143,8
L.719€
1912
TO
MY FATHER
WHOSE TRANSLATION OF CHUANG TZŮ
FIRST AWAKENED IN ME
THE LOVE OF TAOIST LORE


EDITORIAL NOTE
THE object of the Editors of this series is a
very definite one. They desire above all things
that, in their humble way, these books shall be
the ambassadors of good-will and understanding
between East and West—the old world of Thought
and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and
in their own sphere, they are but followers of the
highest example in the land. They are confident
that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and
lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help
to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which
neither despises nor fears the nations of another
creed and colour.
L. CRANMER-BYNG.
S. A. KAPADIA.
NORTHBROOK SOCIETY,
21 CROMWELL ROAD,
KENSINGTON, S.W.


INTRODUCTION
Şupreme Being—God. But this is only ad-
missible if he is prepared to use the term “God”
in a much broader sense than we find in either the
Old or the New Testament. That which chiefly
impresses the Taoist in the operations of Nature
is their absolute impersonality. The inexorable)
law of cause and effect seems to him equally re- i
moved from active goodness or benevolence on the
one hand, and from active evil or malevolence on
the other. This is a fact which will hardly be,
disputed by any intelligent observer. It is when
he begins to draw inferences from it that the
Taoist parts company from the average Christian.
Believing, as he does, that the visible Universe is
but a manifestation of the invisible Power behind
it, he feels justified in arguing from the known
to the unknown, and concluding that, whatever
Tao may be in itself (which is unknowable), it is
certainly not what we understand by a personal
God—not a God endowed with the specific attri-
butes of humanity, not even (and here we find a
remarkable anticipation of Hegel) a conscious God.
In other words, Tao transcends the illusory and
unreal distinctions on which all human systems
of morality depend, for in it all virtues and vices
coalesce into One.
The Christian takes a different view altogether.
He prefers to ignore the facts which Nature shows
him, or else he reads them in an arbitrary and
one-sided manner. His God, if no longer anthro-
.


14
INTRODUCTION
Tzů. There are some obvious analogies between
the two authors, and indeed a certain amount of
matter common to both; but on the whole Lieh
Tzŭ's book bears an unmistakable impress of its
own. The geniality of its tone contrasts with
the somewhat hard brilliancy of Chuang Tzŭ, and
a certain kindly sympathy with the aged, the
poor and the humble of this life, not excluding the
brute creation, makes itself felt throughout.
The opposition between Taoism and Confucian-
ism is not so sharp as we find it in Chuang Tză,
and Confucius himself is treated with much
greater respect. This alone is strong evidence in
favour of the priority of Lieh Tză, for there is no
doubt that the breach between the two systems
widened as time went on. Lieh Tzŭ's work is
about half as long as Chuang Tzŭ's, and is now
divided into eight books. The seventh of these
deals exclusively with the doctrine of the egoistic
philosopher Yang Chu, and has therefore been
omitted altogether from the present selection.
Nearly all the Taoist writers are fond of parables
and allegorical tales, but in none of them is this
branch of literature brought to such perfection
as in Lieh Tzŭ, who surpasses Chuang Tzŭ himself
as a master of anecdote. His stories are almost
invariably pithy and pointed. Many of them
evince not only a keen sense of dramatic effect,
but real insight into human nature. Others may
appear fantastic and somewhat wildly imagina-


BOOK I
COSMOGONY
OUR Master Lieh Tză dwelt on a plot of ground
in the Chêng State for forty years, and no man
knew him for what he was. The Prince, his
Ministers, and all the State officials looked upon
him as one of the common herd. A time of
dearth fell upon the State, and he was preparing
to migrate to Wei, when his disciples said to him :
“Now that our Master is going away without
any prospect of returning, we have ventured to
approach you, hoping for instruction. Are there
no words from the lips of Hu-Ch'iu Tzŭ-lin that
you can impart to us ?” Lieh Tzŭ smiled and
said : “Do you suppose that Hu Tză dealt in
words? However, I will try to repeat to you
what my Master said on one occasion to Po-hun
Mou-jên.
A fellow-disciple. Out of modesty, Lieh Tzŭ does not say
that the teaching was imparted directly to himself.
I was standing by and heard his words, which
ran as follows:-
17


18
COSMOGONY
There is a Creative Principle which is itself
uncreated; there is a Principle of Change which
is itself unchanging. The Uncreated is able to
create life; the Unchanging is able to effect
change. That which is produced cannot but
continue producing ; that which is evolved cannot
but continue evolving. Hence there is constant
production and constant evolution. The law of
constant production and of constant evolution at
no time ceases to operate.
The commentator says : “ That which is once involved in
the destiny of living things can never be annihilated.”
So is it with the Yin and the Yang, so is it with
the Four Seasons.
The Yin and the Yang are the Positive and Negative
Principles of Nature, alternately predominating in day and
night.
The Uncreated we may surmise to be Alone in
itself.
“The Supreme, the Non-Engendered-how can its reality
be proved 7 We can only suppose that it is mysteriously
One, without beginning and without end."
The Unchanging goes to and fro, and its range
is illimitable. We may surmise that it stands
Alone, and that its Ways are inexhaustible.'
“In the Book of the Yellow Emperor it is
written : The Spirit of the Valley dies not ; it


20
COSMOGONY
substance is not yet manifest. In the great
Origin lies the beginning of substance. In the
great Beginning, lies the beginning of material
form.
“After the separation of the Yin and the Yang, when
classes of objects assume their forms."
In the great Simplicity lies the beginning of
essential qualities. When substance, form and
essential qualities are still indistinguishably
blended together it is called Chaos. Chaos means
that all things are chaotically intermixed and not
yet separated from one another. The purer and
lighter elements, tending upwards, made the
Heavens ; the grosser and heavier elements,
tending downwards, made the Earth. Substance,
harmoniously proportioned, became Man; and,
Heaven and Earth containing thus a spiritual
element, all things were evolved and produced.”
The Master Lieh Tzŭ said : “ The virtue of
Heaven and Earth, the powers of the Sage, and
the uses of the myriad things in Creation, are
not perfect in every direction. It is Heaven's
function to produce life and to spread a canopy
over it. It is Earth's function to form material
bodies and to support them. It is the Sage's func-
tion to teach others and to influence them for good.
It is the function of created things to conform


DEATH GIVES REST
27
excellent thing it is,” cried Confucius, “to be
able to find a source of consolation in oneself !”
Tzŭ Kung was tired of philosophy, and confided
his feelings to Confucius, saying: “I yearn for
rest." Confucius replied : “In life there is no
rest.”
“To toil in anxious planning for the future, to slave in
bolstering up the bodily frame these are the businesses of
life.”
“Is rest, then, nowhere to be found ?” “Oh,
yes ! ” replied Confucius ; “look at all the graves
in the wilds, all the vaults, all the tombs, all the
funeral urns, and you may know where rest is to
be found.” “Great, indeed, is Death !” ex-
claimed Tzŭ Kung. “It gives rest to the noble-
hearted, and causes the base to cower.” “You
are right,” said Confucius. “Men feel the joy
of life, but do not realise its bitterness. They
feel the weariness of old age, but not its peaceful-
ness. They think of the evils of death, but not
of the repose which it confers."
Yen Tzŭ said : “An excellent thing was Death
in the eyes of the ancients. It gives rest to the
good, and subdues the wicked. Death is the
boundary-line of virtue.
That is, Death abolishes all artificial and temporary


34
COSMOGONY
not already a thief in respect of your own body ?
You are stealing the harmony of the Yin and the
Yang in order to keep alive and to maintain your
bodily form. How much more, then, are you a
thief with regard to external possessions! As-
suredly, Heaven and earth cannot be dissociated
from the myriad objects of Nature. To claim
any one of these as your own betokens confusion
of thought. Mr. Kuo's thefts are carried out in
a spirit of justice, and therefore bring no retribu-
tion. But your thefts were carried out in a spirit
of self-seeking and therefore landed you in
trouble. Those who take possession of pro-
perty, whether public or private, are thieves.
By “taking possession of public property,” as we have
seen, Lieh Tză means utilising the products of Nature open
to all-rain and the like.
Those who abstain from taking property, public
or private, are also thieves.
“For no one can help possessing a body, and no one can
help acquiring some property or other which cannot be got
rid of with the best will in the world. Such thefts are un-
conscious thefts.”
The great principle of Heaven and earth is to
treat public property as such and private property
as such. Knowing this principle, which of us is a


42
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
loss, I had no knowledge, either as touching
myself or others. I knew neither that the Master
was my instructor, nor that the other man was
my friend. Internal and External were blended
into Unity. After that, there was no distinction
between eye and ear, ear and nose, nose and
mouth: all were the same. My mind was
frozen, my body in dissolution, my flesh and
bones all melted together. I was wholly un-
conscious of what my body was resting on, or
what was under my feet. I was borne this way
and that on the wind, like dry chaff or leaves
falling from a tree. In fact, I knew not whether
the wind was riding on me or I on the wind.
Now, you have not spent one whole season in
your teacher's house, and yet you have lost
patience two or three times already. Why, at
this rate, the atmosphere will never support
an atom of your body, and even the earth will
be unequal to the weight of one of your limbs !
The only way to etherealise the body being to purge the
mind of its passions.
How can you expect to walk in the void or to
be charioted on the wind ?”
Hearing this, Yin Shêng was deeply ashamed.
He could hardly trust himself to breathe, and
it was long ere he ventured to utter another
word.


