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THE TEXTS OF TÂOISM.
BK, XX.
and the same. Who, for instance, is it that is now singing 1?' Hui said, 'I venture to ask how not to receive (as evils) the inflictions of Heaven is easy.' Kung-ni said, 'Hunger, thirst, cold, and heat, and having one's progress entirely blocked up ;-these are the doings of Heaven and Earth, necessary incidents in the revolutions of things. They are occurrences of which we say that we will pass on (composedly) along with them. The minister of another does not dare to refuse his commands; and if he who is discharging the duty of a minister feels it necessary to act thus, how much more should we wait with ease on the commands of Heaven ?!'
What do you mean by saying that not to receive (as benefits) the favours of men is difficult ?' Kungni said, 'As soon as one is employed in office, he gets forward in all directions; rank and emolument. come to him together, and without end. But these advantages do not come from one's self;—it is my appointed lot to have such external good. The superior man is not a robber; the man of worth is no filcher ;- if I prefer such things, what am I 3 ? Hence it is said, “ There is no bird wiser than the swallow.” Where its eye lights on a place that is not suitable for it, it does not give it a second glance. Though it may drop the food from its
1 This question arose out of the previous statement that man and Heaven might be one,-acting with the same spontaneity.
? Confucius recognises here, as he often does, a power beyond his own, his appointed lot,' what we call destiny, to which the Tâo requires submission. This comes very near to our idea of God.
8 Human gifts had such an attraction, that they tended to take from man his heavenly spontaneity; and were to be eschewed, or received only with great caution.
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