a bird’s shadow never moves,
swift though the arrowhead is, at times it is neither moving nor still,
a dog is not a dog,
a bay horse and a black ox make three,
a white dog is black,
a motherless colt never had a mother,
if you have a pole one foot long and every day you cut off half,
ten thousand generations will not exhaust it.’
These are the sorts of sayings speakers came up with in response to Hui Shih, rattling on in this fashion eternally to the end of their lives.
Huan Tuan and Kung Sun Lung are to be numbered amongst these. They were more vocal than others, overwhelming the hearts of the people and changing their ideas. But they could not subdue people’s hearts, they just encompassed them with argument. Hui Shih drew upon his knowledge every day to argue with these speakers, these talkers from around the world, as can be seen from the examples above.
Indeed, Hui Shih’s style of speaking illustrates that he thought himself the very best, saying that Heaven and Earth are also equal! Shih certainly maintained his vigour, but unfortunately he had no real skill.
In the south there was a man with very odd views called Huang Liao, and he enquired why Heaven and Earth didn’t fall or collapse, where the wind and rain come from, likewise the thunder and lightning. Hui Shih didn’t try to avoid these questions and, without pausing to think, he charged right in and gave answers to everything affecting all the forms of life, without ceasing, with no end of words. Nevertheless, he feared he hadn’t said enough, so he began embroidering his answers with fantastic theories. If he spoke contrary to what others thought, he saw this as confirmation of the veracity of what he said and was delighted at the fame he gained. In this he was indeed like all other such speakers. He was weak in terms of true Virtue and forceful in his engagement with what is external. He trod a dark and confused path.
From the perspective of the Tao of Heaven and Earth, we can see that Hui Shih’s ability was simply like the buzzing of a mosquito or gnat. What was the real use of it? Certainly, he can be credited with founding one school of thought, though to be honest I have to say he needed to follow the Tao more! Hui Shih found no sense of achievement in doing this. Instead he persisted in trying endlessly to diagnose all the forms of life, until finally all he is remembered for is his fame as a debater! Poor old Hui Shih! With all that talent he never obtained any significant achievement. Racing after the multitude of things in this world and never returning, he was indeed like someone who tries to have the last word with an echo, or who tries to show that you can outrun your shadow.
What a shame!
1. The Illustrated Tao Te Ching, translated by Man Ho Kwok, Martin Palmer and Jay Ramsay, Element Books, 1993, p. 27.
2. Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, Cambridge University Press, 1956, volume II, p. 35.
3. The Illustrated Tao Te Ching, p. 137.
4. Mythological figure, reputed to have lived to a great age.
5. The greatest of the Sacred Mountains of China, believed to be the birthplace of creation and humanity.
6. Philosopher who taught simple living and pacifism.
7. One of the three great ‘Taoist’ writers, along with Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu.
8. One of the five original Emperors of Chinese mythology and pre-history. A model of Confucian wisdom.
9. A hermit who, according to legend, refused to take over the kingdom.
10. A critic of Confucius, known as ‘the Madman of Chu’.
11. Shun took over the kingdom from Yao and is another model ruler.
12. A famous musician.
13. This passage plays on the use of positive and negative signifiers in Chinese characters.
14. The greatest of the five original Emperors of Chinese mythology, a symbol of wisdom and civilization.
15. Two very ancient forms of music.
16. Amputation of one foot was a common form of punishment for criminals.
17. The favourite follower of Confucius.
18. Chieh is the archetypal evil ruler who murdered his ministers when they tried to control him.
19. Pi Kan tried to restrain the last Shang Emperor’s excesses.
20. Two primordial founder figures. Fu Hsi is credited with discovering the eight Trigrams and with inventing writing.
21. A book of rules and proverbs.
22. Figures from the history of the fifth century BC.
23. Prime Minister of Cheng, died 522 BC.
24. The most famous archer of Chinese mythology.
25. Mutilated as a punishment for crime.
26. A formal title for the Emperors, marking their special relationship with Heaven.
27. A disciple of Confucius.
28. Historical figures who were either reformers or upholders of the status quo, but who were all killed or committed suicide.
29. The following characters are all from the earliest myths of China.
30. Primal mother figure, an early Heavenly goddess, later adopted as a major deity in Taoism.
31. A famous sword belonging to King Ho Lu (c. 500 BC) of Wu.
32. One of the five original Emperors of mythology, a model of Confucian piety.
33.A mythological ruler of antiquity.
34. The five vital organs of early Chinese medicine are the liver, lungs, heart, kidneys and spleen, and are linked to the five elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.
35. Models of benevolence and righteousness in Confucian teachings.
36. Yang taught hedonism, while Mo Tzu taught love of all.
37. Hsia, Shang and Chou (2200–600 BC).
38.2255 BC.
39. Ruler who abdicated to his brother and then refused to serve an unjust ruler, so dying of starvation.
40. Famous for his wickedness.
41. A famous trainer of horses.
42. Mythological ruler of ancient China.
43. Advisers who tried to reform their rulers and were executed for their pains.
44. At a great feast in Chu the Lord of Lu gave poor-quality wine, while the Lord of Chao (whose capital was Han Tan) gave good wine. The steward, having some desire for mischief, swapped them. The ruler of Chu took offence at the poor wine, attacked Chao and
