Chuang Tzu Chapter 7, Section B

[Marblehead]

Section B

 

Jian Wu went to see the mad (recluse), Jie-yu, who said to him, 'What did Ri-Zhong Shi tell you?' The reply was, 'He told me that when rulers gave forth their regulations according to their own views and enacted righteous measures, no one would venture not to obey them, and all would be transformed.' Jie-yu said, 'That is but the hypocrisy of virtue. For the right ordering of the world it would be like trying to wade through the sea and dig through the He, or employing a musquito to carry a mountain on its back. And when a sage is governing, does he govern men's outward actions? He is (himself) correct, and so (his government) goes on; this is the simple and certain way by which he secures the success of his affairs. Think of the bird which flies high, to avoid being hurt by the dart on the string of the archer, and the little mouse which makes its hole deep under Shen-qiu to avoid the danger of being smoked or dug out; are (rulers) less knowing than these two little creatures?'

[Brian]

It is a vanity to think one "knows best" with such conviction as to deign to legislate the affairs of others, and it is a laughable conceit to think one has the clarity to codify "the right ordering of the world." The leader who governs least yet leads by example is the one most likely to "secure the success of his affairs."

[Marblehead]

Hi A Seeker,

 

Totally agree. Thanks for adding expression to the short story.

[ChiDragon]

肩吾拜會隱士接輿。 接輿說：“往日你的老師日中始用什麼來教導你？”

肩吾說：“他告訴我，做國君的一定要憑藉自己的意志來推行法度，人們誰敢不聽從而隨之變化呢？”

 

接 輿說：“這是欺誑的做法，那樣治理天下，就好像徒步下海開鑿河道，讓蚊蟲背負大山一樣。聖人治理天下，難道去治理社會外在的表象嗎？他們順應本性而後感化 他人，聽任人們之所能罷了。鳥兒尚且懂得高飛躲避弓箭的傷害，老鼠尚且知道深藏於神壇之下的洞穴逃避熏煙鑿地的禍患，而你竟然連這兩種小動物本能地順應環 境也不了解！”

 

Jian Wu(肩吾) went to see the recluse Kuang Jie-Yu(狂接輿)。 Jie-Yu said："What did your teacher, Ri-Zhong Shi(日中始), tell you in the past?"

 

Jian Wu said: "He told me that the ruler of a country was based on his volition to execute his rules. People who wouldn't dare to disobey him and not to follow him as he make changes?"

 

Jie-Yu said："That was a very deceiving act. This way in ruling the world would seems like stepping into the ocean to dig a canal; and having insects to carry a mountain. For a sagacious ruling, is he only ruling the superficial image of a society? First, they follow a natural course of the matter and then educate the people by their abilities. The birds know to fly high to avoid harm from an arrow. The rats know to hide in deep places under an altar to avoid smokes and other calamities; but you don't even understand the basic instinct of these two tiny animals which knowing how to adapt their own environment.

Edited September 11, 2012 by ChiDragon