Responding to Emperors and Kings
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
齧缺问于王倪,四问而四不知。齧缺因跃而大喜,行以告蒲衣子。蒲衣子曰:“而乃今知之乎?有虞氏不及泰氏。有虞氏其犹藏仁以要人,亦得人矣,而未始出于非人。泰氏其卧徐徐,其觉于于。
English translation
Nie Que asked Wang Ni. Four times he asked, and four times Wang Ni said he did not know. Nie Que then leaped up in great joy and went to tell Puyi Zi. Puyi Zi said, 'Is it only now that you understand this? The Youyu clan was not equal to the Tai clan. The Youyu clan still hid benevolence to win people over; they did win people, but never emerged from the non-human. The Tai clan: when it slept, it was calm and unhurried; when it woke, it was blank and unknowing.'
Original Chinese text
一以己为马,一以己为牛。其知情信,其德甚真,而未始入于非人。”
English translation
At one moment he regarded himself as a horse; at another, as a cow. His knowing was true and trustworthy, his virtue utterly genuine; yet he never entered into the non-human.
Original Chinese text
肩吾见狂接舆。狂接舆曰:“日中始何以语女?”
English translation
Jian Wu went to see Jie Yu the madman. Jie Yu the madman said, 'What did Ri Zhongshi tell you?'
Original Chinese text
肩吾曰:“告我 :君人者以己出经式义度,人孰敢不听而化诸!”
English translation
Jian Wu said, 'He told me: a ruler of men issues from himself the norms, models, principles, and measures; who among the people would dare not obey and be transformed by them!'
Original Chinese text
狂接舆曰:“是欺德也。其于治天下也,犹涉海凿河而使蚊负山也。夫圣人之治也,治外乎?正而后行,确乎能其事者而已矣。且鸟高飞以避矰弋之害,鼷鼠深穴乎神丘之下以避熏凿之患,而曾二虫之无知?”
English translation
Jie Yu the madman said, 'That is a virtue that deceives. In governing the world, it is like crossing the sea, cutting a river, and making a mosquito carry a mountain. As for the sage's governing, does he govern what is external? He rectifies himself and then acts; firmly, he is able to let each do its own task, and that is all. Moreover, birds fly high to avoid the harm of arrows, and field mice burrow deep beneath the sacred mound to avoid the calamity of smoking and digging—how then can you say these two creatures have no knowledge?'
Original Chinese text
天根游于殷阳,至蓼水之上,适遭无名人而问焉,曰:“请问为天下。”
English translation
Tian Gen was wandering in Yinyang. He came to the banks of the Liao River and happened to meet the Nameless Man. He asked him, 'May I ask how to govern the world?'
Original Chinese text
无名人曰:“去!汝鄙人也,何问之不豫也!予方将与造物者为人,厌则又乘夫莽眇之鸟,以出六极之外,而游无何有之乡,以处圹埌之野。汝又何帠以治天下感予之心为?”
English translation
The Nameless Man said, 'Go away! You are a vulgar man! Why is your question so displeasing? I am just now about to become a companion of the Creator. When I tire of that, I ride the bird of the vast and dim, to go beyond the six extremities, wander in the land of Nothing-Whatsoever, and dwell in the wilds of the broad waste. What business do you have to stir my mind with governing the world?'
Original Chinese text
又复问,无名人曰: “汝游心于淡,合气于漠,顺物自然而无容私焉,而天下治矣。”
English translation
He asked again. The Nameless Man said, 'Let your mind wander in blandness, merge your qi in stillness, follow the naturalness of things and allow no private partiality to enter—then the world will be governed.'
Original Chinese text
阳子居见老聃,曰:“有人于此,向疾强梁,物彻疏明,学道不倦 ,如是者,可比明王乎?”
English translation
Yang Ziju went to see Lao Dan and said, “Suppose there is a man here: swift and forceful, thoroughly penetrating things with clear discernment, and untiring in learning the Way—could such a person be compared to an enlightened king?”
Original Chinese text
老聃曰:“是於圣人也,胥易技系,劳形怵心者也。且也虎豹之文来田,猨狙之便执斄之狗来藉。如是者,可比明王乎?”
English translation
Lao Dan said, “In relation to a sage, such a man is one who is driven like a servant, tied by his craft, wearing out his body and unsettling his mind. Moreover, the markings of tigers and leopards draw hunters, while agile monkeys and dogs that seize wildcats draw the leash. Can such a one be compared to an enlightened king?”
Original Chinese text
阳子居蹴然曰:“敢问明王之治。”
English translation
Yang Ziju, his expression changing in awe, said, “May I ask about the governance of an enlightened king?”
Original Chinese text
老聃曰:“明王之治:功盖天下而似不自己,化贷万物而民弗恃。有莫举名,使物自喜。立乎不测,而游于无有者也。”
English translation
Lao Dan said, “The governance of the enlightened king: his achievement covers the world, yet it seems not to come from himself; his transforming generosity extends to all things, yet the people do not depend on him. No one invokes his name, and things delight in themselves. He stands in the unfathomable and wanders in nonbeing.”
Original Chinese text
郑有神巫曰季咸,知人之死生、存亡、祸福、寿夭,期以岁月旬日若神。郑人见之,皆弃而走。列子见之而心醉,归,以告壶子,曰: “始吾以夫子之道为至矣,则又有至焉者矣。”
English translation
In Zheng there was a spirit medium named Ji Xian. He knew people's death and life, survival and ruin, misfortune and blessing, longevity and early death. He could foretell the time of fulfillment by year, month, ten-day period, or day, as if divine. When the people of Zheng saw him, they all fled from him. Liezi saw him and was intoxicated in his heart. He returned and told Hu Zi, saying: 'At first I took the Master's Way to be the highest, but now there is something even higher.'
