Volume Seven "Sainan"

Some say: "The supreme deity of the imperial firmament bestows the mandate of equality. Why should ordinary people like Qiao Song enjoy an immortal life while the Great Sage Zhou Kong has no longevity?" " Baopuzi said, "The shortening of one's life is actually determined by what is worth it. The formation of a fetus due to the influence of qi each has its own constellations." The way of heaven is non-action, allowing things to follow their natural course, without any closeness or distance, without any other or this. If one's destiny belongs to the star of Life, then the person is bound to be fond of the path of immortality. Those who love the path of immortality will surely succeed even if they seek it. If one's destiny belongs to the Death Star, then the person does not believe in immortality either. If one does not believe in the way of immortals, one will not cultivate one's own affairs either. Whether something is desired or not depends on what it is claimed. Transferring or seizing it is beyond the control of heaven. Just as metal and stone are melted in a furnace and earthenware is polished in a stove, although they are shaped by this, the sharpness or dullness of copper and iron, as well as the right and wrong of jars, are not matters of restoring the stove. Some people may find it hard to say, "A fine craftsman's work is all done by his own hands. What could the gods of heaven not do? And it is said that everyone has their own value, which is beyond the ability of the vast universe to create. I am so foolish and confused that I dare not do it." Baopuzi replied, "In a state of confusion and division, the clear and the turbid are presented. Sometimes it rises and moves, sometimes it descends and remains still. The universe still does not understand the reason for this." All things sense the qi and are natural. Together with the universe, they are one thing, but their formation varies in time and their size. Because of the vastness of heaven and earth, one perceives the smallness of all things. Because all things are small, we perceive the vastness of heaven and earth. Moreover, although the abdomen and back surround the five internal organs, the five internal organs are not created by the abdomen and back. Although the skin is wrapped with blood and qi, blood and qi are not produced by the skin. Although heaven and earth contain all things, all things are not created by heaven and earth. Just as grass and trees grow and thrive because of the mountains and forests, the mountains and forests have nothing to do with them. Fish and turtles rely on water and ponds to breed, but water and ponds do not do that. The common people perceive the vastness of heaven and earth as the smallness of all things, thus saying that heaven and earth are the parents of all things and all things are the descendants of heaven and earth. If the lice were born of me, could it be my fault? Therefore, lice do not breed without me, and I am not the parent of lice, lice are not my descendants. The 蠛蠓 is nurtured in vinegar, the 檽 is produced in wood and stone, the 蛣 is nourished in dirt and silt, and the beauty of the green ivy lies in the pine branches. None of these four things are created by them. All things are filled with the leisure of heaven and earth. How could there be any difference? The sky has the sun, the moon, the cold and the heat. People have the ability to look and breathe, to judge the near by the far and to infer the near by the same. If people cannot know for themselves the reasons why their bodies are young, old, painful or itched, then the sky cannot know for itself the reasons why their bodies are full and constricted, and why they are prone to disasters and auspiciousness. If a person cannot keep his eyes and ears always sharp and his guard always close, then the sky cannot prevent the sun and the moon from waning and the four seasons from remaining orderly. From this perspective, the matter of a grand birthday does not lie in heaven and earth. Whether one is immortal or not is definitely not worth it. My father, who gave birth to me, and my mother, who nurtured me, still cannot ensure that my form is moderate, my appearance is enchanting, my nature is peaceful, my wisdom is profound, or that I am endowed with much strength and have a long life. And some are ugly and crude 尫 weak, some are dark and ugly, some are deaf, blind and stubborn 嚚, some are distant and weary. What they obtain is not what they desire, and what they desire is not what they obtain. How much more so in the vastness of the world? Parents are still as distant as ever. I have my own body, and I cannot make it forever strong and ageless, always healthy and free from illness, with joy and anger in moderation, or with no regrets in planning. Therefore, those who impart the shape of the air flow are my parents, and those who receive and possess it are my body. As for the rest, there is no one who is close to it, nor is there anyone who can control it. Neither of them can harm or benefit me. How could heaven and earth understand them? If all people were the creations of heaven and earth, then all should be good and without evil, all should succeed and without failure, and all living beings should be accomplished. Then there would be no sorrow like the spring eagle in Yang! Confucius, believing that heaven could not allow Confucius and Mencius to have the ability to save the world, further realized that what is bestowed is natural and not divided by heaven and earth. The sage is virtue, and virtue is the ultimate. If Heaven could bestow its utmost virtue upon him, causing his knowledge to be incomplete, his achievements to not be established, his position to not be overbearing, and his life to not be full of a hundred years, this is not the result of Heaven's efforts. If the death of a sage is not caused by heaven, then the life of a sage is not supported by heaven. The virtuous do not need to live long, the foolish do not need to die young. Good deeds do not bring near blessings, and evil deeds do not bring near disasters. Life has no fixed year, and death has no fixed