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

9. The forger of swords for the Minister of War had reached the age of eighty, and had not lost a hair's-breadth of his ability{fr. 5}. The Minister said to {fn. 1. The first beginning of all things or of anything.} {fn. 2. The Khwän-lun may be considered the Sacred Mountain of Tâoism.} {fn. 3. The characters Kwang Yâo denote the points of light all over the sky, ‘dusted with stars.' I can think of no better translation for them, as personified here, than 'starlight.' 'Non-entity' is a personification of the Tâo; as no existing thing, but the idea of the order that pervades and regulates throughout the universe.} {fn. 4. A quotation from the Tâo Teh King, ch. 14.} {fn. 5. Compare the case of the butcher in Bk. Ill, and other similar passages.} {p. 71} him, 'You are indeed skilful, Sir. Have you any method that makes you so?' The man said, 'Your servant has (always) kept to his work. When I was twenty, I was fond of forging swords. I looked at nothing else. I paid no attention to anything but swords. By my constant practice of it, I came to be able to do the work without any thought of what I was doing. By length of time one acquires ability at any art; and how much more one who is ever at work on it! What is there which does not depend on this, and succeed by it?' 10. Zän Khiû{fr. 1} asked Kung-nî, saying, 'Can it be known how it was before heaven and earth?' The reply was, 'It can. It was the same of old as now.' Zän Khiû asked no more and withdrew. Next day, however, he had another interview, and said, 'Yesterday I asked whether it could be known how it was before heaven and earth, and you, Master, said, "It can. As it is now, so it was of old." Yesterday, I seemed to understand you clearly, but to-day it is dark to me. I venture to ask you for an explanation of this.' Kung-nî said, 'Yesterday you seemed to understand me clearly, because your own spiritual nature had anticipated my reply. Today it seems dark to you, for you are in an unspiritual mood, and are trying to discover the meaning. (In this matter) there is no old time and no present; no beginning and no ending. Could it be that there were grandchildren and children before there were (other) grandchildren and children{fr. 2}?