Original Chinese text
壶子曰:“吾与汝既其文,未既其实。而固得道与?众雌而无雄,而又奚卵焉!而以道与世亢,必信,夫故使人得而相汝。尝试与来,以予示之。”
English translation
Hu Zi said: 'What I have taught you so far is only the outward form of the Way, not its substance. Do you think you have attained it? Even with many female birds, if there is no male, how could there be eggs? Yet you use what you have learned of the Way to contend with the world, and are bound to expose yourself. That is why someone can read your features. Try bringing him here and let him see me.'
Original Chinese text
明日,列子与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰:“嘻!子之先生死矣!弗活矣!不以旬数矣!吾见怪焉,见湿灰焉。”
English translation
The next day, Liezi brought him to see Hu Zi. He came out and said to Liezi: 'Alas! Your teacher is going to die! He will not live! He cannot last beyond ten days! I saw something strange; I saw damp ashes.'
Original Chinese text
列子入,泣涕沾襟以告壶子。壶子曰:“乡吾示之以地文,萌乎不震不正,是殆见吾杜德机也。尝又与来。”
English translation
Liezi went in, and his weeping tears soaked his lapels as he told Hu Zi. Hu Zi said: 'Just now I showed him the pattern of earth: sprouting, yet not stirred, not upright. He probably saw that I had blocked the mechanism of Virtue. Try bringing him again.'
Original Chinese text
明日,又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰:“幸矣!子之先生遇我也,有瘳矣!全然有生矣!吾见其杜权矣!”
English translation
The next day, Liezi again went with him to see Huzi. Coming out, he said to Liezi, "How fortunate! Your master has met me; he will recover! He is completely alive! I saw his blocked mechanism beginning to stir."
Original Chinese text
列子入,以告壶子。壶子曰:“乡吾示之以天壤,名实不入,而机发于踵。是殆见吾善者机也。尝又与来。”
English translation
Liezi went in and told Huzi. Huzi said, "A moment ago I showed him the heavenly soil. Name and reality did not enter, and the mechanism issued from the heel. He probably saw my good mechanism. Try bringing him again."
Original Chinese text
明日,又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰: “子之先生不齐,吾无得而相焉。试齐,且复相之。”
English translation
The next day, Liezi again went with him to see Huzi. Coming out, he said to Liezi, "Your master is not uniform; I cannot physiognomize him. Try to make him uniform, and I will physiognomize him again."
Original Chinese text
列子入,以告壶子。壶子曰:“吾乡示之以太冲莫胜,是殆见吾衡气机也。鲵桓之審为渊,止水之審为渊,流水之審为渊。渊有九名,此处三焉。尝又与来。”
English translation
Liezi went in and told Huzi. Huzi said, "A moment ago I showed him the Great Void where nothing prevails. He probably saw my balanced qi mechanism. A deep pool forms where the great fish circles and gathers; another where still water gathers; another where flowing water gathers. There are nine names for such pools; here are three. Try bringing him again."
Original Chinese text
明日,又与之见壶子。立未定,自失而走。壶子曰:“追之!”
English translation
The next day, Liezi again went with him to see Huzi. Before he could stand firm, he lost himself and ran off. Huzi said, "Chase him!"
Original Chinese text
列子追之不及。反,以报壶子曰:“已灭矣,已失矣,吾弗及已。”
English translation
Liezi chased him but could not catch up. He returned and reported to Huzi, saying, "He has vanished, he is gone; I cannot catch him."
Original Chinese text
壶子曰:“乡吾示之以未始出吾宗。吾与之虚而委蛇,不知其谁何,因以为弟靡,因以为波流,故逃也。”
English translation
Huzi said, "Just now I showed him that which has not yet emerged from my source. I was empty and yielding with him; he did not know who or what I was. Thus he took me to be yielding and compliant, thus he took me to be drifting with the waves; therefore he fled."
Original Chinese text
然后列子自以为未始学而归。三年不出,为其妻爨,食豕如食人,于事无与亲。雕琢复朴, 块然独以其形立。纷而封哉,一以是终。
English translation
Then Liezi felt he had not yet truly begun to learn, and returned home. For three years he did not go out. He cooked for his wife and fed pigs as he would feed people, showing no partiality in his dealings. He put aside embellishment and returned to simplicity, standing like a clod in his own natural form. Amid the world's bustle he kept to what was genuine, and remained so to the end.
Original Chinese text
无为名尸,无为谋府,无为事任,无为知主。体尽无穷,而游无朕 。尽其所受乎天而无见得,亦虚而已!至人之用心若镜,不将不迎, 应而不藏,故能胜物而不伤。
English translation
Do not be a corpse for fame; do not be a storehouse of schemes; do not be a bearer of affairs; do not be a master of knowledge. Embody the boundless to the full and wander where there is no trace. Exhaust what you have received from Heaven without regarding it as a gain—this is simply emptiness. The Perfect Person’s use of mind is like a mirror: it does not send off, does not welcome; it responds but does not retain. Therefore he can prevail over things without being harmed.
Original Chinese text
南海之帝为儵北海之帝为忽,中央之帝为浑沌。儵与忽时相与遇于浑沌之地,浑沌待之甚善。儵与忽谋报浑沌之德,曰:“人皆有七窍以视听食息此独无有,尝试凿之。”
English translation
The emperor of the South Sea was Shu; the emperor of the North Sea was Hu; the emperor of the Center was Hundun. Shu and Hu often met in Hundun’s territory, and Hundun treated them very well. Shu and Hu plotted to repay Hundun’s kindness, saying, 'All people have seven openings for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing; this one alone has none. Let us try boring them for him.'
Original Chinese text
日凿一窍,七日而浑沌死。
English translation
Each day they bored one opening, and on the seventh day Hundun died.