distinction. The virtuous and wise men are beautiful but not practical. Dou Gong, an ordinary man, was a few hundred years old. Bo Niu fell ill and became sick. Zi Xia lost Ming. Dao Zhi was poor and evil and his hair turned white. Zhuang ð« The diva and diva are extremely evil and his hair turned yellow. Heaven's inaction is clear from this Some say: "Zhongni said that death has always existed since ancient times, while Laozi said that immortals can learn from it." The words of the sages are trustworthy and well-documented. What Taoism says is hard to apply at birth. Baopuzi said, "Zhongni is the sage of Confucianism." Laozi, the sage of the Tao. Confucianism is accessible and easy to see, so many people follow it. The meaning of the Tao is distant and hard to understand, so few people grasp it. The Tao is the source of all diversity. Confucian scholars are of the Great Chun School. In the past of the Three Sovereigns, the Dao was well governed. Since the reign of emperors, it has been Confucianism. All those who talk about it know the simplicity and honesty of the high society, but they are indifferent to the dispersion of the mundane. Why do they only value Zhongni and despise Lao Shi? It is like playing with the fine algae at the end of the wood, without realizing the origin of what is born. It is no different from valuing pearls over deep pools, loving harmonious jade over Jingshan Mountain, not knowing that deep pools are where pearls come from and Jingshan Mountain is where harmonious jade comes from. Moreover, cultivating one's nature is the remainder of the Dao. Rites and music are the last of Confucianism. Therefore, those who value Confucianism, through their ability to transform customs and practices, do not merely seek to yield and compromise. Therefore, those who respect the Tao, through their silent transformation and action, do not focus solely on health preservation. If there were a sequence between Confucianism, Taoism and fruit, then Zhongni could not have believed in it alone, and Laoshi could not have relied on it alone. Zhongni respectfully asked Boyang, "I wish to compare with Lao Peng." He also said that he knew fish and birds but not dragons, and compared the old man to dragons, because the words he was convinced of in his heart were not empty words. As Yan Hui said, "When looking ahead, suddenly behind; when drilling, it becomes firmer; when looking up, it becomes higher. There is no difference." Some people say, "Why did Zhongni see Lao Shi in person but not study the Tao?" Baopuzi said, "From this perspective, it becomes even more clear that one is endowed with a natural destiny and still has an unchangeable nature." Zhongni knew that Lao Shi was mysterious, precious and extraordinary, but he could not draw on the essence of clarity and emptiness, the source of the great and the great, beyond the formless and entering the realm of the ultimate way. What he consulted and received was limited to the trivial matters of the people. How could he ask for the immortal Dharma? It is considered that his heart is so earnest and devoted to education that he does not care about martial arts. Although Zhongni was wise in worldly affairs, he was not someone who could remain calm and silent, and refrain from doing anything. Therefore, Laozi warned him, saying: "A good merchant keeps a low profile as if he were empty, and a gentleman shows great virtue as if he were foolish. To get rid of your arrogance, excessive desires, appearance and lewd thoughts is not beneficial to your health." This is sufficient to show that Zhongni is not bound by mundane emotions and is not someone who studies immortality. "Even if one can rest in peace, one must focus on The Times. Looking up, I grieve over the phoenix's cry; looking down, I sigh at 匏瓜. I'm afraid I won't sell it. Youdaoplaceholder1, I think of holding a whip. How could I give up the achievements of governing the world and cultivate the vastness of life?" " Some say: "Which is more difficult or easier in the pursuit of Confucianism and Taoism?" Baopuzi replied, "Confucianism is the hardest part of the easy." The Dao is the easiest within the difficult. The difficulty of Taoism lies in a husband's abandonment of social connections, entrusting himself to his wife, giving up honor and fame, losing wealth and honor, cutting off the charm and decay to his eyes, suppressing the resounding sound to his ears, retiring in peace and contentment, being good at self-cultivation alone, not being sad when slandered, not being happy when praised, not wanting to see the powerful, and not being ashamed when in a humble position. When one is free from the hope of joy and sorrow, when one is free from the responsibility of looking at others, one does not strain one's mind on the seven scriptures, does not ponder over the calendar, does not let one's mind suffer from the pain of walking, and does not let one's heart be burdened by art and literature. Once all the troubles are reduced, harmony will naturally increase. One is free from action and worry, free from fear and vigilance. This is the Easy Way of Taoism, the easiest within the difficult. The cultivation of a Confucian scholar is all based on principles to achieve success, with a clear source, words and expressions at any time, a teacher can be sought through a study, and books can be explained and annotated to dispel doubts. This is the essence of a Confucian scholar. Deep and far-reaching, intricate and complex, the records of the rivers and Luo, the clouds of a hundred families, virtue accumulated in the Hengxiang, loyalty in serving the ruler, looking up at the spirit in the Chuixiang, looking down at the Yunyun. If one does not know one thing, one's actions will not be clear; if one's words are not correct, one will not be able to distinguish between praise and criticism. Raising one's toes to be followed by the world, moving one's lips to be passed down by the world, this is the difficulty of Confucianism, the difficulty of the easy. When discussing the two, Confucianism is difficult, while Taoism is relatively easy. I am afraid of its difficulty and will abandon it and