44
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
starvation. He had crept round under the
window and overheard this conversation. Ac-
cordingly, he borrowed some provisions and,
shouldering his basket, set off for Tzŭ Hua's
establishment. This man's followers, however,
were a worldly set, who wore silken garments and
rode in high carriages and stalked about with their
noses in the air. Seeing that Shang Ch'iu K'ai
was advanced in years and deficient in strength,
with a weather-beaten face and clothes of no
particular cut, they one and all despised him.
Soon he became a regular target for their insults
and ridicule, being hustled about and slapped on
the back and what not. Shang Ch‘iu K'ai, how-
ever, never showed the least annoyance, and at
last the disciples, having exhausted their wit on
him in this way, grew tired of the fun. So, by way
of a jest, they took the old man with them to the
top of a cliff, and the word was passed round that
whosoever dared to throw himself over would
be rewarded with a hundred ounces of silver.
There was an eager response, and Shang Ch'iu
K'ai, in perfect good faith, was the first to leap
over the edge. And lo! he was wafted down
to earth like a bird on the wing, not a bone or
muscle of his body being hurt. Mr. Fan's dis-
ciples, regarding this as a lucky chance, were
merely surprised, but not yet moved to great
wonder. Then they pointed to a bend in the
foaming river below, saying: “There is a


A MAN OF TAO
45
precious pearl at the bottom of that river, which
can be had for the diving.” Shang Ch'iu K'ai
again acted on their suggestion and plunged in.
And when he came out, sure enough he held a
pearl in his hand.
· Then, at last, the whole company began to
suspect the truth, and Tzŭ Hua gave orders that
an array of costly viands and silken raiment
should be prepared; then suddenly a great fire
was kindled round the pile. “If you can walk
through the midst of these flames," he said,
"you are welcome to keep what you can get of
these embroidered stuffs, be it much or little, as
a reward.” Without moving a muscle of his
face, Shang Ch'iu K'ai walked straight into the
fire, and came back again with his garments
unsoiled and his body unsinged.
Mr. Fan and his disciples now realised that he
was in possession of Tao, and all began to make
their apologies, saying : “We did not know, Sir,
that you had Tao, and were only playing a trick
on you. We insulted you, not knowing that you
were a divine man. You have exposed our
stupidity, our deafness and our blindness. May
we venture to ask what the Great Secret is ? '
“ Secret I have none,” replied Shang Ch'iu K'ai.
“Even in my own mind I have no clue as to the
real cause. Nevertheless, there is one point in
it all which I must try to explain to you. A
short time ago, Sir, two disciples of yours came


46
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
and put up for the night in my hut. I heard
them extolling the power of Mr. Fan, and how
he was able to make or mar people's fortunes,
making the rich man poor and the poor man rich.
I believed this implicitly, and as the distance was
not very great I came hither. Having arrived,
I unreservedly accepted as true all the statements
made by your disciples, and was only afraid lest
the opportunity might never come of putting
them triumphantly to the proof. I knew not
what part of space my body occupied, nor yet
where danger lurked. My mind was simply One,
and material objects thus offered no resistance.
That is all. But now, having discovered that
your disciples were deceiving me, my inner man
is thrown into a state of doubt and perplexity,
while outwardly my senses of sight and hearing
re-assert themselves. When I reflect that I have
just had a providential escape from being drowned
and burned to death, my heart within me freezes
with horror, and my limbs tremble with fear. I
shall never again have the courage to go near
water or fire."
From that time forth, when Mr. Fan's disciples
happened to meet a beggar or a poor horse-doctor
on the road, so far from jeering at him, they
would actually dismount and offer him a humble
salute.
Tsai Wo heard this story, and told it to Con-
fucius. “Is this so strange to you ? " was the reply.
with horror to death, mescape from ect that I hring


48 THE YELLOW EMPEROR
The different species lived promiscuously to-
gether, yet they never clawed nor bit one another.
The King was afraid lest this man's secret
should die with him, and commanded him to
impart it to the Keeper. So Liang Yang appeared
before the Keeper and said: “I am only a
humble servant, and have really nothing to
impart. I fear the King has been leading you
to expect some mysterious secret. With regard
to my method of feeding tigers, all I have to say
is this : when yielded to, they are pleased ; when
opposed, they are angry. Such is the natural
disposition of all living creatures. But neither
their pleasure nor their anger is manifested with-
out a cause. Both are really excited by oppo-
sition.
Anger directly, pleasure indireotly, owing to the natural
reaction when the opposition is overcome.
“In feeding tigers, then, I avoid giving them
either live animals or whole carcasses, lest in the
former case the act of killing, in the latter the
act of tearing them to pieces, should excite them
to fury. Again, I time their periods of hunger
and repletion, and I gain a full understanding of
the causes of their anger. Tigers are of a different
species from man, but, like him, they are docile
with those who treat them kindly, though they
will show fight when their lives are attacked.


50
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
“There was disturbance in his mind, accompanied by a
change in his outward demeanour; thus the birds became
conscious of the fact that he was a human being. How could
their instinct be deceived ?"
*
*
red thoushey dropped the who for a hunderg-
Chao Hsiang Tzŭ led out a company of a
hundred thousand men to hunt in the Central
Mountains. They dropped sparks in the under-
growth, which set fire to the whole forest, and
the glow of the flames was visible for a hundred
miles around. Suddenly a man appeared, emerg-
ing from a rocky cliff,
That is to say, passing miraculously out of the actual stone
itself.
and was seen to hover in the air amidst the flames
and the smoke. Everybody took him for a
disembodied spirit. When the fire had passed,
he walked quietly out, and showed no trace of
having been through the ordeal. Hsiang Tzŭ
marvelled thereat, and detained him for the
purpose of careful examination. In bodily form
he was undoubtedly a man, possessing the seven
channels of sense, besides which his breathing
and his voice also proclaimed him a man. So
the prince inquired what secret power it was that
enabled him to dwell in rock and to walk through
fire. “What do you mean by rock ?” replied
the man; “what do you mean by fire ?” Hsiang
Tzŭ said : “What you just now came out of is


THE MIND RULES THE BODY 51
rock; what you just now walked through is
fire.” “I know nothing of them,” replied the
man.
“It was this extreme of unconsciousness that enabled him
to perform the above feats.”
The incident came to the ears of Marquis Wên
of the Wei State, who spoke to Tzŭ Hsia about it,
saying: “What an extraordinary man this must
be !” “ From what I have heard the Master
say,” replied Tzŭ Hsia, “the man who achieves
harmony with Tao enters into close unison with
external objects, and none of them has the power
to harm or hinder him. Passing through solid
metal or stone, walking in the midst of fire or on
the surface of water-all these things become
possible to him.” “Why, my friend,” asked the
Marquis, “cannot you do all this?” “I have
not yet succeeded,” said Tzŭ Hsia, “in cleansing
my heart of impurities and discarding wisdom.
I can only find leisure to discuss the matter in
tentative fashion.” “And why," pursued the
Marquis, “ does not the Master himself perform
these feats ?” “The Master," replied Tzŭ Hsia,
“is able to do these things, but he is also able to
refrain from doing them.” Which answer hugely
delighted the Marquis.
external oot hindealking in these things askedhelve
There may be similarity in understanding
without similarity in outward form. There may


52
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
also be similarity in form without similarity in
understanding. The Sage embraces similarity
of understanding and pays no regard to similarity
of form. The world in general is attracted by
similarity of form, but remains indifferent to
similarity of understanding. Those creatures
that resemble them in shape they love and
consort with; those that differ from them in
shape they fear and keep at a distance. The
creature that has a skeleton seven feet long,
The Chinese foot at that time being considerably shorter
than ours.
hands differently shaped from the feet, hair on
its head, and an even set of teeth in its jaws, and
walks erect, is called a man. But it does not
follow that a man may not have the mind of a
brute. Even though this be the case, other men
will still recognise him as one of their own species
in virtue of his outward form. Creatures which
have wings on the back or horns on the head,
serrated teeth or extensile talons, which fly over-
head or run on all fours, are called birds and
beasts. But it does not follow that a bird or a
beast may not have the mind of a man. Yet,
even if this be so, it is nevertheless assigned to
another species because of the difference in form.
P'ao Hsi, Nü Kua, Shên Nung and Hsia Hou
had serpents' bodies, human faces, ox-heads


OUTWARD FORM NO CRITERION 53
and tigers' snouts. Thus, their forms were not
human, yet their virtue was of the saintliest.
Chieh of the Hsia dynasty, Chou of the Yin, Huan
of the Lu State, and Mu of the Chịu State, were
in all external respects, as facial appearance and
possession of the seven channels of sense, like
unto other men; yet they had the minds of savage
brutes. Howbeit, in seeking perfect wisdom,
men attend to the outward form alone, which
will not bring them near to it.
When the Yellow Emperor fought with Yen Ti
on the field of P'an-ch'uan, his vanguard was com-
posed of bears, wolves, panthers, lynxes and
tigers, while his ensign-bearers were eagles, ospreys;
falcons and kites. This was forcible impressment
of animals into the service of man. The Emperor
Yao entrusted K'uei with the regulation of
music.
K'uei was a composite being, half beast, half man, of irre-
proachable virtue. His son, on the other hand, is said to
have had “ the heart of a pig.” He was insatiably gluttonous,
covetous and quarrelsome.
When the latter tapped the musical stone in
varying cadence, all the animals danced to the
sound of the music. When the strains of the
Shao were heard on the flute, the phonix itself
flew down to assist. This was the attraction
of animals by the power of music. In what, then,
do the minds of birds and beasts differ from


64
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
the minds of men ? Only the sounds they utter
are different, and the secret by which communica-
tion may be effected is unknown. But the
wisdom and penetration of the Sage are un-
limited : that is why he is able to lead them to
do his bidding. The intelligence of animals is
innate, even as that of man. Their common
desire is for propagation of life, but their instincts
are not derived from any human source. There
is pairing between the male and the female, and
mutual attachment between the mother and her
young. They shun the open plain and keep
to the mountainous parts; they flee the cold
and make for warmth; when they settle, they
gather in flocks; when they travel, they preserve
a fixed order. The young ones are stationed in
the middle, the stronger ones place themselves on
the outside. They show one another the way to
the drinking-places, and call to their fellows
when there is food. In the earliest ages, they
dwelt and moved about in company with man.
It was not until the age of emperors and kings
that they began to be afraid and broke away into
scattered bands. And now, in this final period,
they habitually hide and keep out of man's way
so as to avoid injury at his hands. At the present
day, the Chieh-shih people in the Far East can
in many cases interpret the language of the
six domestic animals, although they have prob-
ably but an imperfect understanding of it.


