CHAPTER 5
Signs of Real Virtue
In the state of Lu there lived a man called Wang Tai, who had lost a foot – yet the number of his followers was as great as those of Confucius. Chang Chi asked Confucius, ‘Wang Tai has lost a foot, yet he manages to divide up the state of Lu equally with you, Master. He doesn’t preach, he doesn’t debate, but people come empty and leave full. Is it true that there is teaching without words, and that even if the body is not whole, the heart is complete? What kind of man is he?’
Confucius replied, ‘This master is a sage, and the only reason I have not been his disciple is that I was slow in going to him. I will certainly now go to him as my teacher, and, therefore, how much more should those who are not equal to me! Why stop at just the state of Lu? I will bring all under Heaven to follow him.’
‘He is a man who has lost a foot,’ said Chang Chi, ‘yet his authority is above yours! Sir, how very different he is from ordinary people. How exactly does his heart function?’
‘Death and birth are matters of great significance,’ said Confucius, ‘but they have no effect on him. Even if Heaven and Earth were to collapse, he would not be disturbed. He truly understands the primary things in life and is not moved by mere things, he understands that some things are predestined and therefore holds true to the unchanging.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘If you look at things in terms of their difference,’ replied Confucius, ‘then the liver and gall are as different as the states of Chu and Yueh; however, study them from the perspective of their sameness, and all life is one. This is what this master does. Such a man is not guided by his eyes and ears, instead he lets his heart decide what is harmonious in its Virtue. He observes the unity and does not see that which is lost. He considers the loss of his foot as being like a lump of earth thrown away.’
Chang Chi said, ‘In the way he has nurtured himself with knowledge, he has followed his heart, his true heart. Following his heart, he has cultivated an eternal heart, but why should it be that he becomes such a focal point?’
‘People don’t look at a flowing river for a mirror, they look at still waters, because only what is still stills things and holds them still. Of those things which are given life by the earth, only the pine and cypress are the best, for they remain green throughout winter and summer. Of those things given life by Heaven, only Shun was true, for he made his own life an example and so guided others’ lives. Holding to the primal strength and eliminating fear, a lone brave knight can overcome nine armies. If this can be achieved by a brave man seeking renown, just imagine what can be achieved by one who is in control of Heaven and Earth and who encompasses all life, who simply uses his physical body as a place to dwell, whose ears and eyes he knows only convey fleeting images, who knows how to unite all knowledge, and whose heart never dies! Such a man as this, when he chooses a day to ascend on high, will be followed by many people. Yet why should he worry about such matters?’
Shen Tu Chia had lost a foot, and he was a student of Po Hun Wu Jen, along with Cheng Tzu Chan.23 Tzu Chan said to Shen Tu Chia, ‘If I go away from here first, please will you remain behind, and if you go away first, I shall remain behind.’ The very next day they were both sitting together again on the same mat in the hall. Tzu Chan said to Shen Tu Chia, ‘If I go away from here first, please will you remain behind, and if you go away first, I’ll remain behind. Now I am just about to leave, and I really want to know, will you remain behind or not? When you see a top official, you don’t even try to get out of his way. Do you think you are his equal?’
Shen Tu Chia replied, ‘Within the house of our Master, does such a thing as a top official exist? You behave like a top official and are proud of your status. I recall the saying “If a mirror is bright, then no dust or dirt will collect upon it. And if they do, then the mirror is not bright. If you live for long around virtuous people, you are free from all excess.” Now, you have chosen this master as a master to make you great, yet you can still utter these words. Are you not at fault?’
‘Someone like you tries to be as great as Yao,’ said Tzu Chan. ‘Look at your Virtue, isn’t that enough to make you stop and think about yourself?’
‘There are many who have caused trouble but who think that they do not deserve punishment,’ said Shen Tu Chia. ‘However, those who do not cause trouble and who think they deserve nothing are few indeed. To know what is beyond your ability to change, and to live with this as your destiny, is the action of a virtuous one. Anyone who wanders into the middle of Archer Yi’s24 target will find that such a central place is exactly where you get hit! If they are not hit, then that is destiny. People with both feet often laugh at me for having only one and