follow its easy path. Those who mock me in the world are all like me. Those who can be proud of it have never been seen. If those who are comrades must exist in the future, then I do not consider it a hope. Some say: "Among the renowned sages I have seen and the learned scholars I have heard, there are many who have thoroughly explored their principles and natures, and have verified whether they exist or not. None of them have mentioned that a long life can be prolonged or that one can attain immortality." Sir, you know that you cannot reach the sun and the moon, nor can your thoughts transcend ten thousand miles. Yet, according to the path of immortality, you dare not believe in it. Baopuzi said, "I am an ordinary person with limited talent, having seen and heard little. How could I dare to boast of having a unique understanding that surpasses all others?" Gu once sought the hidden through the obvious, and obtained the difficult through the easy. By checking the minor tests, one can know the great effects; by seeing what has already happened, one can understand what has not been tested. Moreover, those in this world do not believe in the existence of immortals in heaven and earth, nor are they willing to make any regulations. With the talent of both the classics and the common people, the skills of the master, and the ability to read and understand the books of teaching and learning, I can understand the immediate and easy principles of people, distinguish the confusion of ordinary people, and solve the doubts of the masses. I can also predict the signs before they occur. This is my relationship with all things, which is not incomplete, nor is it impossible to avoid the dark and the obscure. I say there is no immortal, and immortals must cease to exist. They have always been so firm. Every time I see vulgar scholars who are mediocre and stick to their ways and do not believe in the most important things, it is because they are quite intelligent but rather dry and stubborn, burdened by their petty cleverness, unwilling to care about the extreme darkness, and thus do not part with soybeans and wheat. With the narrow perspective of a tube, one is confined beyond the reach of one's intelligence. How different is it that with the 绠 of a single search, one can draw from a depth of a hundred feet without realizing the insufficiency of what is needed, yet it is like a well without water? It is said that when one hears the sound of fierce wind and fire, it is called the winter thunder of the sky; when one sees the clouds moving westward, it is called the moon moving eastward. Some people may tell them but never understand and believe. This is because they believe in themselves too much. All who hear the sound will not believe my ears. All those who look at the form do not believe in my eyes. And perhaps what I have heard and seen is true but not true. However, my eyes and ears are indeed not trustworthy. Moreover, what the heart perceives is formless and soundless, and it is even more difficult to perceive than to see or hear. And with what one's own heart acquires, it is certain that the most mundane and distant matters of the world will be concealed. Isn't it also a way to cover up the words of immortals?" Baopuzi said, "妍媸 has been determined, but love and hate are different feelings, so the two eyes do not look at each other." Both Ya and Zheng are well-trained, but their likes and dislikes are different, so they do not listen to each other. When truth and falsehood have quality, they tend to abandon misfortune and conflict, so the two hearts do not conspire together. There are those who take ugliness as beauty, there are those who take turbidity as clarity, and there are those who take loss as gain. These three are distinct and distinct, and it is obvious that they are so easy to understand. However, they can never be unified with each other. Moreover, when it comes to the affairs of immortals, they are so wonderful that to make everyone believe them, there is no unattainable reason. If ordinary people have all this knowledge, what is the value of achieving it? If one waits for the common people to stop speaking nonsense, it is not long to wait for the river to clear. The reason why I cannot remain silent is that I hope those who can rise or fall can reach my ears. What remains unchanging is something that the ancients have never been like. Baopuzi said, "The ultimate truth has not been easily understood, and the immortals have not been trusted. This has been around for a long time, not just now." The supreme one naturally knows it. Only after being informed can one understand. If one laughs at it upon hearing it, then it is all the same. If I speak of this, I will regret my failure and be blamed for my inappropriate words! If one does not match things, then those who hurt them will come to the fullest. Shengyang cannot nourish withered and rotten trees, deities cannot change their indulgent nature, Zigong cannot please the wild men on horseback, and Gugong cannot relieve the desires of the Rong and Di people in the land. There is indeed a lack of understanding in the truth and a lack of good words. Zhang Fu did not sell to the barbarian Yue, and the Red Xi was not used by the 跣 yi. How could this be strong? When one sees jade and refers to it as stone, it is not because the jade is not genuine. It was only after He Shi that one came to understand this. Seeing a dragon and naming it a snake is not because the dragon is not divine. We need to analyze it carefully before making a distinction. Therefore, the noble way, when added, cannot be enhanced, and when reduced, cannot be lessened. Therefore, those who value virtue do so because they do not suffer when they hear of criticism and are not displeased when they receive praise. He truly believes that there must be no immortals in the world, while I alone argue with him based on the fact that there must be. The longer the argument lasts, the more firmly he holds onto it. It is because of this prolonged confusion that there is no way to solve it without understanding. How could one truly follow the meaning of the chain?"