56
THE YELLOW EMPEROR
is one which will make your opponent, however
brave or strong, afraid to stab or to strike at
all ! His being afraid, however, does not always
imply that he has not the will to do so. Now, my
secret method operates so that even the will
is absent. Not having the will to harm, how-
ever, does not necessarily connote the desire to
love and to do good. But my secret is one
whereby every man, woman and child in the
Empire shall be inspired with the friendly desire
to love and do good to one another ! This is
something that transcends all social distinctions,
and is much better than the mere possession of
courage and strength. Has your Highness no
mind to acquire such a secret as this?” “Nay,”
said the Prince, “I am anxious to learn it. What
is the secret, pray ?” “Nothing else," replied
Hui Yang, “ than the teachings of Confucius and
Mo Tzů.
A famous philosopher of the fourth century B.C., who
propounded, chiefly on utilitarian grounds, the doctrine of
* universal love."
Neither of these two men possessed any land,
and yet they were princes ; they held no official
rank, and yet they were leaders. All the in-
habitants of the Empire, old and young, used to
crane their necks and stand on tiptoe to catch a
glimpse of them. For it was their object to bring


THE GREAT SECRET
57
peace and happiness to all. Now, your High-
ness is lord of ten thousand chariots.
A conventional way of saying that Sung was a foudal State
of the first class.
If you are sincere in your purpose, all the
people within the four borders of your realm
will be made happy, and the fame of your virtue
will far exceed that of Confucius or of Mo Tză.”
They not having enjoyed the advantage of ruling over a
large State.
The Prince of Sung found himself at loss for an
answer, and Hui Yang quickly withdrew. Then
the Prince turned to his courtiers and said : “A
forcible argument! This stranger has carried
me away by his eloquence.”


BOOK III
DREAMS
In the time of King Mu of Chou, there was a
magician who came from a kingdom in the far
west. He could pass through fire and water,
penetrate metal and stone, overturn mountains
and make rivers flow backwards, transplant whole
towns and cities, ride on thin air without falling,
encounter solid bodies without being obstructed.
There was no end to the countless variety of
changes and transformations which he could
effect; and, besides changing the external form,
he could also spirit away men's internal cares.
King Mu revered him as a god, and served
him like a prince. He set aside for his use a
spacious suite of apartments, regaled him with
the daintiest of food, and selected a number of
singing-girls for his express gratification. The
magician, however, condemned the King's palace
as mean, the cooking as rancid, and the concu-
bines as too ugly to live with. So King Mu had
a new building erected to please him. It was
built entirely of bricks and wood, and gorgeously


wheres, and our girdles nered, and stly satin
A PALACE OF DELIGHT 59
decorated in red and white, no skill being spared
in its construction. The five royal treasuries were
empty by the time that the new pavilion was
complete. It stood six thousand feet high, over-
topping Mount Chung-nan, and it was called
Touch-the-sky Pavilion. Then the King pro-
ceeded to fill it with maidens, selected from Chêng
and Wei, of the most exquisite and delicate beauty.
They were anointed with fragrant perfumes, pro-
vided with jewelled hairpins and earrings, and
arrayed in the finest silks, with costly satin trains.
Their faces were powdered, and their eyebrows
pencilled, their girdles were studded with precious
stones, and sweet scents were wafted abroad
wherever they went. Ravishing music was
played to the honoured guest by the Imperial
bands ; several times a month he was presented
with fresh jewelled raiment; every day he had
set before him some new and delicious food.
The magician could not well refuse to take
up his abode in this palace of delight. But he
had not dwelt there very long before he invited
the King to accompany him on a jaunt. So
the King clutched the magician's sleeve, and
soared up with him higher and higher into the
sky, until at last they stopped, and lo ! they had
reached the magician's own palace. This palace
was built with beams of gold and silver, and
incrusted with pearls and jade. It towered
high above the region of clouds and rain, and
set the magici in this very long on a leeve;


60
DREAMS
the foundations whereon it rested were unknown.
It appeared like a stupendous cloud-mass to
the view. The sights and sounds it offered to
eye and ear, the scents and flavours which
abounded there, were such as exist not within
mortal ken. The King verily believed that he
was in the Halls of Paradise, tenanted by God
Himself, and that he was listening to the mighty
music of the spheres. He gazed at his own
palace on the earth below, and it seemed to him
no better than a rude pile of clods and brushwood.
The King would gladly have stayed in this
place for decade after decade, without a thought
for his own country. But the magician invited
him to make another journey, and in the new
region they came to, neither sun nor. moon
could be seen in the heavens above, nor any
rivers or seas below. The King's eyes were
dazed by the quality of the light, and he lost
the power of vision ; his ears were stunned by
the sounds that assailed them, and he lost the
faculty of hearing. The framework of his bones
and his internal organs were thrown out of gear
and refused to function. His thoughts were in
a whirl, his intellect became clouded, and he
begged the magician to take him back again.
“This was the region of the Great Void, where all is dim
and blurred, assuredly not meant to be traversed by the
ordinary man. The dizziness of brain and eye was the
effect of Spontaneity.”


THE UNREALITY OF PLEASURE 61
Thereupon, the magician gave him a shove,
and the King experienced a sensation of falling
through space. ...
When he awoke to consciousness, he found
himself sitting on his throne just as before,
with the selfsame attendants round him. He
looked at the wine in front of him, and saw
that it was still full of sediment; he looked at
the viands, and found that they had not yet
lost their freshness. He asked where he had
come from, and his attendants told him that
he had only been sitting quietly there. This
threw King Mu into a reverie, and it was three
months before he was himself again. Then he
made further inquiry, and asked the magician
to explain what had happened. “Your Majesty
and 1,” replied the magician, “were only
wandering about in the spirit, and, of course,
our bodies never moved at all. What essential
difference is there between that sky-palace we
dwelt in and your Majesty's palace on earth,
between the spaces we travelled through and
your Majesty's own park ?
Looked at from the standpoint of the Absolute, both
palaces were unreal.
During your retirement from public affairs,
you have been in a perpetual state of doubt as
to the reality of your experience. But in a


62
DREAMS
universe where changes are everlastingly in
progress, and fast and slow are purely relative
conceptions, how can the Ideal ever be fully
attained ?"
The sky-palace was only some degrees finer than the
King's, just as the King's palace was only some degrees finer
than the hovel of a peasant. To strive for something that
shall satisfy man's desires and aspirations once and for all
is only labour lost. The story continues with an account
of the King's marvellous journey to the West. But though
he drained the cup of pleasure to the dregs, the upshot of it
all was that he never truly attained to Tao. We may seek
the moral in a saying of Lao Tzů: “Without going out of
doors, one may know the whole world ; without looking out
of window, one may see the Way of Heaven. The farther
one travels, the less one may know."
*
*
*
| Lao Chông G4wân. After a
nication, họ
Lao Ch'êng Tzŭ went to learn magic from
the venerable Yin Wên. After a period of three
years, having obtained no communication, he
humbly asked permission to go home. Yin
Wên bowed, and led him into the inner apart-
ment. There, having dismissed his attendants,
he spoke to him as follows: “Long ago, when
Lao Tzŭ was setting out on his journey to the
West, he addressed me and said: "All that
has the breath of life, all that possesses bodily
form, is mere Illusion. The point at which
creation begins, the change effected by the Dual
Principles—these are called respectively Life
and Death. That which underlies the manifold


DEATH IS EVOLUTION
63
workings of Destiny is called Evolution; that
which produces and transforms bodily substance
is called Illusion. The Creator's ingenuity is
mysterious, His operations secret and profound.
In truth, He is inexhaustible and eternal.
The “Creator," of course, is Tao; but how widely the
conception of Tao differs from that of a personal God may
be seen from the commentator's note: "How should the
Creator possess a conscious mind ? It is His spontaneity
that constitutes the mystery. Essential matter unites with
extensive energy to become a bodily substance, which follows
the line of evolution and passes away, but does not, on that
account, relapse into nothingness.”
The ingenuity of that which causes material
form is patent to the eye, and its workings are
shallow. Therefore it arises anon, and anon it
is destroyed.' Only one who knows that Life
is really Illusion, and that Death is really
Evolution, can begin to learn magic from me.
You and I are both illusions. How are we,
then, to make a study of the subject ?”
“If a person wishes to make a study of illusion, in spite of
the fact that his own body is an illusion, we are reduced to
the absurdity of an illusion studying an illusion.”
Lao Ch’êng Tsŭ returned home, and for three
months pondered deeply over the words of the
Venerable Yin Wên. Subsequently, he had
the power of appearing or disappearing at will ;
he could reverse the order of the four seasons,


