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

Such creatures of circumstance and things delight in changes, and if they meet with a time when they can show what they can do, they cannot keep themselves from taking advantage of it. They all pursue their own way like (the seasons of) the year, and do not change as things do. They give the reins to their bodies and natures, and allow themselves to sink beneath (the pressure of) things, and all their lifetime do not come back (to their proper selves):--is it not sad{fr. 1}? 5. Kwang-dze said, 'An archer, without taking aim beforehand, yet may hit the mark. If we say that he is a good archer, and that all the world may {fn. 1. All the parties in this paragraph disallow the great principle of Tâoism, which does everything by doing nothing.} {p. 99} be is Îs{fr. 1}, is this allowable?' Hui-dze replied, 'It is.' Kwang-dze continued, 'All men do not agree in counting the same thing to be right, but every one maintains his own view to be right; (if we say) that all men may be Yâos, is this allowable?' Hui-dze (again) replied, 'It is;' and Kwang-dze went on, 'Very well; there are the literati, the followers of Mo (Tî), of Yang (Kû), and of Ping{fr. 2};--making four (different schools). Including yourself, Master, there are five. Which of your views is really right? Or will you take the position of La Kü{fr. 3}? One of his disciples said to him, "Master, I have got hold of your method. I can in winter heat the furnace under my tripod, and in summer can produce ice." Lû Kü said, "That is only with the Yang element to call out the same, and with the Yin to call out the yin;--that is not my method. I will show you what my method is." On this he tuned two citherns, placing one of them in the hall, and the other in one of the inner apartments. Striking the note Kung{fr. 4} in the one, the same note vibrated in the other, and so it was with the note Kio{fr. 4}; the two instruments being tuned in the same way. But if he had differently tuned them on other strings different