Chapter XII Self-Sacrifice and Self-Aggrandisement

YANG CHU said: "Po-chêng-tse-kao1 would not part with a hair of his body for the benefit of others. He quitted p. 53 his country and became a ploughman. The great Yü1 did not profit by his own body, which grew quite emaciated. "If the ancients by injuring a single hair could have rendered a service to the world, they would not have done it; and had the universe been offered to a single person, he would not have accepted it. "As nobody would damage even a hair, and nobody would do a favour to the world, the world was in a perfect state." Ch’in-Tse asked Yang Chu: "If by pulling out a hair of your body you would aid mankind, would you do it?" Yang Chu answered: "Mankind is surely not to be helped by a single hair." Ch’in-Tse said: "But supposing it possible, would you do it?" Yang Chu gave no answer. Thereupon Ch’in-Tse told Meng-sun-Yang, who replied: "I will explain the Master's meaning. "Supposing for tearing off a piece of your skin you were offered ten thousand gold pieces, would you do it?" Ch’in-Tse said: "I would." p. 54 Meng-sun-Yang again asked: "Supposing for cutting off one of your limbs you were to get a kingdom, would you do it?" Ch’in-Tse was silent. "See now," said Meng-sun-Yang. "A hair is unimportant compared with the skin, and the skin also is unimportant compared with a limb. "However, many hairs put together form skin, and many skins form a limb. Therefore, though a hair is but one among the many molecules composing the body, it is not to be disregarded."

Ch’in-Tse replied: "I do not know how to answer you. If I were to ask Lao-tse and Kuan-Yin,1 your opinion would be found right, and so also if I were to consult great Yü and Me-ti." Meng-sun-Yang upon this turned round to his disciples, and spoke of something else. p. 52 1 Po-chêng-tse-kao was a Taoist of the time of Yao. p. 53 1 The great Yü, the controller of the great flood, which task so occupied him that he entirely forgot his own wants. p. 54 1 The Taoist philosopher.