64
DREAMS
produce thunderstorms in winter and ice in
summer, make flying things creep and creeping
things fly. But to the end of his days he never
made any public display of his art, so that the
secret was not handed down to after generations.
*
*
*
The Master Lieh Tzŭ said: “A dream is
the meeting of minds; an event in our waking
consciousness is the coming together of sensible
substances. Hence our feelings by day and
our dreams by night are the meetings of mind
with mind and of substance with substance.
It follows that if we can concentrate the mind
in abstraction, our feelings and our dreams
will vanish of themselves. With those who
rely on their waking perceptions you cannot
argue. Those who put faith in dreams do not
understand the alternating processes of evolution.
This refers to a previous passage, omitted in the present
selection. Contrary to the received opinion of his own day,
Lieh Tzŭ held that dreams were not just arbitrary mani-
festations portending future events, but the effects of regular
antecedent causes, without any further significance. They
are produced by certain processes of the mind, and if these
processes can be checked (as Lieh Tzů believes they can) by
means of abstraction, dreaming will also coase.
“The pure men of old passed their waking
existence in self-oblivion, and slept without


68
DREAMS
where he had really hidden it, and he also dreamt
of the man who had taken it. So, the next
morning, in accordance with his dream, he went
to seek him out in order to recover the deer. A
quarrel ensued, and the matter was finally
brought before the magistrate, who gave judg-
ment in these terms : “You," he said to the
wood-cutter, “ began by really killing a deer, but
wrongly thought it was a dream. Then you
really dreamt that you had got the deer, but
wrongly took the dream to be a reality. The
other man really took your deer, which he is now
disputing with you. His wife, on the other
hand, declares that he saw both man and deer in
a dream, so that nobody can be said to have
killed the deer at all. Meanwhile, here is the
deer itself in court, and you had better divide it
between you."
The case was reported to the Prince of the
Chêng State, who said : “Why, the magistrate
must have dreamt the whole thing himself !”
The question was referred to the Prime Minister,
but the latter confessed himself unable to dis-
entangle the part that was a dream from the
part that was not a dream. “If you want to
distinguish between waking and dreaming," he
said, “ you would have to go back to the Yellow
Emperor or Confucius. But both these sages are
dead, and there is nobody now alive who can
draw any such distinction.


A STRANGE DISEASE
69
Of course, it is implied that there is no real distinction
between the two.
So the best thing you can do is to uphold the
magistrate's decision.”
Yang-li Hua-tză, of the Sung State, was afflicted
in middle age by the disease of amnesia. Anything
he received in the morning he had forgotten by the
evening ; anything he gave away in the evening
he had forgotten the next morning. Out-of-doors,
he forgot to walk; indoors, he forgot to sit down.
At any given moment, he had no recollection of
what had just taken place; and a little later on,
he could not even recollect what had happened
then. All his family were perfectly disgusted
with him. Fortune-tellers were summoned, but
their divinations proved unsuccessful; wizards
were sought out, but their exorcisms were ineffec-
tual ; physicians were called in, but their remedies
were of no avail. At last, a learned professor
from the Lu State volunteered his services,
declaring that he could effect a cure. Hua-tzŭ's
wife and family immediately offered him half
their landed property if only he would tell them
how to set to work. The professor replied :
“This is a case which cannot be dealt with by
means of auspices and diagrams; the evil cannot
be removed by prayers and incantations, nor
successfully combated by drugs and potions.


ABSENT-MINDEDNESS A BLESSING 71
wonly to a Preserva ior, love
been brought suddenly to a perception of the
events of half a lifetime. Preservation and
destruction, gain and loss, sorrow and joy, love
and hate have begun to throw out their myriad
tentacles to invade my peace; and these emotions
will, I fear, continue to keep my mind in the
state of turmoil that I now experience. Oh !
if I could but recapture a short moment of that
blesséd oblivion ! "
“If this is the sentiment of a man whose mental infirmity
bears some resemblance to the Highest Principle [Tao], how
much stronger will it be on entering the realm of the Absoluto
itself !”
*
*
*
There was once a man who, though born in
Yen, was brought up in Ch'u, and it was only in
his old age that he returned to his native country.
Yen was the northernmost State of ancient China, while
Ch'u was bounded by the left bank of the Yangtsze.
On the way thither, as they were passing
through the Chin State, his fellow-travellers
played a practical joke on him. They pointed
to the city and said: “Here is the capital
of the Yen State ;” whereupon the old man
flushed with excitement. Pointing out a certain
shrine, they told him that it was his own village
altar, and he heaved a deep sigh. They showed
him a house, and said : " This is where your


BOOK IV
CONFUCIUS
A HIGH official from Shang paid a visit to Con-
fucius. “You are a sage, are you not ?” he
inquired. “A sage!” replied Confucius. “How
could I venture to think so? I am only a man
of extensive learning and moral culture.” The
Minister then asked: “Were the Three Kings
sages ?”
The Three Kings, in this particular passage, are probably
T'ang, surnamed “ The Completor” or “ The Successful," who
founded the Shang dynasty, B.c. 1766, and the two founders
of the Chou dynasty, Wên and Wu.
“ The Three Kings,” replied Confucius, “were
great in the exercise of wisdom and courage. I
do not know, however, that they were sages."
“What of the Five Emperors ? Were they not
sages?"
Shao Hao, Chuan Hsü, Yao, Shun, and the Great Yü.
The last-named came to the throne in 2206 B.O.
73


74
CONFUCIUS
“The Five Emperors excelled in the exercise of
altruism and righteousness. I do not know that
they were sages.” “ And the Three Sovereigns :
surely they were sages ?”
The Three Sovereigns always denote the legendary rulers
Fu Hsi, Shên Nung and the Yellow Emperor.
“The Three Sovereigns excelled in the virtues
that were suited to their age. But whether they
were sages or no I really cannot say."
“The wide learning of Confucius, the warlike prowess of
T'ang and Wu, the humility and self-abnegation of Yao and
Shun, the rude simplicity of Fu Hsi and Shên Nung, simply
represent the ordinary activities of the sage who accommo-
dates himself to the necessities of the world he lives in. They
are not the qualities which make them sages. Those qualities
are truly such as neither word nor deed can adequately
express."
“Why, who is there, then,” cried the Minister,
much astonished, “ that is really a sage ? " The
expression of Confucius' countenance changed,
and he replied after a pause: "Among the
people of the West a true sage dwells. He
governs not, yet there is no disorder. He speaks
not, yet he is naturally trusted. He makes no
reforms, yet right conduct is spontaneous and
universal. So great and incomprehensible is he
that the people can find no name to call him þy.
I suspect that this man is a sage, but whether in


A TRUE SAGE IN THE WEST 75
truth he is a sage or is not a sage I do not
know."
The early Jesuit missionaries saw in the above an allusion
to Jesus Christ. But (apart from other considerations) it
is almost certain that the present work had taken definito
shape before the Christian era.
The Minister from Shang meditated awhile in
silence. Then he said to himself: “Confucius
is making a fool of me!”
When the Master Lieh Tzŭ settled down in
Nan-kuo the number of those who sought him out
could not be reckoned, though one were to count
all day. Lieh Tzŭ, however, was unaffected
thereby, and every morning would hold dis-
cussions with them, the fame of which spread
far and wide.
Nan-kuo Tzŭ was his next-door neighbour,
but for twenty years no visit passed between
them, and when they met in the street they
made as though they had not seen each other.
“There was a mysterious harmony between their doctrines,
and therefore they arrived at old age without having had
any mutual intercourse." Nan-kuo Tzŭ means simply “the
Philosopher of Nan-kuo.”
The followers and disciples of Lieh Tzŭ felt
convinced that there was enmity between their
Master and Nan-kuo Tză; and at last, one who


76
CONFUCIUS
had come from the Ch'u State spoke to Lieh Tzŭ
about it, saying: “How comes it, Sir, that
you and Nan-kuo Tzŭ are enemies ?” “Nan-
kuo Tzŭ,” replied the Master, “has the appear-
ance of fullness, but his mind is a blank.
By no means a term of disparagement, in the mouth of a
Taoist.
His ears do not hear, his eyes do not see, his
mouth does not speak, his mind is devoid of know-
ledge, his body free from agitation. What would
be the object of visiting him ? However, we will
try, and you shall accompany me thither to see.”
Accordingly, forty of the disciples went with him
to call on Nan-kuo Tzŭ, who turned out to be a
repulsive-looking creature.
Taoist writers seem to delight in attributing ugliness and
deformity to their sages, no doubt as a sort of foil or set-off
to their inward grandeur.
He made no show of receiving his guests, but
only gazed blankly at Lieh Tzŭ. Body and soul
seemed not to belong together, and to be unable
to respond to the stimuli of the external world.
“The soul had subjugated the body. The mind being
void of sense-impressions, the countenance remained motion-
less. Hence it seemed as if there were no co-operation
between the two. How could they respond to external
stimuli ?"


