Mair 12:13

[Marblehead]

Ghostless Gate and Longbranch Redwand were observing the army of King Wu.  {{Successor of King Wen and the first ruler of the Chou dynasty after it controlled the whole empire.}}

"It's because he's no match for the clansman of the freehold at Yŭ," said Longbranch Redwand, "that he's involved in this trouble."

"Was all under heaven already thoroughly well ordered when the clansman of the freehold at Yii took over the government?" asked Ghostless Gate.  "Or was it disordered until he took over the government?"

"It is the wish of all under heaven to be thoroughly well ordered," said Longbranch Redwand, "so why count on the clansman of the freehold at Yŭ?  His method was like healing a man with scabies by giving him false hair after he's gone bald.  He waited for people to get sick and then went looking for medicine.  He was like a filial son who picks herbs and who, full of distress, offers them to his kind father.  A sage would be ashamed of this.

"In an age of ultimate virtue, men of worth are not exalted, and men of ability are not employed.  Superiors are like the upper branches of a tree, the people are like the deer in the wilds.  They are upright without considering themselves to be righteous; they love each other without considering themselves to be humane; they are honest without considering themselves to be loyal; they are reliable without considering themselves to be trustworthy.  They move about spontaneously, assisting each other without considering themselves to be generous.  For this reason, their actions leave no traces, their affairs leave no records."

[Taoist Texts]

On 12/10/2017 at 3:37 PM, Marblehead said:

"It's because he's no match for the clansman of the freehold at Yŭ," said Longbranch Redwand, "that he's involved in this trouble."

 

when the latter said, 'It is because he was not born in the time of the Lord of Yu, that therefore he is involved in this trouble (of war)

/Legge/

something was lost in translation

[Marblehead]

Thanks for noting that.

 

That last paragraph is almost word for word from the TTC.

 

I see nothing Confucian in this section.