scale down to advise regular people relative to one another ,, or farther yet down to a single persons internal dialogue ...

would not the advice encourage schizophrenia then? You know one voice in my head reasoning with the other?

[Stosh]

Nah...Im of the opinion that craziness like that is an organic disorder , plain ol neurosis on the other hand is exaggeration of normal crazyness. ..If you know what I mean.