BLANKNESS OF MIND
77
Suddenly, Nan-kuo Tzŭ singled out the hinder-
most row of Lieh Tzů’s disciples, and began to
talk to them quite pleasantly and simply, though
in the tone of a superior.
“Fraternising with the hindmost row, he recognised no
distinctions of rank or standing ; meeting a sympathetic in-
fluence, and responding thereto, he did not allow his mind to
be occupied with the external.”
The disciples were astonished at this, and when
they got home again, all wore a puzzled expression.
Their Master Lieh Tzŭ said to them: “He who
has reached the stage of thought is silent. He
who has attained to perfect knowledge is also
silent. He who uses silence in lieu of speech
really does speak. He who for knowledge sub-
stitutes blankness of mind really does know.
Without words and speaking not, without know-
ledge and knowing not, he really speaks and
really knows. Saying nothing and knowing
nothing, there is in reality nothing that he does
not say, nothing that he does not know. This
is how the matter stands, and there is nothing
further to be said. Why are you thus astonished
without cause ? "
* *
Lung Shu said to Wên Chih :
"Wên Chih lived in the time of the Six States, and acted as
physician to Prince Wei of Ch‘i (378-333 B.C.]. Another


78
CONFUCIUS
account says that he was an able physician of the Sung State
in the Spring and Autumn' period, and that he cured
Prince Wên of Ch'i by making him angry, wheroupon his
sickness vanished.”
“You are the master of cunning arts. I have
a disease. Can you cure it, Sir?” “So far,"
replied Wên Chih, “you have only acquainted
me with your desire. Please let me know first
the symptoms of your disease.” “I hold it no
honour,” said Lung Shu, “ to be praised in my
native village, nor do I consider it a disgrace to
be decried in my native State. Gain excites in
me no joy, and loss no sorrow. I look upon life
in the same light as death, upon riches in the
same light as poverty, upon my fellow-men as so
many swine, and upon myself as I look upon my
fellow-men. I dwell in my home as though it were
a mere caravanserai, and regard my native district
with no more feeling than I would a barbarian
State. Afflicted as I am in these various ways,
honours and rewards fail to rouse me, pains and
penalties to overawe me, good or bad fortune to
influence me, joy or grief to move me. Thus I
am incapable of serving my sovereign, of associat-
ing with my friends and kinsmen, of directing my
wife and children, or of controlling my servants
and retainers.
“Men are controlled by external influences in so far as their
minds are open to impressions of good and evil, and their
bodies are sensitive to injury or the reverse. But one who


DIVINE ENLIGHTENMENT
79
is able to discern a connecting unity in the most multiform
diversity will surely, in his survey of the universe, be uncon-
scious of the differences between positive and negative:”
What disease is this, and what remedy is there
that will cure it?”
Wên Chih replied by asking Lung Shu to stand
with his back to the light, while he himself faced
the light and looked at him intently. “Ah !”
said he after a while, “I see that a good square
inch of your heart is hollow. You are within an
ace of being a true sage. Six of the orifices in
your heart are open and clear, and only the seventh
is blocked up.
“It was an ancient belief that the sage had seven orifices
in his heart” (the seat of the understanding).
This, however, is doubtless due to the fact that
you are mistaking for a disease that which is
really divine enlightenment. It is a case in which
my shallow art is of no avail.”
Pu-tsê, in the Chêng State, was rich in wise
men, and Tung-li in men of administrative talent.
Among the vassals of Pu-tsê was a certain Po
Fêng Tzł, who happened to travel through Tung-
li and had a meeting with Têng Hsi.
A noted sophist of the sixth century B.O.


80
CONFUCIUS
abundant and your falim for his ow
The latter cast a glance at his followers, and
asked them, with a smile: “Would you like to see
me have some sport with this stranger ?” They
understood what he would be at, and assented.
Têng Hsi then turned to Po Fêng Tzŭ. “Are
you acquainted with the true theory of Susten-
tation ?” he inquired. “To receive sustenance
from others, through inability to support oneself,
places one in the category of dogs and swine. It
is man's prerogative to give sustenance to other
creatures, and to use them for his own purposes.
That you and your fellows are provided with
abundant food and comfortable clothing is due to
the Government. Young and old, you herd to-
gether, and are penned up like cattle destined for
the shambles : in what respect are you to be
distinguished from dogs and swine?”
Po Fêng Tzŭ made no reply, but one of his
company, disregarding the rules of precedence,
stepped forward and said : “Has your Excellency
never heard of the variety of craftsmen in Ch‘i
and Lu? Some are skilled potters and carpenters,
others are clever workers in metal and leather ;
there are good musicians, trained scribes and
accountants, military experts and men learned in
the ritual of ancestor-worship. All kinds of crafts-
manship are there fully represented. Now, if
there were no division of ranks and duties, mutual
co-operation would be impossible. Those of
higher social standing are lacking in technical


CO-OPERATION IN THE STATE 81
knowledge, those who are employed by them
are lacking in power. Only when there is a com-
bination of technical knowledge and power can
co-operative service exist.
Chih (knowledge) and nêng (power) have their modern
equivalents in “skilled labour” and “capital,” respectively.
It is really we who may be said to employ the
Government authorities. Why then should you
pity us?"
Têng Hsi could think of nothing to say in reply.
He made a sign to his disciples and retreated.


THE ANTINOMY OF SPACE
83
But when it comes to something outside matter
in space, or anterior to events in time, our know-
ledge fails us.”
“ Then, upwards and downwards and in every
direction space is a finite quantity ? "
Ko replied : “I do not know.”
“It was not so much that he did not know as that it is
unknowable.”
Tang asked the question again with more
insistence, and Ko said : “It may be that space
is infinite, or it may be that it is limited. How
can I tell ? But beyond infinity there must again
exist non-infinity, and within the unlimited
again that which is not unlimited.
Lieh Tzŭ means that in this universe of relativity there
must be contraries, even to a negative. We are only brought
back, however, to our starting-point, for, as the commentator
points out, that which is not infinite and not unlimited really
stands for that which is finite and limited.
It is this consideration that infinity must be
succeeded by non-infinity, and the unlimited by
the not-unlimited – that enables me to apprehend
the infinity and unlimited extent of space, but
does not allow me to conceive of its being finite
and limited.”
T'ang continued his inquiries, saying: “What
is there beyond the Four Seas?”


84
THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG
That is, the inhabited world as known to the Chinese.
Ko replied : “ Just what there is here in the
province of Ch‘i.”
“How can you prove that ?” asked T'ang.
“When travelling eastwards," said Ko, “I
came to the land of Ying, where the inhabitants
were nowise different from those in this part
of the country. I inquired about the countries
east of Ying, and found that they, too, were
similar to their neighbour. Travelling west-
wards, I came to Pin, where the inhabitants
were similar to our own countrymen. I inquired
about the countries west of Pin, and found that
they were again similar to Pin. That is how I
know that the regions within the Four Seas, the
Four Wildernesses and the Four Uttermost Ends
of the Earth are nowise different from the country
we ourselves inhabit. Thus, the lesser is always
enclosed by a greater, without ever reaching an
end. Heaven and earth, which enclose the
myriad objects of creation, are themselves en-
closed in some outer shell.
"That which contains heaven and earth is the Great
Void."
Enclosing heaven and earth and the myriad
objects within them, this outer shell is infinite
and immeasurable. How do we know but that
there is some mightier universe in existence


AN EXPLANATORY MYTH
85
outside our own? That is a question to which we
can give no answer.
“Heaven and earth, then, are themselves only
material objects, and therefore imperfect. Hence
it is that Nü Kua of old fashioned many-coloured
blocks of stone to repair the defective parts.
“Nü Kua, being a divine man, was able to refine and
extract the essence of the five constituents of matter.”
He cut off the legs of the Ao and used them
to support the four corners of the heavens.
This Chinese “ Atlas” was a gigantic sea-turtle.
Later on, Kung Kung fought with Chuan Hsü
for the throne, and, blundering in his rage against
Mount Pu-chou, he snapped the pillar which
connects Heaven and earth.
At the north-western corner.
That is why Heaven dips downwards to the
north-west, so that sun, moon and stars travel
towards that quarter. The earth, on the other
hand, is now not large enough to fill up the
south-east, so that all rivers and streams roll in
that direction."
An ingenious theory to account for the apparent westward


86
THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG
revolution of the heavenly bodies, as also for the easterly
trend of the great Chinese rivers.
The two mountains T'ai-hsing and Wang-wu,
which cover an area of 700 square li, and rise
to an enormous altitude, originally stood in the
south of the Chi district and north of Ho-yang.
The Simpleton of the North Mountain, an old
man of ninety, dwelt opposite these mountains,
and was vexed in spirit because their northern
flanks blocked the way to travellers, who had to
go all the way round. So he called his family
together, and broached a plan. “Let us," he
said, “put forth our utmost strength to clear
away this obstacle, and cut right through the
mountains until we come to Han-yin. What say
you?” They all assented except his wife,
who made objections and said : “My goodman
has not the strength to sweep away a dunghill,
let alone two such mountains as T'ai-hsing and
Wang-wu. Besides, where will you put all the
earth and stones that you dig up?" The others
replied that they would throw them on the
promontory of P'o-hai. So the old man, followed
by his son and grandson, sallied forth with their
pickaxes, and the three of them began hewing away
at the rocks, and cutting up the soil, and carting
it away in baskets to the promontory of P'o-hai.
A widowed woman who lived near had a little
of then the soiley of Poo little


