The Yellow Emperor was travelling to the north of Red Water, ascending to the summit of Kun Lun and looking out southwards. Returning home he lost his dark pearl. He commissioned Knowledge to look for it, but Knowledge was unable to trace it. He commissioned Li Chu to look for it, but he could not trace it. He commissioned Heated Debate to look for it, but he also could not trace it. Finally he commissioned Pointless to look for it and he traced it. The Yellow Emperor said, ‘How strange! How is it that only Pointless could trace it?’
Yao’s teacher was Hsu Yu; Hsu Yu’s teacher was Yeh Chueh; Yeh Chueh’s teacher was Wang Ni; Wang Ni’s teacher was Pi I. Yao asked Hsu Yu, ‘Could Yeh Chueh be counted the equal of Heaven? I could then ask Wang Ni to request that he take over from me.’
Hsu Yu said, ‘Take care, for this could put everything under Heaven at risk! Yeh Chueh is sharp, clear-thinking, quick-witted and alert. By nature he is superior to others, but he can exploit what Heaven gives him. He would try to prevent flaws, but he does not understand where they spring from. Make him the equal of Heaven? Beware, for he would rely upon others rather than on Heaven, caring for his own self first and having little regard to the lives of others. He would pursue knowledge, and his actions would be like swift fire. He would be in bondage to his own ideas, in thrall to them, constantly looking all around to see how things are going. He would be at the mercy of demands, changing as they change and having no dependability at all. How could he be the equal of Heaven? There are small clans with common ancestors, and he could be the father of one such small branch, but not the father of the fathers of all the extended family. His rule would bring disaster, both to the ministers facing north and the ruler facing south.’
Yao was touring the sights of Hua. The guards of Hua said, ‘Oh, a sage! Let me pray to the sage. Long life to the sage!’
Yao said, ‘Never!’
‘May the sage be wealthy!’
‘Never!’
‘May the sage have many sons!’
‘Never!’
‘Long life, wealth and many sons are what most people want,’ said the guard. ‘Why do you not want them?’
’Many sons bring many anxieties, wealth brings many troubles, long life brings many problems. These three things do not enhance Virtue. I dismiss them.’
The guard said, ‘When I first saw you I thought you were a sage. Now I can see you are just a nobleman. Heaven gives life to all the multitudinous peoples and gives them their place. Many sons will have diverse assignments given to them, so there is nothing to fear! If you share your wealth with others, there is no trouble!
‘The sage finds his place as a quail settles,
or as a fledgling is fed
and as a bird flying leaves no mark of its passage.
If the whole world has the Tao,
he is part of that well-being.
When the whole world has lost the Tao,
he develops Virtue and avoids involvement.
After a thousand years, wearied by the world,
he departs and rises to be with the immortals,
soaring up upon the white clouds,
arriving at the Supreme One’s abode.
The three troubles you quote never affect him;
they do not touch his body;
Such a man suffers no shame!’
The guard then left. Yao pursued him, saying, ‘I would just like to ask if …’
‘Get lost!’ said the guard.
When Yao ruled all under Heaven, Po Cheng Tzu Kao was made a governor. Yao passed the throne to Shun, then Shun passed it to Yu. At this point Po Cheng Tzu Kao resigned his commission and began farming. Yu went to see him and found him ploughing. Rushing up to him and bowing in deference, he halted and said, ‘When Yao ruled the world, you, Sir, were made a governor. Yao gave way to Shun and Shun gave way to me and then you, Sir, resigned your commission and began farming. Dare I ask the reason why?’
Tzu Kao said, ‘When Yao ruled the world, people worked, although he gave no rewards; the people were in awe of him, although he gave out no punishments. Now, you use both rewards and punishments but the people are without benevolence. Virtue will now decay and punishments will prevail. The chaos of the age to come has its origin here and now. So, Sir, why don’t you leave? Do not disturb my work!’
He pushed on with his farming and did not look around.
At the great Origin there was nothing, nothing, no name.
The One arose from it; there was One without form.
In taking different forms, it brought life, and became known as Virtue.
Before any shape was given, their roles were assigned,
varied and diverse but all linked to one another.
This was their lot.
The forces worked on and things were created,
they grew and took distinct shapes, and these were called ‘bodies’.
The bodies contained spirits,
each distinct and mortal.
This is what we call the innate nature.
Train this innate nature and it will return to Virtue;
Virtue at its best is identical with the Origin.
Being of the One is to be ultimately formless, and this formlessness is vast.
This is like the opening and shutting of a bird’s beak,
where the opening and shutting is like Heaven and Earth united.
This unity is chaotic and disorderly;
it looks stupid or foolish.
This is known as Mysterious Virtue,
being, without knowing it, part of the great Submission.
Confucius said to Lao Tzu, ‘Some people try to grasp the Tao through argument. They try to make what is impossible seem possible. They try to make what is not seem as if it is. Like debaters, they make pointless distinctions and then claim they are actually significant – as real as this roof! Can such people as this be called sages?’
‘Such people are the workers kept in bondage,’ replied Lao Tzu, ‘wearing out their bodies and bringing anxiety to their hearts. Like the dog who
