King Wen was astonished and seemed to have forgotten everything else.
‘What of the sword of the noble Prince?’ he asked.
Chuang Tzu said, ‘The sword of the noble Prince, its point is sagacious and courageous people; its blade is those of integrity and sincerity; its ridge is those of worth and goodness; its hilt is those who are trustworthy and wise; its sheath is of the brave and outstanding. When this sword is thrust forward, it encounters nothing; when wielded high, it has nothing above it; when swung low, it has nothing below it; when swirled about, it finds nothing near it. Above, its guidance comes from Heaven and it proceeds with the three great lights.118 Below, it is inspired by the square, stable nature of the earth, proceeding with the flow of the four seasons. In the middle lands it restores harmony to the people and is in balance with the four directions. Use this sword but once and it is like hearing the crash of thunder. Within the four borders everyone obeys the laws and everyone attends to the orders of the ruler. This is the sword of the noble Prince.’
‘What of the sword of the commoner?’
‘The sword of the commoner is used by those who are tousle-haired with spiky beards, wearing loose caps held on by ordinary coarse cords, with their robes cut short behind. They stare about them fiercely and will only talk about their swordsmanship while fighting before the King. Raised high, it cuts through the neck; swung low, it slices into the liver and lungs. The people who use the sword of the commoner are no better than fighting cocks who at any time can have their lives curtailed. They are useless to the state. Now you, O King, have the position of the Son of Heaven but you make yourself unworthy by associating with the sword of the commoner. This is what I dare to say.’
The King brought him up into his hall where the butler presented a tray of food, while the King strode three times round the room.
‘Sire, sit down and calm yourself,’ said Chuang Tzu. ‘Whatever there was to say about swords has been said.’
Following this, King Wen did not go out for three months and all his swordsmen killed themselves in their own rooms.
CHAPTER 31
The Old Fisherman
Confucius wandered through the Black Curtain Forest and sat down beside the Apricot Tree Altar. His followers started reading their books while Confucius played his lute and sang. He was not even halfway through the song when a fisherman stepped out of his boat and came towards him. His beard and eyebrows were white and his hair was wild, while his sleeves hung down beside him. He walked up the slopes until he reached the drier ground and then stopped, resting his left hand on his knee and his chin in his right hand, and listened until the song was over. Then he called over Tzu Kung and Tzu Lu and the two of them went to him.
‘Who is that?’ he said, pointing at Confucius.
‘He is a nobleman from Lu,’ replied Tzu Lu.
The fisherman then enquired as to Confucius’ family. Tzu Lu replied, ‘The family of Kung.’
‘What does this man of Kung do for a living?’
Tzu Lu was working out what to say when Tzu Kung replied, saying, ‘This man of the Kung family in his innate nature holds fast to loyalty and faithfulness; in his behaviour he shows benevolence and righteousness; he makes the rituals and music beautiful, and balances human relationships. He pays respect above him to the ruler of his generation and in his dealings with those below him he tries to transform the ordinary people, as he wants to bless the whole world. This is what this man of the Kung family does.’
The fisherman enquired further, ‘Does he have any land over which he rules?’
‘No,’ said Tzu Kung.
‘Is he an adviser to a king?’
‘No.’
The stranger laughed and backed away, saying, ‘So benevolence is benevolence, yet he won’t escape without harm to himself. Exhausting the heart and wearing out the body puts his true nature in jeopardy. Sadly, I believe he is far removed from the Tao.’
Tzu Kung went up and told Confucius about this. Confucius laid aside his flute and stood up, saying, ‘Maybe he is a sage!’ and he went down the slope to find him. He reached the water’s edge as the fisherman was about to pole away. Seeing Confucius, he poled back again and confronted him. Confucius stepped back somewhat hastily, bowed twice and went forward.
‘What do you want, Sir?’ said the stranger.
‘Just now, Master, you said a few words but didn’t finish,’ said Confucius. ‘Being unworthy, I do not understand them. So I would like to be with you and to hear even just the sounds of your words in the hope that they might enlighten me!’
‘Oh-ho, you have a good love of study, Sir!’
Confucius bowed twice and stood up. ‘Ever since I was little I have pursued study, and now here I am sixty-nine years old, yet I have never heard the perfect teaching, so what can I do but keep my heart open?’
The stranger said, ‘Like seeks like and each note responds to its own. This is the boundary established by Heaven. I will not discuss that which concerns me, but will concentrate on what you need to know