MOVING MOUNTAINS
87
boy who, though he was only just shedding his
milk teeth, came skipping along to give them
what help he could. Engrossed in their toil,
they never went home except once at the turn
of the season.
The Wise Old Man of the River-bend burst out
laughing and urged them to stop. “Great indeed
is your witlessness !” he said. “With the poor
remaining strength of your declining years you
will not succeed in removing a hair's breadth of
the mountain, much less the whole vast mass of
rock and soil.” With a sigh, the Simpleton of
the North Mountain replied : “Surely it is you
who are narrow-minded and unreasonable. You
are not to be compared with the widow's son,
despite his puny strength. Though I myself
must die, I shall leave a son behind me, and
through him a grandson. That grandson will
beget sons in his turn, and those sons will also
have sons and grandsons. With all this posterity,
my line will not die out, while on the other hand
the mountain will receive no increment or addi-
tion. Why then should I despair of levelling it
to the ground at last ?” The Wise Old Man of
the River-bend had nothing to say in reply...
One of the serpent-brandishing deities heard of
the undertaking and, fearing that it might never
be finished, went and told God Almighty, who
was touched by the old man's simple faith, and
commanded the two sons of K‘ua O to transport


88 THE QUESTIONS OF T’ANG
the mountains, one to the extreme north-east,
the other to the southern corner of Yung.
In the south-west. That is, as far apart as possible.
K‘ua 0 was apparently a god of strength.
Ever since then, the region lying between Chi
in the north and Han in the south has been an
unbroken plain.
Roughly, the modern province of Honan.
Kung-hu of Lu and Ch'i-ying of Chao both fell
ill at the same time, and called in the aid of the
great Pien-ch'iao.
A famous physician of the fifth century B.o.
Pien-ch'iao cured them both, and when they
were well again he told them that the malady
they had been suffering from was one that attacked
the internal organs from without, and for that
reason was curable by the application of vegetable
and mineral drugs." But," he added, “ each of
you is also the victim of a congenital disease,
which has grown along with the body itself.
Would you like me now to grapple with this?”
They said, “ Yes ;” but asked to hear his
diagnosis first.” Pien-ch‘iao turned to Kung-hu.
“Your mental powers,” he said, " are strong, but


AN EXCHANGE OF HEARTS
89
your character is weak. Hence, though fruitful
in plans, you are lacking in decision. Ch'i-ying's
mental powers, on the other hand, are weak,
while his character is strong. Hence there is
want of forethought, and he is placed at a disad-
vantage by the narrowness of his aim. Now, if
I can effect an exchange of hearts between you,
the good will be equally balanced in both."
That is, Kung-hu, who has the weaker character, will get
weaker brain-power to match, while Ch‘i-ying, with the
stronger will, receives a stronger mind to direct it. Though
it may be that Ch‘i-ying has the best of the bargain, each
well balanced. The heart, as we have seen, was regarded as
the seat of the mental faculties.
So saying, Pien-ch‘iao administered to each
of them a potion of medicated wine, which
threw them into a death-like trance lasting
three days.
A striking proof of the knowledge and practical application
of anæsthetics at a very early date.
Then, making an incision in their breasts,
he took out each man's heart and placed it
in the other's body, poulticing the wounds with
herbs of marvellous efficacy.
When the two men regained consciousness,
they looked exactly the same as before ; and,
taking their leave, they returned home. Only
it was Kung-hu who went to Ch‘i-ying's house,


90 THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG
where Ch‘i-ying's wife and children naturally
did not recognise him, while Ch‘i-ying went
to Kung-hu's house and was not recognised
either. This led to a lawsuit between the two
families, and Pien-ch‘iao was called in as ar-
bitrator. On his explaining how the matter
stood, peace was once more restored.
King Mu of Chou made a tour of inspection
in the west. He crossed the K‘un-lun range,
but turned back before he reached the Yen
mountains.
“The place where the sun sets."
On his return journey, before arriving in China,
a certain . artificer was presented to him, by
name Yen Shih. King Mu received him in
audience, and asked what he could do. “I
will do anything,” replied Yen Shih, “that
your Majesty may please to command. But
there is a piece of work, already finished, that
I should like to submit first to your Majesty's
inspection.” “Bring it with you to-morrow,”
said the King, “and we will look at it together."
So Yen Shih called again the next day, and was
duly admitted to the royal presence. “Who
is that man accompanying you ?” asked the
King. “That, Sire, is my own handiwork.


92 THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG
put together again, the figure presented the
same appearance as when first brought in. The
King tried the effect of taking away the heart,
and found that the mouth would no longer
utter a sound; he took away the liver, and the
eyes could no longer see; he took away the
kidneys, and the legs lost their power of loco-
motion.
Now the King was delighted. Drawing a
deep breath, he exclaimed: “Can it be that
human skill is really on a par with that of the
Creator ?" And forthwith he gave an order
for two extra chariots, in which he took home
with him the artificer and his handiwork.
Now, Pan Shu, with his cloud-scaling ladder,
and Mo Ti, with his flying kite, thought that they
had reached the limits of human achievement.
“ Pan Shu made a cloud-ladder by which he could mount
to the sky and assail the heights of heaven; Mo Ti made a
wooden kite which would fly for three days without coming
down."
But when Yen Shih's wonderful piece of work
had been brought to their knowledge, the two
philosophers never again ventured to boast
of their accomplishments, and ceased to busy
themselves so frequently with the square and
compasses.
* * *
Hei Luan of Wei had a secret grudge against


A BLOOD-FEUD
93
Ch'iu Ping-chang, for which he slew him; and
Lai Tan, the son of Ch‘iu Ping-chang, plotted
vengeance against his father's enemy. Lai Tan's
spirit was very fierce, but his body was very
slight. You could count the grains of rice that
he ate, and he was at the mercy of every gust
of wind. For all the anger in his heart, he
was not strong enough to take his revenge in
open fight, and he was ashamed to seek help
from others. Nevertheless he swore, with his
hand on his sword, that he would have the
blood of Hei Luan. This Hei Luan was the
most ferocious character of his day, and in brute
strength he was a match for a hundred men.
His bones and sinews, skin and flesh were cast
in superhuman mould. He would stretch out
his neck to the blade or bare his breast to the
arrow, but the sharp steel would bend or break,
and his body show no scar from the impact.
Trusting to his native strength, he looked disdain-
fully upon Lai Tan as a mere fledgling.
Lai Tan had a friend Shên T'a, who said to him :
“ You have a bitter feud against Hei Luan, and
Hei Luan treats you with sovereign contempt.
What is your plan of action ?” Shedding tears,
Lai Tan besought his friend's counsel. “Well,"
said Shên T'a, “I am told that K‘ung Chou of
Wei has inherited, through an ancestor, a sword
formerly possessed by the Yin Emperors, of
such magical power that a single child wielding


THE THREE MAGIC SWORDS 95
The objects which it strikes are cleft through
with a sibilant sound, but the line of cleavage
closes up immediately. Pain is felt, but no
blood remains on the blade. These three precious
heirlooms have been handed down for thirteen
generations, but have never been in actual use.
They lie stored away in a box, the seals of which
have never been broken.” “In spite of what
you tell me," said Lai Tan, “I should like to
borrow the third sword.” K‘ung Chou then
returned his wife and children to him, and they
fasted together for seven days. On the seventh
day, in the dusk of evening, he knelt down
and presented the third sword to Lai Tan, who
received it with two low obeisances and went
home again.
“He chose the third of the swords because it could be
both handled and seen."
Grasping his new weapon, Lai Tan now sought
out his enemy, and found him lying in a drunken
stupor at his window. He cut clean through
his body in three places between the neck and
the navel, but Hei Luan was quite unconscious
of it. Thinking he was dead, Lai Tan made
off as fast as he could, and happening to meet
Hei Luan's son at the door, he struck at him
three times with his sword. But it was like
hitting the empty air.. Hei Luan's son laughed


96 THE QUESTIONS OF T'ANG
and said : “Why are you motioning to me in
that silly way with your hand ?”
It will be remembered that the sword was invisible in
daylight.
o Whalraught t and nas sady, and
Realising at last that the sword had no power
to kill a man, Lai Tan heaved a sigh and returned
home.
When Hei Luan recovered from the effects
of his debauch, he was angry with his wife :
“What do you mean by letting me lie exposed
to a draught ? ” he growled ; "it has given me
a sore throat and aching pains in the small of
my back.” “Why,” said his son, “I am also
feeling a pain in my body, and a stiffness in my
limbs. Lai Tan, you know, was here a little time
ago and, meeting me at the door, made three
gestures, which seem somehow to have been
the cause of it. How he hates us, to be sure !"
my back pain in my benow, was be
Thus, the improper use of divine weapons only leads to
discomfiture. In this allegory, Lieh Tzŭ is satirising the
blood-feud, which must have been a terrible feature of the
lawless times in which he lived. The powerlessness of the
magic sword to kill may symbolically represent the essential
futility of the vendetta which perpetuates itself from father
to son.


