Sacred Books of the East Vol. 40 - Taoism Vol. 2

4. Yen Yüan asked Kung-nî, saying, 'When 1 was crossing the gulf of Khang-shän{fr. 2}, the ferryman handled the boat like a spirit. I asked him whether such management of a boat could be learned, and he replied, "It may. Good swimmers can learn it quickly; but as for divers, without having seen a boat, they can manage it at once." He did not {fn. 1. The names of two small weights, used anciently for 'a fraction,' 'a small proportion.'} {fn. 2. This is another paragraph common both to our author and Lieh-dze, but in neither is there any intimation of the place.} {p. 16} directly tell me what I asked;--I venture to ask you what he meant.' Kung-nî replied, 'Good swimmers acquire the ability quickly;--they forget the water (and its dangers). As to those who are able to dive, and without having seen a boat are able to manage it at once, they look on the watery gulf as if it were a hill-side, and the upsetting of a boat as the going back of a carriage. Such upsettings and goings back have occurred before them multitudes of times, and have not seriously affected their minds. Wherever they go, they feel at ease on their occurrence. 'He who is contending for a piece of earthenware puts forth all his skill{fr. 1}. If the prize be a buckle of brass, he shoots timorously; if it be for an article of gold, he shoots as if he were blind. The skill of the archer is the same in all the cases; but (in the two latter cases) he is under the influence of solicitude, and looks on the external prize as most important. All who attach importance to what is external show stupidity in themselves.'