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PT. III. SECT. XI. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-BZE.
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7. Hui Shih 1 had many ingenious notions. His writings would fill five carriages ; but his doctrines were erroneous and contradictory, and his words were wide of their mark. Taking up one thing after another, he would say :-'That which is so great that there is nothing outside it may be called the Great One; and that which is so small that there is nothing inside it may be called the Small One.' 'What has no thickness and will not admit of being repeated is 1000 li in size?' 'Heaven may be as low as the earth.'. 'A mountain may be as level as a marsh.' "The sun in the meridian may be the sun declining.' 'A creature may be born to life and may die at the same time.' '(When it is said that) things greatly alike are different from things a little alike, this is what is called making little of agreements and differences ; (when it is said that) all things are entirely alike or entirely different, this is what is called making much of agreements and differences.' 'The south is unlimited and yet has a limit.' 'I proceed to Yueh to-day and came to it yesterday. Things which are joined together can be separated.' 'I know the centre of the world ;—it is north of Yen or south of Yueh.' 'If all things be regarded with love, heaven and earth are of one body (with me).'
Hui Shih by such sayings as these made himself
1. Introduced to us in the first Book of our author, and often mentioned in the intervening Books. He was not a Taoist, but we are glad to have the account of him here given, as enabling us to understand better the intellectual life of China in Kwang-ize's time.
It is of little use trying to find the answers to these sayings of Hui Shih and others. They are only riddles or paradoxes.
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