BOOK VI
EFFORT AND DESTINY
EFFORT said to Destiny:
I have purposely avoided the familiar modern terms, Fate
and Free will, which might seem to furnish the best equivalent
to li and ming. Li is the ordinary word for “strength " or
“ force,” and here indicates human effort exerted in some
definite direction (the German “streben ") as opposed to the
blind and unconscious workings of Nature or Tao.
“ Your achievements are not equal to mine."
“ Pray what do you achieve in the working of
things,” replied Destiny, “ that you would com-
pare yourself with me?” “Why,” said Effort,
" the length of man's life, his measure of success,
his rank, and his wealth, are all things which I
have the power to determine." To this, Destiny
made reply: “P'êng Tsu's wisdom did not
exceed that of Yao and Shun, yet he lived to the
age of eight hundred. Yen Yüan's ability was
not inferior to that of the average man, yet he
died at the early age of thirty-two. The virtue
of Confucius was not less than that of the feudal
97


98 EFFORT AND DESTINY
princes, yet he was reduced to sore straits between
Ch‘ên and Ts'ai.
See The Sayings of Confucius, p. 115.
The conduct of Chou, of the Yin dynasty, did
not surpass that of the Three Men of Virtue, yet
he occupied a kingly throne.
Wei Tzú, Chi Tzů and Pi Kan were all relatives of Chou
Hsin, by whose orders the last-named was disembowelled.
Chi Cha would not accept the overlordship of
Wu, while T‘ien Hêng usurped sole power in
Ch'i. Po I and Shu Ch‘i starved to death at
Shou-yang, while Chi Shih waxed rich at Chan-
chéin. If these results were compassed by your
efforts, how is it that you allotted long life to
P'êng Tsu and an untimely death to Yen Yüan ;
that you awarded discomfiture to the sage and
success to the impious, humiliation to the wise
man and high honours to the fool, poverty to the
good and wealth to the wicked ?" “If, as you
say,” rejoined Effort, “I have really no control
over events, is it not, then, owing to your manage-
ment that things turn out as they do ?” Destiny
replied : “ The very name 'Destiny'.
Something already immutably fixed.
shows that there can be no question of manage-


FIGHT NOT AGAINST FATE
99
ment in the case. When the way is straight, I
push on ; when it is crooked, I let be. old age
and early death, failure and success, high rank
and humble station, riches and poverty—all
these come naturally and of themselves. Of
their ultimate causes, I am ignorant ; how could
it be otherwise ?"
“Being what it is, without knowing why—that is the
meaning of Destiny. What room is there for management
here ?”
Yang Chu had a friend called Chi Liang, who
fell ill. In seven days' time his illness had become
very grave; medical aid was summoned, and
his sons stood weeping round his bed. Chi Liang
said to Yang Chu: “Such excess of emotion
shows my children to be degenerate. Will you
kindly sing them something which will enlighten
their minds ? ” Yang Chu then chanted the
following words :
“How should men possess the knowledge
which God Himself has not? Over his destiny
man has no control, and can look for no help
from God. You and I know this for truth, but
our knowledge is not shared by sorcerers and
quacks.”
The sons, however, did not understand, and
finally called in three physicians, Dr. Chiao,
Dr. Yü and Dr. Lu. They all diagnosed his


100
EFFORT AND DESTINY
complaint; and Dr. Chiao delivered his opinion
first: “The hot and cold elements of your
body," he said to Chi Liang, “are not in
harmonious accord, and the impermeable and
infundibular parts are mutually disproportionate.
The origin of your malady is traceable to dis-
ordered appetites, and to the dissipation of your
vital essence through worry and care. Neither
God nor devil is to blame. Although the illness
is grave, it is amenable to treatment.” Chi
Liang said: “You are only one of the common
ruck," and speedily got rid of him. Then Dr
Yü came forward and said: “You were born
with too little nervous force, and were too freely
fed with mother's milk. Your illness is not one
that has developed in a matter of twenty-four
hours ; the causes which have led up to it are
of gradual growth. It is incurable." Chi Liang
replied: “You are a good doctor,” and told
them to give him some food. Lastly, Dr. Lu
said: “Your illness is attributable neither to
God, nor to man, nor to the agency of spirits. It
was already fore-ordained in the mind of Provi-
dence when you were endowed with this bodily
form at birth. What possible good can herbs
and drugs do you ?” “You are a heaven-born
physician indeed !” cried Chi Liang; and he
sent him away laden with presents.
Not long after, his illness disappeared of itself.
sood do Lastly neither It
3


DEATH NO CAUSE FOR GRIEF 101
Duke Ching of Ch‘i was travelling across the
northern flank of the Ox-mountain in the direction
of the capital. Gazing at the view before him,
he burst into a flood of tears, exclaiming : “What
a lovely scene! How verdant and luxuriantly
wooded ! To think that some day I must die
and leave my kingdom, passing away like running
water! If only there were no such thing as
death, nothing should induce me to stir from
this spot.” Two of the Ministers in attend-
ance on the Duke, taking their cue from him,
also began to weep, saying : “We, who are
dependent on your Highness's bounty, whose
food is of an inferior sort, who have to ride
on unbroken horses or in jolting carts-even we
do not want to die. How much less our
sovereign liege ! ”
Yen Tzŭ, meanwhile, was standing by, with a
broad smile on his face. The Duke wiped away
his tears and, looking at him, said: “To-day I
am stricken with grief on my journey, and both
K‘ung and Chü mingle their tears with mine.
How is it that you alone can smile ? ” Yen Tzŭ
replied : “If the worthy ruler were to remain in
perpetual possession of his realm, Duke T'ai and
Duke Huan would still be exercising their sway.
If the bold ruler were to remain in perpetual
possession, Duke Chuang and Duke Ling would
still be ruling the land. But if all these rulers
were now in possession, where would your High-
Buketual possess worthy rana smile ? » With
huan would still 228 realm, Dulo remain in


102
EFFORT AND DESTINY
ness be? Why, standing in the furrowed fields,
clad in coir cape and hat !
The ordinary garb of a Chinese peasant.
Condemned to a hard life on earth, you would
have had no time, I warrant, for brooding over
death. Again, how did you yourself come to
occupy this throne ? By a series of successive
reigns and removals, until at last your turn came.
And are you alone going to weep and lament over
this order of things ? That is unmanly. It was
the sight of these two objects—an unmanly prince
and his fawning attendants—that was affording
me food for laughter just now.”.
Duke Ching felt much ashamed and, raising
his goblet, fined himself and his obsequious
courtiers two cups of wine apiece.
There was once a man, Tung-mên Wu of Wei,
who when his son died testified no grief. His
house-steward said to him : “ The love you bore
your son could hardly be equalled by that of any
other parent. Why, then, do you not mourn
for him now that he is dead ?” “There was a
time,” replied Tung-mên Wu, “when I had no
son. During the whole period that elapsed
before my son was born, I never had occasion to
grieve. Now that my son is dead, I am only in


NATURAL STOICISM
103
the same condition as I was before I had a son.
What reason have I, then, to mourn ?"
There is a story of Plutarch consoling his wife in exactly
similar terms after the death of their daughter.
*
*
*
The husbandman takes his measures according
to the season, the trader occupies himself with
gain, the craftsman strives to master his art, the
official pursues power. Here we have the opera-
tion of human forces.
Or "effort.” See p. 97.
But the husbandman has seasons of rain and
seasons of drought, the trader meets with gains
and losses, the craftsman experiences both failure
and success, the official finds opportunities or the
reverse. Here we see the working of Destiny.


BOOK VII
CAUSALITY
In the course of Lieh Tzŭ's instruction by Hu-
ch‘iu Tzŭ-lin, the latter said to him: “You
must familiarise yourself with the theory of
consequents before you can talk of regulating
conduct.” Lieh Tzŭ said: “Will you explain
what you mean by the theory of consequents ?”
“ Look at your shadow,” said his Master, “and
then you will know.” Lieh turned and looked
at his shadow. When his body was bent, the
shadow was crooked; when his body was up-
right, the shadow was straight. Thus it appeared
that the attributes of straightness and crooked-
ness were not inherent in the shadow, but corre-
sponded to certain positions of the body. Like-
wise, contraction and extension are not inherent
in the subject, but take place in obedience to
external causes. Holding this theory of conse-
quents is to be at home in the antecedent.
The Law of Causality is the foundation of all science.
104


106
CAUSALITY
“ You may consider the virtues of Shên Nung
and Yu Yen, you may examine the books of
Yü, Hsia, Shang and Chou, you may weigh
the utterances of great teachers and sages,
but you will find no instance of preservation or
destruction, fullness or decay, which has not
obeyed this supreme Law.”
Of Causality.
*
Lieh Tzŭ learned archery and, when he was
able to hit the target, he asked the opinion of
Kuan Yin Tzŭ on his shooting. "Do you
know why you hit the target?” said Kuan
Yin Tzů. “No, I do not," was the reply.
“ Then you are not good enough yet," rejoined
Kuan Yin Tză. Lieh Tzŭ withdrew and practised
for three years, after which he again presented
himself. Kuan Yin Tzŭ asked, as before :
“Do you know why you hit the target ?”
“Yes," said Lieh Tzů, “I do.” “In that
case, all is well. Hold that knowledge fast,
and do not let it slip."
“Mental and bodily equilibrium are to be sought within
oneself. Once you know the causal process which makes
you hit the target, you will be able to determine the opera-
tions of Destiny beforehand, and when the critical moment
comes, you will have left nothing undone."
The above principle does not apply only to


108
CAUSALITY
never rejecting talent from outside, you will find the State
easy to govern."
There was once a man in Sung who carved
a mulberry leaf out of jade for his prince. It
took three years to complete, and it imitated
Nature so exquisitely in its down, its glossiness,
and its general configuration from tip to stem,
that, if placed in a heap of real mulberry leaves,
it could not be distinguished from them. This
man was subsequently pensioned by the Sung
State as a reward for his skill. Lieh Tzŭ, hearing
of it, said : “If it took the Creator three years
to make a single leaf, there would be very few
trees with leaves on them. The Sage will rely
not so much on human science and skill as on
the evolution of Tao.”
* * *
The Master Lieh Tzŭ was very poor, and
his face wore a hungry look. A certain stranger
spoke about it to Tzŭ Yang, Prince of Chêng.
"Lieh Yü-k'ou," said he, “is a scholar in posses-
sion of Tao. Yet here he is, living in destitution,
within your Highness's dominion. It surely
cannot be that you have no liking for scholars ?"
Tzŭ Yang forthwith directed that an official
allowance of grain should be sent to him. Lieh
Tzŭ came out to receive the messengers, made
two low bows and declined the gift, whereupon


