________________
PT. I. SECT. II. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-BZE.
193
“I heard the Master (speaking of such language as the following) :-“The sagely man does not occupy himself with worldly affairs. He does not put himself in the way of what is profitable, nor try to avoid what is hurtful; he has no pleasure in seeking (for anything from any one); he does not care to be found in (any established) Way; he speaks without speaking; he does not speak when he speaks; thus finding his enjoyment outside the dust and dirt (of the world).” The Master considered all this to be a shoreless flow of mere words, and I consider it to describe the course of the Mysterious Way.-What do you, Sir, think of it?' Khang-wû Zze replied, 'The hearing of such words would have perplexed even Hwang-Tî, and how should Khill be competent to understand them? And you, moreover, are too hasty in forming your estimate (of their meaning). You see the egg, and (immediately) look out for the cock (that is to be hatched from it); you see the bow, and (immediately) look out for the dove (that is to be brought down by it) being roasted. I will try to explain the thing to you in a rough way; do you in the same way listen to me.
'How could any one stand by the side of the sun and moon, and hold under his arm all space and all time? (Such language only means that the sagely man) keeps his mouth shut, and puts aside questions that are uncertain and dark; making his inferior capacities unite with him in honouring (the One Lord). Men in general bustle about and toil ; the
difficulties than the other. By the clause interjected in the translation after the first Master,' I have avoided the incongruity of ascribing the long description of Taoism to Confucius.
[39]
Digitized by Google
.