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

{fn. 1. That is, 'he does so in the spontaneity of his nature.' The {img 11600} requires the employment of the term 'nature' here, not according to any abstract usage of the term, but meaning the natural constitution. Compare the {img 11601} in Mencius VII. i, 30.} {fn. 2. So does he rejoice in attaining to the knowledge of his nature.} {p. 117} (The sovereign) Zän-hsiang{fr. 1} was possessed of that central principle round which all things revolve{fr. 2}, and by it he could follow them to their completion. His accompanying them had neither ending nor beginning, and was independent of impulse or time. Daily he witnessed their changes, and himself underwent no change; and why should he not have rested in this? If we (try to) adopt Heaven as our Master, we incapacitate ourselves from doing so. Such endeavour brings us under the power of things. If one acts in this way, what is to be said of him? The sage never thinks of Heaven nor of men. He does not think of taking the initiative, nor of anything external to himself. He moves along with his age, and does not vary or fail. Amid all the completeness of his doings, he is never exhausted. For those who wish to be in accord with him, what other course is there to pursue? When Thang got one to hold for him the reins of government, namely, Män-yin Täng-häng{fr. 3}, he employed him as his teacher. He followed his master, but did not allow himself to be hampered by him, and so he succeeded in following things to their completion. The master had the name; but that name was a superfluous addition to his laws, and the twofold character of his government was made apparent{fr. 4}. Kung-nî's 'Task your thoughts to the utmost' was his expression of the duties of a