LIEH TZŮ IN POVERTY
109
the messengers went away, and Lieh Tzŭ re-
entered the house. There he was confronted
by his wife, who beat her breast and cried aloud :
“I have always understood that the wife and
family of a man of Tao live a life of ease and
pleasure. Yet now, when your Prince sends
you a present of food, on account of your starved
appearance, you refuse to accept it! I suppose
you will call that 'destiny'!” The Master
Lieh Tzŭ smiled and replied : “ The Prince
did not know about me himself. His present
of grain was made on the suggestion of another.
If it had been a question of punishing me, that
too would have been done at some one else's
prompting. That is the reason why I did not
accept the gift."
Later on, the masses rose in actual rebellion
against Tzŭ Yang, and slew him.
It is implied that Lieh Tzu's independence of spirit saved
his life, inasmuch as a pensioner would have shared the fate
of his patron.
Mr. Shih of Lu had two sons, one of whom
was a scholar and the other a soldier. The
former found in his accomplishments the means
of ingratiating himself with the Marquis of
Ch'i, who engaged him as tutor to the young
princes. The other brother proceeded to Ch'u,
and won favour with the King of that State by
his military talents. The King was so well


TIMELINESS
111
My method of preserving tranquillity is to
show subserviente to the larger States and to
conciliate the lesser ones. If I were to rely on
armed force, I could only expect utter destruction.
I must not allow this man to depart unscathed,
or he may find his way to some other State and be
a terrible thorn in my side.” So, without more
ado, he cut off his feet and sent him back to Lu.
On their return, the whole family fell to
beating their breasts in despair, and uttered
imprecations on Mr. Shih. Mr. Shih, however,
said : “Success consists in hitting off the right
moment, while missing it means failure. Your
method was identical with ours, only the result
was different. That is not due to any flaw in
the action itself, but simply because it was not
well timed. Nothing, in the ordering of this
world, is either at all times right or at all times
wrong. What formerly passed current may
nowadays be rejected; what is now rejected
may by and by come into use again. The fact
that a thing is in use or in disuse forms no
criterion whatever of right or wrong. There is
no rule of thumb for seizing opportunities,
hitting off the right moment, or adapting oneself
to circumstances ; it is all a matter of native
wit. If you are deficient in that, you may
possess the learning of a Confucius or the
strategical gifts of a Lü Shang, and yet you will
remain poor wherever you go."
right moto all a n that, yomor the


112
CAUSALITY
The Mêng family were now in a more resigned
frame of mind, and their indignation had sub-
sided. “Yes, you are right,” they said ; "the
lesson will not need to be repeated."
*
* *
Duke Wên of Chin put an army into the field
with the intention of attacking the Duke of Wei,
whereat Tzŭ Ch‘u threw his head back and
laughed aloud. On being asked the reason of
his behaviour, he replied: “I was thinking of
the experience of a neighbour of mine, who was
escorting his wife on a visit to her own family.
On the way, he came across a woman tending silk-
worms, who attracted him greatly, and he fell
into conversation with her. Happening to look
up, what should he see but his own wife also
receiving the attentions of an admirer! It was the
recollection of this incident that made me laugh.”
The Duke saw the point, and forthwith turned
home with his army. Before he got back, an invad-
ing force had already crossed his northern frontier !
jut his oro It waugh."
“As you behave to others, so others will behave to you.
He who rides roughshod towards the accomplishment of his
own desires, in the belief that it will not ocour to others to
do the like, will in all probability find himself circumstanced
as above."
* * *
In the Chin State, which was infested with
robbers, there lived a certain Ch‘i Yung, who was
able to tell a robber by his face ; by examining


114
CAUSALITY
of shame, you will not find them turning into
robbers."
The Marquis then appointed Sui Hui to be
Prime Minister, and all the robbers fled to the
Ch‘in State.
A shrewd thrust at the brigand State which eventually
swallowed up all the rest. The commentator says: “ Apply
cleverness to ferret out wrongdoing, and the cunning rogue
will escape. Using the gift of intuition to expose crime only
excites hatred in the wicked. That 'sagacity is an evil' is
no empty saying.”
Duke Mu of Ch'in said to Po Lo :
A famous judge of horses, of whom Chuang Tzů speaks
with scant respect. See Musings of a Chinese Mystic, p. 66.
“You are now advanced in years. Is there any
member of your family whom I could employ
to look for horses in your stead ?” Po Lo
replied: “A good horse can be picked out by
its general build and appearance. But the
superlative horse one that raises no dust and
leaves no tracks—is something evanescent and
fleeting, elusive as thin air. The talent of my
sons lies on a lower plane altogether : they can
tell a good horse when they see one, but they
cannot tell a superlative horse. I have a friend,
however, one Chiu-fang Kao, a hawker of fuel
and vegetables, who in things appertaining to
horses is nowise my inferior. Pray see him."


THE SUPERLATIVE HORSE 115
Duke Mu did so, and subsequently despatched
him on the quest for a steed. Three months
later, he returned with the news that he had
found one. “It is now in Sha-ch'iu," he added.
“What kind of a horse is it?" asked the Duke.
“Oh, it is a dun-coloured mare," was the reply.
However, on some one being sent to fetch it,
the animal turned out to be a coal-black stallion !
Much displeased, the Duke sent for Po Lo. “That
friend of yours," he said, “whom I commissioned
to look for a horse, has made a nice mess of it.
Why, he cannot even distinguish a beast's colour
or sex! What on earth can he know about
horses ?” Po Lo heaved a sigh of satisfaction.
“Has he really got as far as that?" he cried.
“Ah, then he is worth a thousand of me put
together. There is no comparison between us.
What Kao keeps in view is the spiritual mechan-
ism. In making sure of the essential, he forgets
the homely details; intent on the inward qualities,
he loses sight of the external.) He sees what he
wants to see, and not what hé does not want to
see. He looks at the things he ought to look at,
and neglects those that need not be looked at. So
clever a judge of horses is Kao, that he has it in
him to judge something better than horses.”
When the horse arrived, it turned out indeed to
be a superlative horse.


NEMESIS
117
world will look upon us as a set of poltroons,
Let us summon up our utmost resolution, and
combine with one accord to wipe him and his
family out of existence !” The whole party
signified their agreement, and when the evening
of the appointed day had come, they collected,
fully armed for the attack, and exterminated
every member of the family.
“Pride and extravagance lead to calamity and ruin in
more ways than one. Mr. Yü's family was destroyed, al-
though in this particular instance he had no thought of
insulting others; nevertheless, the catastrophe was due to
an habitual lack of modesty and courtesy in his conduct."
In the east of China there was a man named
Yüan Ching Mu, who set off on a journey but was
overcome by hunger on the way. A certain
robber from Hu-fu, of the name of Ch‘iu, saw him
lying there, and fetched a bowl of rice-gruel in
order to feed him. After swallowing three
mouthfuls, Yüan Ching Mu opened his eyes and
murmured, “Who are you?” “I am a native
of Hu-fu, and my name is Ch‘iu.” “Oh misery!"
cried Yuan Ching Mu, “ are not you the robber
Ch‘iu ? What are you feeding me for? I am
an honest man and cannot eat your food.” So
saying, he clutched the ground with both hands,
and began retching and coughing in order to
bring it up again. Not succeeding, however, he
fell flat on his face and expired.


118
CAUSALITY
Now the man from Hu-fu was a robber, no
doubt, but the food he brought was not affected
thereby. Because a man is a robber, to refuse to
eat the food he offers you, on the ground that it
is tainted with crime, is to have lost all power of
discriminating between the nominal and the real.
Yang Chu's younger brother, named Pu, went
out one day wearing a suit of white clothes. It
came on to rain, so that he had to change, and
came back dressed in a suit of black. His dog
failed to recognise him in this garb, and rushed
out at him, barking. This made Yang Pu angry,
and he was going to give the dog a beating, when
Yang Chu said : “Do not beat him. You are no
wiser than he. For, suppose your dog went
away white and came home black, do you mean
to tell me that you would not think it strange ?”
* * *
Yang Chu said: “You may do good without
thinking about fame, but fame will come to you
nevertheless. You may have fame without
aiming at pelf, but pelf is sure to follow in its
wake. You may be rich without wishing to
provoke emulation and strife, yet emulation and
strife will certainly result. Hence the superior
man is very cautious about doing good."
*
The good people of Han-tan were in the habit,


THE CANKER OF SUSPICION
121
he saw his neighbour's son again, he found no
trace of guilt in his movements, his actions, or his
general demeanour.
“The man in whose mind suspicion is at work will let
himself be carried away by utterly distorted fancies, until at
last he soos white as black, and detects squareness in a
circle."
* *
There was once a man in the Ch'i State who
had a burning lust for gold. Rising early one
morning, he dressed and put on his hat and went
down to the market-place, where he proceeded
to seize and carry off the gold from a money-
changer's shop.
An ordinary thief would have gone at night, and probably
naked, after smearing his body with oil.
He was arrested by the police, who were puzzled
to know why he had committed the theft at a
time when everybody was about. “When I was
taking the gold,” he replied, “I did not see
anybody at all; what I saw was the gold, and
nothing but the gold.”


PRINTED BY
HAZELL, WATSON AND VINKY, LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY,
ENGLAND.








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JANE 6 /
JAN 9 | 1970
og
3
She 2 7 1970
FEB 1 6 1973
APR Í ÖM
JUN 1
1975
DECI 1981
DEC 31 103